A wiring board has a base substrate, a conductive pattern formed on the base substrate, an insulation layer formed on the conductive pattern and the base substrate and including a resin-impregnated inorganic cloth, a conductive pattern formed on the insulating layer, a via formed in the insulation layer and connecting the conductive pattern formed on the base substrate and the conductive pattern formed on the insulating layer, and a through-hole connected to the conductive pattern formed on the base substrate, penetrating through the base substrate and having a hole diameter in a range of 10 μm to 150 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rigid wiring board with interlayer connection and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Background
In a wiring board with mounted multiple electronic components used in a cell phone or the like, connection reliability between conductive patterns is required.
However, while an electronic device is in use for a long duration, electronic components inside the electronic device may generate heat. And if the heat from the electronic components is transmitted to the resin filled in a through-hole, the resin filled in the through-hole expands and the insulation layers at the top and bottom portions of the through-hole are pushed up. In such a case, if a conductive pattern is formed either on the top or the bottom portion of the through-hole, since the insulation layer is pushed up, the conductive pattern may warp and the connection between conductive patterns may rupture. Also, by the expansion of the resin filled in the through-hole, the plating in the through-hole may be damaged and the connection between conductive patterns connected via the through-hole may rupture.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-199442 describes that through-holes connecting conductive patterns are formed so as to slightly curve outward at the center portion. The contents of that reference are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Wiring board and method of manufacturing the same


A substrate terminal includes at least one substrate connection portion that is inserted into a hole portion in a substrate from one surface side of the substrate and is soldered together with the hole portion, a terminal connection portion into which an opposite-side terminal is inserted in a direction same as an insertion direction of the substrate connection portion into the hole portion and that is connected to the opposite-side terminal, an intermediate portion that connects the substrate connection portion and the terminal connection portion, and at least one substrate abutting portion that is made to project in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction and is made to abut against the one surface of the substrate with the substrate connection portion and the hole portion soldered. The substrate abutting portion is formed on a base member by bending processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a substrate terminal that is soldered to an electronic circuit substrate (hereinafter, referred to as a "substrate") has been known. The substrate terminal has one or a plurality of substrate connection portion(s). The substrate connection portion is inserted into a corresponding hole portion on the substrate and is soldered together with a land on a peripheral edge of the hole portion (through-hole). In this manner, the substrate terminal is fixed to the substrate. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-66122, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-95629, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-272737, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-270263, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-319716 disclose substrate terminals. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-319716 discloses a substrate terminal that is freely detachable from a substrate and the configuration of a substrate connection portion that does not need soldering.
When an opposite-side terminal is connected to the substrate terminal, pressing force from the opposite-side terminal acts on the substrate terminal with an insertion operation of the opposite-side terminal into the substrate terminal. Depending on usage modes, the opposite-side terminal is detached from the substrate terminal in some cases. When the opposite-side terminal is detached, tensile force in the detachment direction acts on the substrate terminal from the opposite-side terminal. For example, in the substrate terminals as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-66122 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-95629, a solder portion between the substrate connection portion and the hole portion in the substrate receives the pressing force and the tensile force. In the substrate terminal as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-272737, a resin housing to which the substrate terminal is fixed once receives the pressing force and the tensile force from the opposite-side terminal but there is a possibility that the resin housing is not strong enough to support the pressing force and the tensile force and a solder portion receives them. Thus, the conventional substrate terminals have a risk that an electric connection state between the substrate terminal and a wiring of the substrate is deteriorated because load on the solder portion of the substrate terminal is large in attachment and detachment between the terminals. The substrate terminal as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-270263 is molded into a crank form and an intermediate portion opposing the surface of the substrate is provided between the substrate connection portion and a terminal connection portion with the opposite-side terminal. In the substrate terminal, the intermediate portion is held between two plates made of resin. The substrate terminal reduces load on a solder portion in attachment and detachment between the terminals with the configuration in which one plate receives the pressing force when the opposite-side terminal is inserted and the other plate receives the tensile force when the opposite-side terminal is detached. The substrate terminal, however, needs the plates separately. This possibly results in increase of the substrate with the terminal in size and weight and increase in cost with increase in the number of parts.


This invention relates generally to a belt type furnace. More specifically, this invention relates to a belt type furnace that sequentially stops the belt at the vicinity of at least one heater, and where the heater comprises at least two heating elements.

For many years the electronics industry has used belt type furnaces for high volume heating applications. For an application, such as chip join, the operation is characterized by loading many parts on the belt, followed by continuous movement of the belt through the furnace's heating areas. it is also very important that the furnace provides a uniform temperature across the belt so that each individual part reaches the same temperature during processing. During a typical high volume heating applications intra-part gradients and short dwell times never becomes a problem, because the parts are small and are easily heated. For these applications the total heating system has evolved to a point where it is very reliable and reasonably priced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,437 (Wagner et al.) discloses a continuous speed belt type tunnel oven which allows a user to select different top and bottom temperatures within each of the plural cooking zones.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,954 (Yu et al.) discloses a hot wall diffusion furnace and a method for operating the furnace. Yu et al. disclose that the heating elements in the upper section of the furnace be connected to one circuit, and the heating elements of the lower section of the furnace be connected to a second circuit, and that each circuit be controlled in response to the temperature in that section, so that uniform temperature can be obtained in the processing chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,870 (Mitsuhashi et al.) discloses a heat-treating apparatus having at least three heaters and the power to these heaters can be supplied from independent power sources so that the heating temperatures of the individual heaters can be freely adjusted. Additionally, the multiple heaters in the vertical furnace attain a uniform heat distribution throughout the heating zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,547 (Okuyama et al.) discloses a heat treatment method using a zoned tunnel furnace. The furnace has roller conveyer and each of the zones in the furnace walls are provided with electric resistance heating wires. The heaters in each zone are under programmed control, independent of the heaters in the other zones. Similarly, the roller conveyer in each zone can be driven independent of the roller conveyer in the other zones by programmable controllers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,347 (Rackerby et al.) discloses a process and apparatus for producing temperature profiles in a workpiece as it passes through a belt furnace. Each of the heaters has their own separate thermostats, which enables the temperature of each heater to be separately set. Thus a workpiece can be subjected to a temperature profile which varies from heater to heater along the passageway.
The parts or products using conventional belt type furnaces have changed over time. Some of the parts have been getting larger, and it has become increasingly difficult to do the same type of processing on the larger parts, as done by the furnaces known in the art. Because of the thermal mass or thermal weight some of the larger parts resist being heated quickly. Another factor is that newer and different materials are being used to make these parts and these newer materials require a different heating regimes. These issues are further compounded by the fact that now closer temperature control and lower intra-part gradients are being required by the electronics industry, and this has made the conventional belt furnace only marginally acceptable.
The manufacturers bf conventional belt type furnaces have made quite a few upgrades to their furnaces in response to the industrial needs. Some upgrades include providing better and more efficient gas flows. others have provided improved zone separation. And, still others are providing better cooling in the cool down section. Most of these changes are required because the parts or products are less tolerant to thermal process irregularities and the resultant mechanical stress.
For the larger parts it was observed that when these large parts were run in conventional belt furnaces they heat around the periphery faster than in the center. It was noticed that this temperature gradient was as large as 50.degree. C. or larger. Some of the conventional belt type furnace manufacturers have responded to this problem by providing left, right, as well as center, trim or adjustment control in their furnaces to try to solve this problem. This provides heat to the left, right and center of the part, but provides no heat adjustment to the leading or trailing edge of the part. And, nothing has been done to control front to back and intra-part gradients of the part or substrate.
For the above-mentioned reasons, processes such as chip join and pin braze on larger products cannot always be processed within specification using the belt type conventional furnaces. And, those parts that are processed, are processed at the full tolerance of the specification.
For example, the chip join process is characterized by two main parameters. The chip join process, is a process where an I. C. chip is joined to a substrate or carrier, typically using a plurality of solder balls. First, the part, such as a chip and the substrate, must go from the melting point of the alloy (Mp), i.e., the Mp of the solder balls, to a greater temperature (e.g. over 30.degree. C.) and then back to Mp. Secondly, this raising and lowering of the temperature for the chip join process must be done in minutes. This has not been a problem for most belt furnaces, as long as the part or product or carrier is in the 50 mm by 50 mm size range. Products or substrates in the 100 mm by 100 mm size range begin to present a problem, due to their large thermal mass, making it very difficult to heat to the desired temperature and then cool it to its original temperature in minutes. Furthermore, rapid heating of these parts or carriers introduces large temperature gradients. These gradients as discussed elsewhere are as large as 50.degree. C. or larger.
Another problem faced in the use of conventional belt furnaces is that when flux or similar contaminants are used in a conventional belt furnace they get deposited on the walls of the furnace creating a contamination problem. The reason for this problem is the fact that in the conventional belt furnaces the process gases enter at the end of the last heated zone and they flow toward the front or load end of the furnace where it normally exits. Flux and similar contaminants are used in many processes, such as a soldering process. Similarly, there are other solvents which evaporate from the surface of the part, as the part is heated, and they enter the flow of the gases in the furnace, flowing from the hotter end or area to a colder area. This causes the vaporized solvents and similar other material to condense on cooler furnace areas and this collects as contamination. one of the main reason to have the gas flow in this direction in a conventional belt furnace is to use the hot gas to heat small parts in the front or load end of the furnace by convection. On small parts this scheme provides more uniform heating. This contamination of the furnace wall problem does not exists in the inventive furnace.
The belt furnace of this invention overcomes the above-mentioned and other shortcomings of the conventional belt type furnaces.

Sequential step belt furnace with individual concentric heating elements

International Business Machines Corporation


A vehicle warning and help apparatus and method comprising a light box electrically and removably connected to a control panel. The light box comprises a red light, yellow light, transceiver, power supply, inertial switch, and momentary contact switch. The control panel comprises a continuous yellow switch backlit when ON by a continuous yellow switch light, a three-flash yellow switch backlit when ON by a three-flash yellow switch light, a red switch backlit when ON by a red switch light, and a horn. In operation, a transmitting vehicle warning and help apparatus sends a signal on a red frequency, a yellow frequency, or both. The transmissions are received by a receiving vehicle warning and help apparatus, and the receiving vehicle warning and help apparatus sounds its horn and illuminates a combination of its continuous yellow switch light, three-flash yellow switch light and red switch light, thus communicating a condition of maximum alert, minimum alert, momentary warning, or official alert. In addition, the momentary contact switch may be used to transmit Morse code messages. The light box is removable from the control panel to permit a distressed motorist to carry the light box with him when seeking help, while the light box continues to transmit help requests and/or Morse code messages, and visual signals.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to warning systems, and in particular to a vehicle warning and help apparatus and method.
2. Background of the Invention
During the past century, motorized vehicles have become the standard in transportation. The most common form of motorized vehicle is the wheeled land vehicle, typically driven by an internal combustion engine. Examples include the automobile, bus, truck, train and motorcycle. The many millions of existent land vehicles get into accidents with statistical regularity, and also encounter hazards along the way. These hazards may include disabled vehicles, poor visibility, elevated drawbridges, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines and police cruisers travelling at high speeds, and road hazards such as washed-out roads and landslides.
In addition, a statistically predictable number of motorists find themselves in need of aid where their vehicles have been involved in an accident or some other emergency has occurred. Under these circumstances, the motorist may be injured, and it is necessary to summon help quickly. In light of these developments, it has become desirable to provide a vehicle warning and help apparatus and method which is capable not only of warning oncoming motorists of hazards ahead but which is also capable of sending out messages requesting help.

Vehicle warning and help apparatus and method


A plurality of types of writable discs on which wobbles having a predetermined frequency containing absolute addresses and/or various pieces of information on the writable discs can be discriminated by controlling only focusing and using an amplitude of a wobble signal or a wobble PLL lock signal that has passed through a phase locked loop. Accordingly, a discrimination time can be reduced and a disc in an unrecorded state can also be discriminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disc discrimination in an optical disc system capable of performing recording on and/or reproduction from a plurality of types of discs, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for determining the type of a writable disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a conventional disc discriminating method used in an optical disc system. The method is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 176557 filed by the present applicant. Referring to FIG. 1, in operation 101, a maximum run length of an information signal read by rotating an optical disc at a constant velocity to control focusing is selected. In operation 102, the selected maximum run length signal is compared with a reference signal to determine whether the maximum run length signal is greater or less than the reference signal. If the maximum run length signal is greater than the reference signal, in operation 103, the optical disc is determined as a compact disc (CD), and in operation 104, a CD mode is set. If the maximum run length signal is less than the reference signal, in operation 105, the optical disc is determined as a digital versatile disc (DVD), and in operation 106, a DVD mode is set.
The conventional disc discriminating method discriminates whether an optical disc loaded in an optical disc system is a DVD or a CD. In case of a DVD, a track pitch and a pit length tend to be minimized to record a large amount of information in the same area. Thus, a signal detected from a pit has a high frequency in the DVD case and a detection time for the signal gets shorter. Therefore, a DVD can be distinguished from a CD using these characteristics. Such a signal can be detected from a pit when an optical spot passes on a recording surface of the optical disc due to focusing control. A pit signal having a maximum run length is selected from pit signals detected in such a way in order to minimize a discrimination error. A reference signal used for discriminating the type of disc is determined among maximum run length signals respectively detected from the DVD and the CD, and a signal read from a corresponding disc is compared with the reference signal to discriminate a DVD from a CD based on the comparison result.

Method of and apparatus for differentiating between writable disc types


A whipped cream dispenser arrangement comprising a portable, hand-held whipped cream dispenser-canister for holding a quantity of cream to be dispensed as whipped cream. The dispenser has a male fitting on the canister with a central bore there-through. The bore encloses a cartridge piercing pin therein, as part of its prior art use. A replacement adapter cap is arranged in fluid communication with a spaced-apart tank of pressurized gas, and the dispenser has a nozzle having a valve therewith for dispensing whipped cream when pressurized gas is introduced through the adapter cap from a large, spaced-apart pressurized gas tank, and into the canister.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to whipped cream dispensers and more particularly to large pressurized fluid systems for use with existing portable whipped cream dispensers.
2. Prior Art
Restaurants and coffee shops and the like have used whipped cream dispensers for many years. Such whipped cream dispensers require pressurized fluid (usually gas) to dispense and whip the cream out through a nozzle or dispenser arrangement. Such pressurized whipped cream dispensers of the prior typically have utilized a pressurized carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide cartridge holding about 8 grams of pressurized gas. That cartridge of pressurized gas is typically placed within a small cylindrically shaped holder. A piercable tip of the cartridge is pushed against a piercing pin arranged within a receiving bore on the whipped cream dispenser. The holder is then screwed down about the piercing needle and the gas within the cartridge is allowed to escape into the whipped cream dispenser. These small, individual cartridges are expensive to utilize, costing anywhere from 35 cents to 70 cents per download. Such a cartridge/charger may be useful for about ten to twelve servings per pint of whipped cream. Subsequent discharge of whipped cream requires that the holder be removed from the whipped cream dispenser, and the now empty cartridge be withdrawn from the piercing pin and be replaced with a subsequent cartridge within the holder, and the holder re-screwed onto the whipped cream dispenser. This is a time consuming and expensive procedure to accomplish the simple task of dispensing whipped cream. Such a cartridge (8 gram size), when on the dispenser, hinders the vision of the person applying whipped cream to a food product.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pressure supply arrangement which may be utilized on existing whipped cream dispensers without the need for replacement of those existing whipped cream dispensers.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a pressurized whipping gas supply system which still permits the portability o the existing whipped cream dispensers yet maintains a long lasting charge of pressurized fluid to dispense that whipped cream from that existing whipped cream dispenser.
It is yet still a further object of the present invention to reduce the cost of pressurizing portable whipped cream dispensers by a large fraction of the cost of the prior art pressurizing cartridges.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a pressurized whipping gas system which prevents over-pressurizing of whipped cream dispensers by the elimination of users being able to install multiple cartridges of pressurized gas into a whipped cream dispensing system, thus improving dispensing safety and minimizing the waste of multiple used dispensing cartridges which have to be disposed.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve the visibility of the person using the whipped cream dispenser by eliminating a relatively large view-blocking attachment to the dispenser.

Remote pressure system for portable whipped cream dispensers


Transfer deletions are reduced in a xerographic copy machine by imparting a curvilinear shape to the copy paper as it passes through at least a portion of a transfer zone. In a first embodiment, a fixed shoe constrains movement of a photoreceptor belt thereover, while a second preferred arrangement uses a roller to impart the curvilinear shape to the paper. In still another arrangement, a baffle that feeds the copy paper to the transfer zone is oriented with an existing roller structure to shape the paper as desired, and the baffle may be movable to vary the shape as the paper moves into the transfer zone.

This invention relates to an electrophotographic printing machine, and more particularly to a photoreceptor belt and copy paper support arrangement that reduces transfer deletions.
This invention is particularly applicable to high speed xerographic copy reproduction machines. These machines conventionally include an endless xerographic photoreceptor belt that travels through a closed loop path from one station to another. For example, the belt is corona charged at a first station and exposed to an image at a second station. The image is developed at a third station and then proceeds to a fourth station generally known as a transfer station before it is precleaned and the remaining toner removed from the belt for use in the process again.
As is well known in the art, copy sheets are fed from one or more trays and advanced through a copy sheet transport path for operative engagement with the photoreceptor belt at the transfer station. This invention also contemplates receiving paper from a duplex tray where a copy sheet has already passed through the transfer station for imaging on one side, temporarily stored in a duplex tray, and subsequently fed through the transfer station a second time in an inverted state so that the opposite side of the copy sheet is imaged.
In reprographic systems of this type, transfer deletion is often a problem. That is, insufficient contact between the copy sheet and the photoreceptor belt results in incomplete or insufficient transfer of the image from the belt to the sheet. As is known in the art, this image transfer occurs at a transfer station where the paper is charged to receive the image from the photoreceptor belt. Intimate contact between the copy sheet and the photoreceptor belt at the transfer station allows the toner to pass from the photoreceptor to the copy sheet.
Insufficient contact between the photoreceptor belt and the copy sheet can result for various reasons. A primary cause of insufficient contact and transfer deletion is associated with imperfections in the copy sheet, wrinkles or cockles in duplex sheets that have been printed on one side, or puckers and pockets associated with the copy sheet or photoreceptor belt. Non-ideal transfer of xerographic images from belt photoreceptors to the copy paper are, therefore, often due to paper damage. Heating and cooling associated with the fusing process, where the image previously transferred to the copy paper is heated for bonding with the paper, may result in non-uniform moisture content in the copy paper. This, of course, is associated with duplex copying where the copy paper passes through the process twice to receive images on opposite sides of the paper. Damage may also be associated with the paper handling system, such as the drive and cross feed rolls. Again, the paper can become wrinkled or cockled thereby resulting in less than desirable transfer of the image.
At one time the use of substantially planar transfer stations was encouraged for different reasons. For example, heavier grade paper has a tendency to separate from the photoreceptor belt, particularly at the trailing edge, resulting in insufficient transfer at that area. In an effort to address this perceived problem, planar transfer zones were encouraged to assure that the entire copy paper received the image from the belt. Nevertheless, it has been observed that more severe transfer deletion problems are associated with planar or flat transfer stations.
Accordingly, it has been deemed desirable to overcome transfer deletion problems, particularly those associated with copy sheet damage.

Method and apparatus for supporting photoreceptive belt and copy paper to reduce transfer deletions


Linker compounds for formation of stably-linked conjugates are disclosed. Such linker compounds are semicarbazide-containing linker compounds useful in forming conjugates having stable semicarbazone linkages. The stably-linked conjugates have utility in a variety of immunodiagnostic and separation techniques.

Biological molecules are often coupled to other molecules or compounds for use in bioanalytical or biopharmaceutical applications. The covalent combination of a biological molecule and another molecule or compound is generally referred to as a "conjugate." For example, the term "immunoconjugate" generally refers to a conjugate composed of an antibody or antibody fragment and some other molecule such as a label compound (e.g., a fluorophore), a binding ligand (e.g., a biotin derivative), or a therapeutic agent (e.g., a therapeutic protein or toxin). These particular conjugates are useful in reporting the presence of the antibody, binding or capturing the antibody, and targeting the delivery of a therapeutic agent to a specific site, respectively.
Conjugates are prepared by covalently coupling one of the conjugate components to the other. For instance, an immunoconjugate may be prepared by coupling a label compound, a binding ligand, or a therapeutic agent to an antibody or antibody fragment. Often the coupling involves the use of a linker compound or molecule which serves to join the conjugate components. For example, a typical immunoconjugate is composed of a biotin component covalently coupled to an antibody component through a linker. Because the linker is typically chosen to provide a stable coupling between the two components, the usefulness of the conjugate is generally limited by the stability of the linkage between the conjugate components--that is, the greater the stability of the linkage between the components of a conjugate, the more useful and effective the conjugate. Depending upon a conjugate's use, a wide variety of conjugates may be prepared by coupling one conjugate component to another via a linker. Virtually an endless number of combinations of a biological molecule coupled to a label compound, binding ligand or therapeutic agent have been joined to create conjugates suitable for a particular purpose or need.
An example of a useful and widely employed class of conjugates include biotin conjugates. Biotin is a naturally occurring vitamin which has an extremely high binding affinity (K.sub.d .apprxeq.10.sup.-15 M.sup.-1) for avidin and streptavidin. Because of the affinity of biotin for avidin, biotin-containing conjugates have been widely used in bioanalytical procedures including immunoassays, affinity chromatography, immunocytochemistry, and nucleic acid hybridization (see, e.g., Green, Adv. Protein Chem. 29:85, 1975; Wilchek and Bayer, Anal. Biochem. 171:1, 1988; Wilchek and Bayer, Meth. Enzymol. 184:5, 1990). Bioanalytical assays often take advantage of the high binding affinity of biotin for avidin through the covalent coupling of biotin to one of the assay components. To this end, biotin may be covalently coupled to many different types of molecules, including proteins, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, enzymes and hormones; nucleic acids such as oligonucleotides and a nucleic acid probes; and smaller molecules such as drugs or other similar compounds. Moreover, in some applications biotin may be coupled to a solid phase or support.
The covalent coupling of biotin to another molecule involves bond formation through chemical reaction between suitable chemical functional groups. For the coupling of biotin to a molecule such as an antibody or enzyme, a reactive biotin derivative is generally used. Reactive biotin derivatives for conjugation may readily be prepared from biotin, and are most commonly carboxylic acid derivatives or, in some cases, nucleophilic derivatives such as amine or hydrazide derivatives. Common reactive biotin derivatives include reactive biotin esters such as an N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester. For example, biotin NHS esters may be conveniently attached to proteins and peptides through a free amino group, such as the epsilon amino group on lysine residues. Other reactive biotin derivatives include nucleophilic derivatives, such as biotin hydrazide, which may be conjugated to glycoproteins through aldehyde groups generated by oxidation of their carbohydrate groups. Reactive biotin derivatives are commercially available from a variety of sources including Sigma (St. Louis, Mo.), Pierce (Rockford, Ill.), and Molecular Probes (Eugene, Oreg.). Many of these biotin derivatives contain various chemical groups between the biotin moiety and the reactive group. Methods of conjugating biotin derivatives to proteins have been described in numerous publications (see, e.g., Harlow and Lane, Antibodies. A Laboratory Manual, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1988, pp. 340-341; O'Shannessy and Quarles, J. Imnmunol. Methods 99:153, 1987; O'Shannessy et al., Immunol. Letters 8:273, 1984; Rose et al., Bioconjug Chem. 2: 154, 1991).
In addition to biotin, other compounds are commonly coupled to biological molecules for use in bioanalytical procedures. Typically, these compounds are useful in labeling the biological molecule for detection purposes. Common labeling compounds include fluorescent dyes, as well as ligands for binding to their respective binding partners. Examples of common fluorescent dyes used for this purpose include fluorescein and rhodamine, and examples of ligands for binding to their binding partners include drug compounds such as digoxigenin and .beta.-lactam antibiotics. Numerous other compounds suitable for use as labels in specific binding techniques have also been described in the literature. Like biotin, these compounds are generally derivatized to contain functional groups that react readily with the biological molecule. For example, fluorescein isothiocyanate is a reactive fluorescein derivative which may readily be conjugated to proteins through their sulfhydryl groups.
Effective conjugation of a compound, such as biotin or a fluorescent dye, to a biological molecule generally requires that the resulting labeled conjugate retain the bioactivity of the biological molecule. A conjugate may have only limited utility if, upon coupling, the functional activity of the biological molecule is diminished or lost. For example, for an antibody conjugate, retention of antigen binding activity (immunoreactivity) is of foremost importance. Because some antibodies lose immunoreactivity upon labeling of their free amino groups, presumably due to the presence of these groups in the antigen binding site of the antibody (see Harlow and Lane), the site or sites at which a label is attached to a biological molecule is of considerable importance. Similarly, some enzymes contain free amino groups in their active sites which, upon their use as a labeling site, may result in a loss of enzymatic activity. Many enzymes also contain sulfhydryl groups in their active sites and are inactivated by labeling with sulfhydryl-reactive compounds such as fluorescein isothiocyanate.
In addition to retaining bioactivity, the stability of the conjugate with respect to linkage of the compound to the biological molecule is very important. For example, loss of a label from a conjugate typically results in the loss of ability to follow the conjugate in a bioanalytical procedure. In an attempt to provide stable linkages, conjugates are often coupled through amide and hydrazone bonds. Amide linkages are formed by reaction between an amino group and a carboxylic acid group, and hydrazone linkages result from reaction of a carbonyl group (such as an aldehyde group) and a hydrazine group. The relatively high stability of these linkages has led to their wide use in conjugation techniques (see, e.g., O'Shannessy et al., 1984; Reeves, in The Chemistry of the Carbonyl Group, S. Patai (ed.), NY: Interscience, 1966, pp. 567-619). However, while such conjugates may be stable at neutral pH, these conjugates become unstable at acid pH (Hurwitz et al., J. Applied Biochem. 2:23, 1980; Kaneko et al., Bioconj. Chem. 2:133, 1991). In fact, investigators have even exploited the pH-dependent stability of the hydrazone bond to design antibody-drug conjugates that retain the drug in the generally neutral pH environment of the peripheral circulation, and release the drug when the conjugate is exposed to an acidic environment such as is found in certain cell organelles.
Because of the perceived stability of hydrazone and amide bonds, the usual solution to the problem of activity loss by a hydrazone- or amide-linked labeled conjugate is to use more of the conjugate (i.e., to re-titer the conjugate) or to prepare a "fresh" conjugate. For example, where loss of functional activity of a biotin-antibody conjugate has been observed, it has been generally assumed that this loss is due to a loss in immunoreactivity of the antibody portion of the conjugate. This assumption, however, may be invalid in many instances. Rather, depending upon storage conditions, the immunoreactivity of the antibody portion of the conjugate may be undiminished, and the effectiveness of the conjugate is compromised by use of a linker that is unstable at the storage and/or use conditions.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved linkages for conjugating a biological molecule with, for example, a label compound, binding ligand or agent, or therapeutic agent. Such linkages should have enhanced stability such that the effectiveness of the conjugate is not diminished through storage and/or use conditions. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.

Semicarbazide-containing linker compounds for formation of stably-linked conjugates and methods related thereto


An LED controller is provided that can easily control light-on testing of LEDs. A super voltage can be added to a signal including a low voltage and a high voltage. When the super voltage is not detected, LED driving circuit is operated in normal mode. When the super voltage is detected, LED driving circuit is operated in test mode. In test mode, the LEDs are turned on by a test signal directly input to LED driving circuit instead of by light emission data sent from shifter register to storage circuit. Accordingly, light-on testing of LEDs can be carried out easily.

LEDs have attracted much attention as backlights for liquid crystal display devices due to a long service life and low power consumption. In recent years, LEDs have been used not only in liquid crystal display devices for portable phones but also in liquid crystal display devices of TVs. One consideration when LEDs are used for backlighting, though, is uniformity of light emission intensity across the display. In order to obtain general uniformity of the light emission intensity, LEDs are arranged on a substrate, and a light emission control circuit is coupled to each LED to control the brightness and the light emission time of the LED. However, compactness can be an issue due to the large number of wires that are generally employed
In conventional devices, LED controllers, each of which has integrated light emission control circuits, are coupled in series. The light emission data indicating the light emission condition of each LED is transmitted serially in synchronization with a clock signal from light emission control circuits in the previous stage to those in the next stage. An external latch signal is input to each light emission control circuit to simultaneously change the light emission status of each LED. Accordingly, light emission data can be input by one wire to several LED controllers coupled in series, and the light emission conditions of LEDs coupled to the respective LED controllers can be set by one wire. However, when the light emission data for LEDs is transmitted serially in this manner, a long time delay is present when transmitting the light emission data during light-on inspection for each LED, and it is difficult to freely turn on/off the LEDs.


Apparatus and method for rendering an image of a fibrous material. The method includes providing parametric fibrous material optical properties derived from actual material fiber samples via the apparatus; providing a parametric virtual light environment; providing a virtual fibrous material array; and rendering an image of the virtual fibrous material array according to the interaction of the parametric fibrous material properties and the parametric virtual light environment.

Creating images of virtual fibrous structures, such as hair, is known in the art. Efforts in this area typically focus upon the creation of images having a desired appearance, regardless of any link between the created appearance and an actual fibrous structure. What is necessary is a method and apparatus for the creation of fibrous structure images which are optically and/or color correct.

Method and apparatus for creating images of fibrous structures


A method and system for storing an object in a distributed storage system are provided. An example system includes an object name identifier that receives a request to save an object having an initial object name within a file system space and determines, based on a set of regular expressions, whether the initial object name is a temporary object name. The example system also includes a converter that, when the initial object name is determined to be a temporary object name, transforms, based on the set of regular expressions, the initial object name into a permanent object name. The example system further includes a selector that applies a function to the permanent object name and selects, based on a result of the function applied to the permanent object name, a server of a plurality of servers. The object is sent to the selected server for storage.

In a distributed storage system, a file may be stored at any one of several candidate locations. For example, the distributed storage system may include a plurality of servers, and the file may be stored at any one of the plurality of servers. One way to determine where to store the file is by using a server directory. The server directory may include a one-to-one mapping of where to store each object, resulting in a lot of data to be maintained. Further, the server directory is a single point of failure. As such, using the server directory may compromise access to objects stored in the distributed storage system.
A distributed storage system may feature a decentralized architecture, meaning that a single point of failure does not exist. In some decentralized distributed storage systems, the computing device storing the object may select a server in the decentralized distributed storage system to store the object and send the object to the selected server for storage.

Storing an object in a distributed storage system


Inflatable devices such as airbags are detailed. The bags may be formed of components well nested on linear rolls of material, reducing material wastage. The airbags additionally may, in some cases, be formed of components lacking curved surfaces; in certain cases the bag components additionally may have complementary surfaces that, although formed of straight segments, resemble convex and concave shapes.

Certain current airbags for passenger vehicles frequently comprise two circular pieces of fabric sewn or woven together. Because the fabric from which the airbags are made typically is supplied in linear rolls, substantial waste remains after circular pieces are cut from the linear rolls. Indeed, useful bag surface obtained from the total surface available on a roll is usually no greater than eighty-seven percent, resulting in waste equivalent to at least thirteen percent of the total available fabric.
Whether or not circular, two-panel airbags often are used for front-seat passengers because they are easy to produce, in that they may be sewn flat at their perimeters or peripheries. Generally, however, these bags are not well adapted for placement in automobile dashboards, potentially degrading deployment and stability during occupant impact. Consequently, three-panel bags have been designed for better correspondence with dashboard surfaces.
Such three-panel bags may comprise two lateral panels of identical shape and one frontal panel of different shape. Including multiple panels of different shapes complicates the design, though, increasing assembly difficulty. Further, fabric consumption likely will be greater than for simpler designs, as nesting of multiple, complex shapes on linear rolls is difficult.
Needed, therefore, are airbag designs permitting more efficient usage of fabric or similar materials from which they are constructed. For at least some bags, further, needed are designs well fitted to complement surfaces of dashboards of automobiles. Such airbags additionally should, if possible, be easy to assemble.

Airbags formed with efficient use of materials and methods of forming such airbags


A log lifting beam with structural attachments that allow it to be fastened to a downed tree trunk. A means is provided for coupling the beam to a portable jack. The beam is positioned on a downed tree trunk with its forward end resting perpendicularly on the top of the tree trunk. The lower end of the beam rests on the ground. A tongue assembly hangs downward from the forward end of the beam. A steel chain stretched from the lower end of the tongue assembly and extended under the tree trunk to an attachment point mid-section the beam serves as a cradle for the tree trunk. The tongue of a jack is inserted under a short chain also bolted to the lower end of the said tongue assembly. The jack tongue is raised against this chain and the downed tree trunk is lifted.

This invention relates to equipment that assist in the lifting of a fallen tree trunk off the ground for the purpose of cutting it to firewood length or for other purposes. This invention can be categorized as a jack accessory.
When a tree is cut down for the purpose of cutting firewood or logs, getting the tree trunk off the ground so it can be sawed is generally a challenge for those without heavy equipment. Jamming one end of a wooden pole under a tree trunk and then placing a short piece of log under the tree end of the pole so that leverage can be created by pushing down on the other end of the pole is the usual method used for lifting a tree trunk off the ground in order to get something under it. This is time consuming and may require two people and does not always work.
A common tool for rotating and lifting small diameter logs off the ground is called a timberjack. This tool is essentially a cant hook with a stand. You can only get a limited amount of leverage with this device and so, therefore, it is not useful for large logs.
Tripod type rigs that straddle a downed tree trunk and utilize a hoisting device have been used to lift tree trunks off the ground. These devices are unstable on uneven terrain and in order to lift a lot of weight they must be large and heavy. This causes them to become unwieldy.


A low-temperature chemical vapor deposition process for depositing of a low-resistivity ruthenium metal layers that can be used as barrier/seed layers in Cu metallization schemes. The method includes providing a substrate in a process chamber of a deposition system, forming a process gas containing a ruthenium carbonyl precursor vapor and a CO-containing gas, and exposing the substrate to the process gas to deposit a low-resistivity ruthenium metal layer on the substrate by a thermal chemical vapor deposition process, where the substrate is maintained at a temperature between about 100° C. and about 300° C. during the exposing. A semiconductor device containing the ruthenium metal layer formed on a patterned substrate containing one or more vias or trenches, or combinations thereof, is provided.

The introduction of copper (Cu) metal into multilayer metallization schemes for manufacturing integrated circuits can necessitate the use of diffusion barriers/liners to promote adhesion and growth of the Cu layers and to prevent diffusion of Cu into the dielectric materials. Barriers/liners that are deposited onto dielectric materials can include refractive materials, such as tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), and tantalum (Ta), that are non-reactive and immiscible in Cu, and can offer low electrical resistivity. Current integration schemes that integrate Cu metallization and dielectric materials can require that barrier/liner deposition processes be conducted at low temperatures, for example below about 300° C. When integrating barrier/liners layers with temperature sensitive material layers, such as various low-dielectric constant (low-k) materials, even lower substrate temperatures may be required, for example substrate temperatures between about 100° C. and about 300° C.
For example, Cu integration schemes for technology nodes less than or equal to about 100 nm can utilize processing that includes patterning a low-k inter-level dielectric, physical vapor deposition (PVD) of a Ta or TaN/Ta barrier layer onto the patterned the low-k dielectric, PVD of a Cu seed layer onto the barrier layer, and electrochemical deposition (ECD) of Cu onto the Cu seed layer. Generally, Ta layers are chosen for their adhesion properties (i.e., their ability to adhere on low-k films), and Ta/TaN layers are generally chosen for their barrier properties (i.e., their ability to prevent Cu diffusion into the low-k film).
Significant efforts have been devoted to the study and implementation of thin transition metal layers as Cu diffusion barriers, including chromium, tantalum, molybdenum and tungsten that exhibit low miscibility in Cu. More recently, other metals, such as ruthenium (Ru) and rhodium (Rh), have been identified as potential barrier layers since they are expected to behave similarly to conventional refractory metals. In addition, it is possible that the use of Ru or Rh can permit the use of only one barrier layer, as opposed to two layers, such as Ta/TaN. For example, it is possible that one Ru layer can replace the Ta/TaN barrier layer. Moreover, current research is finding that the one Ru layer can possibly further replace the Cu seed layer, and bulk Cu deposition can proceed directly following deposition of a Ru barrier/seed layer.
Conventionally, Ru layers can be formed by thermally decomposing a ruthenium-containing precursor, such as a ruthenium carbonyl precursor or a ruthenium organometallic precursor, in a thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) process. However, material properties of Ru layers that are deposited by TCVD can be poor, for example have high electrical resistivity, unless the substrate temperatures are sufficiently high, for example above about 300° C. In addition, the use of a ruthenium carbonyl precursor can lead to poor ruthenium deposition rates due to the low vapor pressure of the ruthenium carbonyl precursor and the transport issues associated therewith. Overall, the inventors have observed that current ruthenium deposition methods suffer from low deposition rates and require high deposition temperatures, thereby making the deposition of ruthenium layers impractical for many semiconductor device applications. In addition, control over the degree of crystallinity, including crystallographic orientation of the deposited ruthenium metal layers, can be required since the stress, the morphology, and electrical resistivity can be a function of the crystallographic orientation.

Low-temperature chemical vapor deposition of low-resistivity ruthenium layers


According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type layer, a p-type layer, and a light emitting unit provided between the n-type layer and the p-type layer and including barrier layers and well layers. At least one of the barrier layers includes first and second portion layers. The first portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The second portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the first portion layer. At least one of the well layers includes third and fourth portion layers. The third portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The fourth portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the third portion layer.

In a light emitting device which has a quantum well structure using a nitride semiconductor, a polarization electric field is generated inside the quantum well structure due to symmetrical property of a crystal structure of a nitride crystal and crystal strain, and carriers in the quantum well are separated spatially, which causes decrease in luminous efficiency and increase in a driving voltage.
Hence, in Patent Document 1, for the purpose of suppressing an influence of a piezo electric field, there is proposed a configuration which provides an n-type region doped with an n-type impurity and an undoped region in a barrier layer. However, even in the case of using this technology, the luminous efficiency is insufficient, and there is a room for improvement.

Semiconductor light emitting device and method for manufacturing same


A clarinet barrel consists of two parts (2 and 3) screwed into each other. The inner part (2) carries a ring (8) with an outer thread (9) screwed into a ring-shaped part (14) of the outer part (3) provided with an inner thread (15). The inner part (2) has a cylindrical section (4) in which is arranged a sealing ring (21) that seals section (11) of the outer part (3). The bore M has the same size and no steps in the area of the inner bore of the sections (7), in the area of the ring (8) and in the area of a shoulder (16) adjacent to the ring-shaped part (15). The effective length of the clarinet barrel 91) may be changed and the clarinet may be tuned by rotating the parts (2 and 3) against each other.

The method normally used to tune a clarinet is to alter the position of the barrel in relation to the top joint. To this end, the clarinet barrel is pulled upwards from the top joint by approx. 1-2 mm. Since the barrel is merely pushed onto the top joint (a corked tenon on the top joint of the clarinet grips into a socket on the clarinet barrel), i.e. the connection is simply of a push-pull type, it is not only difficult to adjust the exact relative position between the clarinet barrel and the top joint to tune the instrument, but there is also a risk that the position of the barrel in relation to the top joint will alter unintentionally.
A further disadvantage of the state of the art is that at the point of transition between the tenon on the top joint of the clarinet that grips into the clarinet barrel and the clarinet barrel itself there is a difference in the diameter of the bore (the internal diameter of the clarinet), creating a gap between the end of the top joint and the clarinet barrel. This causes problems by negatively effecting the intonation of the short notes A and B-flat.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,499 A, a clarinet barrel is known whose effective length can be adjusted to tune the clarinet with 2 threaded parts screwing into each other. The clarinet barrel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,499 A consists of a fixed part mounted on the top joint and a threaded ligature that can be screwed into position with the help of the outer casing of the fixed part. In addition, the clarinet barrel to U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,499 A is fitted with a part to be connected to the mouthpiece of the clarinet and which, by means of an extension socket, is inserted into the extension socket of the fixed part. The part of the clarinet barrel to be connected to the mouthpiece of the clarinet carries an outer thread that is screwed onto the inner thread of the threaded part. By rotating the threaded part, the part of the clarinet barrel connected to the mouthpiece is moved towards the fixed part or away from it, depending on the direction of turn, thus shortening or lengthening the clarinet barrel.


A system and method of exchanging medical information between a user and a computer device is disclosed. The computer device can receive user input in one of a plurality of types of user input comprising speech, pen, gesture and a combination of speech, pen and gesture. The method comprises receiving information from the user associated with a medical condition and a bodily location of the medical condition on a patient in one of a plurality of types of user input, presenting in one of a plurality of types of system output an indication of the received medical condition and the bodily location of the medical condition, and presenting to the user an indication that the computer device is ready to receive further information. The invention enables a more flexible multi-modal interactive environment for entering medical information into a computer device. The medical device also generates multi modal output for presenting a patient's medical condition in an efficient manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-modal interfaces and more specifically to a multi modal interface application for recording and accessing medical information.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Multimedia interactions are being applied to various industries to enhance the exchange of information. One example of this trend is the medical field. Research and development continues on such systems as the "MAGIC" system from Columbia University (MAGIC: Multimedia Abstract Generation for Intensive Care) that uses multi-modal techniques for providing a summary to the intensive care unit after a patient has surgery. The goal of the MAGIC system is to provide a set of tools for producing multimedia briefings that meet the needs of a variety of caregivers, such as specialists and nurses. The MAGIC system employees natural language generation, knowledge-based graphics generation, and knowledge representation and reasoning systems. See M. Dalal, S. Feiner, K. McKeown, D. Jordan, B. Allen, and Y. Al-Safadi, "MAGIC: An Experimental System for Generating Multimedia Briefings About Post-Bypass Patient Status," AMIA Fall Symposium, Washington D.C., October 1996.
FIG. 1 illustrates the MAGIC system architecture 100. The medical databases 102 provide the basic information for the patients. The data server and filter 104 accesses the several medical databases 102 for collecting information about the patient's condition. The databases 102 accessed by the data server 104 include LifeLog database system and a patient clinical database. The data filter 104 selects relevant and important parts of this data and several built-in patient-independent hierarchies (including a Domain Hierarchy and a Concept Hierarchy), infers some new information, and creates a Patient Data Hierarchy used by all subsequent components to represent them.
The general content planner 106 receives the data from the data server and filter 104 and uses the Patient Data Hierarchy and plan library build a Presentation Plan that expresses the high-level Communicative Goals to be accomplished by the Multimedia Briefing. A media allocator 108 chooses one or more media to express each communicative goal in the Presentation Plan. A Medium-Specific Content Planner can expand the Presentation Plan by building detailed plans for the communicative goals assigned to its medium. A Medium-Specific Media Generator uses these detailed plans to generate its portion of the briefing.
The Media Coordinator 110 ensures that the Planners and Generators of different media are consistent with each other. The Media Conductor 116 takes the entire presentation plan and "play" it so that various media are coordinated together, and a single coherent multimedia briefing results. The Constraint Solver 122 provides the central facility for representing the constraints among the different parts of the Presentation Plan and ensures they are mutually consistent.
User Models 124 will represent preferences of individual users and groups of users about the content and format of the Multimedia Briefing. Speech content planner 112, speech generator 114, and graphics content planner 118 and graphics generator 120 are coordinated via the media coordinator 110 and media conductor 116 to present the multimedia medical report for the ICU.
FIG. 2 provides an example of exactly how the MAGIC system presents a patient report. The patient report may be provided to a doctor or a nurse and a button option is presented so that the user can obtain the tailored patient information.
The MAGIC system presents information in a graphical form. FIG. 2 presents the graphical portion of a multimedia report for a "S. Jones." Basic patient information is presented in a heading 202. A three dimensional image of a patient is presented 204. As the report begins, synthetic speech audibly presents the basic information and this portion of the screen is highlighted to let the user (nurse) know that the patient background material is being spoken.
Next, via the synthetic spoken instructions, the MAGIC system gives the patient medical condition and treatment. While the audio is playing, a coordinated presentation of graphics is provided. For example, a text box 210 pops up while the system speaks the composition of the drops 208 given. The text "Swan-Ganz with Cordis" 206 describes a treatment and location on the patient 204 of the treatment. Other text such as "Peripheral IV" 212, 220, "Boles" 214, "Blood" 216, and "Arterial Line" 218 describes further treatment. As the audio portion continues, other pop-up boxes associated with the audio and located near the area of treatment aid in the overall multimedia presentation.
While the MAGIC system presents a helpful multimedia presentation of medical information, the system nevertheless has deficiencies. For example, the MAGIC system receives information from the various databases to generate its presentation. As mentioned above, MAGIC receives data from sources such as a data server, medical databases and patient databases. Other than the normal methods where medical professionals input data to databases, MAGIC provides very little, if any, means of user input prior to the multimedia presentation. Furthermore, it does not appear that there is any opportunity for user input or interaction with the system during the presentation. Therefore, if the information presented to the user (nurse or doctor) is incomplete or the user desires further information—there is no means for interacting effectively with the system.
Physicians and other medical personnel have to quickly record and access large amounts of medical information regarding a patient's condition and the treatments they have received. The medical professionals use this information to record what has happened, to guide further diagnosis and treatment, and also to serve as the basis for billing for treatments and procedures carried out. Currently, the primary method for recording this information is by handwritten shorthand on paper. Some commercial solutions exist which provide the doctor with various forms to fill out in order to indicate the patient's condition. These forms are typically text-based forms. There are also commercial services available where the doctor can call into a central voicemail system and dictate the report of what happened to the patient and the treatments applied. A service provider then transcribes the dictated material and makes it available to the physician. In other situations, when the report is handwritten, often someone else is paid to decode the shorthand specification of the condition and treatment and determine the appropriate billing codes.

System and method for accessing and annotating electronic medical records using multi-modal interface


A system including a nitrogen oxide sensor and a controller is provided. The nitrogen oxide sensor is configured to generate a first signal indicative of nitrogen oxides content in an exhaust gas. The controller is communicably coupled to the nitrogen oxide sensor. The controller configured to receive the first signal indicative of nitrogen oxides content in the exhaust gas. The controller is also configured to receive a second signal corresponding to an operational parameter of a power source. Further, the controller is configured to compare a derivative of the first signal with a derivative of the second signal. The controller is configured to trigger an error counter when an absolute value of the compared derivative crosses a predetermined threshold. Thereafter, the controller is configured to determine a condition of the nitrogen oxide sensor based on a count of the error counter in a predetermined period of time.

Conventionally, emissions requirements regulate constituents of tailpipe out emissions. Specifically, the amount of nitrogen oxide released into the atmosphere is regulated. Engines may include after treatment systems to mitigate the amount of nitrogen oxide being released into the atmosphere. The after treatment systems typically include a nitrogen oxide sensor to determine the amount of nitrogen oxide present in an exhaust stream.
However, occasionally the nitrogen oxide sensor may fail. Failure may occur due to various factors such as, for example, overheating, manufacturing defects, and the like. Typically, during operation, an output of the nitrogen oxide sensor should directly correspond to the amount of fuel used by the engine. That is, when more fuel is used by the engine, generally, more nitrogen oxide should be sensed by the nitrogen oxide sensor. Hence, the failure of the nitrogen oxide sensor can be determined based on monitoring the fuel usage and the sensed nitrogen oxide content of the exhaust stream.
For example, U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0010364 discloses an apparatus for detecting a failure of an exhaust gas sensor disposed downstream of a catalyst converter in an exhaust manifold. The apparatus comprises a control unit. The control unit determines a ratio between an amplitude value of a first output of the exhaust gas sensor and an amplitude value of a second output of an air-fuel ratio sensor. The air fuel ratio sensor is disposed upstream of the catalyst converter. The control unit detects a failure of the exhaust gas sensor based on the ratio. In one embodiment, a statistical process using a successive least squares method is applied to the ratio. The control unit detects a failure of the exhaust gas sensor based on the statistically processed ratio. In another embodiment, the statistical process is applied to both the output of the exhaust gas sensor and the output of the air-fuel ratio sensor. The control unit detects a failure of the exhaust gas sensor based on a ratio between the statistically processed outputs of the exhaust gas sensor and the air-fuel ratio sensor.

Diagnostic system and method for nitrogen oxide sensor


The invention relates to a novel cosmetic composition, containing, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one hair conditioning agent and at least one aqueous dispersion of pre-cross-linked organopolysiloxanes composed of units of general formula (I), wherein R means a monovalent, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 200 carbon atoms per group, which hydrocarbon group can contain one or more heteroatoms from the group N, P, S, O, and halogen, R1 means a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms per group, R2 means a monovalent, optionally substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms per group, AKT is a group of the formula —CH2NHR4, —CH2NR42, or formula (II), wherein R4 means a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, which hydrocarbon group can contain one or more heteroatoms from the group N and O, and R5 means a divalent hydrocarbon group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, which hydrocarbon group can contain one or more heteroatoms from the group N and O, b is 0.1 or 2, c is 0.1, 2, or 3, d is 0.1 or 2, and n is 0.1 or 2, with the stipulation that the sum n+b+c+d is ≦3, that at least one AKT group is contained per molecule on average, and that the organopolysiloxanes preferably form elastomeric films after the water is removed.

The invention relates to cosmetic compositions comprising—in a cosmetically acceptable medium—at least one conditioning agent and at least one organopolysiloxane. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process for preparing the cosmetic compositions. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the cosmetic composition.
Organopolysiloxanes are used in cosmetic compositions, for example in haircare products, on account of their conditioning properties such as improving softness and smoothness, reducing combing forces, shine properties, improving color impressions, color protection properties, reducing electrostatic charging, protective properties during thermal stressing of the hair or hydrophobicization.
An overview of selected organopolysiloxanes for the care of keratin material such as hair can be found in M. D. Berthiaume, Society of Cosmetic Chemists (ed.), Monograph, Silicones in Hair Care, 1997 and J. Sejpka, Silicone in Haarpflegeprodukten [Silicones in haircare products], in: SÖFW-Journal, Volume 118, No. 17, 1992, pp. 1065-1070.
In everyday life, hair is exposed to a multitude of external influences which lead to damage of the hair surface, and as a result the cosmetic properties such as smoothness, softness, shine and other parameters deteriorate compared to undamaged hair. Damage to the hair surface can be caused for example by chemical or mechanical treatment, by UV radiation or by heat. Associated with the surface damage of hair is the destruction and partial removal of the lipid layer covering the cuticle, which is the reason for the highly hydrophobic property of undamaged, natural hair (R. A. Lodge, B. Bhusan, Wetting Properties of Human Hair by Means of Dynamic Contact Angle Measurement, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 102, 5255-5265, 2006, Wiley). Compared to undamaged hair, damaged hair is considerably more hydrophilic since following destruction of the superficial lipid layer, a hydrophilic, amino-acid-based protein matrix acts as the hair surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,385 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,485,289 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,220,408 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,504,094 B2 describe cosmetic compositions for treating hair which comprise special aminosilicones of the structure (I) or (II), as well as a conditioning agent or a thickener. The aminosilicones of the structure (I) or (II) are dimethylpolysiloxanes having terminal alkoxy/hydroxy groups with aminoethylaminopropyl-alkoxysiloxane units or aminoethylaminopropyl-methylsiloxane units, which are uncrosslinked.
According to US 2008/0064813 A1, aqueous dispersions of precrosslinked organopolysiloxanes are obtained without co-use of metal-containing catalysts by reacting organopolysiloxanes having alkoxy or hydroxy groups with reactive alkoxysilanes which have a group that increases the reactivity of the alkoxy group, such as a methyleneamino group. After applying the dispersions to substrates and evaporating the water, elastomeric films are obtained.

Abstract: AKT          n                                  R          b          2                                              R            c                                          (                          OR              1                        )                                            SiO                                    4              -                              (                                  n                  +                  b                  +                  c                  +                  d                                )                                      2                                          d                                                (        I        )


An allergen trap is provided. The allergen trap includes a woven or nonwoven substrate having at least one strata. The trap is impregnated with or otherwise treated with a tacky adhesive by which allergens may be trapped. An example of an allergen is a dust mite. The tacky adhesive, in turn, may be treated with a miticide or activated carbon.

Some humans experience sensitivities or allergic reactions to airborne micro-particles. Such particles may be feline-spawned allergens such as cat dander. Other particles may be, for example, dust mites or the feces or exoskeleton of dust mites. Dust mites are of particular concern due to their propensity to propagate in cushioning materials such as mattresses, pillows and furniture cushions.
Dust mites are arachnids, and belong to the subclass acari. There are two common dust mites: the American house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) and the European house dust mite (D. pteronyssinus). Dust mites feed on the dead skin that falls off the bodies of humans and animals and on other organic material found where they live. They are extremely small, being only about 100-1000μ. Moreover, dust mites are virtually transparent and can be difficult to see without sophisticated microscopy. Dust mite feces and exoskeletal particles are even smaller, and can be 10 to 20 microns.
It is now generally accepted that dust mites, dust mite feces and other microscopic allergens are a significant cause of many asthmatic and allergic reactions in the home. Such micro-particles may be inhaled by a human coming into contact with infested pillows or bedding. To reduce exposure to dust mite allergens, various suggestions have been made for covering bedding in covers which act as a barrier to the passage of allergens. In this respect, it is known to cover allergen-bearing articles such as mattresses and cushions with a cover which serves as a dust-mite barrier. Such coverings define plastic materials or finely woven materials having openings of a size sufficiently small to inhibit the passage of dust mites there through. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,256 discloses an allergen-barrier bedding cover made from a coated fabric. The fabric is said to have a pore size of less than 10 microns to prevent the passage of dust mites. The fabric is sewn to form the cover and the seams are sealed with an additional coating of polyurethane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,861 discloses a protective cover for upholstered or padded articles. The cover is made from a microporous ultrafilter material having pores of less than 0.5 microns. To eliminate possible leakage of allergens through the seams or zipper closure, the cover is constructed using high frequency welding, and the zipper is covered by an adhesive tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,601 entitled Allergen-Barrier Cover presents a cover fabricated from a multi-layered fabric material. The material defines meltblown and spunbonded layers made from polypropylene which permits the passage of air but is said to be impermeable to the passage of water and of dust mites.
It is noted that the solutions offered from the above patents primarily attempt to trap dust mites within an allergen-carrying article, but do not seek to eliminate them. Further, the solutions do not enhance the cushioning or comfort of the user on the allergen-carrying article as would be offered by a nonwoven-based article.
Conventional miticides (or acaricides) based upon organophosphate compounds have been used for the extermination of mites. Such compounds are typically diluted in an aqueous spray. However, such compounds, while effective in eradicating mite infestations outdoors such as in farms, are not feasible for indoor use. In this respect, such acaricides are toxic to humans, and the extermination of mites by spraying of miticide chemicals has the side-effect of polluting the inhabited environment while also posing a toxicity risk for humans, particularly children and infants, as well as cats. Further, organophosphate acaricides cannot be used on beddings and, therefore the mites are left undisturbed in their main living site.
It is proposed here to provide a nonwoven structure having a tacky characteristic as a trap or filtering medium for allergens. In addition, a method for trapping allergens using a tacky material around an allergen carrying article is provided. Also provided herein is a "tacky material" defining a substrate which receives a tacky adhesive for trapping micro-sized particles such as dust mites.

Tacky allergen trap and filter medium, and method for containing allergens


An apparatus comprises a first transducer configured to detect sound and generate a first signal based on the detected sound. The apparatus also comprises a second transducer configured to detect vibration and/or sound and generate a second signal based on the detected vibrations and/or sound. The second transducer is less acoustically responsive than the first transducer. The apparatus comprises an interface configured to send the first and second signals to a processor configured to modify the first signal on the basis of the second signal.

Some electronic devices comprise microphone components for capturing audio. A microphone component of an electronic device is typically integral with the electronic device and is located within the electronic device such that audio from the surrounding environment of the electronic device is captured.
The microphone component of the electronic device may comprise a membrane which moves in response to sound incident thereon. The movement of the membrane is detected and circuitry of the microphone component may generate an audio signal.
When capturing audio from the environment of the electronic device the membrane of the microphone component may be subject to other vibrations of the electronic device. For example, structural born mechanical vibrations of the electronic device can cause movement of the membrane. The movement of the membrane due to mechanical vibrations may be converted into the audio signal. This means that mechanical vibrations such as handing of the electronic device, movement of other components within the electronic device or other external mechanical vibrations of the electronic device are represented as noise in the audio signal. The noise in an audio signal not due to sound can therefore significantly deteriorate the audio signal which may result in a bad user experience.
It is known to isolate a microphone from mechanical vibrations of an electronic device using vibration dampening material such as rubber gaskets immediately around the microphone component. However some electronic devices are small in size and the amount of space available within the electronic device to fit vibration dampening material is limited. This means effectively isolating mechanical vibration from small and lightweight microphone components in small electronic devices can be difficult to achieve.
Another known mechanical arrangement mounts a microphone component on a floating back plate. The back plate is designed to vibrate together with the microphone component when the electronic device experiences mechanical vibrations. However, the differing masses of the back plate and membrane of the microphone component can cause a mismatch in the frequency response of the back plate and the frequency response of the membrane. A frequency response mismatch can lead to poor noise cancelling performance. Additionally the performance of the microphone component in an environment where the electronic device is not subject to mechanical vibrations may be degraded due to the floating back plate.
An alternative known arrangement detects the movement of an electronic device using acceleration sensors. The acceleration of the electronic device is detected and matched with an audio signal generated by the microphone component to determine which "noises" in the audio signal are due to mechanical vibrations. Digital signal processing is then applied to the audio signal in order to remove audio signals generated when the electronic device is subject to mechanical vibrations. However, the acceleration sensors can have different vibration sensitivities from the microphone membrane component at various frequencies of mechanical vibration, which can lead to poor noise cancelling performance. Furthermore production of a microphone component comprising both a membrane and an accelerometer can require non-optimal manufacturing solutions which may be costly.
Noise cancelling microphones can be used where clear communication in noisy ambient environments is required. Noise cancelling microphone designs may be a passive noise cancelling microphone or an active noise cancelling microphone.
An active noise-cancelling microphone may comprise two individual microphone elements and a circuit element for electronically differentiating two signals from the two microphone elements. The two microphone elements are arranged such that a first microphone element receives the desired speech input and the background noise present in the vicinity of the speech, and a second microphone element senses substantially only the background noise. Therefore, a noise reduced speech signal can be generated when subtracting the second microphone signal from the first microphone signal by the circuit element of the active noise-cancelling microphone.
The active noise-cancelling microphone system may use a built-in calibration function to calibrate the two microphones based on relative signal levels from the microphones. During the operation of the noise-cancelling microphone system output values of the microphones are monitored. The active noise-cancelling algorithm determines that any difference in signal level of the two microphones is due to acoustical pressure wave level differences. However, if there is a change in one microphone output caused by temperature change, and the calibration function does not compensate, then the noise cancelling algorithm would not be performing as well as expected. In fact, any condition that changes the sensitivities of the two microphones differently relative to the calibrated value will deteriorate the performance of the entire system. The sensitivity difference of the microphones in relation to each other can be caused by a relatively fast temperature difference between the microphones. This can be caused, for example, by a power amplifier in the device that heats the other microphone to e.g. 50 degrees centigrade. If the microphones are not identical they will react differently to changes in ambient temperature and this causes the sensitivity change in one more than in the other.
An alternative known arrangement is shown in FIG. 4. The arrangement involves a direct digital microphone that is constructed of a plurality of first membranes 420 each formed by a micro-machined mesh supported by a substrate 470. A second membrane 410 and a plurality of first membranes 420 are located in two different positions. A direct digital microphone that is constructed of the plurality of first membranes 420 is comprised of individual first membranes 460. The second membrane 410 is supported by a substrate 470 and positioned above the plurality of first membranes 420 to form a chamber 430 between the plurality of first membranes 420 and the second membrane 410. A pressure sensor 440 is responsive to pressure in the chamber 430. Drive electronics 450 are responsive to the pressure sensor 440 and control the positions of the plurality of first membranes 420. Polling electronics 450 are responsive to the positions of the plurality of first membranes 420 and produce a digital output signal.
Another known arrangement is shown in FIG. 5. The arrangement comprises at least two membranes with one membrane being desensitized as compared to the other membrane. Neither of these membranes are stacked, and the arrangement allows for the recording of audio at high SPL levels without saturation. There is a higher noise floor of the desensitized membrane and a smaller SNR.
The arrangement of FIG. 5 allows for operation of a mobile device during noisy conditions such as those due to wind, traffic, a crowd, etc. A high-pass electrical filter can be implemented between a microphone capsule and an ASIC in order to allow for operations in windy conditions. This, however, is an imperfect solution for at least three reasons: 1) the microphone output signal is often already saturated by wind noise, 2) the demands of preferred audio quality in non-windy environment require the high-pass filter to be set at a point which will still pass a large proportion of the wind noise, and 3) this strategy is not possible with digital microphones. Attempts have been made to use DSP circuitry to clean a windy signal from a multiple array of microphones but they have had limited effectiveness. Each membrane has a different sensitivity and each outputs a separate signal. In this example, only the signal from the less sensitive membrane has an acceptable distortion level, only that signal is selected for further processing and the other signal, which may be overly distorted due to signal clipping as the high-amplitude sound field exceeds the full scale output of the membrane and ADCs, is disregarded/dumped. Additionally, there may also be a high pass filter on one or both signal paths which can be selectively activated based on wind noise levels. The filter on the signal path that is continued may be activated to further reduce wind noise in some instances where the signal is additionally distorted in this way.
Embodiments of the application aim to address one or several of the above issues.

Microphone apparatus and method for removing unwanted sounds


The tri-folding ramp is a portable, collapsible device that includes three sections which define an upper surface of the ramp as having an arc-shaped profile. The arc-shaped profile of the ramp can reduce the loading angle between the distal end of the ramp and an upper loading surface, thereby inhibiting contact between the vehicle's undercarriage and the ramp's upper surface and/or the upper loading surface as the vehicle is entering or exiting the ramp.

The present invention is drawn to a tri-folding ramp for loading a vehicle or the like onto a loading surface. The tri-folding ramp comprises a plurality of sections which form a loading member. The loading member has an upper support surface which assumes an arc-shaped profile when the ramp is in an extended configuration. The arced profile deters contact between the ramp or loading surface and the undercarriage of a vehicle as the vehicle travels over the ramp and is loaded onto such loading surface. Furthermore, the tri-folding ramp is lightweight and collapsible into a collapsed configuration for storage and transport.
It is often desirable to haul a vehicle from one location to another. By placing the vehicle on the loading surface of a trailer or truck, the vehicle can be easily transported to the desired location and then unloaded for use. Lightweight vehicles can typically be lifted or lowered by hand onto the loading surface, but heavier vehicles such as lawnmowers, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), automobiles, trucks and motorcycles typically require other means to facilitate loading.
Ramps are commonly used for loading by providing a continuous span from one loading surface to another in order to facilitate loading and unloading various devices. A ramp is especially useful when moving a heavy device between two loading surfaces that are disposed at different heights. Typically the ramp is positioned with a first end resting on a lower surface and a second end resting on an upper surface. The device is then simply driven or pushed from the first loading surface, across the ramp and onto the second loading surface. However, one of the problems associated with using a ramp is the size of the loading angle that is created between the end of the ramp and the upper loading surface. A large loading angle can cause a vehicle, especially one with a low undercarriage to bottom out during loading or unloading. As the vehicle moves between the ramp and the loading surface, the vehicle's undercarriage can scrape the ramp or loading surface at or near the juncture of the ramp and loading surface. This can result in damage to the vehicle, the ramp, the loading surface or all three. Such damage can be costly and time-consuming to repair.
The loading angle between the end of the ramp and an upper loading surface can be reduced to avoid problems of scraping the vehicle's undercarriage. By increasing the length of the ramp, the sharpness of the angle between the ramp and upper loading surface is decreased. However, by increasing the ramp's length, the strength of the ramp is weakened, thereby decreasing its load-bearing ability. Furthermore, the weight and bulk of the ramp is increased, making the ramp more difficult to transport and install.
There is a need for a ramp that creates a low loading angle with the upper loading surface in order to deter contact between the undercarriage of the vehicle and the ramp or loading surface during the loading and unloading process. There is an additional need for a ramp that is lightweight, yet strong enough to support a heavy vehicle, such as a lawnmower, an ATV, a motorcycle, a car or a truck. In addition, a need exists for a ramp that is easy to store, transport and install.


A structure of retaining cut-processed components includes a first base (18A). The structure includes cut-processed components (1A) removably fixed to the first base, with the cut-components aligned with each other in a longitudinal direction of the first base. The cut-processed components have first and second cut surfaces (1Aa, 1Ab) parallel to each other. First cut surfaces are positioned flush with each other. Second cut surfaces are positioned flush with each other. The cut-processed components are fixed to the first base by a dissoluble adhesive (20).

This invention relates to a structure of retaining cut-processed components and to a method of cleaning cut-processed components. More specifically, this invention relates to a structure of retaining cut-processed components such as electronic components, a method of manufacturing the same, a tray for housing cut-processed components, and a method of cleaning cut-processed components.
Cut-processed components are manufactured in various technical fields. Cut-processed components include various finished products and intermediate products, which are typically piezoelectric devices provided with piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements, electronic components such as chip capacitors, cut-processed products showing magnetic performances, products which exert strong absorption, and micro components having large surface areas relative to volumes, for example. In general, these cut-processed components are formed by cutting a base material with a dicer, a wire saw, or the like. The cut-processed components are housed orderly in a housing tray, for example, by hands of an operator one by one, or housed orderly in the housing tray by using a part feeder.

Structure of retaining cut-processed components, method of fabricating cut-processed components, tray for housing cut-processed components, and method of cleaning cut-processed components


The present discloses a semiautomatic finger protection device, which comprising a bumper positioned between an outer surface of the door and an doorpost when the door is closed, and positioned in a gap on the hinge side of the door when the door is opened; a securing member to position the bumper; and a connecting member having the two ends retractably connected with said bumper and said securing member respectively. The bumper has a flexible wrapping means received in the bumper to extend/retract the connecting member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety device for doors, and more particularly to a protection device to prevent fingers or hands from being injured by doors.
2. Description of Related Art
It is very common that people carelessly have their hands or fingers injured by doors, especially for kids who are playing or not looked after.
An article, written by N. V. Doraiswamy etc., titled "Isolated finger injuries in Children-incidence and aetiology", published in an international journal <<Injury>> (Injury, Int. J. Care Injured, Volume 31, Issue 8, October 2000, Pages 571˜573) disclosed that:
In a study, details were recorded prospectively in a specifically designed questionnaire for all children presenting to the Accident and Emergency Department with isolated finger injuries over a period of 6 months. Among the 426 injuries in 283 children, most occurred at home (59%) more in the <5 year age group (38%) . . . "Jamming/crushing" was the commonest reason (48%), mostly caused by a child (59%) at the living room door (32%) and more commonly at the hinge side (49%) . . . It is less common for a child to cause self-injury while closing the door . . . But the present study indicates that a child closing the door is common—(60%), although adults are also responsible for (25%) some of the incidents . . . Both children and adults should be educated about causation, reiterating that damage to fingers can be prevented or reduced by observing safety measures.
A door stopper can be used for preventing the door from being closed. However, when the door stopper is not installed in a correct position to block the door, an accident will easily occur.
A finger guard for doors has been invented. The finger guard has a bumper mounted on a lock side or a hinge side of a door to prevent the door from closing. For closing the door, a user should remove the bumper from the door. In other words, the bumper must be mounted on the door for taking effect when the user wants to prevent the door from closing. Therefore, once the bumper is not in position due to the user's neglect or carelessness, the probability of finger injuries still exists.
A finger protection device for doors is disclosed in a DE Patent No. DE3626924, granted to Domer Jorg Dr. -Ing etc., and includes elongated strip-like or bar-like covering bodies which are fixed on door-gap openings at the hinge side of the doors by thin and flexible connecting means to cover the door-gap openings. Although this device prevented fingers from being nipped by the door-gaps at the hinge side of the doors, the fingers may still be nipped by the door-gap openings on the lock side of the doors. Moreover, because this device extends from the top of the door to the bottom of the door, it is inconvenient to install this device.
A door finger guard is disclosed in U.K. Patent No. GB2218449, granted to Steven Swaddle etc. The door finger guard includes a bridge-linking strip member being composed of two end portions and two middle portions. The two middle portions attach to each other by a hinge portion, and the two end portions are secured on a door and a frame respectively to cover door-gap openings on the hinge side of the door. Because the components of the device are integrally made of plastic, the device has a short using life, and is easy to be deformed or broken. Moreover, this invention still has the disadvantage of allowing the door-gap openings on the lock side of the door to nip the fingers.
U.K. Patent No. GB2306538 to Stephen Robert Webb also discloses a door finger guard. This device has a structure similar to the invention as described above, and its primary object is to cover the door-gap openings on the hinge side of the door, so the same problems appear in the device.
Therefore, the invention provides a finger protection device for doors to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Semiautomatic finger protection device for doors