The invention relates to a photoresist composition comprising a polymeric binder; a photoactive component; and at least one dissolution inhibitor comprising a paraffinic or cycloparaffinic compound containing at least one functional group having the structure —C(Rf)(Rf′)OR wherein Rf and Rf′ are the same or different fluoroalkyl groups of from one or taken together are (CF2)a wherein a is an integer ranging from 2 to about 10 and R is a hydrogen atom or an acid labile protecting group. Typically, the dissolution inhibitor has an absorption coefficient of less than about 4.0 μm at a wavelength of 157 nm.

Polymer products are used as components of imaging and photosensitive systems and particularly in photoimaging systems such as those described in Introduction to Microlithography, Second Edition by L. F. Thompson, C. G. Willson, and M. J. Bowden, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1994. In such systems, ultraviolet (UV) light or other electromagnetic radiation impinges on a material containing a photoactive component to induce a physical or chemical change in that material. A useful or latent image is thereby produced which can be processed into a useful image for semiconductor device fabrication.
Although the polymer product itself may be photoactive, generally a photosensitive composition contains one or more photoactive components in addition to the polymer product. Upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation (e.g., UV light), the photoactive component acts to change the rheological state, solubility, surface characteristics, refractive index, color, electromagnetic characteristics or other such physical or chemical characteristics of the photosensitive composition as described in the Thompson et al. publication.
For imaging very fine features at the submicron level in semiconductor devices, electromagnetic radiation in the far or extreme ultraviolet (UV) is needed. Positive working resists generally are utilized for semiconductor manufacture. Lithography in the UV at 365 nm (I-line) using novolak polymers and diazonaphthoquinones as dissolution inhibitors is a currently established chip technology having a resolution limit of about 0.35–0.30 micron. Lithography in the far UV at 248 nm using p-hydroxystyrene polymers is known and has a resolution limit of 0.35–0.18 nm. There is strong impetus for future photolithography at even shorter wavelengths, due to a decreasing lower resolution limit with decreasing wavelength (i.e., a resolution limit of 0.18–0.12 micron for 193 nm imaging and a resolution limit of about 0.07 micron for 157 nm imaging). Photolithography using 193 nm exposure wavelength (obtained from an argon fluorine (ArF) excimer laser) is a leading candidate for future microelectronics fabrication using 0.18 and 0.13 μm design rules.
Photolithography using 157 nm exposure wavelength (currently obtained from a fluorine excimer laser) is a leading candidate for future microlithography (beyond 193 nm) provided suitable materials can be found having sufficient transparency and other required properties at this very short wavelength.
A dissolution inhibitor (DI) may be utilized in a photoresist composition. Typically, a dissolution inhibitor is included in a photoresist composition to assist in the development process. A good dissolution inhibitor will inhibit the unexposed areas of the photoresist layer from dissolving during the development step in a positive working system. A useful dissolution inhibitor may also function as a plasticizer which function provides a less brittle photoresist layer that will resist cracking. These features are intended to improve contrast, plasma etch resistance, and adhesion behavior of photoresist compositions.
A variety of bile-salt esters (i.e., cholate esters) are known to be effective dissolution inhibitors for deep UV resists, beginning with work by Reichmanis et al. in 1983. (E. Reichmanis et al., "The Effect of Substituents on the Photosensitivity of 2-Nitrobenzyl Ester Deep UV Resists", J. Electrochem. Soc. 1983,130,1433–1437.) Bile-salt esters are useful as DIs for several reasons, including their availability from natural sources, high alicyclic carbon content, and particularly their transparency in the deep and vacuum UV region, (which essentially is also the far and extreme UV region), of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., typically they are highly transparent at 193 nm). Furthermore, the bile-salt esters are also attractive DI choices since they may be designed to have widely ranging hydrophobic to hydrophilic compatibilities depending upon hydroxyl substitution and functionalization.
Some examples of bile-salt esters include cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, lithocholic acid, t-butyl deoxycholate, t-butyl lithocholate, and t-butyl-3-α-acetyl lithocholate. However, the ester groups that are present in these compounds tend to strongly absorb light at very short wavelengths which makes the bile-salt esters less desirable as dissolution inhibitors at wavelengths of less than 193 nm. Carefully controlling the quantity of the bile-salt ester and/or the photoresist layer thickness are possible approaches for overcoming the absorption characteristics of bile-salt esters when imaging at the shorter wavelengths. These approaches have disadvantages since a process parameter such as quantity control has associated costs and a thinner photoresist layer, as compared to a thicker layer, will often have a higher number of defects that arise during imaging.
A need still exists for dissolution inhibitors that are not only transparent at short wavelengths but compatible with the polymeric binders that are useful at the shorter wavelengths.
In the process of forming patterned microelectronic structures by means of lithography, it is common in the art to use at least one antireflective layer either beneath the photoresist layer, a BARC, or on top of the photoresist layer, a TARC, (or sometimes referred to simply as an ARC) or both. Antireflective coating layers have been shown to reduce the deleterious effects of film thickness variations, and the resulting standing waves caused by the interference of light reflecting from various interfaces within the photoresist structure, and the variations in the exposure dose in the photoresist layer due to loss of the reflected light. The use of an antireflective layer results in improved patterning and resolution characteristics of the photoresist materials because it suppresses reflection related effects.
A need also exist for antireflective coatings that have optical transparency at imaging wavelengths of 193 nm and or 157 nm.

Dissolution inhibitors in photoresist compositions for microlithography


A method may receive data comprising a request to assure payment for a transaction with a consumer, the transaction being associated with a provision of a service or a sale of a product. Thereafter, it may be determined whether payment of at least a portion of the transaction will be covered by a benefit plan associated with the consumer, and additionally, whether the consumer is able to pay for at least a portion of the transaction not covered by the benefit plan. Data is then transmitted authorizing the transaction if a predetermined amount of the transaction will be covered by at least one of the benefit plan or the consumer. Related apparatuses, computer program products, and computer systems are also described.

Increasing healthcare insurance costs have driven consumers to seek alternatives to traditional employer-sponsored healthcare benefit plans that provide full coverage for medical treatments and for prescription coverage. Consumers are opting for lower premiums and coverage that requires greater out-of-pocket payments than typical co-payments and deductibles. In addition, consumers are also increasingly using medical spending accounts with tax incentives to pay for healthcare related transactions. As a result, for each and every transaction, service providers (e.g., doctors) often need to make claims from multiple sources (e.g., the consumer, one or more benefit plans, benefit spending accounts, etc.).
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate various conventional healthcare insurance payment mechanisms. As can be appreciated, the variety of payment sources and cost sharing plans utilized by consumers can be complex and can result in increased transaction costs such as resource consumption, timeliness of payments, administration costs, collections, and the like.
With reference to the process flow diagram 100 of FIG. 1, a consumer 110 receives healthcare/treatment from a provider 120 and, at step 115, pays a member cost share for the treatment (e.g., a relatively small co-pay, co-insurance deductible, etc.). Thereafter, the provider 120, at step 125, files a claim with a health plan 130 that, at step 135, reimburses provider 120 the amount covered as provided by the terms and conditions of the plan. The provider 120 may then, at step 145, bill the consumer 110 for any remaining uncovered costs of the treatment.
In an alternative conventional arrangement, as illustrated in the process flow diagram 200 of FIG. 2, a consumer 210 may receive healthcare/treatment from a provider 220 and, at step 215, pay a portion (or all) of the costs of the treatment. The provider 220 may then, at step 225, file a claim with the health plan 230 for payment for the treatment, and the consumer 210 may, at step 235, separately file a claim with the health plan 230 for reimbursement of any payments.
With reference to the process flow diagram 300 of FIG. 3, another variation is provided in which consumer 310 receives healthcare/treatment from provider 320 and, at step 315, pays a significant portion (or all) of the cost of the treatment (co-pay, co-insurance, deductible, etc.) directly to the provider 320. The provider 320, at step 325, files a claim with a health plan 330 of the consumer 310 that may, in turn, at step 335, pay the provider 320 the full amount specified in the filed claim or a portion thereof. In addition, the consumer 310 may, at step 345, draw from funds from a financial institution 340 equal to all or a portion of the amount paid by the consumer 310 out-of-pocket for the treatment. The financial institution 340 may manage or operate tax-advantaged, health specific savings accounts (e.g., FSA—flexible spending accounts, HRA—health reimbursement accounts, HSA—health savings accounts, etc.) that may be used for qualified healthcare treatments/prescriptions.


A method of manufacturing a protein gel. In the first step, a protein-containing solution is heated for sterilization. In the second step, the protein-containing solution is cooled, and an enzyme is added to the protein-containing solution. In the subsequent third step, the protein-containing solution and the enzyme are mixed while maintaining the temperature in the second step so as to obtain a mixture. In the fourth step, the mixture is aseptically filled in a food container. In the fifth step, the aseptically filled mixture is allowed to stand at ambient temperature, during which the enzyme denatures the protein in the protein-containing solution. Since the mixture is not required to be heated for denaturing the protein in the protein-containing solution, the energy consumed in the manufacturing process is reduced, thereby lowering the manufacturing costs.

In conventional methods of manufacturing a protein gel such as tofu (bean curd) in which an aqueous solution containing protein (hereinafter referred to as "protein-containing solution") is filled in a food container for curdling therein, a curdling chemical, transglutaminase or the like is added to the protein-containing solution, and is then heated.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a first conventional method of manufacturing a protein gel, and FIG. 2 is a temperature profile in the first conventional method of manufacturing a protein gel. In FIG. 2, the abscissa represents time while the ordinate represents temperature.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the first step, the temperature of a protein-containing solution is elevated from about 80.degree. C. to a temperature of 130-140.degree. C. at a time t1 to heat the solution for a few to 10 seconds for sterilization.
When the protein gel to be obtained is tofu, soymilk is used as the protein-containing solution. A process for manufacturing the soymilk is as follows. Soy beans are first washed and then immersed in an unillustrated immersion tank. Thereafter, the soy beans are crushed with an unillustrated grinder to obtain "go", a paste of crushed soy beans, which is then heated at a temperature of 98-105.degree. C. for 2-5 minutes. Thereafter, tofu refuse is removed from the "go" to obtain soymilk.
In the second step, a curdling chemical is added to the protein-containing solution at a time t2. In this step, gluconodeltalactone (GDL), magnesium chloride (MgCl.sub.2) or the like is used as the curdling chemical. The curdling chemical is added to the protein-containing solution after being passed through a bacteria-removing filter. The temperature of the protein-containing solution is maintained at 10.degree. C. to prevent the chemical reaction from proceeding, which would otherwise occur at higher temperatures.
In the subsequent third step, the protein-containing solution is mixed with the curdling chemical at a time t3 to obtain a mixture. In this step, the temperature of the protein-containing solution is also maintained at 10.degree. C. to prevent the chemical reaction from proceeding, which would otherwise occur at higher temperatures.
In the fourth step, the mixture is aseptically filled in an unillustrated food container at a time t4. In this step, the temperature of the protein-containing solution is maintained at 10.degree. C. to prevent the chemical reaction from proceeding, which would otherwise occur at higher temperatures.
In the fifth step, the mixture is heated at a temperature of 90-95.degree. C. for 30 minutes, at a time t5, for curdling the protein-containing solution in the mixture by the action of the curdling chemical.
A protein gel can be manufactured in this manner.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a second conventional method of manufacturing a protein gel, and FIG. 4 is a temperature profile in the second conventional method of manufacturing a protein gel. In FIG. 4, the abscissa represents time while the ordinate represents temperature.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the first step, a protein-containing solution is cooled from about 80.degree. C. to a temperature of 25-50.degree. C. at a time t11. To a cooled solution, transglutaminase is added. Transglutaminase is an enzyme serving as a catalyst in an acyl transferring reaction of a .UPSILON.-carboxyamide group, which is a glutamine residue in a peptide chain.
In the second step, the protein-containing solution is mixed with transglutaminase at a time t12. In this step, the temperature of the protein-containing solution is maintained at 25-50.degree. C. to prevent the catalytic reaction from proceeding by the presence of transglutaminase, which would otherwise occur at higher temperatures.
In the subsequent third step, the mixture of the protein-containing solution and transglutaminase is filled in an unillustrated food container at a time t13. In this step, the temperature of the mixture is also maintained at 10-60.degree. C., preferably at 25-50.degree. C., to prevent the catalytic reaction from proceeding by the presence of transglutaminase, which would otherwise occur at higher temperatures.
In the fourth step, the mixture is heated at a low-temperature of 40.degree. C., at a time t14, so as to accelerate the catalytic reaction by transglutaminase, thereby obtaining a protein gel.
In the fifth step, the protein gel is heated at a high-temperature of 90.degree. C., at a time t15, to inactivate transglutaminase.
A protein gel can be manufactured in this manner.
However, in the above-described conventional method of manufacturing a protein gel in which a curdling chemical is used, a mixture of a protein-containing solution and a curdling chemical must be heated at a temperature of 90-95.degree. C. for 30 minutes in the fifth step to curdle the protein-containing solution in the mixture. In another conventional method of manufacturing a protein gel in which transglutaminase is used, a mixture must be first heated at a low temperature of 40.degree. C. in the fourth step to accelerate the catalytic reaction by transglutaminase, and then heated at a high temperature of 90.degree. C. in the fifth step to inactivate the transglutaminase. These conventional methods, therefore, have the drawback that considerable energy is consumed in the manufacturing process, resulting in high manufacturing costs.
An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the above-described conventional methods of manufacturing a protein gel and to provide a method of manufacturing a protein gel which can reduce the manufacturing costs.


It is aimed at improving the efficiency of data transfer processing and the concurrent data processing on a central processing unit. A data transfer device can independently request a bus access right and output an address to a first bus (IBUS) and a second bus (PBUS). It is possible to solve the state of competing for the bus access right between both buses. While the bus access right of one bus is granted for reading or writing, the bus access right of the other bus can be released. When the data transfer device releases the bus access right for the first bus, a central processing unit can process data. In response to one data transfer start request, the bus access right is requested for one bus and the other bus, There is not used a sequence of requesting the bus access right in response to different data transfer requests for respective buses. It is possible to simplify a handshake sequence of a data transfer request and its acknowledgment.

The present invention relates to a data transfer device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit and a microcomputer containing the data transfer device, e.g., to a technology effectively used for a single-chip microcomputer having a high-speed external input/output interface circuit.
A single-chip microcomputer comprises functional blocks such as a central processing unit (CPU) as a main component, ROM (read-only memory) for storing programs, RAM (random access memory) for storing data, and an input/output circuit for data input and output. These functional blocks are formed on a single semiconductor substrate.
There is available a single-chip microcomputer that contains a direct memory access controller (DMAC) and is capable of data transfer independently of the CPU (see patent document 1). An interrupt request can activate the DMAC capable of repeat mode and block transfer mode. In a printer system, for example, the DMAC is suitable for controlling stepping motors, controlling printout data on a printer, and storing received data in memory. Such example is capable of transferring up to eight channels of data. Since the DMAC transfers data independently of the CPU but shares a bus with the CPU, a bus cycle needed for the DMAC data transfer stops CPU operations. That is to say, in response to a single activation request, the DMAC obtains a bus access right and occupies the bus between two bus cycles for reading and writing. When byte data is transferred from the RAM to the input/output circuit to increment transfer origin and destination addresses, the DMAC occupies the bus for six states of data transfer including two states for RAM access, three states for input/output circuit access, and one state for a dead cycle in the above-mentioned example. It should be noted that one state signifies once cycle of reference clock for the single-chip microcomputer or the semiconductor integrated circuit device.
When the DMA controller is connected to an external bus for the microcomputer, it is possible to perform operations of internal buses such as a ROM lead for the CPU in parallel with external bus transfer such as transferring received data to the memory by means of the external DMA controller. However, releasing the external bus access right causes a delay in recognizing an acknowledge signal or a request signal while the bus access right is exchanged. There is generated a time interval during which the microcomputer and the external DMA controller do not use the bus so as to prevent both from colliding with each other on the bus. This easily generates an overhead irrelevant to actual operations. Overheads, if occurring before and after a single data transfer, are not negligible in comparison with the time required for an actual data transfer. If a general-purpose DMA controller is used, it also provides unnecessary functions, unfavorable to cost effectiveness. Though it is possible to develop a DMA controller optimized for each system, this is apt to be disadvantageous to manufacturing costs and the like spent for the microcomputer and a different LSI chip.
The above-mentioned application (see patent document 2) by the inventors uses the on-chip configuration for an external bus DMAC that allows the microcomputer to transfer data on the external bus, enabling concurrent operations of the external bus and the microcomputer's internal bus. Concurrent operations are made available between the external bus DMAC's data transfer on the external bus and internal bus master's operations on the internal bus such as execution of instructions by the CPU using the internal bus. It is possible to simultaneously enable data transfer by the external bus DMAC on the external bus and instruction execution by the CPU using the internal bus, thus improving the microcomputer's throughput. Data can be transferred on the external bus without degrading the CPU throughput.
In short, the DMAC represented in the above-mentioned patent documents 1 and 2 is connected as a bus master to a single bus (either the internal bus or the external bus). The DMAC uses that bus to transfer data such as reading and writing. Accordingly, the DMAC continuously occupies the bus access right of the single bus during operations of accessing a source address and destination address.
By contrast, patent document 3 describes an example of providing buffer memory capable of reading or writing via interfaces provided correspondingly to two different data processing devices. There is provided the data transfer function for exchanging data between the above-mentioned buffer memory and the data processing devices corresponding to the two interfaces. In this case, data is transferred from peripheral processing devices to the buffer memory via the first interface. Further, data is transferred from the buffer memory to the main memory via the second interface. These two types of data transfers are performed independently. A request to transfer data is also issued independently.

Data transfer device, semiconductor integrated circuit, and microcomputer


A method for stratigraphic interpretation of a seismic image for determining a sedimentary history of an underground zone having application to petroleum exploration. The seismic reflectors of the image are digitized by means of an applied shape recognition technique. At least one attribute characteristic of the structure of the image in the vicinity of each reflector is calculated for a set of reflectors by means of an image analysis technique. This analysis is based on at least one analysis window whose shape is controlled by the associated reflector. Pertinent reflectors, in the sense of the stratigraphic interpretation, are selected from among this set of reflectors on the basis of this attribute. Finally, the sedimentary history of the underground zone is reconstructed from a stratigraphic interpretation of the reflectors thus selected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the sphere of stratigraphic interpretation of seismic data. More particularly, the invention relates to processes for automatic detection of seismic reflectors showing pertinent characteristics for seismic stratigraphy interpretation, such as sedimentary layer convergence characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Seismic imagery is a method of observing the architecture of the subsoil, notably used in the fields of petroleum exploration and characterization of underground natural hydrocarbon reservoirs. This technique is based on the emission of acoustic signals in the subsoil and recording of the propagated signals and reflected on particular acoustic reflectors. These signals are processed so as to form a two or three dimensional seismic image. This seismic image is a series of vertical records referred to as "seismic traces". These seismic traces represent the amplitude of the signal received as a function of time. The recorded signals generally correlate from one trace to the next, which is translated, in a seismic image, into sub-horizontal lines, more or less rectilinear, thick and continuous, referred to as lineations or reflectors. These lines represent the interfaces between sedimentary layers. A two-dimensional seismic image corresponds to a vertical section of the subsoil. An example of a two-dimensional seismic image is given by FIG. 2. The two dimensions are depth Z and a sub-horizontal geographic direction X.
From the observation of the seismic image, the seismic stratigraphy interpreter has a certain number of empirical rules for finding clues allowing reconstruction of the sedimentary history of the studied zone, and therefore to find subsoil zones likely to be oil traps. The interpreter notably uses the analysis of the "brightness" and of the length of the reflectors, of their position and their orientation in relation to neighboring reflectors (parallel reflectors can indicate a regular deposit at a great water depth and of a limited petroleum interest, fan-shaped convergent reflectors indicate a progressive tilt of the formation during deposition, having implications on the distribution of the sediments), and on the way the latter interrupt on one another. Analysis of the geometry of reflectors is for example the subject of a basic seismic stratigraphy article:    Vail. P. R., R. M. Mitchum, and S. Thompson, III, 1977, [<<] "Seismic Stratigraphy and Global Changes of Sea Level, part 4: Seismic Stratigraphy and Global Changes of Sea Level, in Payton", C. E. (ed.), Seismic Stratigraphy—Applications to Hydrocarbon Exploration: Amer. Assoc. of Petrol. Geologists, Memoir 26, p. 83-97.
The interpretation stage is often very delicate and it entirely depends on the interpreter's sedimentologic expertise. There are few tools allowing assistance in this task, which with a more complex seismic image often shows several hundred reflectors in 2D and several thousands in 3D.
Several projects have been undertaken in the past years, providing seismic image analysis methods for facilitating the stratigraphic interpretation procedure. The following document that summarizes these methods can be mentioned for example:    S. Copra and K. J. Marfurt, [<<] Seismic Attribute Mapping of Structure and Stratigraphy", Distinguished Instructor Series, no 9, EAGE, 2006.
The work of the "TriTex" project can also be mentioned:    European Research Project Funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General Information Society, "Automated 3D Texture Content Management in Large-Scale Data Sets", Project No.: IST-1999-20500, Super-final report.
This work provides image analysis methods that convert an initial image into a final image. They therefore are only a preprocessing stage before interpretation. In fact, the seismic interpreter must eventually provide a "pick" of the seismic image, that is manually extract therefrom, by digitizing, objects referred to as seismic reflectors, expressed in vectorized form: a reflector is vectorized by a 2D broken line, or by a 3D discretized surface. The methods presented above provide a transformation of the initial image that facilitates picking, but they do not perform this picking.
Among the image analysis methods provided, some are particularly interesting for seismic stratigraphy because they relate to the detection of convergences in seismic images. Examples thereof are:    T. Randen et al, [<<] "New Seismic Attributes for Automated Stratigraphic Facies Boundary Detection"[>>], SEG-98, New Orleans, La., Expanded Abstracts, September 1998,    A. Barnes, [<<] "Attributes for Automating Seismic Facies Analysis", SEG Technical Program, Expanded Abstracts—2000—pp. 553-556.
The feature these methods have in common is the preliminary determination of a "field of directional vectors" of the image to be analyzed. This is, at each pixel, in determining if the image has a texture oriented in a square neighborhood centered on the considered pixel, and in calculating the direction vector(s) thereof. The latter calculation determines a single mean local orientation (Randen, Barnes).
In Barnes' work, quantification of the reflectors convergence is obtained by calculating the divergence of the field of directional vectors. In Randen's work, the directional field is subjected to a search for flowlines whose density expresses the divergence or the convergence of the reflectors.
These methods work with mean values calculated in sliding neighborhoods of fixed and predetermined shape and size, which is not perfectly suited for seismic image interpretation. In fact, seismic images have the following particular feature: some reflectors, rectilinear or not, divide the image into two domains characterized by very different image textures wherein the dominant orientations on either side of the reflector are different. This is due to the fact that seismic reflectors correspond to sedimentary interfaces representing sudden historical changes in the sedimentologic conditions. For example, a reflector indicates the transition between a sandy environment of eolian dunes and a more clayey marine environment, possibly separated in the course of time by an erosion phase.
The aforementioned methods do not allow separation of the analysis performed in a neighborhood placed according to the position of a reflector (completely above or completely below a reflector for example), because they do not involve the notion of "reflector". They provide information that "averages" the data obtained from a neighborhood that includes different environments and that cannot be characterized by the same parameters.
The invention is a method for stratigraphic interpretation of seismic data allowing characterization of the data by parameters specific to each seismic reflector present in the seismic data. The invention notably allows automatic separate reflectors so as to extract pertinent characteristics for stratigraphic interpretation, in order to detect very precisely particular sedimentary layer layouts, such as onlap or toplap type configurations (convergence of sedimentary layers linked with the sedimentary deposit type).

Method for stratigraphic interpretation of seismic images


A dental instrument includes a pneumatic pressure intensifier that supplies a handpiece having an orifice to generate a high velocity liquid jet. A pneumatic system includes valves to supply the pressure intensifier and control the output to the handpiece. A jet forming assembly includes an orifice mount in the handpiece, and a guide tube assembly secured to the orifice mount. The guide tube assembly is variably positioned to select the minimum distance from the jet orifice to the tissue target, so that the jet force may be controlled.

The present invention relates to instruments for carrying out dental procedures, and more specifically to carrying out such procedures using a high pressure liquid jet.
It is known in the prior art and in common dental practice to carry out most treatments using mechanical techniques. For example, in endodontics, which often involves many root canal procedures, a diseased tooth is first diagnosed, and then an opening is drilled through the crown of the tooth into the pulp chamber thereof. After the tooth is isolated and the field sterilized, the pulp, consisting primarily of blood-rich tissue and nerve fiber and necrotic components, is then aspirated. There remains within the pulp chamber the primary nerve fibers and blood vessels that sustain the tooth. These tissues extend from extremely fine openings in the apex of the root(s) of the tooth through a narrow channel(s), and cannot be removed solely by aspiration.
Typically, a file is then inserted into the narrow channel(s) to displace and abrade the nerve and blood vessel tissue. Increasingly larger files are inserted, whereby the narrow channel(s) is cleared of all soft tissue. After cleaning and preparation, the pulp chamber and root channel(s) are filled with a sterile solid material, and the drilled opening is filled with standard gold, silver, or other dental filling preparations.
This typical procedure is labor-intensive, resulting in a high cost factor for the dentist""s time as well as skill and experience. Moreover, the procedure may be painful, and sufficient local anesthetic must be injected to completely numb the area of the tooth for the relatively long time that the procedure requires.
Complications known to result from a root canal procedure may include infection arising from incomplete removal of the diseased tissue within the canal and pulp chamber, or the introduction of other infectious bacteria into those spaces during the procedure. In addition, the dentist may inadvertently perforate the tooth; e.g., by driving a file instrument through the apical opening at the base of the root, and the opening thus formed may provide a vector for renewed infection and inflammation. Not infrequently, drug therapy including a strong antibiotic is prescribed after the procedure to forestall these complications. Other complications include broken instruments lodged in the tooth, or fracture of the root or body of the tooth.
Recent innovations in this dental procedure include the use of laser light delivered into the pulp chamber and root channel by an optical fiber. The high power optical energy vaporizes the pulp and nerve tissue, and is inherently sterilizing. However, the products of tissue combustion may contaminate the interior of the chamber and root channel, and the laser pulses may not contact all of the tissue in the narrow root channel, causing very unsatisfactory results. To avoid these results, there is a tendency to apply an excess of laser energy, which may overheat the tooth and surrounding tissue and cause necrosis. In addition, laser energy impacting on pre-existing metallic fillings may cause dangerous reflected beams and unforeseen damage, as well as vaporized heavy metal compounds, which may be toxic.
As another example, in periodontal practice, which typically includes gingivectomy procedures, the gingiva are usually resected using a scalpel, and scaling and root planing are accomplished with specialized steel tools. These procedures and most other dental procedures are executed with mechanical drills, burrs, and cutting wheels.
Innovations such as ultrasound-driven scaling instruments, high power lasers for caries removal, and the like have not substantially altered the reliance of the dental profession on the same mechanical tools that have been in use for almost a century. All such mechanical tools generate high levels of vibration and sound that are directly conducted through bone to the ears of the patient, resulting in patient comfort problems. Also, the mechanical tools, as well as ultrasound tools, generate substantial amounts of heat in very localized areas, causing direct pain stimulation. Water spray devices are provided to remove this heat, but may not be effective at the point source of the heat. In this regard, the heat generated by dental lasers may pose the greatest problem.
Clearly the prior art shows an unmet need for improved dental instruments that can carry out a wide range of dental treatment procedures without generating heat, noise, and vibration as they operate on the patient""s teeth.
The present invention generally comprises an apparatus and methods for dental treatments that overcome the problems associated with current mechanical and dental techniques and instruments. In one aspect, the invention comprises a technique for removing the soft tissue from within a human or animal tooth, whereby infectious, inflamed and necrotic tissue may be removed and the tooth and periodontal structures restored to a healthy condition. A salient aspect of the invention is that the invention obviates the need for files and other mechanically abrasive displacement tools, employing instead a high pressure jet of water or other liquid directed at the soft tissue within the tooth to excise, emulsify and aspirate the soft tissue. The soft tissue may comprise the pulp, nerve tissue and blood vessels that extend from the surrounding jaw bone through the apex of each tooth root into the root channel and to the pulp chamber of the tooth.
The invention provides a high velocity liquid jet dental tool having a handpiece and a cannula extending therefrom. The cannula is connected to a source of high pressure water or other liquid, and includes a distal orifice to deliver a high velocity jet. The pressure range of the high pressure source is approximately 500-60,000 psi, and the jet orifice is approximately 10-800 microns in diameter. The cannula may also provide aspiration to remove the fluid and tissue from the target, or aspiration may be provided by a second cannula connected to a vacuum aspiration unit. An exemplary device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,692.
To initiate a treatment method of the invention, a tooth that is diagnosed as diseased and in need of a pulpectomy/root canal procedure is opened; that is, a hole is made in the crown of the tooth using a standard dental grinding or drilling instrument. The tooth is then isolated using a dental dam or similar protective shield.
The cannula of the high velocity liquid jet tool is then directed through the newly formed hole in the crown of the tooth, and a jet of liquid is directed at the pulp and nerve and vascular tissue within the interior chamber of the tooth. The fluid may comprise medical-grade saline solution, and/or a disinfectant solution and/or an antibiotic solution and/or an abrasive solution. In the pressure range and jet diameter formed by the high velocity liquid jet tool, all the soft tissue within the tooth is cut, excised, emulsified, and aspirated out of the tooth. Aspiration may be provided by the high velocity liquid jet tool, or by the cannula of a standard dental aspiration device.
A salient aspect of the method of the invention is that the high velocity liquid jet easily removes all the soft tissue within the tooth, but is limited in its ability to cut or erode the hard calcified tooth tissue. Likewise, the jet lacks the velocity to cut through the apical root openings through which the nerve fibers and blood vessels enter the root channels from the surrounding jaw tissue. As a result, this process of pulpectomy/root canal progresses to a self-limiting extent and for example, cannot pierce the apical openings if they are naturally closed, whereby a source or complications known to result from prior art procedures. In addition, the use of antiseptic or antibiotic solutions reduce the possibility of post-procedure infection if the apical openings where to be damaged.
Moreover, the time required to excise, emulsify, and aspirate all the soft tissue within a typical molar is on the order of 10-240 seconds, so that far less time and labor is expended in the procedure. This reduction in time to complete the removal step reduces the need for local anesthesia, reduces the time that the patient may experience pain (if any), and overall increases throughput in a dental practice.
The interior chamber of the tooth is then completely aspirated and verified for completion of removal of all soft tissue. The interior chamber is then packed with an appropriate filler material known in the prior art, and the opening in the top of the tooth is filled or provided with a prosthetic crown, as is known in the dental art.
It should be noted that the fluid jet may comprise a pulsed jet formed by a pulse intensifier device in the handpiece of the dental high velocity liquid jet tool, as described in the US patent to Bair referenced above. Alternatively, the handpiece may be connected to a source of high pressure fluid to form a steady stream jet emanating from the orifice. The handpiece may be directed at other surfaces and structures to carry out endodontal, periodontic, surgical, and restorative procedures such as gingivectomy, removal of granulation tissue, muco-osseous surgery, caries removal, scaling and removal of plaque and calculus, and extractions and tissue incisions.

Apparatus for dental treatment using high pressure liquid jet


Compounds of the following formula are disclosed:

The disclosure of each patent, patent application and publication cited or described in this document is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.
Glaucoma is a condition of the eye that is made up of a collection of eye diseases that cause vision loss by damage to the optic nerve. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) due to inadequate ocular drainage is a primary cause of glaucoma. Glaucoma can develop as the eye ages, or it can occur as the result of an eye injury, inflammation, tumor, or in advanced cases of cataract or diabetes. It can also be caused by certain drugs, such as steroids. Glaucoma can develop in the absence of elevated IOP. This form of glaucoma has been associated with inheritance (i.e., family history of normal-tension glaucoma) Japanese ancestry, as well as systemic heart disease, such as irregular heartbeat.
There are two main anatomic classifications of glaucoma. These classifications are based on whether the angle of the anterior chamber is open or narrow. The more common open-angle glaucoma is a chronic disease, whereas the less common angle-closure glaucoma is an acute disease. Open-angle glaucoma is usually associated with an increase in intraocular pressure, resulting in damage to the optic nerve and the appearance of cupping of the optic disk. There is an increase in the cup-to-disk ratio and visual dysfunction in the midperipheral field of vision.
Conventional therapy for glaucoma has involved topical administration of pilocarpine and/or epinephrine, and more recently, beta-blockers administered to the eye several times daily. Various beta-blocking agents have been used to lower intraocular pressure. Such use is described, for example, in reviews by W. P. Boger in Drugs, 18, 25-32 (1979) and by T. J. Zimmerman and W. P. Boger in Survey Ophthalmol. 23(b), 347 (1979). U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,085 to Stone discloses a method for treatment of glaucoma by the ocular administration of a beta-blocking compound, timolol maleate. However, these methods also possess significant drawbacks, in that the absorption of the beta-blocking compound into the systemic circulation can cause undesirable, even life-threatening, side effects. Such side effects result from prolonged beta-blocking action on the heart, bronchioles and blood vessels. Accordingly, there is a need for compounds and a method of treatment of glaucoma or for lowering intraocular pressure that is relatively free of unwanted systemic side effects.
Certain beta-blocking agents that contain enzymatically labile ester groups are known to exhibit short-acting beta-blocking effects in the systemic circulation. Such short-acting beta-blocking compounds (SAABs) have been suggested for treatment or prophylaxis of cardiac disorders as a means for reducing heart work or improving rhythmicity for a short duration. Such short-acting beta-blocking compounds can avoid the sometimes counterproductive effects of conventional beta-blocking agents, whose effects are long-lived and, therefore, difficult to precisely control. Beta-blocking agents having such properties are described in Matier, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,974, Sep. 6, 1983; Matier, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,454,154 and 4,455,317.
Topical eye-drops are the most common medical treatment of open-angle glaucoma. Meiotic agents, primarily parasympathetic (e.g., pilocarpine), constrict the pupil to enhance aqueous flow through the trabecular meshwork. The meiotic pupils, however, interfere with night vision. The carbonic anhydrase enzyme inhibitors (e.g., acetazolamide) are orally and topically administered agents (e.g., dorzolamide) that decrease the production of aqueous from the ciliary body, thereby reducing IOP. Recently introduced synthetic prostaglandin analogues (e.g., latanoprost) reduce intraocular pressure by increasing aqueous outflow.
Typically less than 1% of the topically instilled dose is absorbed (N. L. Burstein and J. A. Robinson, J. Ocular Pharmacol. 1, 309 (1985). Even at this low absorption, potent beta-blockers with longer durations of action can cause severe systemic side effects, particularly in patients who also suffer from cardiovascular or bronchosplastic disease. In an attempt to reduce or eliminate such side effects and enhance ocular penetration, several acyl-ester prodrugs of propanolamine-containing beta-blockers have been developed. See, e.g., Vincent, H. L. Lee, and Hans, Bundgaard, "Prodrugs", Chapter 7, Marcel Dekker, Inc, Kenneth B. Sloan (ed.), 1992, p. 221; M. Shammem, T. Imai and M. Otagiri, J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 45, 246, 1993 (describing propranolol prodrugs); 246; Hans Bundgaard, Anders Buur, Shih-Chieh Chang and Vincent H. L. Lee, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 77-88, 1988 (describing timolol prodrugs); C G Jordan, J. Pharm. Sci., 87 (7), 880-885, 1998 (describing oxprenolol prodrugs); Patil, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,417 issued Jan. 30, 1990; and Patil , et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,914 issued Oct. 30, 1990, both discussed in greater detail below.
Among the beta-blocker prodrugs reported in the literature as anti-glaucoma agents, the most common acyl functionality studied is a pivaloyl ester derivative of the secondary hydroxyl group within the oxypropanolamine side chain of the beta-blockers. Interestingly, the physical and chemical characteristics of each pivaloyloxy beta-blocker prodrug are different. For example, the half-life of the oxprenolol prodrug
in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37° C. is 2035.5 days. Under identical conditions, the half-life of the timolol prodrug
and a compound of Patil , et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,914 of the formula
are 3.6 hours and 0.9 hours respectively. These data suggest that the physical and chemical characteristics of an acyl beta-blocker prodrug cannot be predicted solely from the properties of structurally dissimilar yet similarly derivatized beta-blocker prodrugs.
The aforementioned compound disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,966,914 was reported to be an oculoselective beta-blocker having a long duration of action in the ocular fluid and a short duration of action in the systemic circulation. Because of the difference between their intraocular and systemic stabilities, the compound was suggested to provide enhanced intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction capabilities in the eye for extended periods while reducing the level of severe systemic side effects. Two compounds disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,897,417 and 4,966,914 to Patil et al.,
are ester "prodrugs", which are converted in vivo to the active agent of the 914 patent. The prodrugs and their active parent compound were evaluated for their beta-blocking actions, ocular bioavailability and their ocular or systemic safety in animal studies. Neither of the two prodrugs was found sufficient with respect to solution stability and ocular safety profile.
For treatments involving introduction of medicaments into the eye, an ideal beta-blocker prodrug would be stable in buffer solution for good shelf life, and would rapidly hydrolyze in the cornea to deliver the parent compound in the aqueous humor. The parent compound thus provided should be sufficiently stable in the aqueous humor to extend the duration of intraocular pressure lowering, devoid of ocular irritation and local anesthetic activity and rapidly eliminated from systemic circulation to reduce or eliminate systemic effects such as heart failure and bronchospasm. Finally, the prodrug compound should not bind to beta-receptors upon systemic absorption. It can be seen from the foregoing discussion that there is still a need for prodrug forms of beta-blocking agents, as well as novel beta-blocking agents themselves, that possess this combination of desirable features.

Abstract: Methods of preparing the compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, and methods of treating patients by administration of the pharmaceutical compositions, are also disclosed.


A processor includes a memory execution unit for executing load and store instructions and a replay system for replaying instructions which have not executed properly. The memory execution unit including an invalid store flag that is set for a store instruction if the replay system detects that the store instruction has not executed properly and is cleared if the store instruction has executed properly. If an invalid store flag is set for a store instruction, the replay system replays load instructions which are programmatically younger than the invalid store instruction until the store instruction executes properly.

The primary function of some processors is to execute computer instructions. Most processors execute instructions in the programmed order that they are received. However, some recent processors, such as the Pentium® II processor from Intel Corp., are "out-of-order" processors.
An out-of-order processor can execute instructions in any order as the data and execution units required for each instruction becomes available. Some instructions in a computer system are dependent on one another because of their reference to particular registers (known as source dependency or register data dependency). Out-of-order processors attempt to exploit parallelism by actively looking for instructions whose input sources are available for computation, and scheduling them ahead of programmatically later instructions. This creates an opportunity for more efficient usage of machine resources and overall faster execution.
An out-of-order processor can also increase performance by reducing overall latency. This can be done by speculatively scheduling instructions while assuming that the memory subsystem used by the processor provides the correct data when the instruction is executed, as performed in the above-referenced parent application. However, several types of dependencies between instructions may inhibit the proper speculative execution of instructions. These dependencies may include register or source dependencies and memory dependencies. Addressing these dependencies increases the likelihood that a processor will correctly execute instructions.
Therefore, there is a need for a technique to adequately address the different types of dependencies that may prevent the proper execution of instructions in a processor.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Interface to a memory system for a processor having a replay system


A method and apparatus is provided for consolidating cryptographic key updates, the consolidated update information enabling, for example, a returning member of a secure group who has been offline, to recover the current group key, at least in most cases. The unconsolidated key updates each comprise an encrypted key, corresponding to a node of a key hierarchy, that has been encrypted using a key which is a descendant of that node. The key updates are used to maintain a key tree with nodes in this tree corresponding to nodes in the key hierarchy. Each node of the key tree is used to store, for each encrypting key used in respect of the encrypted key associated with the node, the most up-to-date version of the encrypted key with any earlier versions being discarded. The key tree, or a subset of the tree, is then provided to group members.

Many applications require an efficient and secure mechanism to distribute information to a dynamically changing trusted community. Typically, such a mechanism involves forming a secure group whose members share a secret cryptographic key. This key is updated to a new version when a new member joins the group (so that the new member cannot access previously shared information protected by the key—so-called "backward confidentiality") or leaves the group (so that the leaving member cannot access future shared information protected by the key—so-called "forward confidentiality"). The responsibility for controlling the shared key, and therefore the membership of the group, is carried out by a functional entity which is referred to herein as the key manager. A simple implementation of the key manager involves the latter making a private communication to a new member and each existing member (in the case of a newly joining member), or to each remaining member (in the case of a member leaving the group) to provide the new version of the shared key. However, in order to make this key update operation more scalable, there are well-known techniques that combine a multicast transport with a Logical Key Hierarchy (LKH), reducing the complexity of this operation to logarithmic with the size of the group (see, for example, "Key management for multicast: Issues and architectures" Internet Request for Comment RFC 2627, Internet Engineering Task Force, June 1999).
Unfortunately, robust key management in known multicast LKH schemes generally requires that members are always on-line to reliably receive key updates in a timely manner. This can limit the applicability of these schemes when the community is large and loosely coupled, or the connectivity between members is poor, or just simply when the most common behaviour of a member is to be off-line. In these cases it can be too expensive (in terms of processing and communication resources used) to treat members as being evicted from the group concerned when they go off-line.
Various proposals have been made in respect of improving the reliability of group re-keying with a focus on key recovery for on-line members when there are failures of the multicast transport. Such proposals assume that only a few key updates are lost, or that members will always be able to take an immediate recovery action. An extreme of this approach are key distribution schemes that assume a reliable group communication middleware underneath, e.g., extended virtual synchrony semantics, in order to update keys reliably.
In the context of secure distribution of copyright protected material, detailed studies have been made concerning how to encrypt broadcasted content so that only a dynamically changing group can decrypt it (see broadcast encryption), and how to trace and exclude possible "traitors" that leak information. Typically, these schemes assume a single source and do not deal with an arbitrary number of "traitors" colluding. Moreover, in some cases they also assume that clients cannot update state dynamically, e.g., a DVD player with some pre-configured secrets, and this can make managing the forever-growing revocation information impractical.
The paper "Efficient state updates for key management" Benny Pinkas, ACM CCS Workshop on Security and Privacy in Digital Rights Management, LNCS 2001 considers how to minimize the amount of information needed to recover a client that is back on-line after missing some LKH key updates. However, it is assumed that this information is optimised for a particular client, and downloaded directly from the key manager.
It is an object of the present invention to facilitate key update management for members of a group who have missed a number of updates.

Cryptographic key update management method and apparatus

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


This invention is drawn to a weighted fishing hook assembly. The hook assembly includes a substantially flat deflector, with a slightly arcuate cross section. Slightly rearward of center a hook is attached which depends downwardly from the deflector. Directly beneath the hook attachment point is a weight. A lure is attached to the hook and the hook assembly is ready for use with the enclosed method.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a weighted fishing hook assembly for use with a variety of commercially available synthetic or other lures.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objectives of the Invention
Fishing and its supporters and industries are always looking for a better lure with which to catch fish. The market supports an endless variety of synthetic worms, eels, fishes, crawdads and the like with or without the hooks preinserted therein. Additionally, numerous lures exist which attempt to mimic the natural movements of a fish or similar creature. However, despite the abundance of devices on the market, there still is room for a more realistic lure or hook assembly which may increase the likelihood of catching a fish.
Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a fishing hook assembly which imitates the movement of a real creature under water.
It is a further objective to introduce a new hook assembly which may increase the likelihood of catching a fish.
It is still a further objective to introduce a flat bodied hook assembly which includes a weight depending therefrom to change the hydrodynamic properties of the hook assembly and increase the realism of the lure.
It is yet a further objective to introduce a hook assembly which includes a loop proximate the hook for easy attachment to a fishing line.
It is another objective to introduce a hook assembly which includes a generally flat ovoid shaped body section or deflector which is easily drawn through the water.


A cable guide device (1) for a vehicle, with a channel element (10) and a connection element (20) to fasten the channel element (10) to the vehicle. The cable guide device (1) has an elastically deformable decoupling element (30) that is foamed or injected directly onto the channel element (10) and the connection element (20). The decoupling element connects these elements to form a single piece. The connection element (20) is oscillation decoupled from the channel element (10).

Various embodiments of cable guide devices are already known from the prior art. However, in particular on vehicles, they usually do not have their own decoupling device. If oscillations and vibrations occur on the vehicle, they are transmitted undamped to the cable guide device and cause oscillation and vibration of the cable guide device. This is disadvantageous in many ways, since, due to the oscillations and vibrations, the fastening of the cable guide device on the vehicle can be weakened or damaged. In addition, noise is generated which, in the case of a vehicle, can be perceived as disturbing and substandard and thus is not acceptable.
In the prior art, cable guide devices are known that are connected via an elastic bushing to the vehicle. Although vibrations are damped, the vibrations and oscillations can lead to the fact that the bushings, which are usually inserted into an opening, separate from the opening. Thus, the fastening of the cable guide device on the vehicle brought about by the bushing is destroyed. The cable guide device can become completely detached from the vehicle or unfavorable acoustics occur again on the vehicle.
Furthermore, solutions are known where the cable guide device is arranged by means of damping elements on the fastening devices between cable guide device and vehicle. For example, washers, made of rubber or plastic, or other anti-vibration washers are used. However, in the process, a movement of the fastening element such as, for example, of the screw, is enabled. The screw can weaken over time due to the movement. Under some circumstances, this can lead to rupture of the fastening element.
Therefore, the underlying aim of the disclosure is to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages and provide a cable guide device for a vehicle. Here, the guided cables are oscillation decoupled from the vehicle. The connection of the cable guide device to the vehicle is simultaneously strong and resistant.

Oscillation decoupled cable guide device


A method of mapping a traditional touchtone telephone keypad on a handheld electronic device having a disambiguation function, and an associated apparatus comprises outputting a representation of a remapped character layout and generating a disambiguated interpretation of an input.

1. Field
The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to handheld electronic devices that employ a text disambiguation function and, more particularly, to an improved method of enabling input on a handheld electronic device having a disambiguation function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such handheld devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Many handheld electronic devices also feature wireless communication capability, although many such handheld devices are stand-alone devices that are functional without communication with other devices.
Such handheld electronic devices are generally intended to be portable, and thus are of a relatively compact configuration in which keys and other input structures often perform multiple functions under certain circumstances or may otherwise have multiple aspects or features assigned thereto. With advances in technology, handheld electronic devices are built to have progressively smaller form factors yet have progressively greater numbers of applications and features resident thereon. As a practical matter, the keys of a keypad can only be reduced to a certain small size before the keys become relatively unusable.
One way of providing numerous letters in a small space has been to provide a "reduced keyboard" in which multiple letters, symbols, and/or digits, and the like, are assigned to any given key. For example, a traditional touchtone telephone (FIG. 1) includes a reduced keypad which comprises twelve keys, of which ten have digits thereon, and of these ten keys, eight have letters assigned thereto. For instance, one of the keys includes the digit "2" as well as the letters "A", "B", and "C". Other "reduced keyboards", however, can be based on a QWERTY keyboard layout (FIG. 2). Accordingly, unlike the traditional touch-tone telephone keypad, in an exemplary reduced QWERTY keypad the key that is assigned the digit "2" may be assigned the letters "T" and "Y" as opposed to "A", "B", and "C".
Despite the numerous advantages that a reduced QWERTY keypad provides over a traditional touch-tone telephone keypad, the reduced QWERTY keypad does have one shortcoming. This shortcoming relates to a given key's letter assignment, specifically, the letter assignment given to the keys associated with a digit (digit keys). For example, when a user calls an automated company directory using a touchtone telephone, the automated telephone system will typically ask the user to spell the name of the individual that the user would like to speak to by using the letters that are found on the traditional touchtone telephone keypad. Accordingly, if the user wanted to speak to an individual named "ALLIE", the user would dial "25543" as the key sequence since on the traditional touchtone telephone keypad "25543" is the key sequence that spells the name "ALLIE" (see FIG. 1). The automated company directory would then recognize the Dual Tone Multi-Frequency signal (hereinafter, referred to as DTMF signal(s)) that is associated with the key sequence "25543" and would automatically connect the user to the dialed party. As stated above, however, the letters associated with the digit keys on a reduced QWERTY keypad do not correspond to the letters that are found on a traditional touchtone telephone keypad. In other words, the key sequence "25543" on a reduced QWERTY keypad does not spell the name "ALLIE". Therefore, the user would be unable to use the letters that are printed on the keys of a reduced QWERTY keypad to enter the desired name into the automated company directory.

Method of mapping a traditional touchtone keypad on a handheld electronic device and associated apparatus


A personal passenger space support device is disclosed as it may be implemented to comfortably support a user's legs at a predetermined spacing in the user's own personal space while in a seated position. An example of the device includes a first leg support configured for a user's right leg, and a second leg support configured for the user's left leg. An interconnect is configured to maintain the first and second leg supports at a predetermined lateral spacing to support the user's legs apart from one another without overhanging the user's own personal space.

In tight seating spaces that exist in many public places (e.g., airplanes, stadiums, buses, trains, etc.), an effort is needed to keep one's personal space regarding their legs. The tendency is often to relax and let the legs "rest" (laterally) against something. In many situations, that "something" is actually "someone". This is especially evident in longer-lasting situations such as air travel. The only solution currently available is self muscle control. This can result in fatigue, discomfort, and perhaps even leg and/or back pain. Indeed, if you already have leg and/or back pain, it may not be possible to exert sufficient muscle control to maintain your personal space.


A camper-utility trailer assembly has a convertible trailer and at least one enclosure structure communicating therewith. The convertible trailer is convertible between a stowed configuration and a set-up configuration. In at least one of the configurations, the convertible trailer has at least one flexible shelf extending laterally therefrom. The flexible shelf is adapted and configured to be rollingly collapsed down e.g. for stowage in a receptacle beside the outer surface of a sidewall of the convertible trailer. The at least one enclosure structure can generally overlie the convertible trailer and flexible shelf and/or can generally overlie a portion of the ground adjacent the convertible trailer.

This invention relates to utility trailers and recreational e.g. camping trailers. Specifically, this invention relates to multi-functional utility and relatively light-weight camping trailers.
Light weight camping trailers are addressed first. Conventional light-weight camping trailers are typically of a "pop-up" design. Namely, these "pop-up" campers typically have a rigid body shell, a rigid roof-wall, and flexible side panels. The roof-wall is adapted and configured to actuate between a first, lowered/closed, position and a second, raised/opened, position.
The flexible side panels are attached to both the rigid body shell and the rigid roof-wall of the camper. When the roof-wall is raised to the raised/opened position, the flexible side panels are raised to a corresponding raised/opened position, whereby the side panels extend generally upwardly from the sidewalls of the rigid body shell. The portions of the flexible side panels which are adjacent the front and back ends of the "pop-up" camper typically expand outwardly from the rigid body shell, thereby to expand the projected footprint of the camper, and to provide sleeping quarters, for users of the camper, which extend outwardly from the projected footprint of the rigid body/shell.
However, when the roof-wall is in the lowered/closed position, the flexible side panels are stored, e.g. generally folded up, within the rigid body shell and under the roof-wall. Since the roof-wall is rigid, and since it spans across generally the entire upper perimeter of the rigid body shell, a user is unable to e.g. load equipment and/or other articles into the trailer from the "top" of the trailer. Thus, a user must rely on the storage compartments (if any) built into the rigid body shell for storage of such articles. Or, the user must load such articles into the interior portion of the camper through the door of the camper, which can be a relatively difficult task when the equipment and/or other articles to be loaded are large, bulky, and/or otherwise cumbersome. Loading these articles proves even more difficult for a user when the roof-wall of the camper is in the lowered/closed position.
Next, light weight utility trailers are addressed. Typical utility trailers have a platform, e.g. a bottom wall, sometimes known as the trailer bed, and a plurality of sidewalls which extend upwardly from the bottom wall. Since utility trailers typically do not have a top, lid-type structure, e.g. a top wall or cover, a user can load equipment and/or other articles through the upper opening into the open-top box of the utility trailer. This enables a user to load equipment and/or other articles, even those that are large, bulky, and/or otherwise cumbersome, into the trailer by merely lowering or dropping, or e.g. horizontally sliding, the equipment and/or other articles into the trailer. However, utility trailers do not provide any enclosure structure, and are thus not well suited for use as e.g. a camper, where the people expect to be kept dry, and optionally warm.
Accordingly, it is desirable and/or valuable to provide multi-functional utility trailers, e.g. camper-utility trailers, which selectively, as desired by a user, provide camping enclosure features in addition to utility trailer functionality.
It is also desirable and/or valuable to provide camper-utility trailers which can be loaded from the top, and which have storable, optionally flexible, shelves which can be used as sleeping bunks.


Cured, thermoset plastic articles derived from scrap polyurethanes are disclosed. The polyurethane is converted to a liquified mixture containing digested polyurethane and cyclic, unsaturated anhydride. A Lewis acid then catalyzes insertion of the cyclic, unsaturated anhydride into the polyether backbone of the polyurethane to give a liquid, unsaturated resin. The unsaturated resin can cured with a vinyl monomer in the presence of a free-radical initiator to give a cured, thermoset plastic.

Polyurethanes, such as flexible and rigid foams, elastomers, sealants, and the like, are usually formulated as crosslinked polymers, so they typically cannot be reclaimed or recycled by simply melting the polymer and remolding it. Recycling of polyurethanes requires chemical conversion of the polymer. It is known, for example, to perform basic hydrolysis of polyurethanes at elevated temperatures to isolate components derived from the polyol, polyisocyanate, and chain extender reactants. Recovery and reuse of these components is complicated by the presence of catalysts, surfactants, fillers, flame retardants, and other additives commonly used to manufacture polyurethanes. The high cost of purification makes this strategy impractical and commercially unattractive.
A more attractive approach avoids purification of the individual components following chemical conversion of the polyurethane. In this strategy, the polyurethane is converted to a liquid form or is dissolved in a liquid polymer. The liquid product is then used to manufacture another polyurethane. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,937,151, 3,109,824, and 3,117,940, and German Patent DE 3,435,014 illustrate this approach.
In copending application Ser. No. 07/979,760, filed Nov. 23, 1992, we described a new ester insertion process in which a cyclic, unsaturated anhydride inserts randomly into carbon-oxygen bonds of a polyether to give an unsaturated polyetherester resin. Unlike conventional unsaturated polyester resins, the degree of unsaturation in the product can be easily controlled by adjusting the ratio of polyether to cyclic, unsaturated anhydride. Thus, unsaturated polyetherester resins having a wide range of crosslinkabilities can be made from maleic anhydride and a single polyether polyol.
Particularly needed in the art are ways to convert scrap polyurethane foams, elastomers, and the like, directly to useful liquid polymer resins without the need to first isolate polyether polyols from the other components. Ways to convert scrap polyurethanes to polymers other than polyurethanes, such as thermoset plastics, are also needed.

Cured polyester plastic compositions derived from recycled polyurethanes


A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation and a support structure for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device serves to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section. The lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table for holding a substrate and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The apparatus has a chuck system for supporting an object, such as the substrate or the patterning device, in the lithographic apparatus. The chuck system includes a chuck for supporting the object, a frame for supporting the chuck, and a chuck support structure for supporting the chuck relative to the frame. The chuck support structure includes at least one flexure element, which flexure element is flexible in at least one degree of freedom and is coupled to the chuck and the frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a device manufacturing method.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, such as a mask, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic apparatus, the pattern has to be imaged on the substrate very accurately. The current lithographic projection apparatuses are commonly used to manufacture devices with typical dimensions in the micron or sub micron range. Hence, the pattern has to be imaged on the substrate with a corresponding accuracy.
For precise positioning and handling, in most known lithographic apparatuses, the substrate is supported, and (optionally) moved, relative to other parts in the lithographic apparatus by a substrate table. The table has a chuck system which is provided with a chuck. The chuck has a support surface on which the supported object, e.g. the substrate, can be clamped, in order to support the object. Furthermore, the known lithographic apparatus can be provided with a mask table which supports a mask. The mask table may also have a chuck system, which includes a chuck on which the mask can be mounted.
For example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,271 a lithographic apparatus is known, which comprises a stage for precise positioning of a chuck in three orthogonal linear axes and in three orthogonal rotation axes. A substrate can be clamped on the chuck using an electrostatic force. The stage comprises a frame which supports the chuck. In this prior art document, the frame is implemented as a monolithic mirror block. The chuck is rigidly mounted on the monolithic mirror block. The monolithic mirror block is provided with mirrors that are part of an interferometer system that is used to determine the position of the chuck relative to other parts of the lithographic apparatus.
However, a drawback of the chuck system known from this prior art document is that the chuck may deform, for example due to heating during the lithographic projection process. The deformation of the chuck is transferred onto the frame or mirror block. Hence, the mirror block is deformed as well. This, inter alia, affects the accuracy of the interferometric measurements performed using the mirrors on the mirror block, which in turn affects the precision of positioning the substrate relative to the projection beam.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method


A laser beam delivery system for transforming a laser energy profile into a desired laser beam output energy profile. The laser beam delivery system comprises a laser for generating a laser beam along a beam path, at least one extra-cavity harmonic generation element being located along the beam path for generating harmonic multiples of a beam input frequency, and an extra-cavity beam expansion element, located before the at least one harmonic generation element, for expanding and collimating the laser beam prior to the laser beam being multiplied by the at least one harmonic generation element. The beam expansion element may be a refractive lens.

Focused and directed laser beams are commonly used for a variety of processes, such as drilling of blind, through and micro-vias, laser imaging, dicing of substrates and modification or customization of integrated circuits, drilling, cutting, and selective material removal and other complex machining and micro-machining operations involving materials such as metals, polymers, integrated circuits, substrates, ceramics and other materials. Such processes have become very complex, often involving the concurrent or sequential of use of single or multiple lasers or multiple types of lasers, such as visible, infra-red (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) lasers, in concurrent or sequential operations. In generally all such laser processes, however, the general object of a laser system is to controllably and reliably direct, focus and concentrate the energy of one or more laser beans to converge each beam at a desired spot or to image an apertured area of a laser beam onto the surface of an object.
A number recurring problems of conventional laser systems of the prior art, however, directly affect the reliable and controllable "pointing" of a laser beam to a desired location. The first, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, is often referred to as "beam wobble" or "pointing instability" and is the radial deviation of the Beam Axis 10 a Laser Beam 12 from an Optimum Centerline 14 by a Deviation Angle θ and is often related to variations in the pulse energy of the laser beam, which is often referred to as "pumping jitter". Pointing instability is essentially inherent in both the properties of a Laser 16 itself and in the normal operations of a Laser 16, such as "pumping jitter".
A second problem of the prior art is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B and is often referred to as "thermal drift", which again causes the Beam Axis 10 of a Laser Beam 12 to drift from an Optimum Centerline 14. Thermal drift is generally regarded as due to changes in the parameters of the Laser 16 due to changes in the laser duty cycle, heating during operation, changes in power levels of the Laser 16. It should be noted that, unlike "pointing instability" which results in an angular deviation of the Beam Axis 10 from the Optimum Centerline 14, "thermal drift" results in a linear radial drift of the Beam Axis 10 with respect to the Optimum Centerline 14. That is, the Beam Axis 10 of a Laser Beam 12 remains parallel to the axis of Optimum Centerline 14, but drifts radially away from Optimum Centerline 14.
Yet a third problem of the prior art is that of beam mode changes over time, which results in "hot spots", or distortions of the beam profile. If the profile of the beam is non-uniform or does not have an optimum Gaussian profile, the shape of the profile cannot be subsequently shaped into the preferred "flat top" profile, which will adversely effect the quality of the processes performed by the laser system, such as micro-machining or the drilling of microvias. This problem is further compounded, of course, by pointing instabilities and thermal drift.
Effectively all lasers used for micro-machining, such as microvia drilling, exhibit pointing instability, thermal drift and profile distortion, and there have been many attempts to correct or at least control these problems. For example, laser systems of the prior art have attempted to correct the effects of "pointing instability" and "thermal drift" by the use of actively controlled servo-mirrors, which are controlled to redirect a laser beam so as to correct for the "pointing instability" and "thermal drift". Such methods, however, require detecting and comparing the actual path of a beam due to pointing instability or thermal instability with the desired optimum path for the beam and controlling the servo-mirrors so as to direct the beam into the desired path. Not only are such methods complex and expensive, but they have an inherent time delay in detecting and correcting the effects of pointing instability or thermal drift, and introduce errors of their own due to mechanical and control system tolerances and have thereby not provided completely satisfactory solutions to these problems.
Other approaches of the prior art to these problems have used optical elements in the laser beam path to correct for pointing instabilities and thermal drift and to shape the beam into the optimum Gaussian and flat-top profiles for micro-machining, such as the drilling of microvias. A recurring problem, however, is that when the an optical beam shaping system is illuminated poorly, that is, either at an incident angle or with a laterally displaced beam, such as may result from pointing instabilities, thermal drift or hot spots, the optical beam shaping elements are not able to shape the laser beam into the desired profile.
The basic problems arising with the use of optical elements to correct or compensate for pointing instability and thermal drift are illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B with respect to the use of holographic optical elements (HOEs) and standard symmetric holographic optical element (SSHOEs) employed as beam shaping elements. FIG. 3A, for example, illustrates the results of radial displacement due to thermal drift effects in the case of a Holographic Optical Element (HOE) and, in particular, with respect to a Standard Symmetric Holographic Optical Element (SSHOE) 18, or an equivalent lens. Because the SSHOE 18 is symmetric, a Laser Beam 12A that enters the SSHOE 18 along a Beam Axis 10A that is parallel to the HOE Axis 20 will exit the SSHOE 18 as Laser Beam 12B on Beam Axis 10B wherein Beam Axis 10B is coaxial with and a linear continuation of Beam Axis 10B. More specifically, a Laser Beam 12A entering the SSHOE 18 along a Beam Axis 10A that is parallel to but radially displaced by a distance D from the HOE Axis 20 will exit the SSHOE 18 along the same Beam Axis 10A, indicated as Beam Axis 10B, and will remain radially displaced with respect to the HOE Axis 20 by a distance D. As such, a SSHOE 18 or equivalent symmetric lens will not radially redirect the Beam Axis 10 of an entering Laser Beam 12 with respect to the HOE Axis 20 of the SSHOE 18, and thereby cannot correct for or control thermal drift effects.
Referring to FIG. 3B, a Laser Beam 12A effected by "pointing instability" will enter an Entry Face 22 of the SSHOE 18 along Beam Axis 10A having an angular deviation θ with respect to the HOE Axis 20, that is, will not be parallel with the HOE Axis 20. Because of the symmetry of a SSHOE 18 or equivalent symmetric lens, however, the Laser Beam 12B will exit the Exit Face 24 of the SSHOE 18 along a Beam Axis 10B that is the continuation of the Beam Axis 10A along which the Laser Beam 12A entered the SSHOE 18. As in the case of thermal drift, therefore, conventional SSHOEs 18 and similar symmetric lenses cannot correct for or control pointing instability and the resulting angular deviation of the Beam Axis 10.
Instability and shifting in the input beams to beamshifting elements, however, can frequently lead to yet other problems in typical beam delivery systems, such as a micro-machining system for the drilling of microvias, by distortion of the laser beams generated by the beamshaping optics of the system.
For example, in a typical laser beam delivery system such as illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 4D, the Laser 12 is typically comprised of diode pumped solid state (DPSS) laser or a Diode Pumped Fiber (DPFL) laser, which tend to generate TEM00 single mode laser beams with optimum Gaussian energy profiles. In a typical system such as illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 4D, Beamshaping Optics 26 are used to reshape an Output Beam 12I having an optimum Gaussian Profile 12GP into an Output Beam 12O having a Flat-Top Profile 12FP, that is, a uniform energy profile particularly advantageous for micromachining operations, and are typically comprised of, for example, diffractive or holographic beam diffusers or shaping optics.
As is well known, the Input Beam 12I generated by a Laser 12 will tend to drift laterally by amounts ranging from a few microns to several hundreds of microns with changes in the Laser 12 parameters, such as the pump diode current changes, harmonic crystal shifts, changes in the pulsing frequency or repetition rate, and so on. The typical results of such lateral drifts of the Beam Axis 10 of a Input Beam 12I from an Optimum Centerline 14 that is coaxial with the Optical Centerline 26C of Beamshaping Optics 26 are represented diagrammatically in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D. FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the situation wherein the Beam Axis 10 of Input Beam 12I is coaxial with Optical Centerline 26C of Beamshaping Optics 26, with FIG. 4B being a superimposed comparison of the energy profiles of Input Beam 12I and the resulting Output Beam 12O. FIGS. 4C and 4D, in turn, illustrate the situation wherein the Beam Axis 10 of Input Beam 12I is laterally offset with respect to the Optical Centerline 26C of Beamshaping Optics 26, with FIG. 4D again being a superimposed comparison of the energy profiles of the input and output beams.
As illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 4D, each lateral shift of the Input Beam 12I with respect to the axis of Beamshaping Optics 26, however, that is, each shift from the situation of FIGS. 4A and 4B to the situation of FIGS. 4C and 4D, will result in a non-uniform energy profile in Output Beam 12O. In the typical situation as illustrated in FIGS. 4C and 4D, for example, a Lateral Offset 64O of Input Beam 12I will result in the generation of either or both of a "Hotspot" 64S in the energy profile of Output Beam 12O and a deficiency or "Deficiency" 64D in the energy profile of Output Beam 12O. As illustrated, a Hotspot 64S is a region of an energy profile in which the energy level is higher than desired while a Deficiency 64D is a region of an energy profile in which the energy level is lower than desired. In this regard, it should be noted that Hotspots 64S are typically formed on the side of the energy profile in the direction of the Lateral Offset 64O of the Input Beam 12I, with Deficiencies 64D typically appearing in the energy profile in the direction opposite to the Lateral Offset 64O.
Such distortions in the energy profiles of the Output Beam 12O obviously degrade the performance of a laser beam delivery system such as a laser micromaching system. As a result, each such shift of the beam axis requires either a realignment of the beam delivery system in order to restore the desired Flat-Top Profile 12F of Output Beam 12O. The required realignment of the system may be accomplished by either or both of a realignment of Beamshaping Optics 26 to the new location of Beam Axis 10 of Input Beam 12I or a realignment of Beam Axis 10 of Input Beam 12I to the Optical Centerline 26C of Beamshaping Optics 26, either of which represents a significant down time for the system. It will be appreciated that the need to realign the laser beam system optics or the laser beam for each lateral shift of the laser beam, regardless of the cause of the shift, will be a significant problem as an industrial laser system on the production floor will typically, and for example, require realignment several times a day or even several times a work shift.
In this regard, it must also be noted that while non-symmetric optical elements, including compensator and remapping elements, may be employed to address some of the problems arising from unwanted lateral shifts in a laser beam, such non-symmetric elements are typically comprised of holographic or diffractive optical elements. Such optical elements typically have fixed characteristics that, because they are fixed while the possible lateral shifts of a laser beam are not fixed, may not be able to adequately address the full range of possible lateral shifts of a laser beam in a given system.
The present invention addresses still further problems of the prior art and, in particular, the problems arising from the fact that laser systems which utilize diode pumped solid state (DPSS) lasers as well as diode pumped fiber lasers (DPFL) tend to require precise laser beam uniformity to enhance the specific process they are performing such as microvia drilling through multi-layered materials laser dicing of wafers, laser trimming or other laser materials processing. The output of a DPSS or DPFL laser sources tend to have TEMP00 single mode beams which take the form of a Gaussian beam profile. When processing, it is advantageous to transform this Gaussian beam profile by means of diffractive or holographic beam diffusers or shaping optics, into what is called a Flat Top beam with a uniform energy profile. However, as the DPSS laser parameters change (Pump Diode Current, Harmonic Crystal Shifting or Changes in Pulsing Frequency/Repetition Rate) the laser beam drifts laterally, ranging from a few microns to several hundred of microns. This lateral shift creates a problem for an industrial laser system on the production floor, since every time the beam laterally moves, the beam shaping optics generate a hot spot on side or direction that the beam shifts. At this point, the beam shaping optics and the beam delivery system must be realigned to the new laser beam centerline. This is a considerable problem when a production laser system has to change parameters several times a day or even several times per work shift of operation. The need is for a beam shaper that is simple to adjust to maintain the proper flat top profile, without having to realign the beam delivery system as well as an automatic compensation routine and sensor to monitor the displacement created by the changes in the laser parameters.
The present invention provides a solution to these and related problems of the prior art.

Beam shaping prior to harmonic generation for increased stability of laser beam shaping post harmonic generation with integrated automatic displacement and thermal beam drift compensation


Systems and methods for providing nutritional and other products to animals are provided. Generally, the invention provides a dispensing system comprising an activity monitoring device, and a dispensing device comprising a processor programmed to receive a communication generated by the activity monitoring device. The processor controls the dispensing device to dispense a nutritional or other product in response to the communication from the activity monitoring device. The activity monitoring device can be attached to an animal and communicate with the dispensing device information regarding the nutritional requirements of the animal.

1. Field of the invention
The invention generally relates to systems and methods for providing products to animals and particularly to systems and methods for providing nutritional and other products to animals.
2. Description of Related Art
To maintain health and wellness and ensure a good quality of life, animals should be fed an appropriate amount of a healthy and nutritious diet on a regular basis. However, feeding methods and patterns often result in an animal receiving inadequate nutrition or unhealthy amounts of food. Studies have shown that many animals such as cats naturally eat several times per day, in some instances as many as 10 to 20 small meals per day. However, an animal caretaker typically serves food 1 or 2 times per day and leaves the food exposed and available to the animal during the remainder of the day. For example, if a three ounce portion of wet cat food is fed to a cat, the cat may eat only a small portion of the food. The remainder quickly dries and becomes unpalatable. As a result, the cat does not eat the remaining portion, which must be discarded. This wastes a lot of food, increases the cost of feeding the animal, and places the animal at risk for the effects of poor nutrition. Similarly, many animals have other issues related to feeding and nutrition. For example, aging animals may have trouble maintaining hydration. Many cats receive most of their water from wet cat food, which is approximately 78% moisture. If the cats do not eat enough food or if they eat food with inadequate moisture because the food has dried and become unpalatable, the cats may not get enough water or may not get water in a regular manner that supports good health and wellness.
In the United States, it is estimated that between 25% and 40% of companion animals are overweight or obese. Generally, an animal is considered overweight if it weighs more than 10% above its ideal body weight and obese if it weighs more than 15% above its ideal body weight. Obesity in companion animals is implicated in increased risk of diabetes mellitus, arthritis, pancreatitis, hepatic lipidosis, orthopedic disorders, cardiovascular disease, respiratory ailments, hip dysplasia, liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and skin problems. Further, some breeds of dogs and cats have particular propensities for rapid weight gain in spite of a diligent owner's attempts to curb the animal's increasing weight, generally by limiting food intake. Often, excess weight and obesity can be linked to access to and consumption of too much food, particularly in combination with too little physical activity. Feeding methods that involve feeding relatively large food portions on an irregular or infrequent basis often result in an animal consuming too much food. Most dogs and many cats eat whatever food is available. If excess food is exposed and available, the animal consumes too much food and becomes overweight or obese.
Problems related to improper feeding methods and with controlling food intake inhibit animals from receiving proper nutrition that supports health and wellness and ensures a good quality of life for the animal, particularly if an inactive animal becomes overweight or obese. Given these feeding and nutrition issues, there is, therefore, a need for novel systems and methods for feeding animals a healthy amount of palatable and nutritious foods or a regular basis.

Systems and methods for providing products to animals


A bowling lane dressing apparatus for use on a bowling alley has a carriage with a lane buffer roller. A transfer roller in rolling engagement with the lane buffer roller and in fluid communication with a plurality of reservoirs, each containing lane dressing fluid for transferring fluid from each reservoir by a wick therein to the lane buffing roller. Each reservoir is pivotally mounted for independent movement to bring its wick into or out of engagement with the transfer roller. A variable speed drive is connected to the transfer roller for rotating it at variable speeds to vary the rate of transfer of fluid from each reservoir to the lane buffer roller. If desired, the transfer roller can be separated into independently rotatable roller segments, each of which can be driven by separate variable speed motors. The roller segments and the wick of the reservoir associated with that roller segment may be of substantially equal widths.

Ingermann et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,884 for "Combination Bowling Lane Stripper and Dressing Apparatus", among other limitations, discloses a transfer device for transferring dressing oil from a reservoir to an applicator roller. This device includes a transfer roller which receives oil from the reservoir by means of a wick and then transfers the oil to an applicator roller. The transfer roller is driven by a chain drive between it and the drive rollers for moving the device down the bowling lane. The device includes pressure fingers which can be adjusted to vary the amount of oil transferred from the reservoir to the transfer roller so that different amounts of oil can be applied to different boards across the width of the bowling lane. However, for any given pressure across the transfer roller, the amount of oil applied from the transfer roller to the buffer roller is strictly a function of the speed of the application roller and can be varied only by varying the viscosity of the oil in the reservoir. Thus, the degree of control available with that device is limited.
Davis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,290 for "Bowling Lane Maintenance Machine" discloses an automatic machine for laying down a pattern of oil across the width of a bowling lane and along the length of the lane which is controlled and varied by the use of a series of independent controllable wick assemblies within a single reservoir which are individually moveable into and out of contact with a transfer roller. As with the previously described device, with any given pressure across the transfer roller, the amount of oil applied from the transfer roller to the buffer roller is strickly a function of the speed of the application roller and can be varied only by varying the viscosity of the oil in the reservoir. Thus, while application of oil to selected portions of the transfer roller can be controlled, the amount of oil can be modified only by changing the pressure of the individual wicks against the transfer roller.

Multiple tanks for applying lane dressing to transfer roller for bowling lane dressing apparatus