A composite pressure vessel comprised of an inner fluid tight liner and an outer reinforced polymer layer. An end boss comprising a short pipe section arranged through an opening of the vessel and extending to a lower end with an outwardly extending flange on the pipe section arranged between the outer layer and the inner liner, and a lid arranged at an upper end of the pipe section. The inner liner extends upwards through the opening of the pipe section to the lid with at least one gas tight seal interfacing against the inner liner. A pre-tensioning device is arranged on the outside of the inner liner, in a groove nearest to the lid and pipe section, around the upper end of the pipe section, which, regardless of the pressure in the vessel, presses the inner liner against the at least one gas tight seal.

In recent years the use of composite pressure vessel to manage hydrocarbons under high pressure has become more current. Such vessels should preferably be usable for a broad spectre of hydrocarbons, from dry, compressed natural gas, so-called CNG, to unprocessed well fluids from oil production. Well fluids would typically be an oil based liquid under pressure, containing compressed gas as well as pollution in the form of water, sand, H2S, CO2, etc. In order to make optimal use of the storing facility for the pressure vessel, dry gas is stored at low temperatures since this increases the compressibility of the gas, whilst the well fluids would typically have a high temperature from the reservoir. It is advantageous to maintain a high temperature for the well fluids in order to avoid problems with hydrate formation inside the pressure vessel and connecting pipe systems. In order to make optimal use of the storing volume onboard a vessel, it is advantageous to use large vessels, typically cylindrical vessels with a diameter greater than 2 meters and the height or length greater than 10 meters.
Composite pressure vessels comprises an inner liner produced from thermo plastic, such as high density polythene, HDPE or from hardened polymer materials, for example of the epoxy type. The inner liner acts as gas/fluid barrier in the vessel. Outside the inner liner, there is a composite layer maintaining the pressure inside the vessel, which is typically produced from filament of glass fibre or carbon fibre, wound with pretension on the vessels inner liner and embedded in a polymer material, for example of the epoxy type. At one end or both ends of the composite pressure vessel, there is an end boss, typically of metal and which is held in place by the composite structure. The metal end boss makes it simple to arrange feed-throughs for loading and unloading of the vessel and provides an entry into the vessel. For vessels with a broader use as mentioned above, the design and connecting of the end boss provide a significant challenge. The metal end boss has a significantly lower thermal expansion than polymer and composite materials, resulting in problems at prolonged use with large temperature and pressure variations. At high temperature the inner plastic liner will expand more than the metal end boss, resulting in tension build-up at the contact surface between the inner liner and the end boss. Due to the viscoelastic properties of polymer materials, prolonged use at high temperature will result in tension relief over time. When the pressure and temperature are later reduced, the inner liner will contract more than the end boss, resulting in that over time a gap is created in the contact interface between the inner polymer liner and end boss.
Patent publications WO 2005/093313, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,209, WO 94/23240 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,988, describe different end boss constructions and sealing arrangements between the end boss and composite pressure vessel. Described are seal rings of elastic polymer material, constructions with an elastomer O-ring for sealing; and constructions where the inner polymer liner is moulded around and to an end boss having a rough surface. There is not a description of constructions where the inner liner is pressed against an inner metal counter pressure hold by means of pre-tensioning arrangement placed outside the inner polymer liner. Neither is there a description of a pre-tensioning arrangement, which may easily be adjusted should this be required after prolonged use.
There is a need for an end boss for a composite pressure vessel with more advantageous qualities than previously achievable; and a composite pressure vessel with such an end boss.


A gas-fired burner unit for providing combustion and infrared radiation includes at least one plenum for receiving at least the gas, and at least one perforated metal plate mounted for receiving at least the gas from the plenum and supplying at least the gas to the combustion so that the combustion is proximate the perforated metal plate.

There are several types of gas-fired infrared burners being used in various manufactured products. These burners usually incorporate one of three design features. The most used and successful burner design employs a ceramic plate that contains apertures to allow the flow of the gas-air mixture to the surface for combustion. Also some types of porous ceramic can be used. The ceramic plate is usually about 0.500 inches thick and possesses relatively low thermal conductivity. The plate can also be manufactured from ceramic fibers such as a product sold under the Fibre Fax brand name. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,277,948 and 3,561,902 to Best describe such a burner. The fuel input to these type burners is usually limited to about 350 BTUH/in2 of emitting element surface.
The emitting surface of gas-fired radiant burners can also be produced from metal. These types of emitting surfaces have usually been metal form or metal screens. The metal screens are woven from metal strands. Experience with using these types of burners indicates that they have limited life due to failure of the screen. Failure of the screen allows the flame to retrogress into the burner plenum resulting in flashback. Stress developed during the weaving process probably contributes to these failures. Also, since the screen provides for quenching of the flame on its surface, the size of apertures needs to be relatively small. Therefore, the diameter of the wire from which the screen is woven is limited. The small diameter of the wire limits the strength and resistance to thermal fatigue. When these types of burners operate on a generally continuous basis, frequent replacement of failed burners is required.
The other method by which gas-fired radiant burners operate is for the flame and hot combustion gases from a conventional port type burner to be impinged on a surface (usually ceramic) capable of emitting infrared radiant energy. This concept of generating infrared radiant energy is not as efficient as the surface combustion type of infrared burners. There are also other methods of generating infrared radiant energy by which the energy is not directly produced by the burner. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,546,553, 4,785,552, 5,230,161 and 6,114,666 to Best describe this technology. This type of design technology can also be used to convert short wavelengths to longer ones as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,666 to Best.
There are some limitations associated with each type of gas-fired radiant burner presently in use. The burner that uses ceramic as an emitter surface is the type most widely used in industrial and commercial applications. However, because the emitter surface is made from ceramic, these types of burners are fragile compared to metal. Also, the ceramic emitter is subject to failure if it is used in applications where it can become wet, such as in outdoor gas grills as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,857 to Best. However, this type of burner has been successfully used in outdoor grills when the grill is designed to protect the burner from rain.
The ceramic type of infrared radiant burner is used in many successful products such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,321,857 and 5,676,043 to Best, and in many applications it will continue to be the burner of choice. There are other applications where its limitations prevent its use. As an example, the burner will fail (flashback) if it is fired at an input greater than about 350 BTUH/in2. A typical burner with a ceramic radiation-emitting surface is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,948 to Best. Also, when these types of burners are over fired, incomplete combustion can occur.
Burners that use an emitting surface that employs a woven screen have not been reliable and usually have limited life in most applications of continuous use or where the burner is exposed to thermal shock through cycles of heating and cooling. Both the metal screen burner and ceramic type burners can fail when the input of fuel is increased beyond the ability of the surface to quench the flame, which results in retrogression of the flame into the burner plenum. Foam type of metal emitting surfaces can minimize some of the problems described, but they introduce new problems. Because of the porous nature of the material, it acts as a filter. Over time the surface will become clogged with atmospheric contaminates and the flow area through the surface is decreased resulting in variations in the combustion intensity over the surface. Also this type of material is expensive compared to other types of emitting surfaces. One type of this kind of porous metal is sold under the trade name of Metpore.
Another limitation of existing infrared burners is that when the primary air for combustion is supplied through a venturi as opposed to a pre-mixture of fuel and air supplied through a combustion air blower and mixer, secondary air for combustion is usually required. This phenomenon is notably true if the firing rate exceeds about 350 BTUH/in2 of burner emitting surface. Typical infrared radiant burners of this type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,277,948 and 3,561,902 to Best. When the input of fuel to infrared burners (described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,277,948 and 3,561,902) is limited to under about 350 BTUH/in2 of emitting surface, they can operate with 100% primary air with the use of a venturi. However, it is highly desirable in many applications to increase the energy input per unit area of emitting element surface and to distribute the energy systematically over the combustion surface of the burner. This is not practical to do with prior art type burners described above. Also, when an emitting element of a radiant type burner is placed close (within one inch) to an absorbing body, the emitting element temperature increases, thus increasing the tendency of prior art type burners to flashback. In many of the prior art type burners, secondary air for combustion is required. Some design restrictions are imposed in many applications when secondary air for combustion is required to ensure complete combustion. Also, secondary air for complete combustion is hard to control and usually results in excess air to the combustion process, which lowers the flame temperature and decreases combustion efficiency.
Another limitation of existing burner designs is that the emitting element is usually continuous. That is, the emitting surface area comprises most of the open side of the burner plenum. The emitting surface is usually surrounded by a border of about one half inch. In many applications of infrared type burners, it would be desirable to distribute the energy over larger surfaces than that of the emitting element itself. An example of such an application is the heating of the glass emitter described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,666 to Best. When it is possible to uniformly distribute the energy over the entire surface of the glass emitter, the burner can be placed very close to the underside of the glass eliminating the need to provide space for concentrated infrared energy to be dispersed over a larger area than its emitting area.
There are many other applications of the use of infrared radiant energy where it would be desirable to distribute the emitted energy over a larger area, such as in the curing of paint. There are other applications where it is desirable to concentrate more energy in a confined area than would be possible with existing technology where the combustion air is supplied through a venturi. Such an example would be to replace the conventional burner of a range top with a radiant type burner. It would provide many benefits if an infrared radiant type burner could have greater latitude in the amount of energy that is emitted over the surface of the burner—that is, for the firing rate to be dramatically increased or decreased per unit of area of the burner surface. Most of the prior art type infrared burners in use that use a venturi for the introduction of combustion air are limited to about 350 BTUH/in2 of burner surface when operating at high fire and the more normal high fire rating of these types of burners is about 250 BTUH/in2.


The disclosed invention relates to a process, comprising: flowing a first reactant feed stream comprising a reactant substrate and a second reactant feed stream comprising an alkylating agent, an acylating agent or a mixture thereof, in a process microchannel in contact with each other to form a product comprising at least one alkylation product, at least one acylation product, or a mixture thereof; transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat sink; and removing the product from the process microchannel.

Alkylation is the reaction of adding an alkyl or an alkenyl group to a compound. Acylation is the reaction of adding an acyl group to a compound. Although alkylations are often referred to as acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts-type reactions, they can also refer to the preparation of alkylates in refinery conditions. These processes are useful for synthesizing fine chemicals for pharmaceutical and agricultural chemicals, as well as large volume chemicals. The large volume chemicals include: ethyl benzene from benzene and ethylene (in excess of about 23 million metric tons/year); cummene from benzene and propylene (in excess of about 9.5 million metric tons/year); bisphenol A from phenol and acetone (about 1.1 million metric tons/year); and alkylbenzenes from benzene and C10-C18 olefins to (about 900,000 metric tons/year). Other chemicals include: alkylbenzenes from propylenes, isobutene, butylenes and amylenes; detergent alkylates from benzene and linear aliphatic olefins; xylene; polynuclear aromatics alkylated with olefins and olefin-producing reagents; alkylated phenol derivatives (2,6-xylenol, o-cresol); alkylated aromatic amines (e.g., 5-tert-butyl-2,4-toluenediamine); and alkylated pyridines.
A problem with many of these processes is that selectivity to the desired product is often less than desired. As a result, costly downstream purification procedures are often required. For example, in the production of ethyl benzene from ethylene and benzene, undesired by-products such as polyethyl benzenes, xylene, C3+ alkenes and other undesirable by-products are typically produced.

Process using microchannel technology for conducting alkylation or acylation reaction


A polishing composition of the present invention is to be used for polishing an object including a portion containing a high-mobility material and a portion containing a silicon material. The polishing composition comprises an oxidizing agent and abrasive grains having an average primary particle diameter of 40 nm or less. The polishing composition preferably further contains a hydrolysis-suppressing compound that bonds to a surface OH group of the portion containing a silicon material of the object to function to suppress hydrolysis of the portion containing a silicon material. Alternatively, a polishing composition of the present invention contains abrasive grains, an oxidizing agent, and a hydrolysis-suppressing compound. The polishing composition preferably has a neutral pH.

High-mobility channel materials, which are capable of improving the carrier mobility of transistors, have been studied as a means of reducing power consumption and improving performance (operating characteristic) of a transistor. Improving the carrier transport property of a channel increases the drain current flowing when the channel is in ON-state, thereby allowing the power supply voltage to be decreased while obtaining a sufficient ON-state current. This combination brings about higher MOSFET performance at low electric power.
Group III-V compounds, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs), group IV materials, such as silicon germanium (SiGe) and germanium (Ge), and graphene, which consists of only carbon (C), have higher electron and hole mobility than that of silicon and an excellent carrier transport property, and are expected to be used as the high-mobility channel material. Particularly, a channel using a group IV material, which is easier in introduction than a group III-V compound, is positively studied. There is as yet no established technique for growing a group III-V compound channel with high crystallinity and controlling the channel to have a desired shape. Also, the group III-V compound channel has no advantage in terms of cost over the channel using a group IV material.
A high-mobility material channel can be formed by polishing an object including a high-mobility material portion and a silicon material portion. In this case, when a polishing composition is used that can polish the high-mobility material portion with higher selectivity over the silicon material portion, the high-mobility material portion can be efficiently polished and removed. Also, since loss of oxide such as silicon oxide is decreased, a withstand voltage between wiring layers is secured. Further, in a subsequent photolithography process, the decreased loss of oxide facilitates focusing of the exposure light, thereby stabilizing the process (see Patent Document 1). However, a polishing composition described in, for example, Patent Document 2 or 3 and conventionally used for polishing a compound semiconductor substrate consisting of only a group IV compound does not, when used for polishing an object including a high-mobility material portion and a silicon material portion, exhibit sufficiently high polishing selectivity for the high-mobility material portion.


A system and method is provided for optimizing the usability of a hierarchical menu in voice portal directory. A voice aggregator is programmed to rearrange the menu into a new hierarchical structure having a single layer. Portions of the hierarchy are partially restored if too many nodes, or duplicate nodes, are present at any selection step. Frequency of selection data are measured and applied to the nodes and used to order the nodes in the new hierarchy. Frequency of selection data are also used to determined which nodes are replaced in a hierarchy when it is partially restored.

1. Statement of the Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of computer speech recognition and more particularly to a method and system for rearranging a voice portal directory menu by flattening the hierarchy of the menu while maintaining and optimizing the usability of the menu.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a user connects to a voice portal, the user is generally presented with a hierarchical menu structure, wherein the user must navigate through a tree of selections, before choosing a voice application, or portlet, as a final selection. Voice portals are often arranged to have directories with such hierarchical menus. To navigate through the menu, the user must listen to each choice for each selection in the menu, submit a response or input to the voice portal, and then proceed to the next, lower level of the hierarchy, where he or she may be presented with a new choice of menu options.
The time-sensitivity of voice portal menus dictates that the entire process of user-interaction with the voice portal be optimized so as to maximize the efficiency of such interaction. To reduce the costs of connecting a user to a voice portal over an extended period of time and to enhance the user experience, it is desirable to make the user's interaction with the voice portal as short as possible. A user must generally navigate through a number of selections before reaching a final choice. Also, if too many choices are presented to a user in one selection, the user may grow bored or may not wish to listen to the entire set of choices, or may become inattentive and thus miss the desired option. Therefore, it would be desirable to shorten the total time taken to reach a final selection. It would be further desirable to limit the number of choices in any one selection.

Automatic and usability-optimized aggregation of voice portlets into a speech portal menu

International Business Machines Corporation


In a valve timing adjusting apparatus, an outer peripheral surface of each projection of an internal gear, which is received in a corresponding engaging hole of a guide rotator, may have reduced surface sections, which are radially inwardly reduced toward a radial center of the projection along a radial line of the internal gear that passes through the radial center of the projection to have a reduced radial size in comparison to a radial size of the rest of the outer peripheral surface of the projection. Alternatively, an inner peripheral surface of each engaging hole may have recessed surface sections, which are radially recessed from the rest of the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole along a radial line of the guide rotator that passes through a center of the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve timing adjusting apparatus of an internal combustion engine that adjusts valve timing of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, which is opened and closed by a camshaft with a torque transmitted from a crankshaft, according to a relative phase (hereinafter, referred to as an engine phase) between the crankshaft and the camshaft.
2. Description of Related Art
A previously known valve timing adjusting apparatus changes the engine phase through a planetary movement of a second gear, which is eccentric to and is meshed with a first gear that is synchronously rotated with a crankshaft or a camshaft. Therefore, a rotator, which is coaxial with the first gear and is engaged with the second gear, is rotated relative to the first gear in response to the planetary movement. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-48706 discloses such a valve timing adjusting apparatus. According to this publication, multiple projections axially project from the second gear and are arranged one after another in a revolving direction of the second gear. Multiple engaging holes, which receive and engage the projections, respectively, are arranged one after another in a rotational direction of the rotator. When a torque is transmitted from the second gear to the rotator through engaged surfaces between the projections and the engaging holes, the rotator is rotated relative to the first gear.
In the valve timing adjusting apparatus disclosed in the above publication, an outer peripheral surface of each projection and an inner peripheral surface of each engaging hole are both cylindrical to implement smooth relative movement therebetween, so that frictional sticking of the projection against the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole is advantageously limited. However, when the projection engages the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole at or around a radial line of the second gear, which passes through a center of curvature of the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the projection, an urging force of the projection, which urges the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole in the radial direction of the rotator, is increased. This radial urging force does not contribute to the rotation of the rotator and disadvantageously increases a friction between the projection and the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole, thereby possibly deteriorating a transmission efficiency of the torque. This kind of disadvantage also occurs in a case where the projection engages the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole at or around a radial line of the rotator, which passes through a center of curvature of the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole.


A process for distributing digital still images according to a nominal format, where each image is broken into blocks and macroblocks that depend upon each other by correlation coefficients including analyzing contents of the still images to generate two parts: a) a primary contents in nominal format corresponding to the image as modified by substitution of certain correlation coefficients with coefficients that are of the same type, but which are random, and b) additional digital nature of any format, which includes substituted correlation coefficients and digital data that are likely to allow reconstruction of the modified image; transmitting separately the modified primary contents in real or deferred time and additional digital information in real time at a moment of viewing from a server towards recipient equipment; and calculating a synthesis of contents of the recipient equipment that is in nominal format as a function of the modified primary contents and the additional data.

It has been a problem to provide a device that is able to transmit, in a secure manner, a set of high-quality visual still images in a JPEG-type format directly to a display device and/or to be recorded on the hard disk of a unit connecting the teletransmission network to the display device, while at the same time preserving visual quality, but avoiding any fraudulent utilization such as the possibility of making illegal copies of still images recorded on the hard disk of the set top box.
Using currently available solutions, it is possible to transmit still images in digital format using broadcast networks of the Hertzian, cable, satellite or other types, or through DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or BLR (local radio loop) type telecommunication networks. Moreover, to avoid hacking of copyrighted work distributed in this way, the latter are often encrypted using various known methods.
EP 0 920 209 discloses a video scrambling process in the MPEG-2 format, where the video data consists of at least one block of at least one image encoded in the Intra (I) mode and consisting of data (AC, DC) that has been selected using a discreet cosine transform (DCT) and which, for each block, consists of a primary DC coefficient that features the average intensity of the pixels in the block and AC coefficients representing variations in intensity between pixels in the block. Video scrambling is conducted using an internal permutation step in at least one block, according to a permutation row (R), and where coefficients AC represent the variations in intensity between the pixels in the block. That requirement can be applied to JPEG-type images whose structure is similar to that of images in Intra-mode of an MPEG-2 data stream. The AC coefficients and the R-row permutation function applied to them also involve the DC coefficients after they have been recalculated using a C command. That system is a standard encryption solution and allows only scrambling and unscrambling of an MPEG-2 data stream without a security procedure for the broadcast of its data for reconstruction of the original data stream. In particular, all the data used to reconstruct the data stream (row R and DC coefficients encrypted using a key), as well as all the data constituting the original data stream, are comprised in the MPEG-2 data stream and are sent together and through the same route, where the protected MPEG-2 data stream containing the data for the reconstruction is the sole output data for the scrambling process. Consequently, EP '209 does not meet the high-security criteria.
EP 1 011 269 discloses a system for processing a data signal that consists of a system for scrambling the data signal and at least one unscrambling system for the scrambled data signal. The scrambling system comprises means for analyzing the entropic distribution of the data signal, means for scrambling a data signal as a function of its entropic distribution to form a scrambled data signal that has the same entropic distribution as the clear data signal, and means for compressing the scrambled data signal. The unscrambling system consists of means for decompressing the scrambled signal and means for unscrambling the scrambled signal to form the clear data signal. EP '269 also discloses a secure distribution system of a signal in which unscrambling the data stream requires the scrambled data stream and an additional piece of data to unscramble the data stream. Nevertheless, the additional information is stored and encrypted on the hard disk belonging to the user who wishes to utilize the signal. An ill-intentioned user who has an appropriate software means can decrypt the additional information and use the clear data signal without the consent of the owner of this signal. That system is founded solely on the entropic distribution of the signal to scramble it, and scrambling is carried out before compression and quantification. EP '269 describes how to limit the deterioration involved in the process with an equalization applied to minimize losses. However, this process is not without losses and does not guarantee the absence of deterioration. Finally, the process represents a standard encrypting and scrambling solution, where all the initial information is present in the protected data stream. Consequently, the goal of preserving the high visual quality of a process without losses and ensuring high security of the visual contents and the data allowing their reconstruction is not achieved.

Method and device for secure transmission of JPEG encoded images


A method of forming a molded, multi-layer structure begins with a pre-laminated, multi-layer structure having a thermoplastic substrate layer and a cover layer. One or more optional layers laminated may be provided between the cover layer and substrate layer. Thermoplastic materials are selected having various physical characteristics (e.g. degrees of cross-linking) to produce a molded structure having a desired shape, rigidity, hardness/softness, and other physical properties. All of the multiple layers can be made of thermoplastic materials having the same polymers to allow the molded structure to be recycled into a reusable thermoplastic material. The pre-laminated, multi-layer structure is uniformly heated, by a method which provides heat penetration and absorption substantially throughout the multi-layer structure. During thermoforming, such as with male/female molds or vacuum molds, the thickness and rigidity of the multi-layer structure can be varied. A textured or decorative surface can be pre-formed in the cover layer(s) or formed during the thermoforming process.

Multi-layered structures and materials are commonly used in many industries, such as the automotive and building industries. One common use for multi-layer structures is for automobile headliners, panels and dashboards where multiple layers of thermoplastic and/or other materials are shaped, laminated together and formed into a structure having the desired physical and aesthetic or decorative properties. For example, a cover layer such as cloth, having the desired decorative surface (e.g. texture, grain, color and the like) may be laminated to a substrate having desirable physical characteristics (e.g. shape, strength, rigidity, hardness, softness, surface quality and the like). One or more additional layers may be added to vary the physical and decorative characteristics.
Existing methods for producing such molded, multi-layer structures are inefficient, expensive and limited in the variations of the molded product that can be produced. According to one such existing method, the multiple layers are combined and laminated simultaneously during the thermoforming of the molded, multi-layer structures.
One such method includes injection molding a substrate and applying an adhesive, such as a spray adhesive or adhesive film, to the substrate. The substrate is placed in or on a thermoforming mold, and a heated thermoplastic layer is stretched and vacuum drawn over the substrate, while the substrate is in the mold, until bonded to the substrate. Other methods include adding one or more additional layers between the substrate and cover layer while in the mold and require even more complex equipment and steps of forming and shaping the cover layer so that the additional layers can be applied between the substrate and cover layer.
One significant disadvantage of these existing methods is the complexity of the process. Having to perform the lamination of the multiple layers together and simultaneously with the thermoforming requires complex and expensive machinery, additional chemicals and materials, additional manufacturing time, and close attention to molding temperatures and time so as not to damage the materials being laminated.
Another limitation with existing methods of forming molded, multi-layer structures is in the variations of the product that can be produced. To vary the thickness or rigidity of the multi-layer structure, for example, requires additional layers of material having varying properties and placement of these layers in precise locations with respect to other layers in the mold to accomplish the desired thickness or rigidity of the molded, multi-layer structure. Forming a textured or decorative surface on the cover layer also typically requires additional manufacturing steps and equipment, further increasing manufacturing costs and time. Moreover, the finished product often includes layers of dissimilar materials, adhesives and other additives, resulting in a molded product that is difficult or impossible to recycle.
The complex and inefficient existing methods of laminating simultaneously with the thermoforming process were previously necessary to produce a molded product with the desired shape and appearance. Attempts at pre-laminating the layers prior to thermoforming the multi-layer structure have been unsuccessful because the heating of the pre-laminated structure during thermoforming was ineffective and destructive to the molded product. The heating used in existing thermoforming methods would scorch or burn the outer surfaces of the substrate layers without adequately heating the center of the substrate layer to allow forming of the product. Any textured or decorative surface of the cover layer applied to the substrate would then be damaged during the thermoforming process.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method of forming a molded, multi-layer structure in which a pre-laminated, multi-layer structure having a thermoplastic substrate layer and a cover layer can be used in a thermoforming process to efficiently and quickly, in one step, form a molded, multi-layer structure having any desired shape, thickness, rigidity, texture, appearance, or any other desired physical or decorative characteristic. A method is needed in which a textured or decorative surface can be applied on a cover layer of the multi-layer structure either prior to forming or during the thermoforming process without being damaged by heat during the thermoforming process. A method is also needed in which the thickness and/or hardness/softness of the multi-layer structure can be varied during the thermoforming step. A method is also needed for forming a molded, multi-layer structure that is easily and fully recyclable.

Method of forming a molded, multi-layer structure


In one embodiment, a processing device receives a first digital fingerprint of a media item along with a first content management rule. The processing device separately receives a second digital fingerprint of the media item along with a second content management rule. The processing device determines that the received digital fingerprints are for the same media item based upon a match between the first digital fingerprint and the second digital fingerprint. The processing device determines that all rights to the media item have been accounted for, and then determines a set of actions to be performed for hosted media items comprising the media item based at least in part upon the first content management rule and the second content management rule. Processing logic may also perform a conflict resolution process for conflicting rights claims to the media item.

There are many different OSPs that provide video hosting services. A video hosting service is a website or software that allows users to upload and distribute their own user generated content (UGC) and/or professionally generated content, which is often in the form of user generated video clips. Additionally, OSPs may provide file hosting services, image hosting services and/or social network services, which may also support video sharing. These and other services are referred to collectively as media sharing platforms herein. A few examples of the many OSPs that host video content and/or UGC include YouTube®, Facebook®, Vimeo®, Dailymotion®, Flickr®, and Twitch®.
Traditionally, users manually generate user accounts with each of the different OSPs to which they wish to upload content, and then separately upload content to each of the OSPs. Each of the OSPs then individually negotiates agreements with rights holders with regards to hosting and monetizing content. Additionally, each of the OSPs individually negotiates agreements with advertisers with respect to monetizing content. Rights holders and advertisers then receive disparate reports from the various OSPs with regards to content served, ads served, revenue earned, and so forth. Each OSP has its own data format and generates reports for rights holders with some periodicity that may not correspond to the periodicity at which other OSPs generate reports. Accordingly, it can be difficult for rights holders to compare the reports from disparate OSPs to assess those OSPs. Furthermore, when a rights holder identifies content that they wish to be removed from OSPs, they need to separately contact each of the OSPs to request that the content be removed from those OSPs.


A solid state illumination system is disclosed, wherein a light source module comprises a first light source, comprising an LED and a phosphor layer, the LED emitting a wavelength λ1 in an absorption band of the phosphor layer for generating longer wavelength broadband light emission from the phosphor, ΔλPHOSPHOR, and a second light source comprising a laser emitting a wavelength λ2 in the absorption band of the phosphor layer. While operating the LED, concurrent laser pumping of the phosphor layer increases the light emission of the phosphor, and provides high brightness emission, e.g. in green, yellow or amber spectral regions. Additional modules, which provide emission at other wavelengths, e.g. in the UV and near UV spectral bands, together with dichroic beam-splitters/combiners allow for an efficient, compact, high-brightness illumination system, suitable for fluorescence imaging and analysis.

High radiance illumination sources are required for fluorescence imaging and analysis, including fluorescence microscopy. Some applications require broadband or white light illumination. Other applications require relatively narrow band illumination of a particular wavelength range in the ultraviolet (UV), visible or infrared (IR) spectral region.
For example, conventional microscopy illumination systems typically utilize short arc lamps such as high pressure mercury, metal halide, and xenon lamps. These lamps are capable of very high radiance and are suitable sources for direct coupled illumination systems, as well as light guide coupled illumination systems, e.g. using a liquid light guide or a fiber light guide. Nevertheless, it is recognized that there are a number of problems associated with conventional lamp technologies, such as short lifetime, temporal variation of the output power, high voltage operation (typically kilovolts are required to strike the lamp), and use of mercury. The latter is now seen as an environmental hazard and subject to regulations to limit use in numerous countries throughout the world.
Solid state light lighting technology has progressed significantly in recent years and some high brightness light sources using solid state Light Emitting Devices (LEDs), e.g. light emitting diodes, are now available that can potentially provide sufficiently high radiance, broadband illumination for replacement of conventional arc lamps. Solid state LED light sources can offer advantages over conventional arc lamps, such as, much improved lifetime, lower cost of ownership, lower voltage operation, lower power consumption (enabling some battery operated portable devices), and freedom from mercury. Additionally LED light sources can be readily controlled electronically, by modulating the current or voltage driving the device, which allows for fast switching and intensity control through the LED driver, which can be a significant advantage in many applications.
Nevertheless, despite technological advances in LED technology, high brightness LED light sources are not available to cover all wavelengths required for illumination systems for fluorescence imaging and analysis. In particular, the output of LED devices still do not match the radiance of traditional arc-lamps in some regions of the visible spectrum, especially in the 540 nm to 630 nm spectral band, i.e. in the green/yellow/amber range of the visible spectrum. The solid state lighting industry refers to this issue as the "green gap". Emission in this region of the spectrum is fundamentally limited by the lack of availability of semiconductor materials having a suitable band gap to produce light of the required wavelength.
This is a particular problem for fluorescence imaging and analysis which may, for example, require illumination of a biological sample with a relatively narrow band of illumination of a particular wavelength that is absorbed by a selected fluorophore or marker in the substance under test.
For example, a traditional fluorescence illumination system, e.g. for fluorescence imaging or microscopy, comprises a short arc mercury lamp which provides light emission having spectral peaks near 365 nm, 405 nm, 440 nm, 545 nm and 575 nm. Standard fluorophores that are commonly used for fluorescence imaging and analysis are selected to have absorption spectra having peaks optimized to match these lamp emission peaks. To replace a standard mercury lamp illuminator with a LED based illuminator, it is desirable to be able to provide emission at the same wavelengths and with a comparable output power. There are suitably powerful LEDs that are commercially available for emission at 365 nm, 405 nm, 440 nm. However, in view of the "green gap" mentioned above, there are currently no single color, high brightness LEDs commercially available for emission at 545 nm and 575 nm.
It is well known in the art of LED lighting and illumination to use LEDs in combination with luminescent materials, i.e. fluorescent materials or phosphors, to generate light of wavelengths that are outside the range emitted directly by the LEDS, i.e. by wavelength conversion. In particular, a UV or blue light emitting LED may be combined with a remote or direct die-contact phosphor layer or coating to obtain broadband light emission of a desired color temperature. For example, a blue light emitting diode or diode array with an emission peak in the range between 445 nm and 475 nm is combined with a phosphor layer comprising particles of Ce:YAG (cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet) suspended in an encapsulant material such as silicone, which is deposited directly on the LED. The blue light from the LED is absorbed by the phosphor and generates a broadband green/yellow/amber light which combines with the scattered blue light to produce a spectrum that provides the perception of white light. The overall brightness is limited by the blue light intensity from the LED and thermal quenching of the phosphor, and the spectrum provides limited emission in regions of the spectrum seen as green/yellow, approximately 560 nm and amber, approximately 590 nm.
Thus, relative to a mercury lamp, commercially available white light LEDs that use a blue light emitting LED combined with a Ce:YAG phosphor, produce significantly weaker emission in the 545 nm and 575 nm regions. For example, at the objective plane of a microscope, output power at 545 nm and 575 nm from such a white light LED was found to be about 10 times lower than the output power from a mercury lamp. This level of power is insufficient for most conventional fluorescence microscopy applications.
By increasing the drive current, some improvement of the light output can be achieved, but fundamentally, the power in this circumstance is limited by the maximum drive current density (i.e. current per unit area) and factors, such as, the LED optical to electrical conversion efficiency, the LED output intensity, the phosphor quantum efficiency, and thermal quenching of both the LED and phosphor, as well as the cooling capacity. Even in the best case, the output from an overdriven air cooled white LED is still 4 to 5 times less than a conventional lamp within the 545 nm and 575 nm spectral range and the lifetime may be significantly reduced by overdriving the device.
The following references provide some other examples of the use of LED sources combined with fluorescent materials or phosphors in other forms.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,665 to Brukilacchio et al., issued Mar. 1, 2011, entitled "Light Emitting Diode Illumination System," for example, discloses a system comprising an arrangement of multiple LEDS that are coupled to a fluorescent rod which emits at a different wavelength to provide sufficiently high brightness illumination for applications such as microscopy or endoscopy. For example a single crystal of Ce:YAG may be pumped by multiple LEDs to generate yellow or amber emission. However, the efficiency of such a device would be limited by total internal reflection due to the high index of refraction of Ce:YAG and requires coupling of multiple LEDs to generate output of sufficient brightness, which increases the cost, size, thermal and electrical requirements.
To provide a more compact and efficient system, the above referenced related copending U.S. Patent application No. 61/651,130, discloses an illumination system that comprises a laser light source, e.g. providing blue light emission in the 440 nm to 490 nm range, for excitation of a wavelength conversion module comprising a wavelength conversion medium, such as Ce:YAG crystal, of a particular shape and size, set in a mounting for thermal dissipation, and an optical concentrator. The shape and size of the wavelength conversion crystal, provides a compact light source with a configuration suitable for applications that require high brightness and narrow bandwidth illumination at a selected wavelength, e.g. for fluorescence microscopy, or other applications requiring étendue-limited coupling or light guide coupling. While effective, due to the particular shape and size of the crystal and cooling requirements, this system is currently relatively costly to manufacture. A solution that is lower cost, compact and provides a broader spectrum is desirable for some applications.
Thus, there is a need for improved or alternative high radiance illumination sources, particularly those that can provide illumination at wavelengths of 545 nm and 575 nm, for example, for fluorescence imaging and analysis applications.

High brightness solid state illumination system for fluorescence imaging and analysis


A device includes a hardware data processing node configured to execute a respective task, and a hardware thread scheduler including a hardware task scheduler. The hardware task scheduler is coupled to the hardware data processing node and has a producer socket, a consumer socket, and a spare socket. The spare socket is configured to provide data control signals also provided by a first socket of the producer and consumer sockets responsive to a memory-mapped register being a first value. The spare socket is configured to provide data control signals also provided by a second socket of the producer and consumer sockets responsive to the memory-mapped register being a second value.

Various systems perform data processing using hardware accelerators, optionally in conjunction with software executing on programmable processors (e.g., digital signal processors and general purpose processors). A hardware accelerator is useful to perform certain operations more efficiently than software executing on such a processor. A hardware scheduler schedules the execution of a thread of tasks by the hardware accelerator. It is difficult or impossible to adapt the hardware scheduler and hardware accelerator for use cases not known or contemplated at the time of design due to the nature of the hardware scheduler being fixed in hardware.


A centering sleeve and overflow member assembly adapted to facilitate installation of a bolt having a head and a shank extending therefrom in a hole drilled in masonry having a diameter greater than that of the shank to fasten a fixture to the masonry. The fixture has a mounting hole in alignment with the masonry hole in which is deposited a charge of a flowable uncured bonding agent. The overflow member which rests on the fixture has an opening therein in registration with the mounting hole and the sleeve which fits in the mounting hole telescopes into the upper end of the masonry hole. The sleeve is provided with centering means which when the shank is inserted through the sleeve into the masonry hole and the bolt head then lies adjacent the fixture, then acts to maintain the shank coaxial with the sleeve and with the bank of the masonry hole below the sleeve to define an inner passage between the shank and the sleeve and an annular space between the shank and the bank. When the shank enters the masonry hole and plunges into the charge, the flowable agent is caused to rise in the annular space and through the inner passage in the sleeve to overflow onto the member placed on the fixture. When the agent cures and solidifies, it then chemically anchors the shank in the masonry hole, the solidified agent collected on the overflow member being then discarded to provide a clean fixture surface.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to chemically-bonded anchor bolts for fastening fixtures and other objects to masonry, and more particularly to a centering sleeve and overflow member assembly to facilitate the installation of a bolt in a hole drilled in masonry having deposited therein a flowable bonding agent which when cured chemically anchors the bolt in place.
2. Status of Prior Art
The term masonry refers to a construction of stone or similar materials such as concrete and brick. The walls, ceiling and floors of many edifices are formed of masonry. In order, therefore, to fasten fixtures, machines, structural members or other objects to masonry, a masonry anchor is required for this purpose.
In the case of concrete or any other form of masonry, one cannot drill a hole therein and then tap this hole so that it can receive an anchor bolt, a threaded stud or other threaded mounting means to secure a fixture or other object to the face of the masonry. The nature of masonry is such that a cutting action to cut deep female threading into the bank of the hole cannot be effected, for this action will disintegrate the masonry material.
In order, therefore, to anchor a threaded rod or stud in a hole drilled in masonry, the present practice is to use a curable chemical bonding agent for this purpose. A typical agent of this type has two flowable components, one being a resinous bonding agent, the other a hardener therefor. The resins may be phenol, vinyl, ester or epoxy based. The two components, when stored, must be separated to prevent interaction therebetween. Many bonding agents currently available have an accelerated curing time and set within 10 to 30 minutes to afford substantial holding power. In practice, a charge of the resinous component and sufficient hardener intermixed therewith are deposited in the hole, and a threaded mounting stud is then inserted in the hole.
To this end use may be made of a dispenser gun to inject a charge of the flowable bonding agent into the drilled hole. Or the charge may be contained in a capsule that is deposited in the drilled hole and is ruptured to release the bonding agent when the stud is inserted in the hole.
After the resinous interfacial layer between the stud and the bank of the hole cures and rigidifies, it then bonds itself both to the stud and to the masonry whereby the stud is permanently anchored in the hole. In order now to secure a fixture to the masonry face, the fixture which has a mounting hole therein is placed over and onto the projecting stud and locked thereto by a washer and nut.
Of prior art background interest is the Kellison U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,964 which discloses a fastening system for chemically-bonding an anchor bolt in a hole drilled in masonry.
One problem faced by the installer of an anchor stud or bolt into a hole drilled in masonry arises from the fact that when the hole has deposited therein a charge of an uncured bonding agent in which is inserted the anchor to be installed, the installer cannot then see into the hole. In order, therefore, to be sure that the charge of bonding agent he has deposited is adequate for its intended purpose, the installer depends on an overflow of the agent from the hole all around the anchor stud. This overflow indicates to the installer that the uncured bonding agent in the hole is properly spread about the inserted anchor. However, while this overflow of uncured bonding agent is necessary to a proper anchor installation procedure, it also creates a multitude of problems, as will now be explained.
One problem encountered by an installer arises from the overflow of the uncured bonding agent onto the region of the masonry surrounding the projecting stud. While such overflow is useful, for it serves to indicate that the space surrounding the stud in the hole is filled with the uncured agent, this overflow onto the masonry surface cannot be permitted to cure and harden. Should this happen, a protuberance would be created on the masonry that would interfere with the proper placement of the fixture or other object onto the masonry.
Moreover, no matter how carefully the installer wipes off the uncured overflow, there is usually a residue left on the masonry surface. And when a fixture is then placed on this surface so that it can be fastened to the masonry, the residue at the interface of the fixture (or other object) will then bond the fixture to the masonry. This is highly undesirable, for should it be necessary to later remove the fixture from the masonry, it may then be very difficult to do so.
The stud inserted in the drilled hole has a diameter necessarily smaller than that of the drilled hole in order to create an annular space between the stud and the bank of the hole to accommodate the bonding agent. This gives rise to another serious problem, for if the inserted stud is not held upright by the uncured agent it tends to lean against the hole. As a consequence, the anchored stud projecting from the masonry will not be perpendicular to the surface of the masonry, and will not be properly aligned with the mounting hole in the fixture to be fastened to the masonry.
Since the diameter of the fixture mounting hole substantially matches that of the stud, a tilted stud may make it impossible to fasten the fixture to the masonry. In a typical installation, the fixture has at least four mounting holes, and these dictate a like number of anchor studs. Should any one of these studs be inclined to a degree where it will not pass through the corresponding mounting hole in the fixture, one cannot then complete the installation.
When the stud is to be anchored in overhead masonry so that the hole drilled therein has a vertical axis, or is to be anchored in vertical masonry so that the hole drilled therein has a horizontal axis, then still another problem is encountered. Now one is faced with leakage of the flowable bonding agent deposited in the hole as a result of gravity flow from the open end of the drilled hole.
Though the uncured agent is usually quite viscous and slow to leak out of the hole, a gradual leakage as a result of gravity flow will diminish the amount of agent in the annular space between the stud and the bank of the hole, and may result in inadequate anchoring of the stud in the drilled hole. This may have serious consequences, especially in an overhead masonry installation to which a heavy object is fastened.
As evidenced by the Sawaide U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,015, it is known to fit a sleeve into the upper end of a hold bored in masonry in order to center the study inserted through the sleeve into the hole which contains a charge of an uncured chemical bonding agent. The sleeve functions to maintain the stud upright while the agent undergoes curing. However, because the inner wall of the sleeve is in direct contact with the inserted stud this blocks any overflow of the bonding agent out of the hole. This is undesireable for as previously noted, such overflow is a useful indicator that the amount of agent in the hole is adequate to anchor the stud therein.
Also disclosing a centering sleeve fitted into the upper end of a masonry hole is the Fisher U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,049. The Fischer sleeve effectively closes the hole so that there is no outflow of bonding material from the hole even when the hole is drilled in a ceiling or vertical wall.
An installation made in a hole drilled in overhead or vertical masonry presents a special problem, for in both cases there is a possible loss of the bonding agent deposited in the hole as a result of gravity flow. When the stud is inserted in the drilled hole and plunged into the deposit of the flowable bonding agent, an overflow out of the hole is then desirable, for this is indicative of an adequate deposit to anchor the stud. To this end there must be a flow passage between the stud and the wall of the centering sleeve fitted into the hole.
However, after overflow takes place, the same flow passage will permit a viscous bonding agent to gradually leak out of the hole by reason of gravity flow and thereby diminish the amount of agent available to chemically anchor the stud in the hole. In the Giannuzzi et al. application Ser. No. 08/526,203 CENTERING SLEEVE AND OVERFLOW RING ASSEMBLY, there is disclosed an arrangement adapted to facilitate proper installation in a hole drilled in masonry of a stud for fastening a fixture or other object to the masonry. Deposited in the masonry hole is a charge of flowable bonding agent which when cured then anchors in place the stud inserted in the hole. The ring formed of a flat, tearable material, is seated on the masonry in registration with the hole. The sleeve which is snugly nested in the upper end of the hole includes inwardly-directed centering means that engages the stud inserted in the hole to maintain the stud centered therein while providing a flow passage between the stud and the sleeve.
When the inserted stud plunges into the charge of bonding agent, the agent then rises in the hole and passes through the flow passage in the sleeve to overflow onto the ring. After the overflow accumulated on the ring cures and hardens, it is then discarded by tearing off the ring leaving a clean masonry surface.
Of prior art interest in connection with this centering sleeve and overflow ring assembly, in addition to the above-identified Kellison patent, are the patents to: Ernst et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,804, Wright U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,227, Shrader et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,202, Bisping et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,729, Barry U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,679 and Wright U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,910.
In many installations the preferable practice is to fasten a fixture to masonry by means of a bolt rather than a stud. In a stud installation, the stud chemically anchored in a masonry hole projects above the masonry hole, making it necessary to raise the fixture to be fastened so that its mounting holes are in line with the projecting studs. The fixture is then lowered to rest on the masonry surface, after which nuts are turned onto the studs to tighten the fastening. Hence in a stud installation, the studs must be chemically anchored in the masonry holes before the fixture is put in place on the masonry.
In a chemical bolt installation, the fixture to be fastened is placed at a desired site on the masonry, and holes are then drilled in the masonry through the mounting holes in the fixture. The bolts are inserted through the mounting holes into the drilled masonry holes, the heads of the bolts then engaging the fixture. Hence in a bolt installation, the shanks of the bolts are chemically anchored in the drilled masonry holes after the fixture is put in place on the masonry.
In a stud installation, as disclosed in the Giannuzzi et al. application CENTERING SLEEVE AND OVERFLOW RING ASSEMBLY, when a stud is inserted into the masonry hole and plunges into the flowable bonding agent deposited in the masonry hole, the resultant overflow onto the surface of the masonry, the overflow ring is seated on the masonry surface serving to collect this overflow.
But in a bolt installation, the flowable bonding agent passes out of the masonry hole through the mounting hole in the fixture resting on the masonry and therefore overflows onto the surface of the fixture. It if therefore necessary to provide a centering sleeve and overflow member assembly appropriate to a bolt installation.

Centering sleeve and overflow member assembly for masonry installations


A machine and process for assembling flanges to a web to produce an I-beam. The machine has conveyors for conveying each flange and a separate conveyor system for conveying the web. The web is rigidly held to prevent lateral movement as the flanges and web are assembled. The conveyance mechanism for the webs is adjustable upwardly and downwardly to accommodate changes in the flange dimension and web thickness. The conveyance mechanism for the web is mounted on inclined ramps. Movement of the conveyance mechanism in one direction elevates the conveyance mechanism and movement in the other direction lowers the conveyance mechanism. The flanges as conveyed are sensed and relatively adjusted to assure alignment of the leading ends.

Overhead support beams used for building structures have long been made of wood as well as steel. Whereas steel beams are typically in the form of what are referred to as I-beams, having upper and lower flanges connected by a web and thus resembling the letter I, wood beams have historically been made in the form of rectangles, i.e., 4".times.6", 4".times.8", etc. A restriction on the use of rectangular wood beam supports is the size of a beam that can be produced from available tree sizes which over the years have become smaller and smaller.
A process of producing wood I-beams has been developed which does not rely on tree or log size. Flanges are produced by the process referred to as LVL or laminated veneer layers and the web between the flanges is produced by the process referred to as OSB or oriented strand board. The LVL process stacks sheets of veneer that are typically 4' wide and 8' long and, e.g., 0.1" thick. The ends of the sheets are scarfed and end spliced together (glued) to extend the length as desired. The spliced ends of overlying sheets are staggered to produce a consistent strength throughout the length and the elongated stacks are cut into strips, e.g., having a thickness of 11/2" to 31/2", a width of 4" and a length of 28' to 65'.
The OSB process involves first reducing a wood material to strands which are then oriented in a common direction to produce strand layers. Alternating overlying layers have the strands oriented 90.degree. from the underlying layers and the layers are added as desired to achieve the desired thickness. Again the boards produced from the strands are cut into strips to achieve the thickness, e.g., 3/8" and width, e.g., 71/2" as desired for the web of the I-beam. The webs are not continuous and, e.g., 4' or 8' lengths are end butted between the flanges to produce the desired lengths of the I-beams.
The challenge then is to assemble the web strips (webs) and flange strips (flanges) together as an I-beam. In a known process, the web segments are provided with tapered side edges of a precise configuration and the flanges are provided with mated grooves. Glue is applied to the tapered sides and/or grooves and as the components are conveyed along a path, the flanges are guided onto the tapered side edges at each side of the web and the assembly of the center web and side flanges is compressed between rollers to squeeze the tapered side edges of the web into the grooves of the flanges. The compression rollers insure that the overall dimension between the outside faces of the flanges conforms to an established dimension, i.e., the dimension intended with the side edges of the web properly seated in the grooves of the flanges.
The above process has at least three deficiencies to which the present invention is directed. As the flanges and web are brought together and compressed, any variation in the groove size, tapered side edges, glue deposited or even surface imperfections (within the groove or on the tapered edges) will cause one side of the web to be more resistive to being seated in the groove than the other side. The result may be that one side is inserted to a greater depth than the other which produces bowing or skewing of the beam and can even produce cracking of a flange.
The process is continuous, e.g., producing repeated 28' to 65' I-beams with the flanges following one after the other as they are guided into the assembly process. The LVL board lengths (from which the flange strips are generated) are typically not precisely the same lengths (e.g., there can be 1/4" variance in a 30' to 65' length), and accordingly as the flanges from one board follow another board, there can be a slight disparity between the lengths of the flanges from one side of the I-beam to the other. Whereas a slight disparity can be tolerated, a series of mismatches compounds the difference and produces an unacceptable disparity. This requires periodic resetting of the stream of flanges and on occasion generates a rejected I-beam which is too short for that run of I-beams and will have to be cut down to a shorter standardized length. This is a costly waste of production and undesirable.
The third deficiency is the required shut down for resetting of the machinery when a change to a different I-beam size is required. There are numerous machines involved and all or most require adjustment relative to the conveyor when the I-beam depth or flange size is varied. This shut down is extremely expensive and reducing the shut down time is highly desirable.


An electrode belt assembly for positioning an electrically conductive electrode against the body member of a patient, particularly an infant, includes a flexible web belt having a plurality of apertures therein and an electrode pad assembly that can be selectively positioned in a desired aperture. The electrode pad assembly includes a disk pad having a receptacle that is received within a selected aperture in a form fit and a lead probe assembly receivable within the receptacle. The receptacle presents a probe receiving channel oriented generally parallel to the surface of the belt. The engagement of the disk pad and lead probe assembly with the opposed surfaces of the belt, together with the form fit of the receptacle within a selected aperture, provide for a secure positioning of the electrode pad on the belt.

Critical care monitoring of infants and other patients requiring constant care frequently involves electrode-based monitoring of cardiac and respiratory electro-physiological signals. Numerous electrode configurations have been described in the prior art; however, a typical configuration frequently encountered in acute care of premature infants, for example, comprises an electrode pad held in place by a flexible belt. The pad can be of any desired electrically conductive flexible material such as polyvinylchloride impregnated with carbon powder.
Typically the electrode engagement with the infant's skin is effected with the electrode pad in a dry condition. However, it is possible to place a small amount of water or an electro-conductive gel between the skin and the electrode pad in order to facilitate electrical conduction and signal strength and accuracy. Frequently such electrodes are also provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive which functions to hold the electrode pad and, if necessary, the electrode gel, in contact with the infant's skin. Particularly in the case of infants, such adhesives can prove irritating and necessitate interruption of continuous monitoring to allow recovery from the irritation.
Other problems are encountered when using conventional electrode attachment assemblies in the care of infants. It is often difficult to precisely and properly place the electrode pad of conventional electrode attachment assemblies on the small body members of infants. More particularly, the relationship between the placement of the electrode pad along the length of the belt and the coupling mechanism attaching one end of the belt to the other for securing the belt to a body member may not allow for appropriate placement of the electrode pad. A related problem is the requirement to securely hold the pad in a designated place along the infant's body member. The secureness of the attachment may be compromised in an effort to properly place the pad on the body member. Finally, a large percentage of the infant's body member part may be covered by even a narrow strip web belt. Proper ventilation of the infant's skin is thereby compromised.
An electrode attachment apparatus that provided for precise positioning of an electrode pad along an infant's body member, which could be securely held in place in the desired position, and which provided for proper ventilation of an infant's small body parts would provide decided advantages.


A test system for testing a multitasking computing device, such as a RAID storage device is described. The multitasking computing device is responsive to an inject fault command by entering a pre-determined mode of operation wherein the device maintains its present state and all command processing is terminated. As a result, the device becomes non-responsive to further commands. The test system includes a plurality of test programs. Each of the test programs being operable, when executed, to (a) test an associated function of the device and (b) transmit the inject fault command to the device if the test fails. In addition, each program is further operable, when executed, to (c) discontinue testing the device if the device becomes non-responsive. The test system further includes a processor and a multitasking operating system for executing the test programs concurrently.

Computing systems often include a mass storage system for storing data. One popular type of mass storage system is a xe2x80x9cRAIDxe2x80x9d (redundant arrays of inexpensive disks) storage system. A detailed discussion of RAID systems is found in a book entitled, The RAID-Book: A Source Book for RAID Technology, published Jun. 9, 1993, by the RAID Advisory Board, Lino Lakes, Minn.
A typical RAID storage system includes a controller and a disk array coupled together via a communication link. The disk array includes multiple magnetic storage disks for storing data.
In operation, the controller of a RAID storage system operates to receive commands (e.g., I/O commands, configuration commands and status commands) from an external host computer. In response to an I/O command, for example, the controller reads and writes data to the disks in the disk array and coordinates the data transfer between the disk array and the host computer. Depending upon the RAID implementation level, the controller in a RAID system also generates and writes redundant data to the disk array. The redundant information enables regeneration of the user data in the event that one or more disks fail or are removed and the data becomes lost.
A RAID level 1 storage system, for example, includes one or more disks (data disks) for storing data and an equal number of additional xe2x80x9cmirrorxe2x80x9d disks for storing the redundant data. The redundant data in this case is simply a copy of the data stored in the data disks. If data. stored in one or more of the data disks becomes lost, the mirror disks can then be used to reconstruct the lost data. Other RAID levels store redundant data for data distributed across multiple disks. If data on one disk becomes lost, the data in the other disks are used to reconstruct the lost data.
Typically, the developer of a RAID storage system will wish to thoroughly test the device before releasing the device for public use. Unfortunately, the testing of a RAID storage system can be very time consuming. In order to automate the testing, automated testing systems have been developed.
Typically a RAID storage device is a multitasking computing device. That is, a RAID storage device is able to process commands and perform a number of functions concurrently. A typical RAID test system is often used to test the ability of the RAID storage device to operate in a multitasking mode. For this reason, a RAID test system will execute multiple test programs concurrently during a test. Each test program or process generates test commands (e.g., I/O commands, configuration commands and status commands) and transmits these commands to the RAID storage device being tested. As the storage device responds to these commands, each test program operates to detect errors and will typically terminate when an error is detected. The test system will also typically include a recording device (such as a trace buffer, logic analyzer, etc.) in order to record the state of the RAID storage device when an error has occurred.
Such automated test systems can be very useful to the developer and can significantly reduce the amount of time spent testing the device as opposed to using manual techniques. One problem with such systems can be encountered, however, when one test process detects an error while other processes do not.
For example, the developer may wish to test the ability of the RAID storage device to perform function A concurrently with function B. For this purpose, the developer writes a first test program (program A) to cause the storage device to perform function A and a second test program (program B) to cause the storage device to perform function B. Each test program expects certain responses from the storage device during the test that indicate the associated function is being properly performed. If, during the test, the test program does not receive the expected response, the execution of the test program terminates.
During the test, each of the two test programs are executed concurrently so that function A and function B are performed by the RAID storage device concurrently. Assume, for example, program A detects that the RAID device failed to properly perform function A. As a result, program A terminates. Program B however, does not detect this condition as the RAID storage device continues to perform function B properly. Consequently, the state of the RAID device continues to change. Moreover, the information related to the state of the RAID device when the error (i.e., when function A failed) occurred can be lost as test data is overwritten. This can make reconciling test results difficult at best and sometimes impossible.
One solution to this problem is to is to develop a master process to coordinate the execution of the test processes. The master process communicates with the test processes using an interprocess communication path. If one test process experiences an error, the master process detects this condition and then operates to terminate the other test processes in order to maintain the state of the storage device under test. Unfortunately, this solution can add a significant amount of complexity to the test system and increase the amount of time to develop the test system itself.
Accordingly, what is needed is a simple way to synchronize test processes which are concurrently executed by a test system to test a multitasking computing device, such as a RAID storage device.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for synchronizing test processes which are concurrently executed by a test system to test a multitasking computing device, such as a RAID storage device. Importantly, the apparatus is simple, easy to implement and can significantly reduce the complexity of the test system.
A test system having features of the invention is used for testing a multitasking computing device, such as a RAID storage device. The multitasking computing device is responsive to a predetermined command, which may be referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cinject fault commandxe2x80x9d, by entering a pre-determined mode of operation wherein the device maintains its present state and all command processing is terminated. As a result, the device becomes non-responsive to further commands.
The test system includes one or more memory devices for storing a plurality of test programs. Each of the test programs being operable, when executed, to (a) test an associated function of the device and (b) transmit the inject fault command to the device if the test fails. In addition, each program is further operable, when executed, to (c) discontinue testing the device if the device becomes non-responsive. The test system further includes a processor for executing the test programs concurrently.
During the execution of each of the test programs the test programs test the associated function of the device by transmitting test commands to the device and receiving responses from the device. In one preferred embodiment, the test system is configured to test a RAID storage device.
A RAID storage device embodying the invention includes an I/O port configured to receive commands from an external computer; a disk array having a plurality of data storage disks; and a controller. The controller includes a processor operable to process commands received at the I/O port. In addition, the controller operates to respond to a pre-determined command received at the I/O port by placing the processor in a tight loop. While the processor operates in this mode, the RAID storage device maintains its present state and all operative processing is discontinued.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

System for testing a multi-tasking computing device


A transcoder is arranged to transcode a stream having a dynamically changing audio configuration, such as a changing number of audio channels. The transcoder can receive an input stream whereby changes in the content associated with the input stream causes corresponding changes to the configuration of audio data encoded in the input stream. The transcoder is arranged to detect the change in audio configuration and, in response, to dynamically reconfigure its decoder and encoder modules to continue to transcode the audio data after the audio configuration change.

Multimedia devices sometimes employ a transcoder to perform digital-to-digital conversion of data, such as video and audio data, from one encoding format to another. Transcoding can be useful to, for example, allow a processing device to process data in an encoding format that is not natively supported by the processing device. Transcoding can also be employed to reduce the amount of data to be processed for devices with limited storage capacity.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

Transcoder with dynamic audio channel changing


An optical glass has a refractive index (nd) of 1.64 or more. A P value represented by the following formula (1) is in a range of 7.0<P value<10.0: P value=log(A450×P450+A550×P550+A650×P650+A750×P750) (1). A450, A550, A650 and A750 are absorbances of the optical glass with a plate thickness of 10 mm at a wavelength of 450 nm, 550 nm, 650 nm and 750 nm, respectively. P450, P550, P650 and P750 are radiances of light having a wavelength of 450 nm, 550 nm, 650 nm and 750 nm, respectively, at 1,300° C. according to Planck's radiation law. All of internal transmittances in terms of a 10-mm thickness at wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm, 650 nm and 750 nm are 91% or more.

The glass used for wearable equipment such as glasses with projector, glasses-type or goggle-type display, virtual reality and augmented reality display device, and virtual image display device is required to have high refractive index from the viewpoint of, for example, realizing a wide-angle and high-luminance/high-contrast image, enhancing the light guide properties, and facilitating the processing of diffraction grating. A small-sized imaging glass lens with a wide imaging angle of view has been conventionally used in applications such as vehicle-mounted camera and robot's visual sensor, and a high refractive index is required of such an imaging glass lens so as to photograph a wider range with a smaller lens.
With respect to the optical glass having a high refractive index, for example, as the glass contributing to enhancement of resolution of a display image and weight reduction of a device, a light guide plate having a predetermined refractive index and a predetermined plate thickness (see, for example, Patent Literature 1), and as the glass prevented from deterioration of spectral transmittance over time, an optical lens realizing a reduction in solarization by decreasing the content of Sb2O3 and adjusting the content of Pt component or Fe component (see, for example, Patent Literature 2), are known.


A transparent substrate is provided thereon with a first thin film transistor and a second thin film transistor to configure a driver circuit; a conductive layer to be connected to a data line or a scan line; a conductive layer to connect the first thin film transistor with the second thin film transistor; and an anode wire layer connected to the second thin film transistor. The anode wire layer is provided thereon with a light emitting diode including a plurality of light emitting layers and electron-hole pair generating layers alternately interposed between the light emitting layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus that includes spontaneous light-emitting diodes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image display apparatus of an active-matrix type including driver elements having a current passage region made of amorphous silicon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, image display apparatuses made with organic light emitting diodes (hereinafter, "organic LEDs") are attracting attention as a replacement for the liquid crystal display devices. The image display apparatus including organic LEDs requires no back light because it is spontaneously emissive, and has excellent response speed, contrast, and visibility. The image display apparatus including organic LEDs has an advantage in production costs because it has a relatively simple structure.
FIG. 8 is an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a structure of a conventional image display apparatus of the active-matrix type including organic LEDs. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the conventional image display apparatus includes an organic LED 101, and a power line 107 connected to a cathode of the organic LED 101 to supply a current to the organic LED 101 under the control of a power line driver circuit 110. The organic LED 101 is connected to a thin film transistor 102, serving as a driver element, that controls the current flowing in the organic LED 101. The thin film transistor 102 is controlled for drive state when a certain gate potential is given from a data line 104 and a scan line 105 via a thin film transistor 103 thereto. This control allows determination of the current flowing in the organic LED 101. The organic LED 101 emits a light of specific intensity in response to the current flowing therein for image display (see for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-234683).
The thin film transistor 102 has a drive state-based mobility and accordingly has a function of controlling the current flowing in the organic LED 101 based on the gate potential applied. The proposed structure of the thin film transistor 102 includes a channel layer composed of either polysilicon or amorphous silicon.
The thin film transistor including the channel layer composed of polysilicon can achieve an increased mobility but has a problem that the particle diameter of polysilicon forming the channel layer can not be controlled. The mobility in the thin film transistor of polysilicon suffers the influence of the particle diameter of the polysilicon forming the channel layer. Therefore, the thin film transistor 102 may differ in mobility per pixel if the particle diameter is hardly controlled. For example, a monochromic display over the whole screen requires an equal gate voltage to be applied to the thin film transistors 102 configuring respective pixels. In this case, the thin film transistor of polysilicon is hardly controlled for the particle diameter and thus differs in mobility per pixel, resulting in differences in current flowing in the organic LED 101. Because the organic LED 101 is a current-driven light emitting diode, brightness per pixel fluctuates depending on the current flowing therein, and it is almost impossible to achieve the monochromic display.
To the contrary, the thin film transistor including the channel layer composed of amorphous silicon requires no control for particle diameter. Therefore, an individual thin film transistor arranged per pixel has no problem on difference in mobility. Accordingly, the thin film transistor 102 employed as the driver element for the organic LED is preferable to include the channel layer composed of amorphous silicon. The use of the thin film transistor thus structured allows almost uniform current to flow in the organic LED individually.
The use of the thin film transistor including the channel layer composed of amorphous silicon as the driver element, however, causes a problem because the conventional image display apparatus illustrated in FIG. 8 is difficult to perform image display over a long time. It is known that the threshold voltage varies in the thin film transistor of amorphous silicon when a current flows in the channel layer for a long time. This is because the current flowing in the channel layer varies according to the fluctuation of the threshold voltage even though a constant gate voltage is applied continuously.
FIG. 9 is a graph of variations in fluctuation values of the threshold voltage resulted from continuous flow of a constant current in the channel layer of the thin film transistor including the channel layer of amorphous silicon. In the graph of FIG. 9, the current flowing in the channel layer is controlled in such a manner that a light emitted by a general organic LED is of a brightness of 150 cd/m2.
As is obvious from FIG. 9, fluctuation of almost 1 volt occurs in the threshold voltage after about 100 hours elapsed, and fluctuation of more than 2 volts occurs in the threshold voltage after 2,000 hours elapsed. In general, the image display apparatus including the organic LEDs is required to have a constant brightness for 20,000 hours continuously. Accordingly, it is not desirable that the threshold voltage fluctuates greatly in a short time.
An actual image display apparatus including thin film transistors of amorphous silicon employed as driver elements therefore requires a voltage compensator circuit arranged per pixel in addition to the structure illustrated in FIG. 8. In a specified structure to achieve stable image display, the voltage compensator circuit applies a potential to compensate the threshold voltage for fluctuation components to the gate electrode of the thin film transistor 102 in addition to the potential supplied from the data line 104. Such voltage compensator circuit includes three or four thin film transistors per pixel and additionally requires a place to arrange the voltage compensator circuit on the substrate together with the organic LEDs. Therefore, a new problem arises because the organic LEDs can not be arranged at a high density and a high-resolution image is hardly displayed.
The thin film transistor of amorphous silicon has a problem that it has a low mobility originally. When a conventional organic LED is employed as a light emitting diode, it requires a certain amount of current to achieve a sufficient brightness. Accordingly, an expanded channel width is required to supply such current in the organic LED, resulting in an increase in an area occupied by the thin film transistor serving as the driver element. As a result, a problem arises because an arrangement density of the organic LEDs is lowered and a high-resolution image is hardly displayed.


A line layout structure of semiconductor memory device comprises first metal wire lines forming a bit line coupled to a memory cell, second metal wire lines disposed substantially orthogonal to the first metal wire lines and over the first metal wire lines, the second metal wire lines forming a section word line electrically coupled to the memory cell, and third metal wire lines disposed substantially parallel to the second metal wire lines and over the second metal wire lines, the third metal wire lines forming a first power line or signal line.

Semiconductor memory devices are being developed for high integration, high performance and low cost. A word line of a semiconductor memory device formed of polysilicon has a large specific resistance that results in a large RC (resistance and capacitance) delay. The RC delay may cause an undesirable signal delay affecting the performance of the semiconductor device. To reduce the signal delay, a semiconductor memory device may be divided into a plurality of memory cell arrays. The memory cell arrays are coupled to a section row decoder and section word lines. The section row decoder generates a section row decoding signal by decoding, through logic operations, a section word line selection signal and a logic signal inputted from a main word line, wherein section word lines are selected by an output signal of the section row decoder.
The memory cell arrays are coupled to the section row decoder through the section word lines. The section word lines are tapped by a word line of each memory cell. The section word lines are tapped by the word lines to maintain signal strength; the word lines of the memory cell arrays are formed of polysilicon or tungsten having a large resistance. By implementing section word lines formed of a metal wire line having a low resistance the RC delay can be reduced as compared to a device implementing only polysilicon or tungsten word lines.
In a semiconductor memory device implementing memory cell arrays and having a two-layer metal structure, first metal wire lines form a bit line, and second metal wire lines form a section word line. A word line of a memory cell is disposed substantially orthogonal to the bit lines. The section word line is disposed in a word line direction of the memory cell, over the first metal wire lines. For large memory cells, a power line or a signal line may be formed of the second metal wire lines.
However, a wiring structure of a semiconductor memory device having the two-layer metal structure is unsuitable to a high integration application.
To obtain high-integration and high performance in a semiconductor memory device, a metal structure formed of three or more layers can be used. In a metal structure formed of three of more layer, a wiring layout structure within a cell array region becomes important. In employing a metal structure of three or more layers, parasitic capacitance increases between upper and lower metal layers, tapping for a reduction of resistance becomes more difficult, and a signal delay increases. These problems become limit factors in manufacturing semiconductor memory devices of high performance and high integration.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved layout structure in a semiconductor memory device having three or more metal layers.

Line layout structure of semiconductor memory devices


A hole is formed in a high-strength steel part and a lubricant consisting essentially of one or more metal powders, preferably of nickel or molybdenum; a metal powder which is more reactive than the steel of the workpiece such as zinc; and an organic medium is applied. A forming mandrel having a generally cylindrical shape with a frustoconical portion on either end is centered over the hole. The mandrel is pushed through the hole at a rate such that the steel adjacent the hole is coldworked and its microstructure is transformed from an austenitic to a normal tempered martensitic structure.

Because of the relatively high weight of steel compared to aluminum alloys, steel is used only in those aircraft components where exceptional strength is required. One component conventionally made of ultra high-strength steel (270 to 300+ KSI) is the flaptrack. On the Boeing 737 aircraft, these tracks are additionally stiffened and reinforced by bolting a reinforcing plate along the length of the hockey-stick-shaped flaptrack. The holes for the bolts are workhardened before the plate is attached.
In the past, holes in high-strength steel members were coldworked by predrilling the hole to a size slightly smaller than the finished hole. A lubricant was then applied to the hole surface and baked for several hours or a split-ring sleeve was inserted in the predrilled hole. An oversized mandrel was pulled up through the baked lubricant or split sleeve.
While the results of this process were, for the most part, satisfactory, the cost was believed to be too high. Specially hardened tool steel mandrels were needed to work the ultra high-strength steel holes. However, the hardened mandrels broke frequently under tension, i.e., while they were being pulled through a workpiece, adding significantly to process cost. Furthermore, the split in the pull-up sleeve ring would results in creation of a ridge in the coldworked hole. This ridge had to be cold worked a second time with an oversized mandrel if the ridge was excessive.
Another cost factor was that any substantial deviation in the process, such as a mandrel breaking or a sleeve being misaligned in the hole, required that a hole be reworked to accommodate an oversized bolt.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,483 to Ward shows a method of hardening forged or cast holes in manganese steel work pieces by pushing a steel pin through the hole. Australian Patent No. 136,701 shows a method of making tubular wrought metal fixtures by pushing a tapering die member through a supporting seat in the work piece.
U.S Pat. No. 3,270,410 shows the use of a tapered bore in aircraft component parts which are put under permanent compression by inserting a right circular cylindrical fastener in the tapered hole. U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,327 to Speakman shows a method of coldworking holes to exceed the materials elastic limit and then allowing the displaced material to rebound to approximately one-half of the amount the material was originally displaced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,028 shows the use of stress waves to work a hole to a desired shape and finish. U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,728 shows cold forging or cold rolling a tube over its entire length to reduce the outside diameter and maintain the inside diameter, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,627 shows stress coining holes to relieve stress concentration in the wall of the hole using a vibrating tool.
While the aforementioned patent publications each relate to working holes in metal workpieces, none teaches or suggests a method that was found to be acceptable in the working of holes in high-strength steel aircraft component parts. Accordingly, applicants developed a novel and cost- effective method of doing so which shall be described in greater detail in the brief summary the several figures and the detailed description which follow.

Workhardening high-strength steel aircraft components