A stage apparatus comprising:                a stationary support board; a movable stage positioned to face the stationary support board to be movable relative to the stationary support board; at least three support members which are in contact with one surface of the movable stage which faces the stationary support board to be slidable thereon; at least three position adjusting devices provided on the stationary support board and configured to adjust positions of the three support members, respectively, in a direction toward/away from the movable stage; and a biasing device which biases the movable stage in a direction to bring the three support members into contact with the movable stage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stage apparatus which includes a movable stage supported to be freely movable in a specific plane, and a camera shake correction apparatus of a camera using the stage apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A stage apparatus which makes it possible to move an electrical board (movable stage) that supports an image pickup device freely relative to a stationary support board (i.e., not only to move the electrical board in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction that are parallel to the electrical board and orthogonal to each other but also to rotate the electrical board in a plane (reference plane) in which the electrical board lies) so that the effects of hand shake (camera shake) including rotational deflections can be counteracted has been achieved and proposed by the assignee of the present invention in Japanese patent applications Nos. 2004-169376, 2004-172314, 2004-277731 and 2004-277879.
In the stage apparatuses disclosed in these Japanese patent publications, the electrical board is provided thereon with a pair of drive coils: an X-axis direction drive coil for driving the electrical board in the X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction drive coil for driving the electrical board in the Y-axis direction. By adjusting the magnitude of an electric current supplied to each of these two drive coils, an X-axis direction driving force, a Y-axis direction driving force or a rotational driving force is given to the electrical board to move the image pickup device in directions to compensate camera shake (linear deflections/rotational deflections) by such driving forces.
In the stage apparatuses disclosed in the aforementioned patent publications, the imaging surface of the image pickup device must be positioned orthogonal to an optical axis of a photographing optical system at all times. However, these stage apparatuses are not provided with any device for adjusting the angle of inclination of the imaging surface relative to the optical axis and the axial position of the imaging surface in the optical axis direction in an easy manner nor for maintaining such an angle and axial position in an easy manner upon having been adjusted to a desired angle and a desired axial position, respectively.

Stage apparatus, and camera shake correction apparatus using the stage apparatus


A side-protective head restraint pad, pad assembly and safety seat. The restraint pad includes an air bladder with a pump for selectively inflating the air bladder and a release valve for selectively deflating the air bladder, an energy-absorbing component and a comfort component. A flexible enclosure is provided within which the air bladder, energy-absorbing component and comfort component are positioned in overlaid configuration to define a unit. The head restraint pad is adapted for being placed in a seat in lateral alignment with one side of the head of an occupant and inflatable or deflatable as appropriate to restrain the head against injurious lateral movement caused by a side impact relative to the seat.

This invention relates to safety seats for vehicles. The invention has particular application to the provision of a safety seat for children and for the physically handicapped, and is intended to provide an improved level of protection to the head during side impact vehicle accidents.
During early development the neck of an infant is not strong enough to fully support the head in an upright position. Thus, even in a semi-reclined position the head, if not laterally supported, will fall to one side or the other if not provided with supplemental support.
Side impacts have the potential to violently accelerate the child's head in one direction and rebound the head in the opposite direction after the much-wider shoulders have been restrained against further movement by contact with the side of the seat. If the lateral head restraint pads are sufficiently far apart substantial additional lateral movement of the head is permitted, with the possibility of injury.
Numerous patents disclose various types of safety seats for young children. It is known to provide a child's safety seat in the form of a molded concave shell having an integrally-formed seat back and seat bottom with padding that provides bilateral and anterior support for the child's body. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,553. These seats generally maintain the infant in a semi-reclining position.
Children's safety seats of the foregoing type are typically provided in a single size. A child's head grows rapidly during the first year, and the head of a new-born infant is much smaller than that of, for example, a one year-old child, although in both cases the head is relatively heavy in relation to the total body weight.
Some such safety seats do not provide side head restraint pads. Other safety seats provide lateral head restraint pads intended to prevent excessive lateral movement of the head during a side impact. These pads decrease the distance from one interior side of the seat to the other in the region of the head, and are generally designed as a compromise between the varying head sizes of a new-born infant and a child as old as, for example, 15 months. In both such cases it is common for parents to use rolled receiving blankets or cloths placed around the side and rear of the head to form supplemental head restraints to prevent lateral movement of the head in the seat. This is not a desirable practice since, in a crash, the loose padding would not likely remain in place, particularly if the side impact is a secondary impact.
The restraints according to the various embodiments of the invention provide a means of easily and quickly adjusting the space within which the head of the infant is placed, permit customization for a particular infant, accommodate infant growth during one or more use cycles of the safety seat, and enhance protection against the consequences of a side impact.

Child safety seat with adjustable head restraint


Some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for providing emergency services to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscribers. It is determined that a connection cannot be established between a VoIP router and a VoIP service provider network. A mobile terminal associated with the VoIP router is requested to dial the emergency services responsive to the determination that the connection cannot be established. A call is initiated from the mobile terminal to the emergency services responsive to the request. Related systems and computer program products are also provided herein.

As the demand for use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) across the public Internet increases, the ability to provide Emergency 911 (E911) calling features has been problematic. With traditional landlines, the landlines are typically statically installed and mapped to a particular physical address. Thus, a subscriber of the landline telephone system could call E911 services and, in most instances, the emergency dispatcher would have access to the physical address of the subscriber and the ability to send the appropriate emergency personnel to that physical address.
However, as many more subscribers are using VoIP technology as a replacement for traditional landline telephones in their homes, the ability for emergency dispatchers to pinpoint the physical address of the subscriber has become more difficult. For example, unlike traditional landline telephone subscribers, VoIP subscribers are not tied to their Internet Service Provider (ISP). Thus, VoIP subscribers can change ISPs often. For example, a subscriber may plug their telephone adapters (TAs) into a totally different ISP network, synchronize to the VoIP gateways through that ISP network and start receiving calls almost immediately. This can make it very difficult to determine the physical location of the subscriber.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that all VoIP Service Providers provide E911 services. This is currently accomplished by having the VoIP subscriber provide their current physical address when signing up for the service. Using the physical address provided by the subscriber, the Service Provider can statically map the subscriber to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAPs). PSAPs are the locally/regionally assigned E911 call centers that can redirect calls or dispatch emergency personnel to the appropriate locations.
A problem with the current system using static mapping of the provided physical address is the ability of subscribers to change ISPs and/or locations without informing the service provider and still have a working VoIP telephone. In other words, subscribers do not necessarily have to remain at their registered addresses. Furthermore, network connectivity may also be a problem with the current system. In particular, VoIP packets are communicated through the public Internet and voice packets are not necessarily given a higher priority over other data traffic. Thus, calls to E911 PSAPs may not be guaranteed to ever reach their destination Finally, the local broadband connectivity to the ISP may be offline, for example, the digital subscriber line (DSL) or cable modem may not be connected to the network.

Methods, systems and computer program products for enabling emergency 911 calls in voice over internet protocol (VOIP) systems


A Thermal panty hose garment including a lower truck portion, two leg sections and feet sections being integrally knitted together. The two leg sections are characterized by at least three layers of fabric consisting of lycraspandex, nylon and an insulated polyester material (THINSULATE). The feet sections are each fabricated of spandex, nylon and a insulated polyester material (THINSULATE) and have a toe portion. The insulated polyester material (THINSULATE) is superimposed over the nylon and the spandex is superimposed on the insulated polyester material (THINSULATE). The insulated polyester material (THINSULATE) provides insulation for protecting the lower torso from cold temperatures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Thermal panty hose garment and more particularly pertains to providing ladies panty hose of the type which will cover the lower torso and the feet of the wearer while offering thermal protection to those body parts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of thermal underwear is known in the prior art. More specifically, thermal underwear heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of protection against cold temperatures are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,068 to Taylor discloses panty hose garments. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 243,641 to Alvarez discloses pantyhose. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 289,225 to Amersin discloses pantyhose. U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,312 to Safrit, Cassidy, Cothran and Farrell discloses panty hose with a stretch-cotton panty. U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,245 to Staley discloses an undergarment having stretch panels. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,013 to Cassidy discloses a control panty hose.
In this respect, the Thermal panty hose garment according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing ladies panty hose of the type which will cover the lower torso and the feet of the wearer while offering thermal protection to those body parts.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved thermal panty hose garment which can be used for providing ladies panty hose of the type which will cover the lower torso and the feet of the wearer while offering thermal protection to those body parts. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method of modifying a chemical interaction between a functional group of an immobilized amine in a solid sorbent composition and a compound that chemically interacts with the functional group to reduce the heat required to desorb the compound from the solid sorbent. A method of inhibiting degradation of an immobilized amine in an immobilized amine solid sorbent. Compositions and methods of use of a low-cost regenerable immobilized amine solid sorbent resistant to degradation.

The subject matter relates to methods for preparing low-cost regenerable immobilized amine solid sorbents, and compositions and methods for using the same to regenerably remove compounds such as CO2, SO2, or other acidic gases from a gas stream.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant is primarily removed by a wet scrubber method that involves use of large equipment requiring large amounts of energy and the generation of corrosive sulfate by-products. The fixed and operation costs of SO2 removal due to the foregoing factors can be significantly decreased by using a solid sorbent process.
It has been shown that SO2 can be strongly bound on the functional groups of an amine molecule that is immobilized on a solid surface. (Khatri, Rajesh A., et al. Thermal and Chemical Stability of Regenerable Solid Amine Sorbent for CO2 Capture. Energy & Fuels (2006), 20(4), 1514-1520). However, due to this strong binding, SO2 is not readily desorbed from the immobilized amine. Attempts to desorb SO2 species at temperatures above 180° C. have caused the decomposition of the immobilized amines.
To improve the thermal stability of amines on solid sorbents, as well as eliminate degradation problems in the process of removing CO2, SO2, or other acidic gases from a gas stream, and reduce the overall cost of the CO2, SO2, or other acidic gases removal process, it has been found that the high temperature decomposition of an immobilized amine on a solid support can be inhibited by the presence of an alcohol species, such as glycol, in the process of producing the sorbent.

Low cost immobilized amine regenerable solid sorbents


A mobile wallet for storing a digital asset, the mobile wallet may include a communication unit; a programmable logic device (PLD), a main controller, a secure element, and an anti-tamper unit that comprises one or more anti-tamper sensors. The secure element may be configured to store the digital asset. The communication unit may be configured to receive ingress traffic from outside the mobile wallet and to output egress traffic not blocked by the PLD. The PLD may be configured to monitor ingress traffic and egress traffic, and to determine whether to pass or block ingress messages of the ingress traffic and egress messages of the egress traffic. At least one of the main controller and the anti-tamper unit may be configured to detect a tamper attempt based on outputs of the one or more anti-tamper sensors. The main controller may be configured to assist in responding to a detected tamper attempt.

Electronic currencies are spreading in the world and their use is growing steadily. Many merchants accept payments in Bitcoin currency—the leading electronic currency today. Bitcoin and other similar currencies require users to retain a unique random number (private key) which enables to receive and send payments to other users. Essentially, this private key is the user's account in the electronic currency network and must be kept secret, because anyone in possession of the private key can steal the money from the user with a few keystrokes. Protection of the private key is great challenge in the electronic currency ecosystem and slows the adoption of the electronic currency by the average user.
There are several approaches to the protection of the user's private key with various degrees of success. Today almost every electronic currency company offers online wallet service, that stores user's key in the central secure location behind layers of security. This solution is very convenient to the user but requires trust in the third party competence and integrity. Even then malicious party can overcome all defenses and steal the key, as have happened many times in the past.
The user can store his key in the local storage and choose between usability and safety. There are many wallet applications for PC and mobile devices which store the key on the device and are vulnerable to many kinds of attacks. The key can be stored on the offline PC without internet connection in encrypted form, so that any money spending requires multiple steps to generate transaction and is very cumbersome to the average user. Another relatively new solution is stand-alone hardware wallet with proprietary code, which is not vulnerable to the regular operating systems attacks. However, current products lack severely in the security of the hardware and embedded software and are wide open to the sophisticated and well-known side-channel attacks and remote attacks over the network. Private key protection in digital currencies is crucial compared to the regular bank accounts or credit cards, because the transactions cannot be reversed and the users are anonymous and untraceable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed is a door system comprising: at least one travelable door element; at least one running rail for guiding the door element; and at least one light barrier element for detecting a free travel path of the door element, wherein the at least one running rail has a cut-out at or in which the at least one light barrier element is fastened.

The provision of bar-shaped light grids is known from the prior art. For instance, with a door that can be traveled down from above, an approximately vertically oriented light grid at one or both sides of the door is used to check whether there is an obstacle in the travel path of the door. If there is an obstacle, it is communicated to a door control unit that a closing of the door is currently not possible due to the presence of the obstacle in the travel path. Light grids known from the prior art represent a plurality of light barrier elements that are arranged fixedly with respect to one another, that are part of a bar, and that are fixedly molded there. These bars are typically aligned and fastened to the left and right of a door downwardly movable in the closing direction.
It is disadvantageous here that these bars typically have to be up to three meters in length due to different demands. For instance, with industrial door systems that are passed through by forklift trucks, for example, the length of the required light grid is prescribed by law. Shipping is problematic with such bars, which often has the result that a considerable number of these bars reach the destination in damaged form.
The installation of these bar shaped light grids may also be very complex since the bars have to be attached close to the door post on one side. This is, however, not always possible due to construction peculiarities therefore auxiliary construction frequently is prepared or the light grids are arranged in a non-optimum manner (for example too far away from the door). It can also be necessary after an attachment of the light grids present in bar form that an emitting bar that is arranged at one side and that has a plurality of elements for transmitting light has to be adjusted with respect to the receiver bar that receives transmitted light beams. This in particular represents a very great challenge with respect to the installation problems that typically occur.
The manufacture of light grids is also very complex. The plurality of light barrier elements arranged in a bar require an exact alignment with respect to each other since otherwise the desired parallel extent of the transmitted light beams is not ensured. In addition, the electronics arranged in the bar are in most cases sealed with a large amount of potting compound. However, this has the result that a repair of the bar having the light barrier elements is not possible if, for example, an element is impaired. As a rule, when one of the elements breaks, the total system is replaced.
It has additionally been found to be disadvantageous that the number and the spacing of the elements molded in the bar cannot be individually adapted to a specific door system; only the standard spacings of the light grids that are mass produced and are deliverable in this form can be selected. If now as a manufacturer, the attempt is made to meet the high number of varying different demands, a large number of variants have to be manufactured and kept in stock, whereby the typical disadvantages result with respect to storage and production.
The light grids available in bar shape are also unsuitable for the door elements of a door system that are in arch form and that can be traveled downwardly since tracking an arch shape with the aid of the bar elements extending in a straight line is expensive and difficult to implement.
It can be stated in summary that the manufacture and the installation of such a light grid brings along a significant waste of resources. The bars produced from aluminum have a considerable amount of potting compound for the installation of the electronics, require a large amount of installation material, and complex and expensive packaging for shipment due to the substantial dimensions and the sensitive design. As already stated above, the total system likewise typically has to be replaced if repair is needed.
The disadvantages listed above are overcome in part or in full by a door system that includes at least one travelable door element, at least one running rail for guiding the door element, and at least one light barrier element for detecting a free travel path of the door element. The door system is characterized in that the at least one running rail has a cut-out, to or in which the at least one light barrier element is fastened.
It is therefore no longer necessary to provide a bar-shaped light grid element that is to be arranged next to or adjacent the running rail of the door. The light barrier element is rather provided directly in or at the running rail. It is advantageous here that there is now no or almost no spatial displacement of the alignment of the at least one light barrier element toward the actual travel path of the door element. It is thus easier to detect whether an obstacle is present in the travel path of the door element. In addition, it is ensured by the provision of the cutout for the light barrier element in the running rail that even a travel path of the door element in the running rail that does not extend in a straight line, for example, an arch or otherwise curved travel path, can be covered along the running rail by a plurality of light barrier elements at a plurality of mutually spaced apart cut-outs in the running rail. A laborious approximation to a running rail not extending in a straight line by the cutting to size of straight-line light grids in bar form can thus be omitted. Further, the door system can here adopt any desired door design, in particular a roller door or a sectional door.
In accordance with a preferred variant of the invention, the cut-out in the at least one running rail is a passage hole that extends through the running rail. If a plurality of cut-outs are present in the running rail that are provided for the fastening of the light barrier elements, they are located in a common plane. Provision can therefore be made that the normal vectors of the cut-out surfaces in all cut-outs are in parallel with one another.
Provision can further be made that the at least one light barrier element is mainly or completely arranged at the side of the running rail that is remote from the door element. Only limited space that could be used by the arrangement of the light barrier element is typically available at the side of the running rail facing the door element. The rollers connected to the door element are typically guided in the running rail so that an arrangement of the light barrier element at the side of the running rail remote from the door element or from the roller is advantageous.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the at least one running rail has a plurality of cut-outs along its length for the fastening of the light barrier element, with the cut-outs arranged equidistant from one another and/or extending over the total length of the at least one running rail. Advantages thereby result in the production of the running rail since the cut-outs can be provided in the running rail independently of the later attachment of light barrier elements. If required, a decision can then be made in the sense of a modular expansion that the light barrier elements are fastened in the cut-outs suitable for this purpose or are fastened to the cut-outs suitable for this purpose. It is clear to the skilled person that not every cut-out present in the running rail necessarily has to be provided with a light barrier element, but that naturally only some few can also be provided with a light barrier element. It is thus necessary with some door systems to provide a very high density of light barrier elements in the floor area though this density may be decreased as the distance from the floor increases. Therefore, in some embodiments, more light barrier elements may be arranged at a specific longitudinal dimension in the floor region than in the same longitudinal dimension in a section of the running rail remote from the floor.
In accordance with a further development of the present invention, a plurality of light barrier elements are provided that are fastened to a respective cut-out of the running rail to detect a free travel path of the door element over a larger section by means of a light grid. The fact is accordingly also covered by the invention that a plurality of light barrier elements are fastened to the at least one running rail. A light grid is produced by the plurality of light barrier elements that covers the travel path of the door element.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of light barrier elements generating a light grid are components that are separate from one another and that are connected to a common cable by a series connection. A high degree of flexibility in the creation of the light grid can thereby be achieved since a light barrier element is only arranged at desired points in the running rail—adapted to the prevailing circumstances there—and is connected to a light barrier element of the same running rail adjacent thereto in series via a cable. A light grid can thus be generated in a simple manner since the mutually separate light barrier elements can be fastened as required to or in the plurality of cut-outs and can then be connected to a common cable one after the other.
This cable may, for example, deliver the energy required to operate a respective light barrier element and/or can include a data line that transmits an evaluation result of a respective light barrier element. A modularly designable light grid is thereby produced that is variably adaptable to the prevailing circumstances. Provision may additionally be made that the cable is connected to a control unit that controls the door system in dependence on the detection results of the plurality of connected light barrier elements.
In a further modification of the present invention, the door system may further comprise a second running rail for guiding the door element, with the first running rail and the second running rail being arranged at different sides of the door element and with a surface spanned between the two running rails preferably representing an opening coverable by the at least one door element. The two running rails therefore serve the guidance of the door element at both sides of the door element. The two running rails are typically arranged projecting from the floor in a straight line in a door element travelable from top to bottom, but can also have an arcuate shape, typically in a section of the running rail remote from the floor. It is clear to the skilled person that the second running rail can essentially have the same features as were discussed above for the first running rail.
The light barrier element may be a transmission light barrier element and/or a reception light barrier element. Provision may be made on the presence of two running rails at oppositely disposed sides of the door element that only transmission light barrier elements are present at the running rail of the one side and only corresponding reception light barrier elements are present at the running rail of the other side. However, in other embodiments, both the transmission function and the reception function are implemented by a light barrier element integrated in a single housing,
Provision may be made in accordance with another embodiment that a corresponding pair of transmission light barrier elements and reception light barrier elements use encoded signals in order not to interfere with adjacent light barrier elements. Provision may furthermore be made that a reception light barrier element may be configured to receive a plurality of differently encoded light pulses transmitted by a transmission light barrier element. A denser light grid may thereby be generated since the individual struts of the light grid no longer only run between a transmission/reception pair, but rather from one reception light barrier element to a plurality of transmission light barrier elements.
In other aspects, a rear running rail is arranged at a common side of the door element beside the first, front running rail and that both serve the guidance of the at least one door element and at least one light barrier element is arranged both in the front running rail and in the rear running rail. To carry out a specific advantageous travel path, it is of advantage for a door element, for example, to be guided in a different running rail at its lower edge than the upper edge of the door element. The two running rails are then typically "behind one another" and are preferably spaced apart from one another by less than 80 cm, less than 50 cm, and less than 30 cm. It is possible to provide a light grid by the present invention that runs from the cut-outs of the "front" running rail toward the cut-outs of the "rear" running rail. A cable connecting the light barrier elements of the rail arranged after one another then leads from a light barrier element that cooperates with the one running rail to a running rail that cooperates with the other running rail. The two running rails may substantially have the same features as were described above, forming part of a door system, where the door system has at least one travelable door element, at least one running rail for guiding the door element, and at least one light barrier element for detecting a free travel path of the door element, wherein the at least one running rail has a cut-out at or in which the at least one light barrier element is fastened.
In some aspects, the at least one running rail may run in a straight line and/or have an arcuate section. All of the running rails described above can accordingly be of straight-line design, but can also have an arcuate section or can comprise an arcuate section. A combination of a plurality of different shaped sections is also possible for the running rail.
Provision may further be made in accordance with a further aspect that the at least one light barrier element has a latch nose at which the light barrier element can be latched in the cut-out of the running rail and/or that the at least one light barrier element has a clamping cover that is configured to clamp and connect a cable, in particular a multi-core cable, simultaneously to the light barrier element. Provision may be made that this cable is used to implement the series connection of a plurality of light barrier elements arranged at the running rail.
Additionally, the door position in a door system that is configured in accordance with one of the variants discussed above may be determined. The method here includes detecting the state of the at least one light barrier element, wherein the state can be adopted either free of the door element or covered by the door element, with the arrangement position of the light barrier element coinciding with the closing edge of the door element on a change of state of the light barrier element and with a door control fixing the door position on the basis of this information.
In another embodiment, when the state of the light barrier element is free, the door element may be traveled in the closing direction until the state of the light barrier element changes or, when the state of the light barrier element is covered, the door element may be traveled or moved in the direction of opening until the state of the light barrier element changes and the arrangement position of the light barrier element coincides with the closing edge of the door element on a change of the state and a door control fixes the door position on the basis of this information.
Provision may be made in accordance with a further development that the door system has a first light barrier element and a second light barrier element, wherein, on a normal closing procedure of the door system, the second light barrier element changes its state from free to covered before the first light barrier element and, when the first and second light barrier elements are free, the door element is traveled in the closing direction until the state of the second light barrier element changes, when the first and second light barrier elements are covered, the door element is traveled in the opening direction until the state of the first light barrier element changes and, when the first light barrier element is free and the second light barrier element is covered, the door element is traveled in the closing direction until the state of the first light barrier element changes or the door element is traveled in the opening direction until the state of the second light barrier element changes.

Marantec Antriebs- und Steuerungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG


A recumbent fitness equipment with synchronized pedals and armrests and a seat adjustment device includes a frame, a rotary wheel assembly, a pair of pedal assemblies, a pair of armrests, a seat mounting rack, and seat. When the user stamps the pedals, the armrests also move along with the pedals, so that the user's feet and hands can move simultaneously during exercise, so as to improve exercise effect. Besides, the distances from the seat member and the armrest rods to the pedal assemblies can be adjusted to meet the demands of different users.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recumbent fitness equipment, and more particularly to a recumbent fitness equipment with synchronized pedals and armrests and a seat adjustment device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recumbent fitness equipments usually comprise a seat on a stationary frame, and a pair of pedals disposed in front of the seat, so that the user can do exercises by sitting on the seat in an inclined position while pedaling the pedals.
Most of the existing recumbent fitness equipments only allow the user to do pedaling exercises, and the armrests and seat are static. Namely, the distances from the seat and the armrests to the pedals are fixed and unadjustable to fit users of different heights.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Recumbent fitness equipment with synchronized pedals and armrests and a seat adjustment device


Systems and methods relating to power inverters for power generation systems. A power inverter suitable for renewable power sources is configured with a data processing module that receives power related data from a power grid and from a battery backup inverter. The data processing module calculates mode of operation data based on the power related data and, if the mode of operation data exceeds a threshold, then the power generation system is operating in an off-grid mode (i.e. the system is decoupled from the power grid). If the mode of operation data is equal or less than the threshold, then the power generation system is operating in an on-grid operating mode. The system is also self-tuning with respect to the threshold value.

The recent interest in environmentally friendly technology has led to a boom in not just interest in but also in the deployment of systems for use with renewable energy resources. An increasing number of houses worldwide are now being equipped with solar panels (also referred to as photovoltaic or PV panels) to partially supply power to household energy needs. These PV panels can also be used to feed power to the existing power infrastructure (i.e. the power grid).
One potential issue with current systems is that quite a few of these systems are ill equipped to operate in both on-grid (connected to the power grid) and off-grid (disconnected from the power grid) modes. A number of these systems are only suitable for grid-tied applications. In grid-tied applications, the inverter system coupled to the PV panels must stop from generating the power as soon as there is an AC power failure or an outage. This is required for the safety of the personnel who may be working on the power grid to repair the fault.
In distributed PV electricity generation, the inverters are typically colocated with or are at least close to local loads. The safety of the personnel working on the power grid can be ensured by disconnecting the local loads from the power grid using a circuit breaker. The inverters can now be operated and used in supplying power to the local loads. This mode of operation is called 'off-grid'.
To improve the usability of PV installations, the PV microinverters coupled to the PV panels should be able to operate in both the grid-connected mode (on-grid) or in a stand-alone mode (off-grid). The off-grid mode requires the PV microinverter to operate with a variety of power generators those are fed from battery, wind turbine, and other types of renewable power sources.
There is therefore a need for systems and methods that allow PV inverters to operate in both on-grid and off-grid modes. Preferably, such systems and methods are able to automatically switch from one mode to another.

Multi-input PV inverter system and method


A lighting assembly to be primarily used in an agricultural setting to illuminate farm animals with different colors of lighting. The assembly has a circuit for emitting light with different colored light emitting diodes that are arranged in networks of LEDs. The second and third networks are arranged in parallel to a first network of LED forming three separate current paths for lighting the LEDs. Each path has controllable impedance element arranged in series with the network of LED in that particular path and is controlled by a dynamic impedance control element that is coupled to the controllable impedance element to direct current through the individual paths of the circuit.

This invention relates to lighting assemblies. More specifically the present invention relates to circuitry for receiving a DC input for a light emitting diode assembly that changes colors through dimming.
The farming industry has greatly evolved over the past several decades, going from primarily outdoor based family farms to indoor corporate run facilities. For example, poultry are now often housed in cage systems where the chickens move from one place in the system to the next, staying off the ground where they can be harmed. In this manner the facilities house numerous poultry indoors without access to the outside.
As a result, artificial lighting is a main source of lighting for the farm animal, whether incandescent, LED, high pressure sodium, compact fluorescent or the like. As scientist have studied animals, such as chickens, turkeys, swine, cows and the like under artificial light the scientist have come to understand not only how animals see light as compared to humans, but also the effects that characteristics of light have on different animals. Many tests have been conducted related to the effects of lighting on animals such as chickens, turkeys, swine, cows and the like.
In particular, scientists have recognized that photoperiod or the modulation of light to animals is important. Swine studies exist showing that swine raised under continuous darkness for 24 hours were less active than swine raised under a modulated 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light. Meanwhile swine under 24 hours of light were most active, but also showed increased levels of stress and thus the pigs welfare was considered to be affected by the presence of continuous darkness or light.
Similarly, another characteristic of light shown to effect animals is the irradiance or intensity of light. For example, tests in swine show that piglets raised under 2-6 or even 10 lux do not gain as much weight as compared to 70-100 lux light whereas 2500 lux light showed weight loss. Meanwhile in another test on piglets 50 lux light gave improved health and improved immune status as compared to 10, 20 40 and 120 lux light. So again, intensity of light is another light characteristic known to effect animals and swine.
A final factor that effects animals, is the spectrum or color of light. Test on poultry show that use of different wavelengths of light, such as red or blue wavelengths can result in heavier bodyweight, increased daily gain, decreased mortality, increased egg production and the like.
In addition, a need in the art exists for energy efficient lighting within agricultural facilities. In particular agricultural facilities can contain 50, 100 or more lights depending on the size of the facility. Typically these facilities contain 100 Watt incandescent light bulbs that are a drain on energy and cause power bills to be tremendous. In addition, because of the environment there is an abundance of feces, ammonium, mud, food pieces and the like within the barn. Thus, typically the 100 Watt bulbs must be within a casing or jelly jar of some type to try to protect the lighting from the elements. In addition wash downs expose the lighting to water, again requiring protection for the lighting to prevent breakage, shortage or worse fire conditions.
As a result of this research, agricultural lighting manufacturers have begun manufacturing lighting that present different spectrum of light, such as red or blue to enhance production of the animals. For example U.S. Ser. No. 13/050,910 entitled Light Sources Adapted to Spectral Sensitivity of Diurnal Avians and Humans to Grajcar that is incorporated in full herein is directed toward light emitting diode (LED) lighting assemblies that can be dimmed in order to provide different wavelengths of light. Thus an assembly can start off red and be dimmed to appear blue or vice versa to accommodate the animal. Similarly, U.S. Ser. No. 13/357,330 entitled Differential Illumination to Select Egg Laying Sites to Grajcar that is also incorporated in full herein provides for an aviary system for egg laying with similar concepts.
Still problems remain. In particular, the circuitry presented in these applications are directed toward an AC power sources where on occasion a DC based power source is presented as an input. Additionally, occasionally AC power sources can cause flickering and other unintended consequences. Therefore a need in the art exists for an agricultural light that is able to provide growth enhancements through color shifting, yet operates on a DC power supply.
Therefore a principle object of the present invention is to provide a DC circuit that provides color shifting properties.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a robust, cost effective agricultural lighting assembly.
These and other object, advantages and features will become apparent from the rest of the specification.


A dielectric-constant-insensitive fluid level sensor for directly inserting into a high dielectric constant fluid is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the fluid level sensor includes a first set of stacked series capacitors where each capacitor in the first set is formed by two coplanar electrodes and a dielectric space between the electrodes. Each stack of series capacitors in the first set includes at least one capacitor having a first molded carrier as the dielectric space in series with another capacitor having a first fluid cavity as the dielectric space. In this embodiment, the total capacitance of the first set of stacked series capacitors varies as a function of the level of the fluid within the first fluid cavity.

There are various known methods to measuring the level of a fluid within a fluid container. In one method, a sensor utilizes capacitive plates, which interacting with the fluid, are excited with an alternating voltage to generate a signal current that varies based on the fluid level. In the most basic version of this design, the sensor is configured to measure a fluid of a specific dielectric constant. To adjust for the situation in which the dielectric constant of a fluid is unknown, most capacitive level sensors utilize a reference capacitor to compensate for different dielectric constants of different fluid mixtures. In these compensated capacitive level sensors, the reference capacitor is at the bottom of the fluid container and must be totally submerged in the fluid to compensate for variations in the dielectric constant. The disadvantage to using a reference capacitor is that, because the reference capacitor must be totally immersed in the fluid, an erroneous output is obtained for fluid levels lower than the reference capacitor height. Also, because the reference capacitor is required to be located at the bottom of the fluid container, the reference capacitor is sensitive to non-homogenous fluid mixtures at the bottom of the container, in which case, the measured dielectric constant is not representative of the intended fluid.

Dielectric-constant-insensitive fluid level sensor


Heat energy produced for heating is absorbed into a silicon wafer, and thermal deformation of the silicon wafer is prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ion implanting apparatus and, more particularly to an SiMOX (Separation by Implanted Oxygen) ion implanting apparatus suitable for implanting oxygen ions into a silicon wafer.
2. Related Background Art
An ion implanting apparatus for oxygen ions into a silicon wafer having been known is that a plurality of wafer holders are fixed onto a rotating disk arranged inside a process chamber (a vacuum container), a disk-shaped silicon wafer being fixed onto each of the wafer holders, an ion beam from an ion source being irradiated on each of the silicon wafers while each of the silicon wafers is being rotated as the rotating disk is being rotated. The ion implanting apparatus of such a kind employs a holding structure disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.61-116746 for fixing a silicon wafer onto the wafer holder. The holding structure is that the wafer holder is fixed in an inclining state to a rotating surface of the rotating disk, the silicon wafer being placed on the wafer holder, the silicon wafer being held down onto the wafer holder by a component of a centrifugal force caused by rotation of the rotating disk. In other words, the ion implanting apparatus employs the holding structure for holding the silicon wafer onto the wafer holder under a state that a reverse side surface of the silicon wafer is in contact with the disk-shaped wafer holder. When a silicon beam by oxygen ions is implanted into the silicon wafer, the silicon wafer is heated, for example, up to 600xc2x0 C. using a heater in the process chamber, and then the ion beam is irradiated onto the silicon wafer to form an insulation film in the silicon wafer.
That is, in the SiMOX ion implanting apparatus, since it is necessary that the ion beam is implanted into the silicon wafer with a high voltage and a high current after the silicon wafer is heated up to a high temperature, the method employed is that the silicon wafer is initially heated up using the heater, and then the ion beam is irradiated onto the silicon wafer. In this case, control for keeping the silicon wafer at a constant high temperature condition is performed by heating by the ion beam and at the same time by adjusting an output power of the heater.
In the prior art, the silicon wafer is heated using the heater under the state that the reverse side surface of the silicon wafer is in contact with the wafer holder, and then the ion beam is irradiated on the silicon wafer in a high temperature state. Therefore, the temperature of the silicon wafer becomes difficult to be raised up and sometimes does not reach a high temperature state because heat of the silicon wafer is transmitted to the wafer holder even if the silicon wafer is heated using the heater. When the ion beam is irradiated on the silicon wafer under such a state, sometimes optimum ion implantation can not be obtained.
Further, when the reverse side surface of the silicon wafer is in contact with the wafer holder, a stress is produced by heating between the silicon wafer and the wafer holder. Therefore, sometimes cracks, chips and warps are produced in the silicon wafer when a thermal expansion occurs in the silicon wafer as the silicon wafer is being heated. At the same time, scraping occurs between the silicon wafer and the wafer holder, and particles may be produced from the silicon wafer by the scraping to reduce the quality of the silicon wafer. On the other hand, it can be considered to employ a structure floating a silicon wafer as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-225256, but the simply floating of wafer can not sufficiently absorb the thermal deformation of the silicon wafer.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ion implanting apparatus which is capable of absorbing the thermal deformation of an object to be ion-implanted.
In order to attain the above-mentioned object, an ion implanting apparatus according to the present invention comprises an ion source for producing an ion beam; a process chamber for containing an object to be ion-implanted; a rotating body disposed and rotated in the process chamber; a holding means for holding the object to be ion-implanted with a spacing between an ion implanted area of the object to be ion-implanted and the holding means, the holding means being connected to the rotating body; an ion beam irradiation means for irradiating the ion beam from the ion source toward the object to be ion-implanted in the process chamber; and a heating means for heating the object to be ion-implanted in the process chamber, wherein the holding means holds the object to be ion-implanted in a state in contact with a part of a region in an outer peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted, and blocks the object to be ion-implanted to move toward an acting direction of a centrifugal force.
Further, in order to attain the above-mentioned object, an ion implanting apparatus according to the present invention comprises an ion source for producing an ion beam; a process chamber for containing an object to be ion-implanted; a rotating body disposed and rotated in the process chamber; a holding means for holding the object to be ion-implanted with a spacing between an ion implanted area of the object to be ion-implanted and the holding means, the holding means being connected to the rotating body; an ion beam irradiation means for irradiating the ion beam from the ion source toward the object to be ion-implanted implanted in the process chamber; and a heating means for heating the object to be ion-implanted in the process chamber, wherein the holding means comprises a plurality of holding portions for holding parts of regions in an outer peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted, a first holding portion of the plurality of holding portions holding an end surface in a peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted to block the object to be ion-implanted to move toward an acting direction of a centrifugal force, a second holding portion holding the end surface in the peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted to allow the object to be ion-implanted to move in a direction opposite to the acting direction of the centrifugal force. In this case, the following elements maybe added to the holding portion.
The second holding portion comprises a supporting piece for supporting the end surface in the outer peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted; an elastic body connected to the supporting piece; and a fixing member for fixing the elastic body to the rotating body.
The second holding portion comprises a supporting piece for supporting the end surface in the outer peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted; a first elastic body connected to the supporting piece; a supporting member for supporting an end of the first elastic body; a second elastic body connected to the supporting member; and a fixing member for fixing the second elastic body to the rotating body.
Further, in order to attain the above-mentioned object, the holding means according to the present invention comprises a holding portion for holding a part of region in an outer peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted, and the holding portion holds a side end portion in the outer periphery of the object to be ion-implanted from both surface sides in an axial direction of the object to be ion-implanted. In this case, it is preferable that the holding portion holds a side end portion in the outer periphery of the object to be ion-implanted from both surface sides in an axial direction of the object to be ion-implanted.
When each of the ion implanting apparatus is constructed, the following elements may be added.
(1) The elastic body is formed of a coil spring.
(2) The elastic body is formed of a plate spring.
(3) Each of the first elastic body and the second elastic body is formed of a plate spring, and the plate springs are disposed so that directions of elastic forces of the plate springs become opposite to each other.
(4) A material of the holding portion is silicon or quartz when the object to be ion-implanted is formed of silicon.
(5) The ion implanting apparatus can process a silicone wafer as the object to be ion-implanted.
According to the present invention, the object to be ion-implanted is held with a spacing between an ion implanted area of the object to be ion-implanted and the holding means, and the object to be ion-implanted is held in a state in contact with a part of a region in an outer peripheral side of the object to be ion-implanted. Therefore, the object to be ion-implanted can be blocked to move toward an acting direction of a centrifugal force. When heat energy produced by the heater is transferred to the object to be ion-implanted, the heat energy is suppressed to be transferred to the other elements. Therefore, the object to be ion-implanted can be maintained at a high temperature state. Further, even if the object to be ion-implanted is thermally deformed by ion beam irradiation, the deformation can be absorbed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent producing of particles by the thermal deformation such as thermal expansion.
Further, since the ion implanting apparatus has the structure to allow the object to be ion-implanted to move in a direction opposite to the acting direction of the centrifugal force, it is possible to maintain the object to be ion-implanted at a high temperature state and to prevent the object to be ion-implanted from being cracked, chopped and warped.
Further, in order to attain the above-mentioned object, a sample processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a process chamber for containing a sample to be processed; a rotating body disposed and rotated in the process chamber; and a holding means for holding the sample to be processed with a spacing between a processed area of the sample to be processed and the holding means, and for irradiating a beam onto the sample to be processed, the holding means being connected to said rotating body, wherein the holding means holds the sample to be processed in a state in contact with a part of a region in an outer peripheral side of the sample to be processed, and blocks the sample to be processed to move toward an acting direction of a centrifugal force.
According to the sample processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the object to be beam-irradiated is held with a spacing between an beam-irradiated area and the holding means, and the object to be beam-irradiated is held in a state in contact with a part of a region in an outer peripheral side of the sample to be processed. Therefore, the object to be beam-irradiated can be blocked to move toward an acting direction of a centrifugal force. When heat energy produced by the heater is transferred to the sample to be processed, the heat energy is suppressed to be transferred to the other elements. Therefore, the sample to be processed can be maintained at a high temperature state capable of being irradiated. Further, even if the object to be ion-implanted is thermally deformed by ion beam irradiation, the deformation can be absorbed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent producing of particles by the thermal deformation such as thermal expansion.

Ion implanting apparatus and sample processing apparatus

Abstract: An ion implanting apparatus comprises an ion source for producing an ion beam; a process chamber for containing the silicon wafer; a rotating body disposed and rotated in the process chamber; a holding means for holding the silicon wafer of an object to be ion-implanted with a spacing between an ion implanted area of the object to be ion-implanted and the holding means, the holding means being connected to the rotating body; and a heating means for heating the silicon wafer in the process chamber, wherein the holding means holds the silicon wafer in a state in contact with a part of a region in an outer peripheral side of the silicon wafer, and blocks the silicon wafer to move toward an acting direction of a centrifugal force.


A variable gain amplifier for amplifying an input voltage at a gain defined by a binary code includes: a signal input terminal; a signal output terminal; a charge division means that accumulates a charge, divides an accumulated charge, and accumulates a divided charge; a charge cumulation means that accumulates a charge, adds or subtracts an accumulated charge with or from the divided charge in the charge division means, and accumulates a resultant charge; and a controller that initially executes to accumulate the charge corresponding to the input voltage in the charge division means, executes to accumulate the charge corresponding to the input voltage or a predetermined voltage in the charge cumulation means, executes a charge dividing operation according to each bit of the binary code sequentially from a most significant bit, and executes a charge adding or subtracting operation according to an data value in each bit.

In a power train control system, a vehicle control system, a body control system, and an information communication system mounted in a vehicle, a lot of sensors are used to sense an ambient environment of the vehicle and the operating states of various facilities, such as, the temperature, the burning state in an engine, the operating states of various actuators, an air intake/exhaust state, the posture of the vehicle, and the state of a battery. Various sensors convert a change in a specific physical or chemical quantity into a change in an amount of electricity, that is, a change in a voltage, a current, or an electrostatic capacitance on the basis of various physical or electrochemical principles.
Generally, a voltage output level sent from a sensor is often so small as to range from several millivolts to several hundreds of millivolts. On the other hand, an input dynamic range or a convertible voltage range of an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter incorporated in an automobile microcomputer or the like is, generally, a range from 0 V to 5 V. If a feeble signal sent from the sensor is A/D-converted as it is, the dynamic range of the A/D converter cannot be effectively utilized. Therefore, an amplifier that exhibits an appropriate magnification is often disposed in a stage preceding the A/D converter.
Moreover, a variance of one sensor from the others caused during manufacture brings about a variance in the sensitivity of the sensor or an offset. Therefore, a correction or compensation means is generally included in a processing circuit. A typical correction or compensation means is realized with a microcomputer in an electronic control unit (ECU). After each sensor is connected to the ECU, a signal sent from the sensor is amplified at an appropriate fixed magnification in the ECU, and A/D-converted. The ECU then executes a correctional or compensational arithmetic operation for the resultant signal.
When the foregoing means compensates an offset voltage derived from a sensor, simple addition/subtraction processing should merely be performed. However, for correcting sensitivity, multiplication/division processing is needed. If the number of sensors is large, a processing load for the correctional or compensational arithmetic processing increases.
In recent years, a processing load incurred by an ECU has greatly increased along with the complexity in vehicle control. A movement of separating from the ECU by incorporating a preprocessing circuit for a sensor signal in a sensor has been accelerated. Moreover, the number of harnesses over which sensors and ECUs are interconnected is increasing along with an increase in the number of sensors. The number of cases where the individual sensors and ECUs are interconnected over an onboard LAN (CAN or LIN) for which a certain communications protocol is defined, but are not interconnected over independent harnesses is increasing.
In such a configuration, each of the sensors executes not only amplification of a sensor output signal and A/D conversion but also simple processing succeeding the conversion. The results of the execution, that is, a digital value is sent to each ECU over a bus of the LAN. In this case, if the sensors simultaneously execute sensor variance compensation and send their sensor output values, which have been compensated and normalized, to the respective ECUs, it would be more preferable.
Broadly, a means for performing correction or compensation in a sensor falls into two types. One of the types is a type of means for correcting or compensating an analog signal that has not been A/D-converted, and the other type is a type of means for executing correctional or compensational arithmetic processing for an A/D-converted value or a digital value similarly to correction or compensation to be performed in an ECU.
Talking of correction processing and compensation processing, compensation of an offset that is a stationary deviation in a sensor output is addition/subtraction processing, and can be implemented using a relatively simple means. Supposing the addition/subtraction processing is analog processing, it can be implemented using a D/A converter and a subtraction processing circuit which is easily constructed using an operational amplifier. Supposing the addition/subtraction processing is digital processing, it can be implemented using an adder alone. In contrast, sensitivity correction requires multiplication/division processing. Supposing the multiplication/division processing is analog processing, a variable gain amplifier or a voltage division circuit that supports a variable voltage division ratio is needed. Supposing the multiplication/division processing is digital processing, a multiplier or a micro-processing unit (MPU) is needed. In either case, compared with the offset compensation means, the sensitivity correction means will become large in a circuit scale.
JP-A-2003-87068 and JP-A-2003-218650 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,075) have introduced variable gain amplifiers. The variable gain amplifier described in JP-A-2003-87068 employs an operational amplifier and an R-2R resistor circuit and supports a variable gain according to an N-bit digital signal. Moreover, the variable gain amplifier described in JP-A-2003-218650 employs a multi-bit resistor string.
In both of the variable gain amplifiers, a variation width of a gain or an adjustable width thereof is reduced by increasing the number of resistors. Therefore, although a gain can be designated in finer steps, an increase in an occupied area in a layout is unavoidable. Moreover, the precision in a gain depends on the specific precision in a resistance. However, when an attempt is made to improve the specific precision in a resistance in an LSI, the size of a resistor has to be increased. This leads to a further increase in the occupied area in a layout.
Thus, it is require to provide a variable gain amplifier that can attain a gain permitting an arbitrary resolution although the variable gain amplifier is realized with one circuit of a small circuit scale without the employment of a resistor string, and a D/A converter.

Variable gain amplifier and D/A converter


There is provided a light emitting apparatus provided with a pixel circuit which is provided with a plurality of transistors including a first transistor and a light emitting element in which a current is supplied by the first transistor, in which, in at least one of the plurality of transistors, a wiring is connected to a gate electrode at a position overlapping a channel region in plan view.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a light emitting apparatus and an electronic device.
2. Related Art
In the related art, as a display apparatus of an electronic device, a light emitting apparatus in which a plurality of organic electroluminescence (hereinafter, abbreviated as EL) elements are arranged in a matrix, has been used (for example, JP-A-2007-148216).
In JP-A-2007-148216, as a circuit for driving an organic EL, a pixel circuit provided with a plurality of transistors is described.
However, in the light emitting apparatus as described above, since a gate electrode and a gate wiring of a transistor were formed on the same layer, it is necessary to provide a wiring so as not to overlap a transistor in plan view, and thus the miniaturization of a pixel circuit became difficult.
In regards to this problem, a configuration in which a gate electrode and a wiring are separated to respectively provide on other layers has been proposed (for example, JP-A-2013-113868).
According to such a configuration, since it is possible to provide a wiring at the position overlapping a transistor in plan view, it is possible to miniaturize a pixel circuit in comparison with a case where a gate electrode layer serves as a wiring.
However, in the configuration as described above, since the gate electrode and the wiring are connected at a part for a connection wiring (a contact pad portion) provided outward than a channel region in the gate electrode, it was necessary to form the gate electrode larger than the channel region. Therefore, there have been problems such that there was a limitation to miniaturize a pixel circuit.

Light emitting apparatus and electronic device with compact overlapping connection region


For analog telephone service subscribers, an apparatus and a method is provided for displaying a caller's originating number and/or the current time of day on the subscriber's incoming call line identification equipment. The subscriber's originating telephone number is obtained from a database within the telephone switching system providing POTS service to the subscriber. The time of day is obtained from a real-time clock within or in communication with the telephone switching system. Data is preferably transmitted to the subscriber's equipment by analog frequency shift keyed protocol.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying information to a telecommunications station. More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement for analog telephone station displays wherein the display includes originating number identifying information and/or the date and/or time of day information.
2. Description of the Related Art
A service which has become more and more popular in recent years is one for indicating to a called customer the identification of the caller. With conventional analog telephones, this service, called incoming calling line identification (ICLID) or Caller ID, is provided through the Public Shared Telephone Network (PSTN) by means of an auxiliary display on the called party's telephone equipment which receives information from the PSTN identifying the calling party between the first two rings and uses the received information to display the number of the calling party. A problem of the prior art is that, for analog lines, while ICLID does provide information to help the called customer on incoming calls, ICLID does not provide certain significant information from the telecommunications network to help the calling customer on outgoing calls, or while a customer is idle or talking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,788 to Demlow et al. describes a partial solution to this problem. That patent, for an information display provided to the calling party, teaches displaying many types of information on the calling telephone, including the following: (1) the name of the called customer; (2) a motto, slogan, advertising, or cost message from the called customer; (3) information to give the calling party additional options, such as automatic callback or an invitation to leave a voice message; (4) information from the central office reporting conditions such as overload; (5) a service identification mark from the central office switching system and/or an inter-exchange carrier. Useful as this information is, there is additional information that is perhaps more useful to a calling party that is not taught by Demlow.
Under various circumstances, it is desirable for a calling party's telephone equipment to be provided with the originating number identifier (ONI, or simply the telephone number) of the calling telephone line. For example, a calling party may wish to determine whether a call directed to a particular terminating number (terminating number identifier or TNI) is a toll call from the calling party's telephone line. Such a determination may be made if the ONI of the call is known. In further example, for calling arrangements where toll charges are ONI-TNI dependent, a calling party will need the ONI to calculate the toll charges to a particular TNI. In yet further example, the calling party's telephone equipment may have generic Least Cost Routing (LCR) software installed, that can determine and execute the least expensive route for a particular telephone call. LCR determinations typically require the telephone equipment to possess both ONI and TNI information. In yet further example, in circumstances where the calling party wishes to direct a called party verbally to call the calling party back at the calling party's ONI, the calling party must know his ONI to be able to provide that information. In other situations, the calling party may connect his own telephone equipment to the telephone line, for example a modem operatively coupled to a computer. The calling party's equipment in such situations may need to have the ONI of the telephone line to determine which of a plurality of available service access numbers are appropriate for the ONI's calling area; for example where the equipment is a computer with modem and the service to be accessed is an Internet connection, based upon the ONI the computer may determine an appropriate local access TNI for Internet service from a database within the computer. For these and other reasons, what is needed is a way for a calling party (or the calling party's telephone equipment) to obtain the originating number identifier from the public shared telephone network.
Under various circumstances also, it is desirable for the calling party's telephone equipment to be provided with the current date and/or time of day by the PSTN. For example, some LCR determinations may be based upon toll structures that are time of day and/or day of week dependent. While LCR in the prior art relies on time of day and day of week data from clock/calendar functionality inherent in the LCR equipment, obtaining date and time information directly from the PSTN may provide a greater degree of accuracy in LCR determinations. In more general terms, date and time of day information provided on demand in a simple and readily accessed form from an authoritative source can be utilized to great advantage by a telephone subscriber in many ways: this information, obtained from the PSTN, may be applied, not only to equipment related to telecommunications over the telephone line, but also throughout the telephone subscriber's home or office, in programming various devices and actions that are date and/or time dependent. For these and other reasons, what is needed is for a calling party (or simply a telephone subscriber) to obtain date and/or time of day information from the PSTN.

Time, date and originating number display provided to calling party


A pet treat holding device designed to secure rigid pet treats and prevent dogs from choking on the treat, thereby eliminating the risk of stomach blockage and other health hazards. Through the application of compression and friction, the holder creates a gripping force around the rigid treat that prevents a dog from extracting a large piece of the treat, which could be hazardous if ingested. The pet treat holder is comprised of two rubber parts, the torus shaped housing surrounding an interior aperture. The treat is secured by compression and friction created by the center aperture. After inserting the treat stick into the opening and applying a twisting motion, securing the treat in place, the user can then present the treat to the dog. Because of the twisting lock action, the dog cannot remove the stick by chewing or pulling.

This invention relates to pet treats that are rigid in nature (such as bully sticks, raw hide sticks, deer antler, and treat sticks that are bone like. They are consumable by dogs and pose a health hazard when eating these treats without a safety device attached. Dogs will chew on these treats until they can fit the entire treat in their mouth, then prematurely swallow the treat whole. There is a need for such a treat holder because choking and stomach blockage due to ingestion of a large piece of treat stick is a common issue for pet owners. The cost to pet owners when their dogs swallow a large piece of treat stick can be substantial. It also relates to a chew toy that will provide your pet enjoyable entertainment.
The treat holders that are available today are not dog friendly. Dogs can destroy a treat holder if it has too many parts and ingest a loose part, which can then become a safety hazard. Also, the treat stick holders on the market today can only be attached to a straight treat stick, this holder can attached to many different shapes of treat sticks, such as straight, curved or spiral due to its flexible center aperture, as long as the treat is rigid or semi rigid.


A base station is disclosed. The base station includes: a reconnection setting information generation unit configured, in a case where handover is requested from a first base station, after a reconnection request signal is received from a mobile apparatus, to generate reconnection setting information to be used for specifying the mobile apparatus; a transmission unit configured to transmit a reconnection request signal to the first base station; a receiving unit configured to receive reconnection setting information to be used for specifying the mobile apparatus from a second base station that is a destination of handover of the mobile apparatus after the second base station receives a reconnection request signal from the mobile apparatus; a reconnection setting information holding unit configured to hold the reconnection setting information; and a connection processing unit configured to perform reconnection processing with the mobile apparatus by using the reconnection setting information held in the reconnection setting information holding unit in accordance with a reconnection request signal from the mobile apparatus after initial connection processing between the second base station and the mobile apparatus.

Specifications for Long Term Evolution (LTE) are drafted by a Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) standardization group 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). The LTE is a standard developed from High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) that is an extended technique of the W-CDMA. In the LTE, high speed communications of higher than 100 Mbps in downlink and higher than 50 Mbps in uplink are realized to achieve delay reduction and to improve frequency utilization.
In the specification, handover is defined in which a mobile apparatus switches radio circuits between base stations (eNB: evolved NodeB) that perform radio communications by LTE. The handover between the base stations that perform radio communications by LTE is also called Inter-eNB handover. Also, reconnection processing is defined in which, when the mobile apparatus temporarily detects deterioration of radio quality, the mobile apparatus continues communication without re-originating.


The block resistance of pellets of copolymers of ethylene with acrylic or methacrylic acid is improved by addition of very low levels of certain defined liquid additives or water-soluble solid additives. This results in improved rates of pellet production, and in easier subsequent handling.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pellets of copolymers of ethylene and an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, which have been surface-coated with a low level of certain liquid additives or water-soluble solid additives. The treated pellets have permanently increased block resistance which leads to improved pellet production rates and handling characteristics. Many of these additives are acceptable for food contact, allowing use of films made from copolymer pellets surface-coated with these additives in food packaging.
2. Description of Related Art
Ethylene copolymer pellets have an increasing tendency to `block`, that is to say clump together, at ambient or slightly elevated temperatures as the level of comonomer increases. However, different comonomers affect properties of ethylene copolymers containing them, including the tendency to block, to a differing extent for the same comonomer level, both on a weight and mole basis. There appears to be more than one cause of blocking. Thus, for instance, softness or flexibility which can be a significant causative factor for some copolymers to block, is not as important for other copolymers. In any event, when stick temperature, a measure of pellet blocking, is below 30.degree. C., resultant poor pellet handling characteristics during manufacture can affect production rates. This is partly because certain production operations such as monomer `purging` of polymer pellets, which uses hot air, become more efficient at higher temperatures. Increasing blocking during long storage can also become a significant problem for polymer processors.
Pellets of copolymers of ethylene with acrylic and methacrylic acid and certain ionomers derived from these copolymers are particularly prone to blocking. A common way of reducing blocking is by use of certain anti-blocking additives. However, these acid copolymers and their ionomers are used extensively in the food packaging industry, and when so used, the polymer must be acceptable to the FDA.
Many anti-blocking additives for ethylene copolymers, are known, but they may not all function in the same way. They may also be effective at quite different levels. Some additives are effective for many copolymers. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,325 (Smith) discloses use of certain solid bisamides to reduce blocking in a wide variety of ethylene copolymers, including ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymers as well as ethylene/vinyl acetate polymers and several other ethylene copolymers. The additive is incorporated while the polymer is molten, and must migrate to the surface of pellets to be effective. Rather high levels, preferably 2000-4000 ppm are required. These bisamides have limited FDA acceptability.
Other additives appear to be more specific to a given copolymer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,383 (Lowe et al.) discloses use of silica particles surface-coated on pellets at 50 ppm or more to reduce blocking. Polymers with no acid group are described as not showing significant improvement with such treatment. This additive may be added to solid dry pellets of the copolymer, or during cutting of the extruded polymer strand into pellets by mixing the additive with the melt cutter water. Since the additive is added to the surface, it is not required to migrate to the surface. While some forms of silica are acceptable for food contact use, silica has been found to cause equipment wear in polymer processing equipment. In addition, after mechanical handling of silica-coated pellets, the effectiveness of the silica in reducing blocking diminishes. Its ability to prevent blocking is thus not completely permanent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,554 (Hale) discloses use of surfactants including ethylene oxide and propylene oxide homo and copolymers, preferably copolymers. The surfactants are added to water containing the pellets to reduce agglomeration of the pellets while they are in water, as they are when in the melt cutting water immediately after pelletization. Ethylene/vinyl acetate/methacrylic acid copolymers are mentioned. There is no indication these additives would prevent blocking of dry pellets.
In packaging applications, heat-sealability is a critical property. A useful additive to decrease blocking should not significantly affect the level of heat-sealability. Yet additives which reduce blocking at elevated temperatures can reduce heat-sealability. Silicone oil for instance, though an effective additive for increasing stick temperature, is known to adversely affect heat-sealability even at low levels.
Mechanical treatment, particularly some form of roughening of pellet surfaces also affects blocking. However, attempts to achieve surface modification in a controlled way has not been successful. In addition, such operations are time consuming, and could not be conveniently carried out at a stage in pellet production before which pellet blocking becomes a problem.
There is a need for an additive which will have FDA acceptability for use in contact with food, which can be readily surface-coated on polymer pellets to produce a permanent reduction in their blocking tendency, and which does not adversely affect heat-sealability or other utility of the polymer in a significant manner.

Ethylene/acid copolymers with improved block resistance


Dyestuff compositions are provided which incorporate amine modified sulfonated lignins. The disclosed dyestuff compositions exhibit improved heat stability and, as a result of the higher activity of the amine modified sulfonated lignin, less dispersant is present in the exhaust liquor and waste treatment demands are thereby reduced. The presence of tertiary amine groups in sulfonated kraft, sulfomethylated kraft, and sulfite lignins provide dispersants with package dyeing heat stabilities significantly better than those of the unmodified lignins. The improved package dyeing grinding aid/dispersant of the invention is prepared by reacting sulfonate lignin with a secondary amine using formaldehyde and alkaline conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disperse dye compositions incorporating modified sulfonated lignins (lignosulfonates). More particularly, this invention relates to dispersed dye compositions prepared with amine modified sulfonated lignins as dispersants or as grinding aids. Most particularly, this invention is related to dispersed dye compositions of improved heat stability for use primarily in package dyeing.
2. Description of Related Art (Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98)
Dyestuff compositions generally comprise a dye cake, itself comprising a dye and a dispersant and/or diluent. These dyestuff compositions are widely used to color both natural and synthetic fibers. In the dyestuff composition, the dispersant serves three basic functions: (1) it assists in reducing the dye particle to a fine size; (2) it maintains a dispersing medium; and (3) it is used as a diluent.
Dye dispersants are generally one of two major types: (1) sulfonated lignins from the wood pulping industry (via either the sulfite pulping process or the kraft pulping process) where lignocellulosic materials, such as wood, straw, corn stalks, bagasse, and the like, are processed to separate the cellulose or pulp from the lignin or (2) naphthalene sulfonates from the petroleum industry. The present invention relates to sulfonated lignin dye dispersants. More particularly, the instant invention relates to amine modified sulfonated lignin in combination with disperse dyes. Disperse dye compositions employing sulfonated lignins as dispersants is well known.
Sulfite (or bisulfite) wood pulping process lignin is recovered from the spent pulping liquor, known as "black liquor," as lignosulfonates; whereas, kraft (or sulfate) wood pulping process lignin is recovered from the black liquor as the sodium salt of lignin (products marketed under the Indulin.RTM. mark by Westvaco Corporation). This recovered sulfate lignin is subjected to sulfonation or sulfomethylation for use as dye dispersants, such as products marketed under the Polyfon.RTM., Kraftsperse.RTM., and Reax.RTM. marks by Westvaco Corporation. As used herein, the term "sulfonated lignins" may be used generally to refer to lignosulfonates, sulfonated lignins, or sulfomethylated lignins as before described.
The advantages of employing sulfonated lignins as dispersants in dyestuff compositions are (1) availability and (2) unique physical properties, which include good compatibility to many dye systems and outstanding dispersant characteristics at ambient and elevated temperatures. There are, however, a number of disadvantages in employing lignins as dispersants, whether they are sulfite lignosulfonates or kraft-derived sulfonated lignins. These negative factors include fiber staining (as lignin in dry powder form is brown in color) and heat stability (as the dyeing process is conducted at elevated temperatures) of the lignins employed. These adverse properties are troublesome to dyers and many attempts have been made to overcome these disadvantages.
A number of technological developments have resulted in new methods and processes to modify sulfonated lignins to reduce the negative aspects of employing such materials as dye dispersants without simultaneously causing any major adverse effects upon those properties which render sulfonated lignins desirable as dyestuff dispersants. U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,202 describes a process for preparing a sulfonated lignin with improved fiber staining properties useful as a dye dispersant by reacting lignin with an epihalohydrin. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,091 teaches reacting a modified lignin with sodium sulfite and an aldehyde; the lignin having been modified by a pretreatment with sodium dithionate.
Additional examples of reacting or modifying lignins to make them more suitable as dye dispersants include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,184,845, 4,131,564, 3,156,520, 3,094,515, 3,726,850, 2,680,113, and 3,769,272. The art cited is meant to show the state of the art and is not intended to be all inclusive of lignin modifications.
Although the methods for treating and preparing sulfonated lignins described above offer some advantage during dyeing, none has produced a product possessing the improvements obtained by the improved products made according to the claimed process.
During the dyeing process, only the dye exhausts itself onto the fiber where it becomes an intimate part of the fiber. The lignin and other dyeing adjuvants, which are left in the exhaust liquor, need to be subsequently treated in primary and secondary waste treatment facilities. Although lignin is a natural material, lignosulfonates are considered relatively poorly biodegradable (albeit more biodegradable than synthetic dispersants from the petroleum industry), and they are often viewed as environmentally unfriendly as they often exceed the capacity of dye houses or municipality waste water treatment facilities.
One solution to this problem would be to increase the dye dispersant activity of lignin dispersants. (The term "activity" refers to the relative amount of dispersant required to function effectively. The less dispersant required to perform, the higher its activity; whereas the more dispersant required to perform, the lower is its activity.) Such enhanced activity would permit reduced dosages required for dyeing and thereby lessen the existing waste water treatment problems.
Therefore, it is the general object of this invention to provide sulfonated lignins of improved properties to enhance their usefulness as dye dispersants.
A particular object of this invention is to increase the activity of sulfonated lignin dispersants.
Another object of this invention is to provide a process for improving the heat stability of dye formulations including sulfonated lignins.
Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be seen in the following detailed description of the invention.

Amine modified sulfonated lignin for disperse dye


Methods for measuring a thickness of an object including acquiring at least one of a wavelength domain spectrum for an amplitude ratio (Ψ) and a phase difference (Δ) of reflected light from a film material, converting the wavelength domain spectrum into a 1/wavelength domain spectrum, acquiring a resulting spectrum by performing fast fourier transform (FFT) on the 1/wavelength domain spectrum, and measuring a thickness of the film material from the resulting spectrum may be provided.

1. Field
The present inventive concepts relate to a method for measuring a thickness of an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to determine whether a semiconductor process has been successfully performed or not, physical dimensions (e.g., a thickness) of a film material or a thin film are measured during or after performing the semiconductor process. The quality and/or manufacturability of the semiconductor process can be improved by feeding back the test results (e.g., a measured thickness of a film material or a thin film) of the semiconductor substrate to the semiconductor process. To this end, non-contact, non-destructive apparatuses for measuring a thickness of an object using X-ray, sonic wave or light are being used because such apparatuses do not process, destruct, or convert an object to be measured (e.g., a semiconductor substrate).
Researches for thickness measurement techniques are being conducted to meet the requirement for being more accurate, being capable of measuring more complicated patterns.

Method for measuring thickness of object