An electrical connector (10, FIG. 5) is provided for connecting to a smart card C. The connector includes a two-piece molded plastic frame (11) having a horizontal planar top face (76), and also includes a plurality of resilient sheet metal electrical contacts (16). Each contact has a curved card-engaging part (30), a fixed part (46) that is fixed to the frame, and a central part (38) for connecting the card-engaging part to the fixed part. The central part has a first branch (44) forming a U-shaped fold of about 150.degree., a second branch (42) extending at an upward-rearward (U,R) incline from the fold to the card-engaging part, and a lower branch (40) that extends rearwardly from the fold to the fixed part. The branches (40,42,44) of the central part are each downwardly deflectable to enable easy deflection of the card-engaging part in a contact of small longitudinal (M) length. Two rows of contacts (16, 16X) are positioned so their folds (44) lie adjacent to a longitudinal centerplane (P) of the connector, to save room. The fixed parts 46 of the contacts have harpoon-shaped foots 62 laterally spaced from the rest of the contact.

The present invention relates to an electrical connector for connection to a "smart card", which is an electronic memory card with contact pads on one of its faces. The invention relates more particularly to a connector of the type that includes a molded plastic frame having a horizontal planar face and a plurality of electrical contacts with curved ends projecting above the frame face. Such contacts each have a part fixed to the frame and a central portion connecting the card-contacting end to the fixed part. Two laterally-extending rows of contacts are mounted on the housing.
In one design, shown in French document FR-A-2,638,293, each contact is in the form of a beam. One end of the beam is embedded in the frame and the beam extends longitudinally therefrom to a curved card-engaging end. This design requires considerable contact length to provide sufficient resilience to deflect downwardly when engaging a card. In that document and document FR-A-2,587,549, the fixed part of each contact is fixed by overmolding insulating material of the frame around the contact. Such fixing is expensive because it requires the provision of means for holding the contact in place in the mold, during molding.


In a photographic printer, red, green and blue light beams are modulated respectively according to red, green and blue image signals DR, DG and DB each made up of image signal components representing densities of respective picture elements, and a color image is recorded on a color photosensitive material by scanning the photosensitive material with the modulated light beams. Picture elements which are of brightness not higher than a first predetermined brightness close to the shadow or not lower than a second predetermined brightness close to a highlight and are of chroma not higher than a predetermined chroma are detected on the basis of the image signals DR, DG and DB. The image signal components for the detected picture elements which form a continuous region in the image are excluded from the image signals DR, DG and DB, thereby obtaining image signals DR', DG' and DB'. The brightness of the photographic print obtained is adjusted on the basis of the mean of the densities represented by the image signal components of the image signals DR', DG' and DB'.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of adjusting the brightness of a photographic print in a photographic printer in which a visible image is recorded on a color photosensitive material on the basis of three color image signals obtained by reading out an image recorded on a color film.
2. Description of the Related Art
As disclosed, for instance, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6(1994)-233052, a photographic printer is brown in which red, green and blue image signals, each made up of image signal components representing densities of the color of respective picture elements, are obtained by reading out an image recorded on a color photographic film. Red, green and blue light beams are modulated according to the image signals and a color image is recorded on a color photosensitive material by scanning the photosensitive material with the modulated light beams.
In such a photographic printer, the brightness of a finished print can be easily adjusted by simply carrying out a linear conversion of the image signals. Conventionally, when the brightness of the print is adjusted, a mean density of the image represented by the three color image signals is calculated and the brightness of the print is determined so that the mean density becomes a predetermined printing density (e.g., 0.7 in the optical density).
However when the brightness of a print is determined on the basis of the mean density of the image, there arises a problem that the print cannot be finished in a desirable brightness in the case where the density distribution on the object is statistically inclined or the main object greatly differs from the background in brightness. For example, in the case of an image including therein a large white sign-board, the print is finished dark, and in the case of an image where a main object is in counter light, the main object is finished dark.

Method of adjusting brightness of photographic print


An impact resistant device is provided comprising a flexible support matrix and a plurality of energy absorbing elements operatively connected to the support matrix, each element comprising at least one ceramic material and at least one strain rate sensitive material. The impact resistant device can be worn as body armor to protect the wearer from high velocity projectiles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an impact resistant flexible body device to prevent injury from high speed projectiles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Impact resistant body armor is known in the art. Various types of body armor are worn, for example, by police and military personnel, to prevent injury from high speed projectiles such as bullets and shrapnel. Such body armor typically includes a ballistic fabric made from aramid fibers such as KEVLAR® (available from E.I. Dupont de Nemours & Co. of Chattanooga, Tenn.), fibers of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) such as, e.g., SPECTRA® (available from Allied Signal of Morristown N.J., or other such ballistic fabric material.
Present body armor in use can defeat only lower energy projectiles unless large, inflexible plates are added to the outside of the body armor to withstand high energy projectiles. The plates cannot be easily or affordably tailored to the individual body shapes of the wearers and cannot cover large areas of the body where a large range of motion occurs such as, for example, at the groin or shoulder area. Moreover, current armor with the inflexible plates does not effectively disperse impact energy or prevent shock waves from damaging sensitive internal organs. Of special concern are the high velocity rounds of military weapons. Typical military rounds (fall metal jacket, 7.62×51 mm, 150 grains) travel at up to about 850 m/s. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved body armor device to protect the wearer from such high velocity projectiles and yet allow freedom of motion.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A computer network system in which an IP address is assigned not only automatically at a destination of a notebook size PC (portable personal computer) 4, but also information relating to shared resources on the network is obtained at the site from a server 1 through a LAN circuit 2, so that the notebook size PC 4 can be used by connecting to the network even in the absence of the administrator. Henceforth, when the user moves within the same building as his own office, it seems that the occasion of using the portable personal computer by connecting to the network such as the Internet and intranet increases. In such a case, connection and disconnection of the network may be repeated frequently, and setting for such operation is facilitated.

The present invention relates to a mobile computer used by connecting to a network, or mainly a portable computer, and more particularly a network system capable of setting for using the computer system, when such computer is moved to a place requiring change of network setting, if not having prior knowledge about the network environments in that place, by presentation of information for operating adequately in the place from a network server to the moved computer system, and a portable computer used therein.

Computer network system and portable computer selecting from a plurality of hardware or software


An electronic meeting tool and method for recording a meeting. The method includes the steps of coupling a display node to at least one base node of at least one communications network, displaying data transmitted to the at least one base node from processing devices coupled to the at least one communications network on the display node during a meeting; and recording and storing digitally the data transmitted during the meeting and written on the whiteboard to provide a record of the meeting.

Tools for Collaboration
Allowing ad hoc groups of persons to communicate with each other is one of the fundamental aspects of collaboration, problem solving, negotiation, teaching and education, etc. To assist in communication, there has been an explosion of electronic communication tools such as electronic conferencing tools, e.g. synchronous and asynchronous conferencing, online chat, Instant Messaging, audio conferencing, videoconferencing, data conferencing, application sharing, remote desktop sharing, electronic meeting systems, collaborative management (coordination) tools, project management systems, knowledge management systems, and social software systems.
One classic approach is the lecture or seminar often involving a presentation using presentation software. To a large extent the traditional single person presentation or lecture has been maintained with the audience being in a rather passive mode as far as determining, constructing, augmenting or modifying the information to be presented is concerned.
As with other business processes, meetings are going digital. Increasingly, people are using computer technology alone and in conjunction with broadband networks to support their meeting objectives prior to and during an actual meeting. For example, e-mail is used to pass around files for people to read prior to a meeting.
Collaborative workspaces in corporate networks and on the Internet offer geographically distributed collaborators a virtual repository for documents related to a project or a meeting. Electronic meeting support systems, such as interactive network-connected white boards and videoconferencing appliances, are available for the benefit of those who share the same room as well as those who are in remote locations.
The AMIDA Final Public Report describes the overall methodology behind the development of meeting support technologies. It reports that numerous studies confirm that meetings dominate the way people work. Namely, according to a study conducted by MCI Worldcom in 2003 a business person participates in 60 meetings per month. People meet in groups for a multitude of reasons. They interact in numerous predictable and unpredictable ways and the results of their interactions are as varied as the people who participate and the projects on which they are collaborating or communicating. Studies of business processes also reveal that approximately 80% of the "workload" associated with a project or process happens in preparation for a meeting. In other words, many people view the "live" meeting as a milestone or deadline by which they can pace and measure their productivity and that of their colleagues. Unfortunately, for many information managers, being in perpetual meetings has reduced their ability to prepare adequately for the next meeting, perpetuating a vicious and negative cycle.
However, Marc Al-Hames et al. report in "Audio-Visual Processing in Meetings: Seven Questions and Current AMI Answers", that although large parts of working days are consumed by meetings and conferences, unfortunately a lot of them are neither efficient, nor especially successful. They report a study in which people were asked to select emotion terms that they thought would be frequently experienced in a meeting. The top answer—mentioned from more than two third of the participants—was "boring"; furthermore nearly one third mentioned "annoyed" as a frequently perceived emotion.
The conclusion is that despite the plethora of electronic aids to meetings, fundamental problems in handling meetings have not been solved. In fact organising and conducting meetings in a business context involves a large number of factors.
Participation
A lack of efficiency of meetings is addressed in the article "Mood indicators on electronic meeting tools" IBM, IP.com number: IPCOM000011711D, Publication Date: Mar. 12, 2003. This article addresses the issue that the lack of direct feedback makes meetings clumsy, inefficient and often unproductive. It proposes a "mood indicator" as well as an "I want to ask a question" indicator which allow the presenter to choose an appropriate moment to pause, change track or field a question. It is argued that interrupting a presenter in full flow can be awkward; however, sometimes it is difficult to get an opportunity to ask a question or make a comment when many different people are trying to make their voices heard. In a similar vein, U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,035 suggests displaying a "murmur frame" for a participant to express a view. To increase user participation, US 2010/0087139 discloses a system for sending a selection to another computer, and US 2006/0095376 discloses a system for secure voting. Commenting, voting or selecting requires that a central authority provides the information that is to be selected or commented or voted on. Hence, these proposals still leave a central figure such as the presenter in a dominating position and the other members of the meeting are largely an audience with limited selection or voting or participation rights.
A further problem with meetings is that someone is usually late or has to leave early. With the person arriving late one has to decide if the meeting is interrupted and a summary of the proceedings so far is given. For the person leaving early (often a senior person), subsequent discussions can go missing. If there is a notes taker, this provides a personal summary of the meeting—but not an objective one.
Presents systems do not provide an optimal solution.
Legal and Security Issues
A legal requirement of a meeting is that presentations, comments and submissions need to be completely reproducible—in some circumstances, e.g. in a share holders' meeting, the events in the meeting should be subject to total recall. Computer-supported collaborative work technologies, particularly those which capture human verbal and non-verbal communications (audio and video interaction) in addition to text and graphics generated during a meeting, promise to have a long term impact on how people will prepare for and behave during and following meetings. In addition, connecting to a network brings the danger of virus, malware or spyware transfer in either direction, and there is danger of copying of confidential information.
Practical Difficulties
Scalability and Ease of Use
There are even more fundamental problems with using electronic tools in meetings. If two persons want to make two presentations then usually either both presentations must be placed on one machine or there is a need to swap between the presenters' machines. To bring the display content of a computer to a projector, the most common ways are to use a cable that connects the display adapter of the graphics card to the video input of the projector [method 1] or to use a software that captures the display contents and sends it over a wired or wireless network to a remote base unit connected to the projector [method 2]. This is often called "remote desktop" and is mostly used for remote administration or remote IT assistance purposes.
Less common but also practiced methods are to use a special device connected to the display adapter of the graphics card, that captures, encodes and streams the display content over a wired or wireless network [method 3].
Method 1 has several practical problems and disadvantages. In meetings where people want to contribute content from their own computers, e.g. to project images on a display, typically a video cable such as a VGA cable is used to connect each PC one at a time to the projector. This is not only not scalable but also can be and often is quite a cumbersome process that typically wastes valuable meeting time and takes the dynamism out of the meeting. Connection can be made more difficult and time consuming for example if the computer has to be rebooted for it to detect the projector or when the format of the PC differs from the format of the projector. In addition changing format can leave the computer with a new format that is not compatible with its own screen so that on reboot of the PC alone, nothing is displayed on the computer screen. Without a visible screen image the necessary re-configuration can be difficult.
These issues are aggravated by a number of elements:                The use of many different video adapters, such as VGA, DVI, DP, HDMI, . . .        Reach depends on cable length: too long leaves a tangled cable "salad" in the meeting room, too short reduces flexibility, often necessitating people to move around in the meeting room when they want to present something.        Cable connection is either point to point or requires tedious and extensive cabling and the use of complex and expensive video switches.        It is often difficult and time consuming to find the right display resolution and refresh rate that both the computer and the display or projector support.
Method 2 also has many drawbacks. If the connection is made to a corporate LAN there is a danger of virus, malware or spyware transfer in either direction, there is danger of copying of confidential information, and there is the difficulty of making the connection, e.g. entry of a user code and password, as well the administration of such passwords and user codes.
The advantage of method 3 is that the computer does not need to use its own processing power to bring the display content in a form that is easily transported over a network. This advantage becomes less relevant as computers grow in processing power. A drawback of method 3 is that the same problems often encountered with method 1 of connecting to the display adapter remain. Another drawback is that the special device referred to requires significant processing power, which means that this device will consume much power, be relatively big and certainly be relatively expensive.
An alternative method in the making today is to use the well known USB interface of the computer for extracting the display content of the computer. US 2009/0198839 discloses such a pluggable cable arrangement. US 2011/0115689 discloses a similar USB solution for wireless connection to a projector. Accordingly connecting a projector to a computer using the standard USB port might become commonplace with time. However, this usually requires special drivers and even special hardware. Connecting a projector to a computer using the standard USB port hence might become commonplace—but even when that happens there will be a mix of new and legacy machines for several years.
Firewalls
Additional problems can occur with firewalls. Typically a visitor to a meeting will bring a computer such as a laptop that is set up for a different corporate networking environment and hence has different or incompatible networking settings. The setting up of a firewall can be complicated and if this is not done correctly, telecommunication software that has to pass through a firewall may be blocked. In order to solve problems associated with firewalls it may be necessary to open ports or identify or even add programs in an exception list. If, besides a network (hardware) firewall and an operating system firewall, there is any software based third-party firewall like Zonealarm, CA Internet Security Suite or McAfee Firewall, then it is necessary to follow that software developer's documentation to place programs on a safe list or adding exceptions to the firewall rules. Such activity is beyond the usual user. Fussing with computer settings, or having to call for IT support wastes valuable meeting time and takes the dynamism out of the meeting.
Conclusion
The following problems remain for holding a face-to-face meeting using advanced electronic tools at the present time:                Complexity of the networking infrastructure.        High demands on technical expertise of users in current systems that are supposed to be designed to support everyday use by the non-expert user.        Barriers to the use of complicated technology in meetings.        Great variety of possible collaborative software solutions—none of which seems to solve the fundamental problems of holding successful meetings.        Meetings being boring or annoying for members of the meeting.        Complexity of firewalls and other security measures employed in corporate networks.        Lack of, or restriction of participation by members of a meeting.        Time taken to prepare presentations for meetings.        Need to record events in the proper time sequence at meetings without burdening a meeting more than necessary.        Display real estate is monopolised by a single presenter.
Although some tools solve some of these problems effectively, no electronic meeting tool solves all of them.

Electronic tool and methods for recording a meeting


A system and method for operating a casino-style video game with a matching feature whereby players seek to group like game icons with one another. The system may use multiple pay tables with a relevant pay table being selected based on the number of grouped game icons forming a winning pattern such that the greater the number of matched or grouped game icons, the greater the return to player (RTP) associated with the corresponding pay table.

New younger gamblers have different needs than their older counterparts. Older gamblers are content pressing a slot machine SPIN button and waiting for the random outcome. Younger players desire more interaction and intellectual involvement with their video-based games of chance. Developers of skill-based and pseudo skill-based games of chance are seeking to attract the younger players.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to develop a gaming system having an interactive matching feature with multiple pay tables premised on a number of matches.

Interactive video gaming system involving a matching feature and multiple pay tables and method of utilizing the same


A solid-state imaging device includes first pixels and second pixels. Each of the first pixels and the second pixels includes a p-type diffusion layer formed in a semiconductor substrate and an n-type diffusion layer formed on the p-type diffusion layer. A first p-type implantation layer is formed on a surface side of the semiconductor substrate on the n-type diffusion layer of the first pixels. A second p-type implantation layer having a lower impurity concentration than the first p-type implantation layer or no p-type implantation layer is formed on a surface side of the semiconductor substrate on the n-type diffusion layer of the second pixels.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a solid-state imaging device that is used in a camera and the like.
2. Background Art
In recent years, solid-state imaging devices have been actively developed and their applications have been extended to various fields such as an in-vehicle camera and a surveillance camera in addition to a video camera and a digital still camera. An in-vehicle camera and a surveillance camera are sometimes used in a very severe environment as compared to a video camera, a digital still camera, and the like. For example, a surveillance camera that is installed outdoor, an in-vehicle camera that is mounted near a driving portion of a vehicle, and the like are expected to be used in an environment in which an ambient temperature changes significantly.
In commonly used CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type and MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type solid-state imaging devices, a dark current increases with an increase in temperature of the solid-state imaging device, which may cause significant degradation in image quality. Moreover, an increase in temperature of the solid-state imaging device itself may possibly reduce the service life of the solid-state imaging device. For example, an in-vehicle camera is used to control steering of a vehicle by detecting a white line on the road that continuously extends from far away to near the vehicle and to control braking of a vehicle by recognizing an environment ahead of the vehicle such as a road structure and a vehicle in front. Since degradation in image quality due to an increase in temperature of a solid-state imaging device may cause malfunction of the above control operations, a high quality level is required for a solid-state imaging device.
In view of the above problems, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-44872, for example, proposes a technology of detecting a temperature of a solid-state imaging device by utilizing temperature dependency of a differential output (a dark current) between an output of a photoelectric conversion portion of an optical black portion provided in the solid-state imaging device and an empty feed output that does not include an output signal of the photoelectric conversion portion. In this technology, the temperature of the solid-state imaging device is kept constant by operating a cooling device based on the detected temperature information, whereby degradation in image quality is prevented.


This invention provides a method of treating diabetic complications in mammals which comprises the administration of a compound of the Formula I: ##STR1## in which n, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 are variables.

Diabetic complications, including diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy are largely the result of abnormalities in microvascular function. Changes in vascular function include increased blood vessel permeability and altered blood flow. These changes precede the development of the clinical symptoms of diabetic complications.
Diabetic retinopathy and proliferative vitreoretinopathy are characterized by the growth of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis. One of the early events in angiogenesis is secretion of proteases involved in the dissolution of the basement membrane. These proteases include the plasminogen activators, procollagenase and prostromelysin. Plasminogen activators such as urokinase (uPA) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) are serine proteases which cleave the zymogen plasminogen to generate the active serine protease plasmin. Plasmin can influence basement membrane integrity directly through cleavage of basement membrane components or indirectly through cleavage of procollagenase and prostromelysin to generate active collagenase and stromelysin. The resulting dissolution of the basement membrane allows the endothelial cells to escape from the microvessel and begin the neovascularization process.
Increased plasmin formation also has several ramifications in terms of the permeability of the diabetic microvessel. Plasmin can directly degrade basement membrane components or can activate stromelysin, thus directly or indirectly influencing the normal turnover of heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG). Because HSPG is involved in blood vessel permeability as well as growth control, this enhanced degradation of HSPG may result in its depletion from the membrane with resultant increased vessel permeability.
Microvascular dysfunctions arise through this abnormal activation of endothelial cells which is mediated, in part, through protein kinase C (PKC)-regulated pathways. See MacGregor, et al., J Clin Invest, 83: 90-94 (1988); Lee, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 85: 5141-5145 (1989).
Agents that block or reverse the activation of endothelial cells and inhibit the alterations in microvessel function will have a beneficial effect in terms of preserving normal structure and function in the tissues affected by the complications of diabetes. The agents will improve the quality of life and longevity of diabetics.
The present invention discloses a method of inhibiting endothelial cell activation. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of treating diabetic complications in mammals which comprises the administration of a compound of the Formula I: ##STR2## This invention covers the use of these compounds in the treatment of diabetic complications, as well as in other disease states in which there is vascular dysfunction.


An entertainment system includes a two-handed controller comprising corresponding controls in each of opposing halves of the controller, a first of the corresponding controls in each half providing input in at least two dimensions and a second of the corresponding controls in each half providing input in at least one dimension; and an entertainment device comprising a receiver adapted to receive control input signals from the two-handed controller, and adapted to operate in a first mode where the received control input signals from the controller are interpreted according to an asymmetric control assignment, and to operate in a second mode where control input signals from the first and second controls for a respective half of the controller are used to control the position of a respective virtual limb in three dimensions within a virtual environment provided by the entertainment device.

The present invention relates to an input apparatus and method.
Modern videogames are frequently designed to be immersive experiences, particularly with the advent of affordable virtual reality (VR) headsets for use with PCs and consoles. One aspect of in-game immersion that VR highlights (although it is not limited to VR) is that, once the user is able to suspend disbelief and envisage themselves within the game environment, they often wish to interact with the environment in a similarly immersive and hence natural manner.
Consequently, many VR systems offer two separate controllers, one for each hand. In this way, a user can easily point a hand or otherwise move their hands to create gestures and poses that may be relevant to game play, such as notionally holding a bow and pulling back an arrow, eating an virtual object that gives in-game health by bringing it to their mouth, or simply placing an object held in a hand of their in-game avatar on a surface within the videogame environment.
However, not all players of video games have these separate controllers available. This makes it difficult to develop games (or game engines) for VR that have in-game mechanics reliant on the use of separate hand-held controllers, that can also be released on conventional platforms with their (currently) larger markets.


Actuators using piezoelectric drives, S-drives, or S-flexures are disclosed. The actuators can include S-drives connected in series to deflect substantially in a common deflection direction. The actuators can also include pairs of piezoelectric elements connected together for rotation in the plane of the pairs. An arm assembly and a forearm assembly can each have a plurality of S-flexures for deflection along substantially orthogonal axes.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are commonly fabricated on silicon (Si) or silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, much as standard integrated circuits are. However, MEMS devices include moving parts on the wafers as well as electrical components. Examples of MEMS devices include gyroscopes, accelerometers, and microphones. MEMS devices can also include actuators that move to apply force on an object. Examples include microrobotic manipulators. However, various existing MEMS actuator schemes have a small operating range (e.g., motion only on the order of tens of microns) or require position feedback external to the MEMS (e.g., a laser and photodiode system). There is a continuing need, therefore, for improved microactuators, including microactuators that have a larger operating range than prior actuators.
"Powering 3 Dimensional Microrobots: Power Density Limitations" by Fearing (1998 Tutorial on Micro Mechatronics and Micro Robotics) describes various types of microactuators, including piezoelectric microactuators.
"Introduction to Piezo Transducers" (2011) by PIEZO SYSTEMS, Inc., pg. 1, shows examples of longitudinal (d33) and transverse (d31) piezoelectric motors. In a longitudinal motor, a layer of piezoelectric material extends parallel to an applied electric field. In a transverse motor, a layer of piezoelectric material extends perpendicular to an applied electric field. This document, FIG. 2, shows a single layer transverse motor with voltage applied on the top and bottom of the layer. The sides contract with applied electric field, causing a change in length ΔLout.
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A., 2009, "Design, Fabrication, and Performance of a Piezoelectric Uniflex Microactuator", Journal of MicroMechanical Systems, 18(3), pp. 616-625.    [21] Koh, K. H., Lee, C., and Kobayashi, T., 2010, "A Piezoelectric-Driven Three Dimensional MEMS VOA using Attenuation Mechanism with Combination of Rotational and Translational Effects", Journal of MicroMechanical Systems, 19(6), pp. 1370-1379.    [22] Hishinuma, Y., and Yang, E. H., 2006, "Piezoelectric Unimorph Microactuator Arrays for Single-Crystal Silicon Continuous-Membrane Deformable Mirror", Journal of MicroMechanical Systems, 15(2), pp. 370-379.    [23] Oldham, K. R., Pulskamp, J. S., Polcawich, R. G., and Dubey, M., 2008, "Thin-Film PZT Lateral Actuators with Extended Stroke", Journal of MicroMechanical Systems, 17(4), pp. 890-899.    [24] Zhou, H., Henson, B., Bell, A., Blackwood, A. Beck, A. and Burn, R., "Linear Piezo-Actuator and its Applications", via http at zhouhx.tripod.com/piezopaper.pdf    [25] Conway, N. J., Traina, Z. J., and Kim, S. G., 2007, "A Strain Amplifying Piezoelectric MEMS Actuator", Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 17, pp. 781-787.    [26] COMSOL, Inc. 744 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, Calif. 94301, USA, www.comsol.com    [27] Yang, J., 2005, "An Introduction to the Theory of Piezoelectricity", Springer Science and Business Media, N.Y.    [28] Gabrielson, T. B., 2005, "Final Report for Failure Analysis of High-Power Piezoelectric Transducers", Office of Naval Research, Pennstate.
Reference is also made to the following:    [B1] B. C. Crandall, "Nanotechnology: Molecular Speculation on Global Abundance," Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1996.    [B2] B. Bhushan, "Handbook of Micro/Nano Tribology," Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC, 1995.    [B3] M. Yves, "Scanning Probe Microscopes," Bellingham, Wash.: SPIE, 1995.    [B4] S. Bashash and N. Jalili, "Robust Multiple Frequency Trajectory Tracking Control of Piezoelectrically Driven Micro/Nanopositioning Systems," IEEE Trans. on Control Sys. Techn., vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 867-878, 2007.    [B5] A. l. Fleming and S. O. R. Moheimani, "Sensorless vibration suppression and scan compensation for piezoelectric tube nanopositioners," IEEE Trans. on Control Systems Technology, vol. 14, no. I, pp. 33-44, 2007    [B6] R. Howland and L. Benatar "A practical guide to scanning probe microscopy. ThermoMicroscopes," March 2000.    [B7] Kochervinskii, V. "Piezoelectricity in Crystallizing Ferroelectric Polymers". Crystallography Reports, 2003, 48 (4): 649-675.    [B8] J. Clark, F. Li, H. Lee, etc. "Using MEMS as self-calibrating forcedisplacement transducers: a theoretical study," NSTI-nanotech, 2010.    [B9] F. Li and J. Clark, "Practical measurements of stiffness, displacement, and comb drive force of MEMS," IEEE UGIM, 2010.


An impact crusher with a rotor and one or more impact members interconnected to form an adjustable impact member system, a first impact member being mounted pivotally around a first horizontal axis by way of at least one drive means, on the second horizontal axis of which a further impact member, pivotal by way of at least one drive means, is provided, in which context the horizontal axis pivotally supporting the impact member is provided in the region of that end of the first impact member which is remote from the horizontal axis and the second impact member comprises one or more levers.

An impact crusher for crushing material of various consistencies is known for example from DE 23 31 729 A1 in which the impact plates are interconnected in articulated manner to form a coherent composite pivotal impact member, each of the interconnected impact plates deriving adjustable support individually from the housing.
The impact plates may have impact surfaces which are at angles to one another or are stepped along the path of the material as it is entrained from the inlet side of the machine. The principles of such machines have also been developed in the Chemical Engineers Handbook, Perry and Chilton, 5th edition, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York, 1973, at Chapter 8, pages 19 ff.
This known impact crusher, just like impact other crushers of the same genus, suffers from the substantial drawback that the upper impact member, provided downstream of the machine inlet yields outwardly due to foreign objects which cannot be crushed entering the machine, so that the crushing gap between the rotor and the lower impact member is decreased to such an extent, due to the upper impact member pivoting outwardly, that a risk arises of foreign objects getting wedged between the rotor and the impact member, leading to possible damage to the rotor and/or the impact member, so that the continued operability of the installation can no longer be ensured.


An image display apparatus equipped with an analog tuner and a digital tuner includes a key input unit for enabling a user to input an automatic channel scan command and other requests; a controller for conducting channel scan in response to the automatic channel scan command inputted through the key input unit, the channel scan first being conducted on analog channels and then digital channels by using the analog tuner and the digital tuner, or first being conducted on digital channels and then analog channels by using the digital tuner and the analog tuner, wherein the comparison of the number of channels scanned first with a predetermined number of channels determines a channel scan method; and a memory for storing analog channels/digital channels being automatically scanned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an image display apparatus, more particularly, to a digital TV and a channel setting method thereof, wherein digital channel scan is not performed on channel numbers reserved for analog broadcast.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
In general, when an analog broadcast is seen on a big screen TV, image quality is lowered, and the number of allocated channels is limited to 80 including VHF (very high frequency and UHF (ultra high frequency) channel band, so an analog TV has its limit as a single direction medium.
To overcome the problems of the analog broadcast system, a digital broadcast system has been developed. The digital broadcast remarkably improved the image quality of the analog broadcast, offering an image more than twice as clear as the analog broadcast. And, since there is no interference between adjacent channels, the digital television provides full surfing capability, using every channel not used.
Another merit of the digital broadcast is that it can freely transfer, process, provide, and store contents (video, audio, data) without data loss. Thus, a lot of services the analog broadcast system could not provide are now available.
For example, the digital broadcast does not have a ghost that usually occurs as an analog TV signal goes through the air or significant image deterioration in image quality (e.g., bleeding), so that it can provide services with high image quality and high sound quality.
The high image quality refers to clear, crisp images equivalent to 35 mm film images. Generally, a HDTV (High Definition Television) provides such images. On the other hand, a SDTV (Standard Density Television) provides nearly 16 mm film images, yet they are still better than the images in the analog broadcast.
The image gets clearer as the number of pixels, the smallest resolvable rectangular area of an image on a screen, is higher. Normally, the HDTV has resolution of 2 million pixels (resolution: 1920×1080), and the SDTV has resolution of 350,000 pixels (resolution: 720×480). The high sound quality refers to the CD-quality stereo sound quality or 3D surround sound quality of film Considering that 6 speakers are used to produce the 3D surround sound, the digital TV brings viewers stereo, real-time effects that could find in a movie theater only.
Because of these advantages, the digital broadcast system has grown more and more popular. Although the analog broadcast and the digital broadcast will go on the air together by 2010, the digital broadcast will ultimately replace the analog broadcast at the end.
Right now, digital TVs provide automatic channel setup environments to enable viewers to tune into both analog and digital broadcasts at the same time.
That is, after checking the statue of an antenna currently being used to receive TV signals, the digital TV sets the channels in order of over-the-air broadcast/cable broadcast/digital TV air broadcast/digital TV cable broadcast.
FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates frequencies of channels currently being used for broadcasting.
As shown in FIG. 1, channels 2-69 are allocated to the over-the-air broadcast TV programs, and channels 1, 14-125 are allocated to the cable broadcasts. Therefore, the digital TV checks a synchronous signal with a channel in a frequency range corresponding to each number. Thus, if a synchronous signal exists in a certain channel, the digital TV remembers the channel, but if not, it does not remember the channel.
Here, the over-the-air broadcasts and the digital TV air broadcasts use the same frequency band, and the cable broadcasts and the digital TV cable broadcasts use the same frequency band.
Therefore, digital broadcasts cannot be sent to the frequency band already being used for analog broadcasts. This means that it is useless to scan digital broadcasts on analog broadcast signals.
Nevertheless, when the automatic channel scanning is set, the related art digital TV scans digital broadcasts even in the frequency band for analog broadcasts. Thus, it takes more time than necessary to set channels.

Digital TV and channel setting method thereof


A method is provided for identifying a battery pack that is operably coupled to a battery charger. The method comprises: measuring voltage at a plurality of designated terminals of a first battery pack while the battery pack is coupled to the battery charger; determining how many of the designated terminals are connected to a reference voltage, such as battery positive; and identifying an attribute of the battery pack based on how many of the designated terminals are connected to the reference voltage.

Cordless products or devices which use rechargeable batteries are prevalent in the marketplace. Rechargeable batteries may be used in numerous devices ranging from computers to power tools. Since the devices use a plurality of battery cells, the battery cells are commonly packaged in a battery pack. The battery pack may in turn be used to power the devices when coupled thereto. Once depleted, the battery pack may be recharged by a battery charger.
Typically, a battery charger can only charge a specific type of battery pack as the terminal arrangement amongst different types of battery packs vary. For example, a 20 volt battery pack may have a different terminal arrangement than a 14 volt battery pack. It is appreciated that these two different battery packs may require two different battery chargers. One way to avoid the need for multiple battery chargers is to create a standard interface between different types of battery packs. In this way, it may be feasible to charge each of the different types of battery packs using the same battery charger. To ensure a proper charging algorithm is applied to battery packs having different attributes, the battery charger needs to accurately identify the type of battery pack that is coupled to the battery charger. Therefore, it is desirable to develop an improved identification scheme amongst battery packs that couple to the same battery charger.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Battery pack identification scheme for power tool systems


An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system suited for changing a drive operating point of a fuel cell at the time of low-efficiency power generation. The fuel cell system in accordance with the present invention includes a fuel cell which generates electric power by supplied reactant gases, an air compressor which adjusts the flow rate of a reactant gas supplied to the fuel cell, and a controller which controls an output current of the fuel cell by controlling the air compressor to change a drive operating point of the fuel cell. The controller sets a restriction on at least one of a current change amount and a voltage change amount per unit time when changing the drive operating point of the fuel cell in a range of low-efficiency power generation in which a power loss is larger than that in normal power generation.

A solid polymer fuel cell mounted on a fuel cell hybrid vehicle or the like generates electric power from a chemical reaction between a fuel gas, which contains hydrogen, and an oxidizing gas (hereinafter generically referred to as "the reactant gases"). An optimum temperature range for the fuel cell to generate electric power is generally known to be 70 to 80° C. However, the power generation by the fuel cell cannot follow a target electric power until the temperature range is reached, and there are cases where equipment (such as a motor) cannot be driven according to a request. There is also a case where it takes a long time to reach the optimum temperature range after the fuel cell is started up, depending on a use environment, such as a freezing temperature.
In view of the situations described above, the fuel cell system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-313388 is adapted to carry out low-efficiency power generation of the fuel cell when a temperature is low, thereby promptly raising the temperature of the fuel cell. The low-efficiency power generation refers to power generation which has a larger power loss, as compared with normal power generation. In other words, the low-efficiency power generation Of the fuel cell refers to power generation in which the efficiency of the power generation is set to be lower than that in the normal power generation so as to increase a self-heating value, as compared with that in the normal power generation. This fuel cell system adopts a method in which the pressure and the flow rate of the reactant gas supplied to the fuel cell are set to be insufficient in order to carry out the low-efficiency power generation.


A visual driving aid secured or projected onto a portion of the windshield of a vehicle which allows the vehicle operator to determine and project the wheel path of the vehicle in the advance road surface, the visual driving aid being an indicia on the windshield in front of the driver, the positioning or projection of the indicia taking into account the sight characteristics of the individual user so as to allow the user to determine and project the wheel path of the vehicle while in motion in order to aid the user in the avoidance of hazardous situations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a visual driving aid, and more particularly, to an indicia placed or projected onto the windshield of a vehicle, which indicates to the driver or allows the driver to project the vehicles wheel path lines into the distance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In operating a vehicle, the curb line, center line, or in multi-lane traffic, the lane lines provide the driver with an indication or reference point as to the location of the driver's vehicle, vis-à-vis other lanes and other traffic. However, the driver has no indication or reference point as to the path between these reference lines that the vehicles wheels are traveling or projected to travel. Under perfect driving conditions, this would normally not be a concern, however, there are seldom perfect driving conditions. As an example, when driving at a moderate speed on either a single lane highway or multi-lane highway, the driver identifies a pot hole in the distance he needs to quickly ascertain whether or not his vehicle will pass over or to the side of the pot hole, such that the pot hole will not engage any of the wheels of the vehicle. This split second decision has to be made while evaluating the traffic around the vehicle, since in multi-lane highways, it may not be possible for the driver to make the necessary swerve in order to avoid the pot hole.
A similar but less dangerous situation arises when the driver is parking the vehicle next to a curb. The driver uses a sense of distance or his relationship with other parked vehicles to position his vehicle at an appropriate distance from the curb.
Applicant's novel visual driving aid would eliminate the guesswork in the above identified situations and allow the driver to know at all times exactly the projected line which the wheels of the vehicle in which he is driving will take.


A line circuit whose circuit components are selectively controllable by a microprocessor/DSP to provide normal BORSCHT functions or to be selectively tested without need for an electromechanical relay to isolate the line circuit from the loop conductors. The conventional line transformer is advantageously replaced by a loop current feed resistor network and either a high voltage or a lower voltage battery may be connected to provide loop current to the resistor network through a current regulator circuit and battery switch circuit. In normal operation, an ac feedback path, which includes the line receive amplifier, increases the terminating impedance above the dc value of the feed resistors so the loop termination resistor network may match the characteristic impedance of the loop at the audio frequencies employed. In the testing mode, the microprocessor/DSP selectively applies or denies power to the line driving and receive amplifiers as well as to a level shifting circuit interposed between the codec analog output and the input to isolate or include these components or to provide a codec loop-back path. The condition of the dc feed resistors and protective fuses, the condition of the loop closure detector and of the ringing generator are reported to the microprocessor/DSP over the same terminal normally used for reporting the on-hook and off-hook status of the loop.

A telephone line circuit, traditionally located at the telephone central office, provides a number of functions for the customer loop it serves. "BORSCHT" is the mnemonic frequently used to identify the principal ones of such functions: battery feed, over-voltage protection, ringing, supervision of the loop, coding/decoding, hybrid function, i.e., connection of two-wire subscriber line to the four-wire network, and testing.
The growing trend to the concentration of customer lines remote from the central office requires that BORSCHT functions be provided by line cards remotely located from the central office switch--with the result that the automatic testing equipment of the central office is no longer locally available to the line circuit. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a line interface circuit which could accomplish, in a self-contained manner, many of the testing functions priorly requiring the local availability of central office switching equipment. Additionally, it would be advantageous to reduce the cost and size of the line interface circuit without sacrificing reliability. In particular, it would be advantageous to eliminate the need for the line transformers and electromechanical loop isolation relay that has previously been required to disconnect the Tip and Ring conductors of the customer loop from the line circuit so the line circuit could be tested without being affected by, or affecting, conditions on the loop.
It has heretofore been recognized that one of the conventional electromechanical relays, namely, the ringing relay, whose transfer contacts connect the ring conductor of the loop either to the line circuit or to the ringing generator, may be replaced by a transistor switch. U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,701 issued Mar. 24, 1987 to R. J. Cubbison, Jr. teaches that when the relay is replaced by a transistor switch it is necessary to provide a feedback path to prevent the finite resistance of the cutoff transistor from coupling the ringing signal into the line circuit and to compensate for the transistor's finite forward resistance to prevent longitudinal unbalance.
It has also been appreciated, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,416 issued Aug. 23, 1994 to J. C. Gammel, that the rapid detection of the off-hook condition when the ringing signal is applied to the loop, i.e., high-speed ring trip, can be achieved by monitoring the ringing signal polarity and cutting off the ringing current when it rises above a certain threshold amplitude during a particular polarity of the ringing voltage.
It would be advantageous if a line circuit could be provided which was capable, without need for an electromechanical loop isolating relay, of determining whether there are false crosses or grounds on the tip and ring conductors and of verifying the condition of the line circuit's fuses, DC feed and voice frequency terminating impedances, codec and tip and ring driving amplifiers as well as the ring trip and loop closure detectors. It would be advantageous to be able to ascertain the condition of these circuits under different battery supply voltages.


A risk management system may include a memory system that may contain a plurality of risk software objects, each of which represents a risk associated with an enterprise and which is configured to contain attributes and methods. The memory system may include a plurality of non-risk software objects, each of which represent something associated with the enterprise other than a risk, as well as a relationship between one of the risk software objects and one of the non-risk software objects. A computer processing system may be configured to manage the software objects and the relationship. Relationships may also be with workflow processes. Numerous variations, as well as related processes and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

1. Field
This application relates to risk management, to systems and methods that manage risk, and to content, process, document and records management systems.
2. Related Art
Many risk control systems are built on flat databases that are merely used to record and monitor a catalog of risks. Information concerning the status of these management efforts is typically entered manually into the risk control system. The actual management of the risks is typically handled outside of these systems.
Frequently, the risk database that is used in these systems lags behind the actual risk circumstances and adds little value to the risk management process, other than to create a record for compliance purposes. Losses that are associated with these risks also often tend to be kept separately.
At the same time, there has been a growing need to properly control operational risks. Regulatory authorities are tightening up on the required degree of controls, including regulations such as the Basel Accord II, the FSA Risk Framework, and the Turnbull Report/Common Code of Practice.
In short, there is a growing need to be proactive in the management of risk, to reduce and mitigate risk, to reduce the capital needed to cover risk, to better control the processes associated with risk, to more promptly identify risk, to move business rules management away from legacy systems, and to transfer the management of risks to the owners of them.

Active and contextual risk management using risk software objects

International Business Machines Corporation


A hand held drill leverage unit for supporting, positioning, and leveraging a drill. The leverage unit has a main lever arm pivotally supported by a fulcrum unit. A drill end of the lever arm supports the drill, while an opposing, longer, handle end of the lever allows manipulation of the lever arm to control the position of, and to leverage, the drill. A user typically grasps the drill handle in one hand, the handle end of the lever arm in the other. Pulling the handle end away from the workpiece forces a leg or foot member of the fulcrum unit against a rear side of the workpiece or of another support member, making the fulcrum unit substantially stationary relative to the workpiece, so that further pulling of the handle end forces the drill end toward the work piece. As the preferred leverage unit need not be fastened or fixed to the workpiece or other support member, the user may quickly and easily move the drill and leverage unit to multiple drilling locations. To remove the drill and leverage unit from each drilling location, the user simply may stop the pulling of the handle end, optionally swing the foot/leg out away from the workpiece, and move the drill and leverage unit away from the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hand-held power drills, and more specifically, to a portable leverage unit for supporting and maneuvering a hand-held power drill.
2. Related Art
Issued patents relating to leverage accessories include: Imai (U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,456); Lierz (U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,119); Moorhead, Sr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,048); Screen (U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,704); Gardner (U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,467); Foshee, Jr. et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,158); Maecker (U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,650); and Merrick (U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,282).


Methods and systems for generating biocidal solution having a predetermined level of available free chlorine and pH, including an electrolytic cell that generates the biocidal solution by an electrolytic reaction, the electrolytic cell including an input pipe for receiving an input brine solution, an anode chamber including an anode and a cathode chamber including a cathode separated by a separator, electrical connections for application of voltage to the anode and cathode; temperature sensing means for detecting a temperature of a solution of the electrolytic cell and outputting a signal indicative of the detected temperature; and process control means for adjusting the voltage applied to the electrolytic cell by the process control means thereby maintaining the level of available free chlorine and pH at the predetermined level in response to the signal output from the temperature sensing means.

The present invention relates to an electrochemical generator and methods of using the same to generate a biocidal solution.
Biocidal solutions are often needed as a general disinfectant in various fields, such as in water decontamination, dental, medical and food preparation environments. For example, in hospitals, it is important to provide appropriate levels of sterility, particularly in operating rooms and other situations where invasive treatments are performed. Surgical instruments and other apparatus must be sterilized or disinfected, depending on their application, before use in order to reduce the risk of bacterial infection. One method of sterilization is the application of heat and pressure in an autoclave. However, this is not suitable for some medical apparatus, such as heat-sensitive endoscopes.
A typical method employed for reprocessing heat sensitive instruments involves the use of chemical biocides, such as glutaraldehyde. This can be unsatisfactory due to improper or incomplete disinfection. Furthermore, exposure to glutaraldehyde fumes can cause asthma and dermatitis in healthcare staff. Also, glutaraldehyde is believed to have relatively low sporicidal activity. Moreover, other disinfectants, such as chlorine dioxide and peracetic acid may suffer from similar handling problems as glutaraldehyde.
For some years, it has been known that electrochemical activation of brine or a saturated saline solution produces an electrochemically activated solution that is suitable for many applications, including general disinfection in medical and veterinary applications and the sterilization of heat-sensitive endoscopes, among other uses. There has been a recent interest in the use of an electrochemically activated solution as a disinfectant because of its rapid and highly biocidal activity against a wide range of bacteria, fungi, viruses and spores. Also, an electrochemically activated solution is an effective sterilizing cold non-toxic solution that is free from highly toxic chemicals, thereby presenting reduced handling risk.
Certain electrolytic cells are known to operate by a process described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,347 to Buckley et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. Referring to FIG. 1, the formation of a biocidal liquid as described in this patent can be divided into three main processing stages, namely an input and pre-processing stage, a production stage, and a storage and dispensing stage.
In the first (inputs and pre-processing) stage, there is an input of potable water which, for the purpose of generating a saline solution for use in the electrolytic cell, can first be passed through a water softener zone where excessive magnesium and calcium ions can be removed. The softened water can then be passed into a process water buffer zone where it can be held until required for use in the production of brine. Potable water input can also be passed directly to the storage and dispensing stage for use in the preparation of bacteria-free rinse water (in which case the water may not need to be softened).
The first stage also includes a salt (halide salt or ionic salt, e.g. NaCl) input to a brine generation zone where a concentrated salt solution is made up from the salt and the softened water obtained via the process water buffer zone. A further input can be provided for additional agents, such as a corrosion inhibitor, used to condition output solution produced by the process. The conditioner can be passed to a conditioner storage zone where it can be held until required.
Turning to the second (production) stage, this can include a constant salinity subsystem in which a saline solution of substantially constant concentration is produced by dilution of the brine from the brine generation zone with softened water from the process water buffer zone to the desired concentration. The resulting saline solution can then be passed from the constant salinity subsystem to one or more electrolytic cells, each including cathode and anode chambers (not shown), and across which a substantially constant electric current can be applied. The applied electric current can be maintained constant via an energy control and monitoring zone.
Catholyte and anolyte are produced from the cathode and anode chambers respectively as a result of the electrochemical treatment of the saline solution in the cells. A portion of the catholyte can be re-circulated, directly or indirectly, into the anode chamber to control pH. Anolyte and any catholyte which is not re-circulated to the anode chamber can both be dealt with in the third (storage and dispensing) stage. In particular, catholyte which is not re-circulated can be directed to waste and anolyte, otherwise referred to as the output solution, can be passed to a buffer and quality subsystem. The output solution can be tested in the buffer and quality subsystem and, if it fails to meet the quality standards, it can also be directed to waste. If the output solution falls within specification, a quantity of conditioner, such as a corrosion inhibitor, can be added to it in the buffer subsystem and the output solution can then be permitted to pass either into an output solution storage zone from where it is subsequently dispensed for use or into a rinse water subsystem.
Output solution directed to the rinse water subsystem can be diluted with potable water from the potable water input and can then be passed to a rinse water storage zone from where it is subsequently dispensed.
Information on the various processing stages and the ability to interact with the process as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,347 can be provided by means of a user interface and a service interface. The service interface also provides for remote access to the process, enabling an off-site engineer to obtain information on and make adjustments to the processing in each of the three stages.
Fluctuations in the temperature of the potable water causes a corresponding change in the temperature and conductivity of the brine solution that is formed from the potable water. The corresponding change in conductivity of the brine solution caused by the change in temperature affects the electrolytic process occurring in the electrochemical cells. Since conductivity of the brine solution is inversely related to resistance, a change in resistance effects current under Ohm's law (voltage (V) equals current (I) multiplied by resistance (R)). Aspects of the above relationships are described in commonly-assigned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0017820 A1 of Anderson et al., the entire content of which is incorporated herein. Current in the electrolytic process should be maintained at the appropriate level to produce an output solution having the desired pH and available free chlorine (AFC) levels. Therefore, there is a need for a control system to compensate for the fluctuations in temperature of the input water and input brine solution.

System and method for controlling the generation of a biocidal liquid


A method for controlling the refresh of data in reprogrammable nonvolatile memories includes a plurality of memory pages for storing data. The method performs the steps of: identifying with an error correction code errors in a read memory page; computing among the identified errors the number of retention errors and of non-retention errors, the non-retention errors especially comprising repeated read or programming errors; computing the retention age of the read memory page; estimating the remaining retention time for the read memory page depending on the parameters number of retention errors, number of non-retention errors and retention age computed beforehand; comparing the estimated value of the remaining retention time to a predefined value corresponding to a maximum time interval between two successive operations of reading a memory page; and determining whether the read memory page must be refreshed or not depending on the results of the comparison determining whether the page must be refreshed or not depending on the estimated value of the remaining retention time.

Nonvolatile memories (NVMs) have the capability of being able to keep their data after being powered down. Reprogrammable nonvolatile memories have the capability of being able to keep their data after being powered down, while allowing the data to be reprogrammed by the user. One example is flash memory the uses of which are many, e.g. in digital cameras, cell phones, printers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or devices for reading and recording audio such as digital audio players and USB keys. Flash memories form the storage infrastructure in the electronic discs known as solid-state drives (SSDs), which are intended to replace the conventional hard disks known as hard disk drives (HDDs).
An SSD may contain tens of flash memories. A flash memory is divided into thousands of blocks. Each block may contain about one hundred pages each containing thousands or tens of thousands of bits. Certain SSD use multi-level-cell (MLC) flash memories allowing 2 bits to be stored per memory cell or triple-level-cell (TLC) flash memories allowing 3 bits to be stored per memory cell, instead of 1 bit per memory cell as in single-level-cell (SLC) flash memories. Setting aside the increase in the etching fineness, the fact of storing a plurality of bits per cell allows data storage density to be increased and the difference in price per gigabyte (GB) between SSDs and HDDs to be decreased.
However, the improvement in storage density affects the retention time of the data stored in the memory cells, i.e. the time corresponding to the time period for which data is guaranteed to be preserved, and affects the endurance of flash memories, which is generally measured in number of guaranteed program/erase (P/E) cycles. For example, the endurance of a flash memory is decreased by a factor of ten on average for each additional bit stored in the memory cells. The limited retention of the data is due to the appearance of retention errors, the number of which increases with age, i.e. the time that has passed since the data were programmed.
It is possible to use more powerful error correction codes (ECC) with more check bits and a greater correction capability to increase the retention time of the data.
Periodically refreshing the data also allows the effects of the decrease in endurance and in retention time to be reduced. The data may be refreshed without changing the location where they are stored, i.e. just by injecting the amount of charge that is lacking onto the floating gate of the flash cells. Alternatively, the refresh may be achieved by rewriting the data, the data being reprogrammed in another physical location.
However, one drawback of such known approaches is that they are tailored for "worst-case" situations and do not take into account the variations in error rate that may be seen from one memory to another, from one block to another inside a given memory, or from one page to another inside a given block. Thus, for example, a large-scale study of the SSDs of a data center has shown that a relatively small number of SSDs contributes to a decrease in the overall error rate (J. Meza et al., "A large-scale study of flash memory failures in the field," ACM SIGMETRICS International Conference on Measurement and Modeling of Computer System, pp. 177-190, 2015). The SSDs that cause this "worst-case" situation require a set refresh frequency suitable for the error rate of these worst-case SSDs. However, this refresh frequency is too pessimistic for the other SSDs.
Patent application USA 2016/179406 A1 by Gorobets Sergey Anatolievich et al. proposes a first method for measuring and analyzing memory cells that independently measures/predicts memory wear/endurance, data retention (DR), read disturb and/or remaining margin, by constructing and analyzing histograms of the distribution of the states of the individual voltage levels of the cells. Preventative actions based on these measurements may be taken to improve the management of the memory and data. A second method proposed in this document allows a deterioration in DR to be predicted based on a measurement of the slope of the increase in the bit error rate (BER) over time. This second method requires each memory location that must be analyzed to be read multiple times and the results of these reads to be stored, because it is possible to make the estimations only after relatively long time intervals.
Thus, there is a need for a way to improve data retention time and memory endurance that avoids the use of more powerful correction codes. There is a need for a way to improve data retention time and memory endurance that adapts the data refresh cycles to the error rate of each SSD, memory, memory block or memory page, and that does not employ cycles tailored to the worst-case for the whole of a population of nonvolatile memories or SSDs able to contain units subject to more errors than others.
The present invention meets this need.

Device and method for controlling the data refresh cycles in reprogrammable non-volatile memories

COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES


The present invention pertains to moisture curable sealant compositions based on alkoxysilane functional poly(ether-urethane)s prepared from hydroxycarbamoylalkoxysilanes which provide improved paint adhesion even in the absence of polar solvents or polar plasticizers. The present invention also provides coated substrates and laminates formed from such compositions.

Sealants are often used in automotive, marine, aerospace, and construction markets to fill gaps, to prevent corrosion, and to create aesthetically pleasing surfaces. Commercially viable sealants strike an acceptable balance among end use performance properties such as cure speed, shelf life, rheological characteristics, adhesion to various substrates, and thermal and ultraviolet light stability. Consequently, such sealants typically contain rheology modifiers, adhesion promoters, oxidative stabilizers, plasticizers, and cure catalysts. A variety of technologies have been found useful in the manufacture of these sealants, including acrylic latexes, moisture curing silicones, and moisture curing isocyanate functional polymers. Moisture curing isocyanate functional polymers generally cure rapidly and, after cure, provide good adhesion to paint overcoats. Therefore, in applications which require that the sealant be painted soon after it is applied to a substrate, sealants based on moisture curing isocyanate functional polymer technology are particularly preferred. Even so, several problems attend the use of sealants based on moisture curing isocyanate functional polymers; under very hot, humid conditions these sealants are prone to foaming and the alcoholic co-solvents which are present in many paints react with the isocyanate termini of the moisture curing isocyanate functional polymers thereby rendering them non-reactive and permanently preventing cure.
Recently, sealants based on moisture curing alkoxysilane functional polymers have been proposed as alternative to those based on moisture curing isocyanate functional polymers. The alkoxysilane functional polymers are preferred over isocyanate functional polymers especially because they do not foam under hot, humid conditions and they cure properly even in the presence of alcoholic paint co-solvents. It is possible, therefore, to paint sealants based on alkoxysilane functional polymers before they are fully cured (i.e., wet-on-wet) thereby eliminating the non-productive cure time required before painting sealants based on moisture curing isocyanate functional polymers.
Alkoxysilane functional polymers known in the art have been prepared by numerous methods including: condensation of isocyanate functional polymers with amine, mercaptan, or hydroxyl functional silanes; condensation of amine, mercaptan, or hydroxyl functional polymers with isocyanate functional silanes; coupling of mercaptan or hydrosilane functional polymers with alkene functional silanes; and coupling of alkene functional polymers with mercaptan functional silanes or alkoxyhydrosilanes. Alkoxysilane functional polymers may be compounded to form materials useful as moisture curable sealants. While a large number of alkoxysilane functional polymers has been disclosed in the art, none provide moisture curing sealants exhibiting acceptable paint adhesion when the paint is applied during the latter stages of cure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,722 (Seiter), U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,844 (Barron et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,623 (Emmerling et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,955 (Zwiener et al.) each disclose alkoxysilane functional poly(ether urethanes). None of these teaches a moisture curable sealant exhibiting acceptable paint adhesion when the paint is applied during the latter stages of cure.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,476,889 and 5,464,888 (Owen) describe alkoxysilane functional polymer based sealant compositions in which the alkoxysilane endgroups are attached to a polypropylene oxide backbone through alkylene linking groups. While the initial paint adhesion of these sealant compositions was improved through incorporation of polar plasticizers such as N-ethyl-p-toluenesulfonamide or polar solvents such as N-methylpyrrolidinone, the paint adhesion decreases to unacceptable levels as the alkoxysilane functional polymer cures.

Hydroxycarbamoylalkoxysilane-based poly(ether-urethane) sealants having improved paint adhesion and laminates prepared therefrom

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company