A binder unit, for binding a sheet stack having a mounting hole, includes an elongated binding body and two fastening arms. The binding body has a first binding portion biasing against a top side of the sheet stack at an edge portion thereof, a second binding portion biasing against a bottom side of the sheet stack, and a guiding slot aligning with the mounting hole. The fastening arms are extended from a first edge of the binding body to detachably engage with the second binding portion of the binding body at a position that the fastening arms are slidably coupled within the guiding slot through the mounting hole, wherein the fastening arms are bent for resting on the bottom side of the sheet stack to reinforce the edge portion of the sheet stack being securely sandwiched between the first and second binding portions of the binding body.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a paper binder, and more particularly to a binder unit for binding a stack sheet, wherein the binder unit provides a one-piece structure to securely hold the edge portion of the bundle of sheets through the holes thereof.
2. Description of Related Arts
A paper binder is considered as one of the common tools to hold several sheets of paper together. It is usually commonly used in office. People widely uses in its small, light, quick, and easily removed. Accordingly, there are two major types of conventional paper binder, which are hole-punching type and non-hole-punching type.
The non-hole-punching type of paper binder consists of paper clip, binder clip, and staples for holding bounce of paper together without punching any hole on the paper. The paper clip is a device which holds several sheets of paper together by means of pressure. It leaves the paper intact and can be quickly and easily removed. However, the paper clips must be configured in different sizes to fit the corresponding thickness of the paper stack. In other words, when more sheets of paper are gradually accumulated to increase the thickness of the paper stack, the user must change a bigger size of paper clip to hold the paper stack tightly.
Furthermore, the paper clip is a thin wire bent into a looped shape that takes advantage of the elasticity and strength of the material of its construction. However, the paper clip is extremely easy to be deformed its shape to loss the clip) ability of the paper clip. In other words, the paper clip is a good tool for the user to temporary hold the paper together, but it is not a secure way to put our important document together.
The binder clip is commonly used in the modern office, and is also a simple device for binding a few to many sheets of paper. In the same way, it leaves the paper intact and can be quickly and easily removed. As compared to a paper clip, the binder clip is able to bind sheets of paper more securely, and is also resistant to rust. But there are still several sizes of binder clips to meet the customers need in responsive to the thickness of the paper stack. Moreover, owing to the arm of force of the binder clip is usually small, people often need to apply huge force to allow the clip to be open. Furthermore, if there are only few sheets of paper for being held together, the binder clip is not usually function well. Thus, the size of the binder clip is relatively large that the binder clip will normally take the whole corner portion of the paper stack.
The staple is another way to hold a bunch of paper together. The legs of the stable are penetrated through the paper stack to the back side thereof and are folded over to provide greater binding that the friction of straight legs. It keeps the advantages of easily operating and secure. However, the staple will damage the paper stack especially when the staple is removed from the paper stack. Thus, the staple cannot be re-used.
The hole-punching type of paper binder requires two or more spaced apart holes punched on each of the paper to form a punching hole such that when the papers are stacked, the punching holes of the papers are aligned to form two spaced apart mounting holes for the paper binder binding thereat. Accordingly, such paper binder can securely hold the paper stack in position through the mounting hole especially for lots of papers stacking together. The paper binder generally comprises a base clip with two flexible arms extending through the mounting holes from the back side of the paper stack and a front clip coupling with the flexible arms at the front side of the paper stack. However, each of the punching holes of the paper is extremely easy to be damaged because the flexible arm may cut at the circumferential edge of the punching hole during binding operation. Thus, some hole-punching type of paper binders require two mounting holes to bind the papers while some hole-punching type of paper binders require three mounting hole to bind the papers. However, the particular configuration of the paper binder can only work with either the two-hole paper or the three-hole paper only.
Accordingly, the major drawback of the hole-punching type of paper binder is that once the papers are bound together, the user must take out the whole stack of papers to select the particular sheet of paper. In other words, when the user take out the whole stack of papers from the paper binder, the punching holes of the papers are not aligned anymore. Therefore, after the user takes the particular sheet of paper from the paper stack, he or she must align the punching holes of the papers again for the flexible arm passing therethrough. As it is mentioned above, the flexible arm may cut at the circumferential edge of the punching hole during binding operation.


A wagering, promotional or novelty product having a concealed message includes a sheet having an outer surface, ink visibly disposed on the outer surface in a first pattern, and transparent film overlying at least a portion of the inked outer surface and secured to the ink on the outer surface 8ortion in selected differentially adherent patterns, the first pattern being visible through the film. Removal of the film from the inked outer surface portion also removes the ink in one of the selected patterns to reveal a desired pattern of deinked outer surface and thereby render visible the previously concealed message.

The present invention relates to wagering, promotional or novelty products, and more particularly to such a product having a concealed message.
Promotional devices such as advertising sheets, wagering games such as lottery tickets, and novelty products such as greeting cards all desirably utilize a gimmick or technique to attract and maintain the interest of the prospective reader or user. A standard but still effective gimmick is the use of a concealed message including light-sensitive hidden messages (which are visible only under light of a particular wavelength), water-activated hidden messages (which are visible when the message is moistened with water), glow-in-the-dark hidden messages (which are visible only in darkness and after initial exposure to light), and rub-off lottery tickets (wherein the winning number or symbol is initially concealed by an opaque coating and revealed only when the coating is scratched or rubbed off, as with an eraser or coin), and the like. Where the product is a wagering card, such as the rub-off lottery ticket which the winning wagerer receives immediate gratification upon comparing the just revealed message with a fixedly visible message on the lottery ticket itself or elsewhere and finding a match, it is also necessary to reassure the wagerer that the person distributing the lottery tickets did not first see the concealed message and thereafter save for himself the winning, tickets, while selling only the losing tickets. Light-sensitive messages, water-activated messages, glow-in-the-dark messages and similar initially concealed messages which revert to their original "concealed" condition after having once been made visible are thus unsatisfactory from this purpose. Rub-off lotto tickets are only slightly better as, rightfully or wrongfully, the user may assume that ticket distributor could rub off the coating, view the "concealed" message, and then sell the winning tickets to himself and sell the losing tickets to others after applying a similar coating to them. Thus, in the case of wagering products, the product ideally evidences the continuously concealed nature of the concealed message prior to the wagerer himself revealing the same--for example, by irreversibly revealing the concealed message once it is revealed.
In any case, the elaborateness of the procedure required to bring out the concealed message may itself prove a turnoff to the user who may object to having to scratch or rub off the coating from the rub-off lottery tickets, to retreat to the bathroom or kitchen or to obtain water, to locate a room with special lighting or a dark room in order to see a message. Thus the need remains for a novelty item having a gimmick which reveals a concealed message easily, simply, rapidly and without the need for a special environment (such as darkness, special light, fluid, or the like).
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a novelty product having a concealed message which is easily, simply, and rapidly revealed without the need for a special environment.
Another object is to provide a method of making a wagering card having a concealed wager which is easily, simply, rapidly, and irreversibly revealed without the need for a special environment.
A further object is to provide a method of making a promotional piece having a pair of advertisements, the first advertisement being initially visible and the second advertisement being initially concealed but easily, simply and rapidly revealed without the need for a special environment.

Method of making a product having a concealed message


An information management system and the like capable of managing communication processing by an internal system mounted on a mobile apparatus such as a motor vehicle to ensure efficient use of information processing resources for packets distributed from an external system are provided. According to the information management system (100), a first processing section (110) determines necessity/unnecessity of a file for an information processing device (12) mounted on the motor vehicle based on file information about the content of the file distributed or transmitted from an external system (20). If the first processing section (110) determines that the file is necessary for the information processing device (12), a second processing section (120) causes the internal system (10) to execute “relay processing” of the file including collection and accumulation of packets, decoding of the packets to restore the file, and others.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system (information management system) managing an operation of an internal system mounted on a mobile apparatus, a motor vehicle as the mobile apparatus provided with the information management system, a program providing a computer mounted in the mobile apparatus with the function of managing the internal system, a system establishing the information management system, and an external system distributing or broadcasting packets to be collected or otherwise processed by the internal system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information processing devices mounted on a motor vehicle, such as a navigation device, a traveling control device and the like, have their functions updated as software stored in a memory of each device is updated, to ensure improvement in user-friendliness of the motor vehicle as well as the information processing devices. The software is updated as the data for updating of the software is transmitted or distributed from the distribution source to the information processing device (see Japanese Patent No. 3498887).
It however would be inappropriate from the standpoint of effective use of information processing resources if the packets are collected and accumulated unconditionally, and once the necessary packets are accumulated, they are decoded to restore a file, and the file is transferred to the information processing device. Specifically, in the case where the file is unusable for a target, or in the case where there is no target as the destination of the file, the information processing resources would be wasted for accumulation, decoding and outputting of the packets. Further, spending the resources for reception of a useless file and the like may slow down the speed to collect useful data. Such disadvantages become more serious as the number of packets constituting the file increases.

Communication control system, motor vehicle, communication control program, system establishing the communication control system, and external system


A display control apparatus in a system which is equipped with a plasma display unit as a standard I/O device and which can arbitrarily be connected to a monochromatic or color CRT display unit, includes a CRT palette in which gradation or color data is set from a CRT-BIOS, a PDP palette in which PDP gradation data is set, an arithmetic circuit for performing a predetermined arithmetic operation of the color data from the CRT palette and outputting gradation parameters, and a conversion table for storing a correspondence between the PDP gradation data and the CRT gradation data or the gradation parameters. The CRT gradation data set in the CRT palette is converted into PDP gradation data by the conversion table for storing the correspondence between the CRT gradation and the PDP gradation. The color data set in the CRT palette is subjected to a predetermined arithmetic operation by the arithmetic unit, thereby generating the gradation parameters. The parameters are converted into the gradation data by the conversion table for storing the correspondence between the CRT gradation parameters and the PDP gradation data. The converted data is set in the PDP palette.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display control apparatus which includes a flat panel display unit (FDP) such as a plasma display unit as a standard I/O device and can be arbitrarily connected to a CRT display unit, and can be suitable for use in a computer system such as a personal computer and a personal workstation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays and plasma displays have been used as display units for conventional lap-top type personal computers and personal workstations. However, strong demand has arisen for running an application program created for a CRT display unit in the above computer so as to utilize a wealth of all previous software. For this reason, the above computer equipped with a plasma display unit as a standard I/O device is arranged to be connectable to a CRT display unit as an optional I/O device.
A CRT display unit multigradation palette (CRT palette) is different from a plasma display unit gradation designation (4 through 16 gradation levels) palette (PDP palette), and different palette values are set therein.
For this reason, when a CRT application program runs to dynamically update the CRT palette, the palette value of the PDP palette is not changed even if the CRT palette value is changed.
Similarly, in a system to which a CRT color display unit can be arbitrarily connected, different palette values are set in a color palette for designating display colors of the CRT color display unit and the PDP palette. Even if the palette value of the CRT palette is arbitrarily changed in accordance with a display color designated by CRT application software, the palette value of the PDP palette is not changed. For this reason, although a change in gradation or hue can be identified on the CRT display screen, the change cannot be reflected on the PDP, resulting in inconvenience.

Display control apparatus for converting color/monochromatic CRT gradation into flat panel display gradation


A distance between an autonomously mobile information processing device and an apparatus is calculated based on positional information of the information processing device and positional information of the apparatus installed in a service provision site and necessary for a service to be provided by the information processing device, and the apparatus that is available is determined based on the distance between the information processing device and the apparatus in a case where the information processing device coordinates with the apparatus to provide the service.

The present invention relates to a server device, a device control method, and a recording medium.
The Internet of Things (IoT) technique that connects various apparatuses to the Internet and provides various services is prevailing widely. While the number of apparatuses to be connected to the Internet is rapidly increasing, robot systems that use communication to provide various services to people have been developed. Robots have moving functions to be achieved by motors, actuators, and the like, but apparatuses to be installed in the robots are limited due to the sizes, shapes, and the like of robot bodies. For example, to install a display apparatus such as a large display in a robot, the size of the robot needs to be large and the size and position of the display to be installed are limited. Thus, to make available an apparatus that cannot be installed in the robot within a robot system, a method for installing, outside the robot, the apparatus required to provide a service and causing the robot to control the external apparatus is considered.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-46706 describes a peripheral apparatus managing device that manages software resources within peripheral apparatuses such as a printing device connected to a network and includes a storage unit for storing types of software resource information indicating the software resources within the peripheral apparatuses, a first specifying unit for specifying a peripheral apparatus included in the network, a second specifying unit for specifying a peripheral apparatus included in the network, and a determining unit for determining whether a software resource within the peripheral apparatus specified by the first specifying unit is included in a software resource within the peripheral apparatus specified by the second specifying unit.

Server device, device control method, and recording medium


A doffer for use with a spindle type cotton harvester is provided which has non-radial lugs to provide a better distribution of stripping and unwrapping force components for enhanced doffing action. The leading edges of the lugs are curved and are angled with respect to the radial direction to provide a scissors action relative to the spindles as the doffer rotates for improved doffing and wear distribution. The lugs provide an immediate unwrapping component upon initial contact with the cotton-wrapped spindles, with less stripping action to reduce the amount of cotton forced between the spindles and the doffer. In another embodiment of the invention, lugs with different pitches are supported in alternating fashion so that the action of the lugs with the greatest pitch provide a large unwrapping force and the smaller pitched lugs provide a large stripping force. The rear portions of the lugs are curved for increased cotton throwing clearance.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to cotton harvesters and, more specifically, to an improved doffer for doffing cotton from picker spindles.
2. Related Art:
In the mechanical harvesting of cotton with spindle-type picking units, such as exemplified by the John Deere Model 9960 Cotton Picker, rotating spindles project into the row-receiving area of a harvester row unit to remove cotton from the plant. The rotating spindles are then moved under the face of a doffer of the type exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,736, Cerney et al, of common ownership with the present invention. The tangential velocity of the doffer is significantly greater than that of the spindle, and the motion of the doffer relative to the spindle unwraps cotton from the spindle, strips the cotton off the end of the spindle, and propels the cotton into a conveying air stream.
A conventional doffer has radially configured straight-edged lugs molded into the working face of the doffer disc to facilitate the doffing action. The action of the radially configured lugs provides a large stripping force component and a relatively small unwrapping force component. As a result of the distribution of force components, unwrapped cotton is frequently forced between the spindle and the doffer. As the wrapped spindles are forced through the doffer, the leading or working edges of the lugs wear, and the lugs flex. Doffer wear and chunking out of pieces of the lugs because of the lug flexure results in significantly reduced doffer life and need for frequent doffer adjustment. To prevent failure due to wrapped spindle induced flexure stress, doffers must be made of a more supple material; however, such a material typically does not have the wear resistance of a harder material so that wear is sacrificed for chunking resistance.
The radial lugs also have an instantaneous point of contact with the spindles at the outer leading edges of the lugs, and the remainder of the lug edge backs off from the spindle as the doffer rotates. As a result, the outer leading edges of the lug wear faster than the radially inward portions. Doffer pads often have to be replaced before the inner portions of the leading edges are worn significantly.
Propelling the cotton doffed from the spindles into the conveying air stream is an important function of the rotating doffer. Since the angle of contact between the spindle and leading edge of a radial doffer lug varies as the spindle passes through the doffing zone, the trajectory from the doffer is diffused. Also the distance of trajectory is relatively short because of the inefficient unwrapping action of the radial lug.
Present doffer lug configuration also requires that the spindles remain in the doffing zone a relatively long period of time for proper doffing. As a result, the cam and cam follower arrangement that orients the bars of spindles is subject to heavy loading and wear in the doffing zone.
The doffing action of the doffers frequently results in twists in the lint of the cotton boll (known as "prep"). Presence of prep lowers the grade of cotton and results in a lower prices for the farmer.
Doffing action of presently available doffers limits the range of crop conditions over which satisfactory picker operation can be achieved. In marginal conditions, less than optimal doffer efficiency can make the difference between being able to pick and not being able to pick.


A brake release device and a robot manipulator employing the same are provided. The robot manipulator includes a housing and a brake element. The housing defines an inner space and has an opening, and the inner space is in communication with a space outside the housing through the opening. The brake element is disposed within the inner space. The robot manipulator stops or is allowed to actuate according to a position of the brake element. The brake release device is connected with the brake element. The brake release device is partially located in the inner space, and the brake release device partially penetrates through the opening and is exposed from the housing. When the part of the brake release device exposed from the housing is moved by an external force so as to drive the brake element to move synchronously, the robot manipulator is allowed to actuate.

Nowadays, with the development in automation, robot manipulators have been extensively used. The brake device is a necessary part of the robot manipulator. Only when the brake thereof is released, the robot manipulator is allowed to move. In order to ensure the smooth operation of the robot manipulator and the safety of operators, the robot manipulator has to brake or release the brake immediately and stably. Conventionally, the brake is usually released through excitation. However, an external power source is required for the excitation. If the power is interrupted and cannot be recovered at once, it is unable to release the brake. Under this circumstance, the brake can only be released manually through removing the housing of the robot manipulator, which takes a lot of time and may causes doubts about safety.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a brake release device and a robot manipulator employing the same in order to overcome the above drawbacks.

Brake release device and robot manipulator employing same


A coaching system for drivers of vehicles monitors the power dissipation of a manual transmission clutch and, when the energy dissipated during an event is excessive, suggests modified driving technique. The system may monitor launch events, shift events, and steady state driving. The system may adjust the energy threshold at which a suggestion is provided based on vehicle weight or road gradient. The system may also adjust the energy threshold when an estimate of clutch temperature is elevated. The suggestion may be provided on a graphic display or may be provided verbally over a speaker. In some cases, the suggested may also be conveyed to a third party outside the vehicle.

A typical manual powertrain is illustrated in FIG. 1. Solid lines represent mechanical power flow through rotating shafts. Dashed lines represent control connections, which may be implemented using mechanical linkages. Engine 10 generates power at crankshaft 12 by burning fuel. The engine responds to changes in the position of accelerator pedal 14 to generate more power when the pedal is depressed further by the driver. Transmission 16 transmits power from crankshaft 12 to driveshaft 18 which may rotate at a different speed than crankshaft 12. Transmission 16 includes a friction clutch 20 and a gearbox 22 connected by input shaft 24. Gearbox 22 is capable of establishing a variety of forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio in response to driver manipulation of shifter 26. The driver controls the torque capacity of clutch 20 by manipulation of clutch pedal 28. Differential 30 splits power from driveshaft 18 between a left axle 32 driving a left wheel 34 and a right axle 36 driving a right wheel 38 while permitting slight speed differences between the axles as the vehicle turns a corner.
For internal combustion engine 10 to generate power, crankshaft 12 must rotate at sufficient speed. However, when the vehicle is stationary with gearbox 22 establishing a speed ratio, input shaft 24 is also stationary. In order to start the vehicle moving, the driver controls the torque capacity of clutch 20 to transmit power from moving crankshaft 12 to stationary input shaft 24. As the vehicle accelerates the speed of input shaft 24 gradually increases until it is equal to the speed of crankshaft 12, at which point clutch 20 can be fully engaged. With clutch 20 fully engaged, the speed of crankshaft 12 is proportional to vehicle speed. As the vehicle accelerates in 1st gear, the speed of crankshaft 12 becomes excessive, necessitating a shift to 2nd gear. Gearbox 22 is not capable of changing ratios while transmitting power. Therefore, the driver shifts by disengaging clutch 20, then manipulating shifter 26 to change the gearbox ratio, then re-engaging clutch 20. Re-engagement of clutch 20 forces the crankshaft speed to become equal to input shaft speed, predominantly by changing the speed of the crankshaft.
Whenever clutch 20 transits torque between shafts rotating at different speeds, as during a vehicle launch event, some power must be dissipated. Power is the product of speed and torque. During a launch event, the torque exerted by the crankshaft and the torque exerted on the input shaft are both equal to the clutch torque capacity. The power flowing into the clutch is the torque capacity multiplied by the crankshaft speed. The power flowing out of the clutch mechanically is the torque capacity multiplied by the input shaft speed. The difference between the power inflow and the mechanical power outflow is dissipated by conversion into heat. Initially, the heat is absorbed into clutch components causing the temperature of those components to increase. Then, the heat is gradually transferred to the environment through convection, conduction, and radiation, gradually reducing the temperature of the clutch components.
The amount of energy dissipated by the clutch in a time interval is equal to the integral of the power dissipation over time. If an excessive amount of energy is dissipated in a short amount of time, the clutch temperature will rise excessively. When the clutch temperature is elevated, the rate of wear of the clutch facing material increased dramatically. At sufficiently high temperatures, the friction coefficient of the material decreases and the clutch may be incapable of achieving sufficient torque capacity. Driver technique in manipulating the accelerator pedal, clutch pedal, and shifter strongly influences energy dissipation.

Method and system to coach driver of manual transmission vehicle


A method is provided for controlling the delay time of aqueous borate-crosslinked polysaccharide-based fluids for hydraulic fracturing and related applications which allows on-the-fly control of the delay time without comprising overall fluid integrity. Without having to modify the total boron content nor pH of the fracturing fluid, the delay time is controlled by adding a polyol to the fracturing fluid at a first rate, determining the resulting delay time and then adjusting the rate of the polyol addition to the fracturing fluid until the desired delay time is achieved.

The use of boric acid or other boron containing materials to crosslink polysaccharides, e.g., guar, is known in the art. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,909 to Kern, issued Oct. 16, 1962. Such fluids in Kern were used for fracturing subsurface formations. In producing oil and gas, a well is drilled to a subsurface location where oil and/or gas may be present. Sometimes the formation in which the oil and/or gas are located do not allow the oil and/or gas to escape the formation up the oil well bore. One method to increase the amount of oil and gas produced is to make cracks extending out from the well bore into the subsurface formation. One way to do this is to pump a fluid at high pressures down into the well bore to crack the formation and force the fracturing fluid into those cracks. The fracturing fluid carries sand particles or other types of particles, which are called proppants, to hold the cracks open when the pressure is relieved. See the patent to Kern.
A problem encountered during fracturing and during other well operations is the loss of fluid circulation. For example, during fracturing, there may be encountered areas of high permeability, which is an area like a sponge having large holes through it which allow fluids to flow out of the formation into the well bore easily or from the well bore into the formation easily. As noted above, fracturing is used when fluids will not easily flow in or out of the formation. This is like a sponge with very small holes. When the holes get too small, oil for example will not want to come out of the subsurface formation. As noted above, fracturing is intended to make the holes bigger by forming cracks through the formation or increasing the surface area exposed to the well bore. However, if an area with large holes is encountered, pressure may not be maintained during the fracturing operation because the fluid which is being pumped down into the well bore is going into an area that has high permeability, i.e., larger holes, rather than the subsurface formation to be fractured. Sometimes, creating the cracks in the subsurface formation during fracturing may also cause lost fluid circulation. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,252 to Walker et al. at col. 1, lines 33-56, and col. 8, lines 36-37 ("F!racturing creates additional fissures and thus aggravates lost circulation problems.").
Another problem encountered with fracturing operations is that the temperature increases the further down into the earth you go. In order to carry the sand particles used to keep the cracks in the subsurface formation open once they are fractured, the fracturing fluid needs to be able to carry these particles all the way down and into these cracks. One way of doing this is to increase the viscosity of the fracturing fluid, i.e., to make the fracturing fluid thicker. This is what Kern did by using a compound having boron such as boric acid. The boron, as borate ions, in the boric acid would attach to different molecules of guar to make the fluid thicker. The more boron as borate ions is present, the more guar molecules are attached together and the thicker the fluid.
Therefore, fluid viscosity and fluid stability are dictated by the concentrations of the polysaccharide and of borate ion. For a given borate ion concentration, increasing the amount of guar will increase fluid viscosity and will increase the amount of time for which that fluid can be held at a given temperature without significant loss of viscosity. The fluid is much more sensitive to the concentration of borate ion. If there is too little borate ion, no significant viscosity will be developed and the fluid will not be useful. If there is too much borate, the fluid becomes over-crosslinked, i.e., the guar reacts with the borate ions to form tight little balls of polymer in a water-thin fluid. This fluid has no effective viscosity and is not able to support and transport proppant. Thus, the borate ion concentration must be controlled within a very narrow window in order to have a viable fluid for hydraulic fracturing applications.
Another characteristic of the boron cross-linked guar is that it is sensitive to pH. As noted above, the bonds or ties between the boron and the guar molecule are in equilibrium. pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a fluid is. As the pH is made more basic, the boron is more inclined to attach itself to a guar molecule. As it becomes more acidic, the boron material tends to stay in the form of boric acid and does not attach itself to the guar molecule. A pH of 7 is said to be neutral. A pH greater than 7 is said to be basic and it goes all the way up to a pH of 14. A pH less than 7 is said to be acidic and extends to a pH of 1 (and even into negative numbers).
Though boron may be supplied in a variety of ways, it must be present as borate ions in order to serve as a crosslinker for polysaccharides, e.g., guar. According to D. J. Doonan and L. D. Lower ("Boron Compounds (Oxide, Acids, Borates)", in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Vol. 4, p. 67-110, 3rd ed., 1978), boric acid, borate ion and polyions containing various amounts of boron, oxygen, and hydroxyl groups exist in dynamic equilibrium where the percentage of each of the species present is dictated mainly by the pH of the solution. Borate ion begins to dominate the other boron species present in the fluid at a pH of approximately 9.5 and exceeds 95% of total boron species present at a pH of about 11.5. According to B. R. Sanderson ("Coordination Compounds of Boric Acid" in Mellor's Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry, p. 721-764, ca. 1975), boron species (including borate ions and boric acid among others) react with di- and poly-hydroxyl compounds having a cis-hydroxyl pair to form complexes which are in rapid equilibrium with the uncomplexed boron species and the cis-hydroxyl compounds. The relative amounts of the complexed and free materials are provided by the equilibrium constants for the specific systems. The equilibrium constants for borate ion is several orders of magnitude larger (typically by factors of 10.sup.4 to 10.sup.10) than the equilibrium constant for boric acid with the same cis-hydroxyl compound. For all practical purposes, borate ions form complexes (i.e., can serve to crosslink polysaccharides), while boric acid does not. Therefore, in order to have a useable crosslinked polysaccharide fluid with the minimum boron content, most of the boron must be present as borate ions which requires a pH of at least about 8.5, preferably at least about 9.5. For example, in Kern in order to crosslink the guar with the boron, the pH was made basic, preferably between pH 8.5 to 12, when the boron compound is added to the hydrated guar. He adjusted the pH of the fluid by adding a base, specifically sodium hydroxide.
Unless a fluid is adequately buffered, pH will decrease with increasing temperature. (This is generally true of buffered fluids as well, it is just that the change in pH is much less severe for buffered fluids.) For a solution prepared with sodium hydroxide with a room temperature pH reading of 12, raising the temperature by 100.degree. F. will decrease the pH by more than 1 unit. Since we are mostly interested in use above 200.degree. F., the change in pH from the time it is prepared until it is at the maximum temperature in the reservoir will be greater than 1 pH unit, and could easily be as much as 2 or more pH units. This change is sufficient to cut the effective concentration of borate ions in half if we start at a pH of 11.5 or higher. It is enough to reduce the effective concentration of borate ions by a factor of 4 if we start at a pH of 10.5. The pH of the fluid prepared at the surface and the boron level must be specially controlled to provide the optimum fluid performance in the down hole environment.
One of the problems with boron acting as a tying agent or a cross-linking agent that ties two molecules of guar together is that the ability to form such attachments or bonds is sensitive to temperature. The bonds or the ties between the boron and the guar molecules is not a permanent bond, but is said to be in equilibrium. This means that it can undo itself and reattach itself at the same or another point of the guar molecule or with another molecule of guar. Further, the guar is like a coil of material. As it is heated, it relaxes and can extend itself. At some point, it becomes a little more difficult for the boron that is attached to one molecule of guar to find another molecule of guar to attach to.
One way of getting around this problem is by adding additional boron, batchwise or on-the-fly, to the system to increase the chances of the boron as a borate ion attaching two guar molecules together and maintaining the viscosity of the fracturing fluid to a point that it can still carry the sand particles into the cracks in the formation. However, adding additional boron to the fracturing fluid at the surface quickly and greatly increases the viscosity or thickness of the fluid and makes it very difficult to pump down the well bore requiring additional horsepower, thereby increasing the cost of the job. Further, using these higher pressures to pump the viscous fluid down the well bore increases the friction of the fracturing fluid against the well bore wall causing damage either to the well bore wall or to the fracturing fluid itself by being pulled apart as it is going down the well bore wall as a result of the friction. Accordingly, there was a need to delay the increase in viscosity needed down in the well bore so that the increased viscosity was not seen at the surface while the fluid was being pumped down into the well bore. Preferably, the increased viscosity happened close to the point where fracturing was to occur or at least to the point at which the temperature was sufficiently high that additional boron was needed to be released to maintain the viscosity of the fluid so that the sand would not fall out of the fracturing fluid. If the sand particles could not be sustained by the fracturing fluid, then they could not be placed within the cracks in the formation formed by the fracturing operation to maintain the cracks open after the pressure was released.
One way of delaying the cross-linking between the guar molecule and the boron was to use a slowly dissolving material. The material could be a slowly dissolving base (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,077 to Free; used magnesium oxide as base or a wax-encapsulated base) or a slowly dissolving boron-containing material (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,776 to Mondshine). For example, with a slowly dissolving base, the pH would not be increased until the materials were further down the well bore. Accordingly, additional boron-containing material could be added at the surface but would not increase the viscosity or thickness of the fracturing fluid until the slow dissolving base dissolved and increased the pH to become basic and therefore encourage the boron containing material to crosslink or attach itself to the guar molecules. Alternatively, a slow dissolving boron-containing material could be used. The pH of the fracturing fluid could be made basic but since the boron-containing material was slowly dissolving, it would not increase the viscosity or thickness of the fracturing fluid until it got further down into the well bore and the boron-containing material dissolved. A modification of this was to use a solid boron-containing material that was coated or encapsulated in a material that would slowly dissolve, erode or melt away down in the formation as the temperature increased.(see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,165 to Ely which discloses the use of borax particles encapsulated by a paraffin wax for high temperature stability in fracturing fluids). Either way, a delay in the cross-linking or attachment of the borate ions provided by the boron-containing materials to the guar molecules was effected.
As noted above, the attachment of the boron materials to the guar molecules is also temperature sensitive. Further, the guar molecules, which are fairly long molecules, are all coiled up at lower temperatures such as temperatures experienced at the surface compared to temperatures experienced down in the well formation. Accordingly, at the surface there are fewer locations for the borate ions to attach themselves to guar molecules because the guar molecules are coiled up. Therefore, if additional boron material is added at the surface which provides borate ions in excess of that which will bind up the available sites on the guar molecules, then this excess would be available down in the well bore. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,634 to Walker, issued Nov. 2, 1965, he did just that, but added a polyhydric alcohol containing from 2 to 5 carbon atoms, for example, glycerol and ethylene glycol, to stabilize the fluid and reduce the fluid's sensitivity to temperature change. A polyhydric alcohol is an alcohol that has more than one "--OH" group which is called a hydroxyl group. Guar molecules have hydroxyl groups in them. Guar is like a long chain in which the various links of the chain are various molecules of simple sugars or sugar residues, i.e., what remains when sugar molecules are pulled apart (hereinafter referred to as "simple sugars") attached to each other. Simple sugars or sugar residues are also called monosaccharides. Certain of the simple sugars in the guar chain have pairs of hydroxyl groups that are in a "cis" orientation, i.e., parallel to each other and extend in the same direction. When a boron material attaches itself to a guar molecule, it attaches itself at a point where these two hydroxyl groups are located. Walker recognized this fact and utilized it to his advantage. He used polyhydric alcohols which had at least two hydroxyl groups in the same type of position that are presented in the guar molecule. Accordingly, since these hydroxyl groups are not tucked away within the coils of the guar molecule, they are readily accessible for binding or attaching to the excess boron present as borate ions that is available. This also keeps the guar molecules from becoming overly attached to each other through the borate ions such that the attached or cross-linked guar molecules tend to precipitate or fall out of solution. As noted above, the bonds or attachments between the boron and these hydroxyl groups are in equilibrium and attach and reattach to the same or other pairs of cis-hydroxyl groups. Accordingly, as the fracturing fluid continues down its journey within the well bore and the temperature increases, the guar molecules tend to uncoil exposing more hydroxyl groups. Since the borate ions attach and reattach themselves to these pairs of hydroxyl groups on the polyhydric alcohols or on the guar molecules, and the guar molecules are present in a greater concentration than the polyhydric alcohols, the boron tends to seek or finds more of the pairs of hydroxyl groups on the guar molecules to attach itself to. Accordingly, the viscosity or thickness of the fracturing fluid is maintained at a place down within the well bore by using the "reserve" of boron attached to the alcohol, rather than increasing the viscosity or thickness of the fluid at the surface to a point where it is difficult to pump or can damage the fluid or well bore on the way down.
It appears that the selection of the cis-hydroxyl alcohol and the amount to be used are important. In Walker (U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,634), glycerol and ethylene glycol are the preferred alcohols for this purpose. The general use of polyhydric alcohols as stabilizers for aqueous solutions of polysaccharides has been taught by Foster (U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,556). Sorbitol was one of the preferred stabilizers in this work. On the other hand, Freidman (U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,872) teaches that the addition of cis-hydroxyl alcohol containing compounds such as glycerol can result in formation of sufficient borate-glycerol complex to destroy the crosslinked structure of the fluid. Please note that glycerol is one of the preferred stabilizers in Walker.
As the foregoing illustrates, borate-crosslinked polysaccharide-based fluids for hydraulic fracturing have been used in the industry for more than 30 years. Having to deal with deeper wells has brought the temperature and pH sensitivity of such systems to the forefront as a problem needing to be addressed. Initial borate fluids were designed for use at temperatures below about 200.degree. F. and developments concentrated on providing a fluid which was stable under the desired end use conditions. For example, the prior art discussed above for the most part was concerned with reservoir temperatures of about 150.degree. F. See, e.g., Kern (concerned with fluid stability at about 150.degree. F.), Wyant (U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,332; about 150.degree. F.), and Walker (U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,634; maximum temperature tested was 141.degree. F.). Since then, fluid systems been improved to allow use at temperatures above 200.degree. F.
Dawson (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,082,579; 5,145,590 (up to about 300.degree. F.); U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,160,643), Sharif (U.S. 5,160,445; 5,310,489) and Harris (U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,732) teach the use of deliberately pre-formed organo-boron complexes as delay agents for borate crosslinked polysaccharide fluids for use above about 200.degree. F.
As earlier noted, Mondshine (U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,776) teaches the use of slowly soluble inorganic boron sources to control the rate of boron availability. Mondshine also teaches the use of a combination of rapidly soluble boron source and slowly soluble boron source wherein the rapidly soluble boron source can provide some initial minimum viscosity with the slowly soluble boron source providing a "reserve" source of soluble boron to enhance the thermal stability of such fracturing fluids." This fluid was designed for use up to about 275.degree. F.
All of the above methods of controlling delay time of borate crosslinked polysaccharide fluids for hydraulic fracturing applications suffer from the limitation that changing the delay time requires changes in the concentration of boron and/or of the pH of the fluid. These are the two main factors governing fluid stability. Therefore, changes in delay time require significant modification in fluid composition in order to provide the same fluid stability. As a result, it is difficult and/or potentially job threatening to modify the delay time of borate fluids on location in general, let alone during the course of the actual treatment when such optimization may be desirable. Further, the pre-formed organo-boron complexes and the fracturing fluids incorporating them are very sensitive and precise formulations. In such processes, it is therefore very important to perform comprehensive pre-job testing for successful fracturing.
Progress has been made both in improving fluid stability which is important at all temperatures as well as in methodology to control the onset of cross-linking (delay time) so that the fluid would develop the right viscosity for successful utilization at the right time in the life of the fluid. These aspects of fluid chemistry are interrelated. As a result, existing methods of providing borate fluids for use above about 200.degree. F. typically compromise fluid viscosity and stability in order to obtain desired delay time.

On-the-fly control of delayed borate-crosslinking of fracturing fluids


A shaping tool for the stock-removal machining of wheelsets. The tool contains a shell-end milling cutter comprised of a disc-shaped body with a multiplicity of cutting edges which overlap each other and are disposed spirally staggered on pitch circles on such disc-shaped body.

During operation the wheels of railroad rolling stock (such as locomotives and railroad cars) become worn. This wear often increases the risk of train derailment and, additionally, may accelerate wheel wear or otherwise adversely affect the running characteristics of the wheels.
The wheels of railroad rolling stock may, with wear, develop flat areas on their circumferences. Such wear often causes a bumpy or vibratory rotation of the worn wheel against the rail. Additionally, worn wheels may cause derailment of the railway vehicle.
The contours of the wheel tires of railway wheelsets are the subject of international standardization. During operation, the peripheral surfaces of such wheel tires and/or wheel rims undergo severe wear, especially from the tips of the flanges to the outside wheel-tire surfaces or the wheel-rim surfaces. Thus, especially with high-speed trains, the wheel tires and wheel rims should be reshaped to reduce or minimize the bearing or bogie loads of the rail vehicles and the concomitant wear of rail surfaces.
Railway wheelsets may be trued with stock removal carried out, e.g., by a turning or milling process. Thus, e.g., peripheral milling machines, which are adapted to remove metal by feeding a workpiece through the periphery of a rotating circular cutter (such as a milling cutter), are often used.
Additionally, cutter heads, or shell end-milling cutters which duplicate the wheel shape desired in part or whole, are often used as tools for wheel shaping. By way of illustration, U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,103 of Oliver Saari (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification) discloses a milling cutter for truing wheels of railroad cars and locomotives. The milling cutter of this patent comprises a body of substantially circular cross-section and a plurality of center buttons rigidly associated with the surface of the body, the buttons being arranged in a plurality of spaced ranks to establish a helical array of buttons about the surface of the body, wherein the buttons are spaced within such ranks that buttons which are adjacent in the helical array lie in non-adjacent ranks. A similar cutter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,645,003, the disclosure of which is also hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
It is an object of this invention to provide a shaping tool which is adapted to duplicate at least a portion of a wheel shape.
It is another object of this invention to provide a process for shaping the contour of a wheel which provides good efficiency and optimum chip breaking capacity while simultaneously maximizing tool life.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a process for shaping the contour of a wheel which provides high surface finish of the wheel with substantially no shape distortion.

Shaping tool for stock removal machining of wheelsets


Equipment for the treatment of a liquid such as a metal melt has one or more rotors (5) for the supply of gas and/or particulate material to the liquid in a reaction chamber (1). The reaction chamber (1) is closed and has an inlet (3) and an outlet (13) and is designed to be placed under a vacuum. The outlet (13) communicates with another chamber or outlet passage (2). The equipment may have several reaction chambers (1, 2) arranged in series. The first reaction chamber (1) then communicates with the second reaction chamber (2), the second reaction chamber with a third, etc. via an opening (16).

The present invention concerns equipment for the treatment of a liquid such as a metal melt. The equipment comprises a rotor for the supply of gas and/or particulate material to the liquid in a reaction chamber.
A number of solutions for the treatment of liquid using rotating bodies of different designs and types are known from the market and the literature. For example, the applicant""s own European patent no. 0151434 describes a method for treating liquid in which a hollow, cylindrical rotor is used in which particulate material and/or gas are/is designed to be supplied to the rotor""s cavity through a drilled hole in the rotor shaft. The rotation of the rotor causes the melt to be drawn in through an opening in the base of the rotor and slung out through openings in the side together with the gas and/or material supplied. Although this solution creates little turbulence and agitation in the liquid, is very effective and results in a high treatment capacity, it is an objective of the present invention to produce equipment for the treatment of a liquid, in particular aluminium melt, which is even more effective and has an even higher treatment capacity. At the same time, it is an objective to avoid the treated liquid coming into contact with the surrounding air, in particular the oxygen in the air, in order to prevent the liquid from being affected by the air.
Moreover, regarding the treatment of aluminium melt, it was an objective to achieve an increased removal of both hydrogen and sodium. Another objective was to be able to return most or all of the residual melt to the casting furnace at the end of casting or possibly feed all melt to the casting machine.
The present invention achieves the above objectives. The present invention is characterized in that a reaction chamber has an inlet and an outlet and is designed to be placed under a vacuum. The outlet communicates with another chamber or outlet passage.


An elevator system has an elevator car suspended on at least one synchronous belt driven by a drive driving a drive pulley in a non-slip manner, a distance measurement device measuring a travel distance of the belt at the drive pulley for determining a car position, a controller actuating the drive based on-stored stop location position values and a determined car position to stop the car at two or more stop locations, at least one position sensor disposed from the drive pulley and signaling the controller when the car passes a reference position, and a compensation device making a correction of the stored stop location position values with a correction factor based on the difference between the car position determined by the distance measurement device and the reference position as the car passes the reference position. Methods for operating the elevator system and initializing the controller are provided.

EP 1 493 708 A2 discloses an elevator system with an elevator car and a counterweight, which are suspended on a supporting means connected to the elevator car and to the counterweight. In this case, the supporting means is designed as a toothed belt, and therefore the movement of the elevator car is determined as a function of the revolutions of the drive for the elevator car. As a result, the position of the elevator car in the shaft can be determined on the basis of the revolutions of the drive, and therefore no position determining means are required in the shaft.
The elevator system known from EP 1 493 708 A2 has the disadvantage that precise stopping on a floor cannot be ensured over the service life of the elevator system, since certain changes in length are unavoidable in the toothed belt used as the supporting means.


A discharge circuit is connected to a bias voltage generating circuit and a liquid crystal driver. The discharge circuit includes a plurality of discharge transistors, wherein each bias voltage is connected to ground via a transistor. When a power of the apparatus is set in the ON state, the transistor is set OFF so that the bias voltage can be supplied only to the liquid crystal display panel without being supplied to the discharge circuit. On the other hand, when the power is set in the OFF state, the transistor is set ON so that a discharge occurs by moving charges stored on the liquid crystal display panel to the transistor. As a result, when the power is set in the ON state, a waste power consumption by members other than the liquid crystal display panel can be prevented, thereby achieving an apparatus of a low power consumption. Moreover, possible degradation due to charges of the liquid crystal display apparatus in its quality and appearance when the power of the apparatus is set in the OFF state can be prevented.

FIG. 11 shows a schematic structure of a Super Twisted Nematic (STN) liquid crystal apparatus. As shown in the figure, the liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display panel 51, a segment driver 52, and a common driver 53. Although not shown, a plurality of scanning lines and signal lines are formed in the liquid crystal display panel 51. The segment driver 52 and the common driver 53 are drive circuits for supplying various signals (to be described later) to the liquid crystal display panel 51.
To the segment driver 52, a display data signal DATA and an input data shift clock XCK are respectively inputted via a buffer 54. To the common driver 53, a scanning start signal YD is inputted via the buffer 54. Further, an input data latch signal LP is inputted to the segment driver 52 and the common driver 53 via the buffer 54. A display control signal DISP is inputted via the buffer 54 to an alternating signal generating circuit 55 and a power sequence circuit 56.
The alternating signal generating circuit 55 generates an alternating signal M based on the display control signal DISP to be inputted thereto. The alternating signal M is inputted to the segment driver 52 and the common driver 53. The power sequence circuit 56 controls ON/OFF of the liquid crystal display panel 51 based on the display control signal DISP to be inputted thereto. The display control signal DISP outputted from the power sequence circuit 56 is respectively inputted to the segment driver 52, the common driver 53 and a DC/DC converter 57.
Other than the display control signal DISP, a logic source voltage V.sub.dd, and a contrast adjusting voltage V.sub.CON are inputted to the DC/DC converter 57. Then, the DC/DC converter 57 outputs a bias reference voltage V.sub.ee to the bias voltage generating circuit 58. The bias voltage generating circuit 58 outputs bias voltages (intermediate voltage) V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . , V.sub.n based on the bias reference voltage V.sub.ee to the segment driver 52 and the common driver 53.
Namely, in the described liquid crystal display apparatus, various signals, clocks and bias voltages V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . V.sub.n are inputted to the segment driver 52 and the common driver 53. As a result, a scanning line of the liquid crystal display panel 51 is selected as desired, and a predetermined dot of the liquid crystal display panel 51 is lightened in response to the display data signal DATA.
In the described liquid crystal display apparatus, even when the power of the apparatus is set in the OFF state, or a display is prohibited, a DC voltage is still being applied to the liquid crystal display panel 51. This causes degradation of the liquid crystal display panel 51 in its quality and appearance. In order to prevent such problem, it is required to remove charges stored on the liquid crystal display panel 51 when the power of the apparatus is set in the OFF state, or a display is prohibited.
For the described purpose, the conventional liquid crystal display apparatus includes a discharge circuit 59 to remove charges stored on the liquid crystal display panel 51 when the power of the apparatus is set in the OFF state or a display is prohibited.
As shown in FIG. 12, the discharge circuit 59 is formed by discharge resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2, . . . R.sub.n. These discharge resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2, . . . , R.sub.n are provided in parallel across respective bias voltages V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . V.sub.n, outputted from the bias voltage generating circuit 58, and a V.sub.ss line (0 V). In the described arrangement, when the power of the apparatus is set in the OFF state, or a display is prohibited, charges on the liquid crystal display panel 51 are removed via the discharge resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2, . . . , R.sub.n by discharge.
On the other hand, FIG. 13 shows a schematic structure of the liquid crystal display apparatus which is disclosed, for example, by Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 46687/1984 (Tokukaisho 59-46687). In this liquid crystal display apparatus, a bias supply circuit 61 is connected to the V.sub.ss line (0V) via switching elements such as field effect transistors Q.sub.1 ' and Q.sub.2 '. When an application of bias voltages is not needed such as in a display prohibit drive mode, etc., the field effect transistors Q.sub.1 ' and Q.sub.2 ' are set in the OFF state.
According to the described arrangement, when the application of the bias voltages is not needed, the field effect transistors Q.sub.1 ' and Q.sub.2 ' are set in the OFF state. Therefore, a current does not flow in the V.sub.ss line via bias voltage generation-use voltage dividing resistors R.sub.1 ' and R.sub.2 '. As a result, a waste power consumption in the bias voltage generation-use voltage dividing resistors R.sub.1 ' and R.sub.2 ' when an application of bias voltages is not needed can be avoided.
However, in the arrangement of the conventional liquid crystal display apparatus shown in FIG. 12, as bias voltages V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . , V.sub.n are always applied to the liquid crystal display panel 51 and peripheral circuits, while the bias voltages V.sub.2, V.sub.2, . . . , V.sub.n are being applied thereto, a current from the bias voltage generating circuit 58 flows also in the discharge resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2, . . . R.sub.n that are respectively connected to the bias voltages V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . , V.sub.n in parallel. Therefore, in the conventional arrangement, when the power of the apparatus is set in the ON state, a power P.sub.R is wasted.
For example, a waste power consumption in the case of generating four bias voltages V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 and V.sub.4 as shown in FIG. 14 will be considered. Generally, the power P.sub.R to be consumed in the discharge resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2, . . . R.sub.n are given by the following equation: ##EQU1##
Assumed that the bias reference voltage V.sub.ee =30 V, then respective bias voltages V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 and V.sub.4 are respectively 28.125 V, 26.26 V, 3.75 V and 1.875 V, and the discharge resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are respectively 33 k.OMEGA.. From the above equation, the power P.sub.R to be consumed in the discharge resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is given as P.sub.R =45.4 mW. Here, these numeral values correspond to around 5 to 6 percents of the power consumed when displaying an image. Therefore, while the bias voltages V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 and V.sub.4 are being applied, the power P.sub.R is always consumed in the discharge circuit 59.
According to the arrangement of the described Japanese publication shown in FIG. 13, when the power of the apparatus is set in the OFF state, the power to be consumed in the bias supply circuit 61 can be saved by setting the field effect transistors Q.sub.1 ' and Q.sub.2 ' in the OFF state. However, when the field effect transistors Q.sub.1 ' and Q.sub.2 ' are set in the OFF state, charges stored on the liquid crystal display panel 62 do not flow in the V.sub.ss line (0 V) via the field effect transistors Q.sub.1 ' and Q.sub.2 '. As a result, the charges stored on the liquid crystal display panel 62 are not removed, which results in degradation of the liquid crystal display panel 62 in its quality and appearance.

Liquid crystal display discharge circuit


A waveguide structure includes a SOI substrate. A core structure is formed on the SOI substrate comprising a plurality of multilayers having alternating or aperiodically distributed thin layers of either Si-rich oxide (SRO), Si-rich nitride (SRN) or Si-rich oxynitride (SRON). The multilayers are doped with a rare earth material so as to extend the emission range of the waveguide structure to the near infrared region. A low index cladding includes conductive oxides to act as electrodes.

The invention relates to the field of waveguides, and in particular to combining different CMOS-compatible light-emitting Si-rich materials within light-emitting multilayers waveguide structures that can be used to fabricate an optically as well as an electrically driven silicon-based laser or modulator.
Generally, a superlattice denotes a structure (material) with periodically or aperiodically interchanging solid layers. Such structures possess additional periodicity on a scale larger than atomic. This leads to apparition of characteristic satellite peaks in X-ray diffraction patterns. Depending on the nature of components, magnetic, optical and semiconductor superlattices are distinguished. Carriers are influenced by the lattice disturbance. This can lead to significant increase of carrier mobility (used in microwave devices) or special optical features. There also exists a class of quasiperiodic superlattices named after Fibonacci. The Fibonacci superlattices are usually studied as a single-dimensional model of quasicrystal, where either electron hopping transfer interactions or on-site energies take two values arranged in a Fibonacci sequence. There is a need in the art to combine different CMOS-compatible light-emitting Si-rich materials within light-emitting multilayers waveguide structures that can be used to fabricate an optically as well as an electrically driven silicon-based laser or modulator

Energy coupled superlattice structures for silicon based lasers and modulators


A compensation device for compensating a volumetric expansion of a medium during freezing has a receptacle provided in a structural component. The medium is contained in the receptacle. A sealing element is provided that delimits the receptacle. The sealing element is prestressed by a prestressing force provided by a pressure spring against the operating pressure of the medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a compensation device for compensating a volumetric expansion of media, in particular, a urea-water solution, during freezing, wherein the media are arranged in a receptacle of a structural component.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known, for example, in connection with exhaust gas after treatment devices of diesel engine vehicles, to convey a urea-water solution from a reservoir and to supply it at a certain pressure to an injection valve. When external temperatures are low, there exists the problem that this medium can freeze. This causes problems because of the volumetric expansion of the medium.

Compensation device for compensating volumetric expansion of media, especially of a urea-water solution during freezing


The invention relates to an illumination system comprising a luminaire which is configured to provide light according to a plurality of preset combinations of illumination level and color temperature, controlled via a control protocol. The system further comprises a user interface comprising means to (manually) select the illumination level and color temperature from said plurality of preset combinations. The number of preset combinations is at least three. The control protocol comprises transition times for transitions between said preset combinations, said transition times being in the range of about 2 seconds to about 5 minutes. The invention further relates to an illumination method using the illumination system and to a controller uploaded with said preset lighting settings. The use of the system in dependence on the activity, time of day or atmosphere in the classroom has been proven to improve the learning behavior of children. It therefore is a learning tool for teachers.

It is well known that light has a tremendous influence on human behavior. Research has verified that both natural and artificial lighting have an effect on people's emotions, behavior, well-being, mood, and performance. Empirical studies demonstrate said effect in various settings, such as retail environments, offices, counseling rooms in health care settings, home-like decors, and schools. Studies further indicate that there is a basic level of how people experience light as the most pleasant and that the preference for lighting is in part dependent on the situation, the task at hand, and the specific environment. The extent to which dynamic lighting in elementary schools affects children's emotions, well being and school outcomes has been an object of investigation as well.
The effect of lighting on school performance can play a vital role in the improvement of learning environments in schools. While educational research has provided valuable insights in the importance of various aspects of learning environments, such as learning tasks and materials, time on task, teachers' instructional behavior, and the relationship between teacher and student, systematic empirical research into the influence of physical aspects of students' learning environment, such as climate control, air quality, noise, use of color, and lighting remains scarce. Such studies are needed to provide increased understanding of the influence of these so-called ecological variables, and their interaction with educational process variables, such as instructional quality, on students' learning, behavior, and well-being.

Illumination system, illumination method and lighting controller


A device and method for controllably delaying an electrical signal includes a first signal transfer path between a signal input and a signal output. The first signal transfer path includes a first signal transfer stage with a first differential pair and a common, adjustable first quiescent current source, and a second signal transfer path between the signal input and the signal output. The second signal transfer path includes a second signal transfer stage with a second differential pair and a common, adjustable second quiescent current source. An internal delay stage is arranged between the signal input and the second signal transfer stage and has a third differential pair and a common, adjustable third quiescent current source, and signal combination stage for additively superimposing the electrical signal transferred via the first signal transfer path on to the electrical signal transferred via the second signal transfer path.

Regarding the technological background of the present invention, attention is drawn at first to the documents WO 2013/174377 A2 and WO 2013/189494 A2.
In the document WO 2013/174377 A2, a circuit arrangement and a method for calibrating at least one activation signal provided for a voltage-controlled oscillator for clock and data recovery are disclosed.
Reference is made in particular to circuits for clock and data recovery or CDR circuits with binary phase detectors wherein the phase detector can output two digital phase detector output signals "up" (for accelerating) and "down" (for delaying).
The circuit arrangement according to the document WO 2013/174377 A2 assumes a voltage-controlled ring oscillator with two tuning inputs wherein the frequency of the ring oscillator can be set separately via the two tuning inputs. The frequency change is adjusted by four separate varactor(-diode)s.
A disadvantage of this oscillator is its low output frequency because four varactors are required so that more parasitic capacitance is generated in the oscillator.
In order to increase the output frequency as much as possible, it is proposed according to the document WO 2013/174377 A2 to embody the circuit arrangement for calibrating the activation signal provided for a voltage-controlled oscillator for clock and data recovery with at least one calibration oscillator, at least one reference oscillator assigned to the calibration oscillator, at least one clock counter connected downstream of the calibration oscillator and of the reference oscillator and at least one digital-to-analog converter connected downstream of the clock counter wherein the clock counter is embodied for counting the respective clock number of the calibration oscillator and of the reference oscillator as well as for integrating a clock error resulting from the difference between these two clock numbers, and the digital-to-analog converter for converting the clock error into analogue tuning signals from which the calibrated activation signal is derivable.
The voltage-controlled oscillator is driven in such way that in the voltage-controlled oscillator not four but only two varactor(-diode)s are required, the frequency change no longer being achieved with two activation signals but only with one activation signal but both the reference oscillator and the calibration oscillator, however, also continuing to each contain four varactor(-diode)s.
From the document WO 2013/189494 A2, a circuit arrangement and a method for clock and/or data recovery are known wherein a voltage-controlled ring oscillator is used. Such a ring oscillator, implemented in the form of four voltage-controlled oscillator buffer stages, and implementations of such voltage-controlled oscillator buffer stages are shown.
Such a voltage-controlled oscillator buffer stage comprises four varactors whose capacitance values are adjustable via two tuning voltages up and dnb that can be fed to the anodic pairwise connections of the varactors and which determine the oscillation frequency of the ring oscillator.
With their capacitive load, the varactors serve as frequency (co-)determining elements of the frequency variation.
Since in particular two slightly different voltages are to be adjusted, the varactors are operated in two operating points:                operating point with low capacity;        operating point with high capacity.
If no frequency variation upwards or downwards is to take place, the varactors are operated at an operating point of medium capacity. This capacity, however, reduces the maximum achievable frequency of the oscillator.
In addition, the insertion of the varactors into the signal path of the oscillator alone leads due to the additional wiring to an increase in parasitic capacitive loads, which also reduce the maximum achievable frequency of the oscillator.

Device and method for controllably delaying electrical signals


A method is provided for forming CMOS transistors. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate having at least one first region and at least one second region; and forming a first gate in the first region and a second gate in the second region. The method also includes forming first offset spacers made of nitrogen-contained material on side surfaces of the first gate and the second gate; and forming dummy spacers on the first offset spacers in the first region and a dummy spacer material layer covering the second gate and the semiconductor substrate in the second region. Further, the method includes forming SiGe stress layers in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the first gate; and removing the first offset spacers, the dummy spacers and the dummy spacer material layer. Further, the method also includes forming second offset spacers on the first gate and the second gate.

In the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, stress may change the band gap and the carrier mobility of the silicon material, thus improving the performance of the MOS transistors by the stress has become a more and more common method. Carriers in the NMOS transistors are electrons; and carriers in the PMOS transistors are holes. Specifically, by properly controlling the stress in the cannel region, the carrier mobility of the CMOS transistors can be increased, thus the drive current of the CMOS transistors can be increased; and the performance of the CMOS transistor may be significantly improved.
The embedded SiGe technology can be used to generate a compressive stress to the channel region of a PMOS transistor, so as to increase the carrier mobility of the holes. That is, SiGe structures are formed in the regions for subsequently forming source/drain regions firstly; then the SiGe structures are doped to form the source/drain regions. The SiGe structures and the substrate of the PMOS transistors may have a lattice mismatch, thus a compressive stress may be generated in the channel region of the PMOS transistor; and the performance of the PMOS transistor may be improved.
FIGS. 1˜11 illustrate semiconductor structures corresponding to certain stages of an existing fabrication process of CMOS transistors.
As shown in FIG. 1, at the beginning of the fabrication process, a semiconductor substrate 100 is provided. The semiconductor substrate 100 includes at least one first region 11 and at least one second region 12. The first region 11 is used to form a PMOS transistor; and the second region 12 is used to form an NMOS transistor. A poly silicon layer (not shown) is formed on the semiconductor substrate 100. A patterned mask layer 103 made of the silicon nitride is formed on the poly silicon layer; a first gate 101 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 100 in the first region 11; and a second gate 102 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 100 in the second region 12 by etching the semiconductor substrate 100 using the pattered mask 103 as an etching mask. Then, a thermal oxide layer (not shown) is formed on surfaces of the first gate 101, the second gate 102 and the semiconductor substrate 100 by a thermal oxidation process.
As shown in FIG. 2, after forming the first gate 101 and the second gate 102, sidewall spacers 104 made of silicon nitride are formed on the side surfaces of the first gate 101 and the second gate 102. Further, first lightly doped regions 105 are formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate 100 in the first region 11 at both sides of the first gate 101 by a P-type ion implantation process using the mask layer 103, the first gate 101 and the first sidewall spacers 104 as a mask. The doping concentration of the lightly doped region is smaller than the doping concentration of the subsequently formed heavily doped region.
As shown in FIG. 3, after forming the first lightly doped regions 105, a second sidewall spacer material layer 106 made of silicon oxide is formed to cover the semiconductor substrate 100, the patterned mask layer 103 and the first sidewall spacers 104. Further, a third sidewall spacer material layer 107 made of silicon nitride is formed on the second sidewall spacer material layer 106. Further, a photoresist mask 108 is formed to cover the third sidewall spacer material layer 107 in the second region 12.
As shown in FIG. 4, after forming the photoresist mask 108, second sidewall spacers 109 are formed on the side surface of the first gate 101; and the third sidewall spacers 110 are formed on the second sidewall spacers 109 by etching the third sidewall spacer material layer 107 and the second sidewall spacer material layer 106 in the first region 11. The second sidewall spacers 109 are used as stop layers for subsequently removing the third sidewall spacers 110. The third sidewall spacer material layer 107 and the second sidewall spacer material layer 106 are kept for subsequently selectively forming a SiGe source region and a SiGe drain region in the first region 11.
As shown FIG. 5, after forming the second sidewalls 109 and the third sidewall spacers 110, the photoresist mask 108 is removed; and the trenches 111 are formed in the semiconductor substrate 100 at both sides of the third sidewall spacers 109 in the first region 11. The trenches 111 are formed by etching the semiconductor substrate using the patterned mask layer 103, the first sidewall spacer 104, the second sidewall spacers 109 and the third sidewall spacers 110 as an etching mask. The trenches 111 are rectangular.
After forming the trenches 111, a wet cleaning process is used to clean side surfaces and bottom surfaces of the trenches 111 to remove oxide layers on the side surfaces and the bottom surfaces of the trenches 111. After the wet cleaning process, the side surfaces and the bottom surfaces of the trenches 111 would keep a relatively high cleanliness; and the relatively high cleanliness helps subsequently formed sigma shape trenches to have a desired geometry.
The cleaning solution of the wet cleaning process is a hydrogen fluoride (HF) solution. Because the second sidewall spacers 109 are made of silicon oxide, when the trenches 111 is being cleaned by the HF solution, as shown in FIG. 6, the second sidewall spacers 109 at the bottom of the third sidewall spacers 110 are also etched simultaneously; and lateral shrinking defects 13 are formed. Because the number of the first gate 101 formed on the semiconductor substrate 100 is a plural, after forming the second sidewall spacers 109 on the side surfaces of a plurality of first gates 101, the thickness differences of the second sidewall spacers 109 on both sides of each of the first gate 101 and/or on both sides of the first gates 101 at different regions may exist because of limitations or differences of the etching processes. After cleaning the trenches 111 with the wet cleaning process, because of the thickness differences of the second sidewall spacers 109 and the limitations of the etching processes, the shrinkages of the lateral shrinking defects 13 of the second sidewall spacers 109 on the side surfaces of a same first gate 101 may be different; shrinkages of the lateral shrinking defects 13 of the second sidewall spacers 109 on side surfaces of the different first gates 101 may also be different.
As shown in FIG. 7, after cleaning the trenches 111, sigma-shape trenches 112 are formed by etching the trenches 111. The sigma-shape trenches 112 have apex angles directing to the channel region of the PMOS transistor. The trenches 111 are etched by a TMAH solution to form the sigma-shape trenches 112. Because of the shrinking defects 13, the etching starting positions of the sigma-shape trenches 112 may change. Referring to FIG. 7, deviations between the positions of the apex angles of the sigma-shape trenches 112 and positions of apex angles of designed sigma-shape trenches (illustrated with dashed lines in FIG. 7) are formed. Such deviations may deteriorate the control of the electrical stability of the PMOS transistor. Further, because of the shrinkage differences of the shrinking defects 13, corresponding positions of the apex angles of the sigma-shape trenches 112 are different, the uniformity of the apex angles of the sigma-shape trenches 112 may be not acceptable; and the uniformity of the electrical properties of subsequently formed transistors may also not acceptable neither.
As shown in FIG. 8, after forming sigma-shape trenches 112, the sigma-shape trenches 112 are filled up with SiGe, and SiGe source/drain regions 113 are formed. The SiGe source/drain regions 113 are formed by a selective epitaxial process.
As shown in FIG. 9, after forming the SiGe source/drain regions 113, second sidewall spacers 109 are formed on the first sidewall spacers 104 on the second gate 102 in the second region 12. Further, third sidewall spacers 110 are formed on the second sidewall spacers 109. The second sidewall spacers 109 and the third sidewall spacers 110 on the second gate 102 in the second region 12 of the semiconductor substrate 100 are formed by etching the third sidewall spacer material layer 107 and the second sidewall spacer material layer 106 on the second gate 102 in the second region 12 by a mask-less etching process (an etch back process).
Referring to FIG. 9, after the mask-less etching process, a portion of the second sidewall spacer material layer 106 and a portion of the third sidewall spacer material layer 107 on the top of the patterned mask 103 are removed. Thus, when the third sidewall spacers 110 are subsequently removed, the patterned mask 103 in the second will be removed simultaneously. The mask-less etching process generates some damages to the semiconductor substrate 100.
As shown in FIG. 10, after forming the second sidewall spacers 109 and the third sidewall spacers 110 in the second region 12, the third sidewall spacers 110 and the patterned mask layer 103 are removed by a wet etching process. Because the third sidewall spacers 110 are already damaged by previous processes, it may be difficult to control positions of subsequently formed heavily doped regions, the third sidewall spacers 110 need to be removed before forming the heavily doped regions. Further, the second sidewall spacers 109 are used for forming second lightly doped regions 114 in the semiconductor substrate 100 in the second region 12. Specifically, an N-type ion implantation process is performed onto the semiconductor substrate 100 at both sides of the second sidewall spacer 109 in the second region 12 using the second sidewall spacers 109, the first sidewall spacers 104 and the second gate 102 in the second region 12 as a mask; thus the second lightly doped regions 114 are formed.
As shown in FIG. 11, after removing the third sidewall spacers 110 and the patterned mask 103, the fourth sidewall spacers 115 are formed on the second sidewall spacers 109 in the first region 11 and the second region 12. Further, third heavily doped regions (not shown) are formed in the semiconductor substrate 100 in the first region 11 at both sides of the first gate 101 by a P-type ion implantation process using the fourth sidewall spacers 115 and the first gate 101 in the first region 11 as a mask. The third heavily doped regions can also be formed by an epitaxial process with an in situ doping. The first lightly doped regions 105 and the third heavily doped region together form the source/drain regions of a PMOS transistor. Further, fourth lightly doped regions (not labeled) are formed in the semiconductor substrate 100 in the second region 12 at both sides of the second gate 102 by an N-type ion implantation process using the fourth sidewall spacers 115 and the second gate 102 in the second region 12 as a mask. The second lightly doped regions 114 and the fourth heavily doped regions together form the source/drain regions of the NMOS transistor.
Because the uniformity of the apex angles of the sigma-shape trenches 112 may be not acceptable, the uniformity of the electrical properties of subsequently formed transistors may also not acceptable neither. The disclosed device structures and methods are directed to solve the un-uniformity issues of the apex angles of the sigma-shape trenches during forming CMOS transistors with the embedded SiGe technology set forth above; and other problems.

CMOS transistors and fabrication method thereof

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION


This is a system and method of intelligently terminating power to a computing device. The system may comprise: a processing device; a power source connected to the processing device; a switch connected to the power source; and a control system run by the processing device and connected to the power source and the switch. In addition, the system may include a deadman timer which provides a fail-safe operation. Further, the system may include a method and apparatus for executing an orderly shut down procedure for software and hardware. Moreover, the system could be tied to a thermal and/or power management system. Additionally, the system could initiate an orderly shut down of peripheral devices connected to the system serially or by parallel connections. Other devices, systems and methods are also described.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with desktop and portable computers.
From the advent of electricity, there have been millions of devices built that are powered by electricity. However, every electronic device has to have a method of turning that device on and off. Therefore, virtually every electronic device has a power switch that enables the user to turn that device on and off.
In addition, from the evolution of the computer, there has always been a method and device for turning off a computer's power. In the normal environment, the switch would be turned on to apply power to the computer and turned off to terminate the power. However, the normal power switch simply turns off the power without regard to what the computer is doing at the time. The user simply flips a switch, and thus terminates the power to the computer. Yet, if the computer is in the middle of a software application, or updating a database, or writing to a hard disk, valuable information can be lost or corrupted.

Electronic apparatus having a software controlled power switch


A back light unit includes a light source and a light guide unit having a first surface emitting light to a display panel, a second surface facing the first surface, and a plurality of connecting surfaces connecting the first surface and the second surface. The connecting surfaces includes a first side surface, a second side surfaces and a third side surface between the first side surface and a second side surface, A first included angle of the first incident surface and the first diffusion surface is equal to or greater than about 90 degree.

1. Field of Disclosure
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a backlight unit. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a backlight unit capable of reducing a light leakage.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a display device is classified into a transmissive type display device, a transflective type display device, and a reflective type display device. Among them, each of the transmissive type display device and the transflective type display device includes a display panel to display an image and a backlight unit to supply light to the display panel.
The backlight unit includes a light source to generate the light and a light guide unit to guide the light from the light source to the display panel.
A point light source may be used as the light source. The point light source includes a light emitting device, e.g., a light emitting diode. The light source is disposed to correspond to at least one incident surface of the light guide unit.
A portion of the light incident into the light guide unit through the incident surface is lost. Thus, efficiency of the backlight unit may be deteriorated.


The present invention relates to a method and system for evaluating at least one abnormality in one or more medical images of a subject comprising: (a) determining the location of each abnormality from pre-defined selection, (b) determining the pattern of each abnormality from pre-defined selection, (c) accessing a multidimensional database comprising data of patterns, locations, and conditions associated therewith, in which the database comprises data of each of patterns, locations, and conditions is comprised in separate dimension(s), and characteristic information for patterns, locations, and conditions is organized in the database into discrete categories, (d) extracting from the multidimensional database a list of conditions corresponding to the imaging data determined in steps (a) and (b), (e) providing an evaluation of abnormality using list obtained in step (d). The invention also relates to a database, computer program, system for navigating the database, a method for entering data into a database.

Radiologists are medical doctors who are capable of interpreting images such as those obtained by conventional radiology, ultra-sonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As these imaging techniques have rapidly evolved technically, more and more anatomical details are available to be assessed non-invasively. For practicing radiologists, it can be difficult to be aware of all possible imaging presentations of all possible diseases. It is estimated that typically a clinical radiologist seeks diagnosis or anatomy assistance on 5-10% of cases daily. The problem is that referring to reference books, web searches, or colleagues interrupts work flow and reduces productivity. Although all information needed by the radiologist to make the correct diagnosis is usually available "somewhere", the radiologist faces three problems with regard to obtaining this information as follows.
First, it may be difficult and/or time consuming to find the information required. Typically, a relevant imaging library contains hundreds of books and journals. It is not possible for an individual to catalogue or remember the precise content of all these books and journals. Internet searches are not necessarily more efficient: usually a query generates a large number of matches; finding the best match necessarily takes time and effort.
Secondly, the information may be fragmented, e.g. there may be basic information about a specific disease in a textbook, while for more detailed information dedicated Internet searches or other books may be required. Thus, even if the user knows where to find the information, finding the complete information he needs may not be straightforward.
Finally, most information is not presented in an optimal way. In clinical practice, the radiologist is confronted with specific morphologic patterns of disease at specific locations. As an example, he may see a "ring-enhancing focal lesion" (pattern) in the "brain" (location). In our hypothetical example, the radiologist would be interested to find information about brain and "ring-enhancing focal lesion", with a description of different (common and uncommon) diseases that can cause this structural abnormality. He would further like to read a discussion of the relative likelihood of these diseases, means to differentiate between these diseases, and further information about each disease. Unfortunately, most radiology textbooks and other sources only provide a systematic overview of diseases according to location. For example, a radiological textbook focusing on liver diseases will describe the most important diseases one by one. In order to find out to what disease best matches a certain morphologic pattern, the radiologist first needs to have an a priori knowledge about which diseases could cause that pattern, and, secondly, has to find where exactly these diseases are discussed in the book (or other medium), and whether or not the description of imaging findings in this reference text indeed corresponds to his "case". Such a search may be quite straightforward in some cases while it may be quite time-consuming and frustrating in others. Also, even the most recently developed databases on the Internet are organized by location, not by location and pattern.
Furthermore, information in most radiology textbooks and other references is not structured according to the work flow of the radiologist and finding practical information is difficult. FIG. 4 illustrates the steps presently required when a radiologist confronted with an abnormality at a certain location/sublocation and with a particular morphologic pattern wants to identify the corresponding disease(s). For difficult cases, he has to find an appropriate textbook to identify the diseases that may be present with a pattern similar to the one he has identified. During this process, the radiologist creates a list of possible diagnoses (Diagnosis 1 to n), from which the diseases that do not result in the appropriate pattern are eliminated. This list can further be refined by matching the clinical status of his particular patient (e.g., male or female) with the patient-related information provided for the different diseases (e.g. Disease No 1 tends to occur in women). It is clear that this is a quite inefficient process.

Image evaluation system, methods and database