A system for reusing water soluble slurry waste fluid wherein separated available abrasive grains and extracted water soluble coolant are reused. This system is capable of reducing a disposal cost due to a reduction of a load to a waste water disposal plant by effectively reusing water soluble slurry waste fluid, and making a contribution to a reduction of a total slicing cost by reusing abrasive grains and water soluble coolant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system which enables the reuse of water soluble slurry waste fluid used when brittle materials, for example, semiconductor ingots such as compound semiconductor crystal ingots and silicon semiconductor crystal ingots are sliced with a wire saw slicing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a wire saw slicing apparatus as a means for slicing brittle materials such as compound semiconductor crystal ingots and silicon semiconductor crystal ingots. The wire saw slicing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 4, includes three plastic main rollers 10A, 10B and 10C of the identical construction disposed with their axes parallel spaced from one another, and a wire 12 wound spirally around helical grooves 14a, 14b and 14c formed at regular intervals or pitches in the respective outer peripheral surfaces of the main rollers 10A-10C. The main rollers may be plural in number and should by no means be limited to any particular number, but four or three main rollers as in the illustrated embodiment are 25 used in general. The main roller 10C constitutes a drive roller and is connected in driven relation to a drive motor 16. A rotary motion of the main roller 10C is transmitted via the wire 12 to the remaining main rollers 10A, 10B which constitute driven rollers.
The wire 12 has one or a leading end portion wound around a wire reel bobbin 22 via a tension adjustment mechanism 20. The wire reel bobbin 22 is rotatably driven by a torque motor 24. A tension on a portion of the wire 12 extending between the tension adjustment mechanism 20 and the wire reel bobbin 22 is regulated according to a voltage applied to the torque motor 24. And, a tension on a portion of the wire 12 running between the tension adjustment mechanism 20 and the drive roller 10C is adjusted at a constant value by the tension adjustment mechanism 20.
Similarly, the opposite or a trailing end portion of the wire 12 is wound around a wire reel bobbin 32 via a tension adjustment mechanism 30. The wire reel bobbin 32 is rotatably driven by a torque motor 34. A tension on a portion of the wire 12 extending between the tension adjustment mechanism 30 and the wire reel bobbin 32 is regulated according to a voltage applied to the torque motor 34. And, a tension on a portion of the wire 12 running between the tension adjustment mechanism 30 and the drive roller 10C is adjusted at a constant value by the tension adjustment mechanism 30.
A workpiece 40 is composed, for example, of a semiconductor single crystal ingot having an orientation flat and attached by bonding to a workpiece holder 42 via the orientation flat. The workpiece holder 42 is vertically moved up and down along a linear path.
The wire saw slicing apparatus of the above construction operates as follows. The drive roller 10C is rotated by the drive motor 16 to reciprocate the wire 12 in the axial or longitudinal direction thereof. A working fluid containing abrasive grains is supplied to a contact area between workpiece 40 and the wire 12. While keeping this condition, the workpiece 40 is further moved downwards whereby the workpiece 40 is sliced at one time into a multiplicity of wafers by a lapping action attained by the reciprocating wire 12 and the abrasive-containing working fluid supplied thereto.
An oily slurry, which contains oil (oily coolant) based on mineral oil and abrasive grains as of SiC, is used as the above-mentioned working fluid. However, when this oily slurry is used, there are inconveniences in cleaning a workpiece sliced with the wire saw slicing apparatus, disposing of the used oily slurry or the oily slurry waste fluid, etc. That is, although it is efficient to use an organic solvent in order to clean the workpiece sliced by the use of the oily slurry, the organic solvent can not be used from the viewpoint of an environmental problem. In conventional disposal methods, the oily slurry waste fluid has been predominantly burnt as industrial waste. However, since carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) generated when burning the oily slurry waste fluid is listed as a cause of environmental problems such as earth warming, the burning thereof is not desirable.
Then water soluble coolant has been developed as a substitute of the oily coolant to cope with the environmental problem. A water soluble slurry which contains the water soluble coolant and abrasive grains as of SiC has been recently used as a working fluid when slicing semiconductor ingots or the like with the wire saw slicing apparatus. The newly developed water soluble coolant has a problem that the cost thereof becomes higher because of the following reasons. Since the rate of the abrasive grains which actually contribute to the slicing operation in the total abrasive grains contained in the water soluble slurry is very low, many of the abrasive grains in the water soluble slurry waste fluid after completion of the slicing operation are in the condition of being available or usable. However, this water soluble slurry waste is discarded with such available abrasive grains, and thereby the total slicing cost has been greatly raised. In addition, the water soluble slurry waste fluid is usually treated by an activated sludge method in a waste water disposal plant but a big load to treat the water soluble slurry waste fluid falls thereon. So there is a problem that all of the water soluble slurry waste fluid can not be sent thereto.

Recovery of coolant and abrasive grains used in slicing semiconductor wafers


A fuel cell system for providing power to a load, and having a safety mode, is disclosed. The system includes a fuel cell configured to convert fuel to electrical power and coupled so as to provide electrical power at a fuel cell power output, a system power port having a power connection and a data connection, configured to be reversibly coupled to the load, a power connection controller, coupled to the fuel cell power output and to the system power port, and configured to enable and disable the power connection, and a fuel cell system controller coupled to the fuel cell, the data connection and the power connection controller. The fuel cell system controller has a normal mode and a safety mode. A user selection determines whether the fuel cell system controller is in the normal mode or the safety mode. If the load has a smart power port, the data connection is configured to communicate over the smart power port. In the normal mode, the fuel cell system controller is configured to enable the power connection independent of the data connection. In the safety mode, the fuel cell system controller is configured to enable the power connection only when an approved communication is received over the data connection from the load. A related method for operating the fuel cell system is also disclosed.

Fuel cells that operate in conjunction with replaceable fuel canisters or cartridges filled with, for example, gaseous hydrogen, methanol, butane or diesel fuel, are a developing technology. These types of fuel cells are designed to compete with the various battery solutions that power consumer products. The competitiveness of these fuel cells with regard to batteries depends on a number of factors, such as the energy density of the fuel in the canister; the ability of the fuel cell to convert chemical energy to electrical energy with certain efficiencies; and the need to keep the fuel cell stack, along with associated fluid pumping and power control components, no larger than that of a competitive battery.
One possible use of portable fuel cell systems is to recharge batteries while the consumer is engaged in various other activities. Any time batteries are being recharged there is an elevated risk that the battery will fail catastrophically in a variety of ways, including possible fire. This catastrophic failure is very rare, and the risk it poses is generally considered acceptable in most situations where batteries are currently plugged into the wall. The availability of a portable fuel cell system potentially allows this risk to be present in environments where battery charging has not historically been possible. For example, unattended charging in a suitcase on an airplane is now technologically possible.
In some safety critical environments, it is desirable to have a portable fuel cell system which is of a type that will not charge batteries when an attached portable electronic device is not in use. This standard is currently a requirement in the United States of America for fuel cell systems used on commercial aircraft as specified in the Code of Federal Regulations 49 C.F.R. §175.10(a)(19)(ix).


A dual-plane type flash memory device having a random program function and program operation method thereof. The flash memory device includes a first plane, a second plane, a first X-decoder, and a second X-decoder. The first plane includes first memory blocks sequentially arranged in a row direction. The second plane includes second memory blocks sequentially arranged in a row direction. The first X-decoder activates one of the first memory blocks in response to a first block address signal. The second X-decoder activates one of the second memory blocks in response to a second block address signal. The block activated by the first X-decoder of the first memory block is different from the block activated by the second X-decoder of the second memory blocks. Accordingly, during a program operation, memory blocks of two planes having different block addresses can be selected and programmed. Accordingly, the operational performance of the flash memory device can be enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a flash memory device, and more particularly, to a dual-plane type flash memory device having a random program function and program operation method thereof.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Recently, as the demand for semiconductor memory devices with a large memory capacity increases, various kinds of semiconductor memory devices with an increased storage capacity have been developed. A flash memory device of the semiconductor memory devices is designed in a multi-plane type in order to increase its memory capacity. The multi-plane type flash memory device includes a plurality of planes. Each of the plurality of planes includes a plurality of memory blocks.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a dual-plane type flash memory device in the related art. Referring to FIG. 1, a flash memory device 10 includes an address counter 11, a X-decoder 12, a Y-decoder 13, planes 14, 15, and a data I/O circuit 16.
The planes 14, 15 include memory blocks MBF1 to MBFN, MBS1 to MBSN (N is an integer) and page buffer units 17, 18, respectively. The address counter 11 receives a plane address signal PLA_ADD, a column address signal COL_ADD, a block address signal BLK_ADD, and a page address signal PAG_ADD and outputs an internal plane address signal PADD, an internal column address signal CADD, an internal block address signal BADD, and an internal page address signal GADD.
The Y-decoder 13 selects one of the page buffer units 17, 18 in response to the internal plane address signal PADD and the internal column address signal CADD. The reason why the Y-decoder 13 selects one of the page buffer units 17, 18 is that the page buffer units 17, 18 share the data I/O circuit 16. Accordingly, the data input or output operations of the page buffer units 17, 18 are not executed at the same time, but are sequentially executed one by one.
The X-decoder 12 selects one of the memory blocks MBF1 to MBFN or MBS1 to MBSN of each of the planes 14, 15 in response to the internal block address signal BADD. At this time, the X-decoder 12 selects memory blocks of the planes 14, 15 having the same block address at the same time. For example, when the first memory block MBF1 of the plane 14 is selected, the first memory block MBS1 of the plane 15 is selected. As described above, in the flash memory device 10, the X-decoder 12 can select only memory blocks of the planes 14, 15 (for example, MBF1, MBS1) having the same block address.
In other words, the X-decoder 12 cannot select memory blocks of the planes 14, 15 having different block addresses. Accordingly, during a program operation of the flash memory device 10, the memory blocks MBF1, MBS1 of the planes 14, 15 having the same block address are programmed. The program operation of the flash memory device 10 may serve to limit the operational performance of the flash memory device 10.

Dual-plane type flash memory device having random program function and program operation method thereof


The present invention is directed to a cosmetic composition that has an amount of at least two rheology-modifying agents such that the viscosity of the composition remains stable over a broad temperature range. The compositions of the present invention may also include at least one of the following additional components: sunscreen agent, SPF booster, secondary emulsifier, emollient, moisturizer, humectant, film former/waterproofing agent, bio-active (functional) ingredient, pH adjuster/chelating agent, preservative, fragrance, effect pigment, color additive, or any combinations thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cosmetic compositions that have enhanced rheological properties. More particularly, the present invention relates to sunscreen compositions that have enhanced rheological properties before and after application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cosmetic compositions, including sunscreens, are commercially available in various forms, such as lotions, creams, gels, and the like and are well known in the art. These compositions are typically formulated to have optimal rheological properties at or close to room temperature. One major drawback with these compositions is that they degrade rheologically at elevated temperatures, especially above room temperature. At these elevated temperatures, it has been found that the compositions no longer maintain the desired viscosity, resulting in a product that undesirably may drip or run during dispensing and/or application.
While all cosmetic compositions may be exposed to elevated temperatures, sunscreen compositions are especially susceptible to exposure to elevated temperatures due to the nature of their use. Sunscreen compositions are applied to the skin to protect the skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays that can lead to erythema, a reddening of the skin also known as sunburn. Sunlight or ultraviolet radiation in the UV-B range has a wavelength of 290 nm to 320 nm and is known to be the primary cause of sunburn. Ultraviolet rays at a wavelength of 320 nm to 400 nm, known as UV-A radiation, produces tanning of the skin. However, in the process of doing so, the UV-A rays can damage or harm the skin.
Besides the immediate malady of sunburn, excessive sunlight exposure can lead to skin disorders. For instance, prolonged and constant exposure to the sun may lead to actinic keratoses and carcinomas. Another long-term effect is premature aging of the skin. This condition is characterized by skin that is wrinkled, cracked and has lost its elasticity.
As stated above, sunscreens are typically formulated with the goal of inhibiting skin damage from the sun's rays. The sunscreen composition filters or blocks the harmful UV-A and UV-B rays that can damage and harm the skin. It is believed that sunscreen agents accomplish this by absorbing the UV-A and/or UV-B rays.
Consumers consider many factors when purchasing a sunscreen product, such as, the sun protection factor (SPF), how durable the product is after applying it over the skin, the shelf life of the product, and product form (i.e., lotions, gels, creams, and sprays). Another important and influential property of a sunscreen product considered by a consumer is how the product dispenses and how well the product spreads over the skin. Typically, consumers want a sunscreen that does not drip and/or run from the dispenser orifice, from the hand during application, or once applied to the skin. However, when exposed to the sun or elevated temperatures, typically sunscreen viscosities significantly decrease. This causes the sunscreen to drip and run from both the orifice of the dispenser and on the skin, making it very difficult for a user to evenly apply the sunscreen to the skin. In addition, the viscosity breakdown may result in a loss of product aesthetics, thus the product does not have a smooth, silky feel when applied to the skin, which is another important factor considered by consumers.
The cosmetic compositions of the present invention overcome the prior art deficiencies by providing a composition with a stable viscosity over a broad temperature range. As a result, the composition does not drip or run when dispensed and/or applied to the skin. In addition, the composition imparts an enhanced soft, silky feel when applied.


A washable fabric covered mattress pad involves the combination of a layer of resilient foam with a layer of fabric, both of which layers are machine washable and dryable. The fabric, either manmade or natural fiber material, is flame laminated to one side of the layer of foam. The non-covered side of the foam layer frictionally engages a mattress for non-slip self-positioning of the mattress pad without requiring straps or other specific holding mechanisms. A second or additional layers of foam of varying physical characteristics and/or thicknesses may be added through heat bonding thereof in a predetermined pattern to the non-covered side of the first layer of foam. Such arrangement results in a fabric covered, completely washable self-positioning mattress pad, such as having a preferred thickness generally in a range of from about one to about four inches.

The present invention relates in general to improved consumer comfort products, and more particularly to an improved fabric covered mattress pad which is both washable and non-slip.
A considerable number of products have been marketed for some time in the nature of mattress pads, overlays, or some sort of device a user can add to the upper support surface of an existing mattress. Other uses of such types of products may involve their placement directly on a floor, such as beneath a temporary air mattress or a sleeping bag, rather than directly on a regular bed mattress.
A number of such designs involve various pads or overlays formed at least in part from foam materials, such as resilient polyurethane foam. Such foam pieces may have various surface shapes for user comfort, including, for example, such as a convoluted upper surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,725 entitled "Mattress Cushion with Securement Feature" and commonly assigned with the subject application, is an example of a resilient foam mattress supplement or pad with a convoluted support surface on one side thereof, and with no covering.
A significant aspect of consumer goods, especially articles used on a bed, is whether it is practical to periodically wash such goods, and the ease with which washing is accomplished. Mattress pads of unfinished foam (i.e., plain foam pads without any sort of covering) are generally not well suited for routine washing. Specifically, plain foam typically lacks adequate tensile strength to withstand washing. In other words, resilient foam acts very much like a sponge, which absorbs tremendous amounts of water having relatively great weight. Under such circumstances, unfinished foam is highly subject to becoming torn or otherwise damaged during a wash cycle or subsequent handling.
Other approaches to providing a washable product involving foam (or other filled tickings) is to have a sewn product made with a traditional "quilting" machine which sews through the filler and the covering. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,610 entitled "Multi Layer Supplemental Support Pad" and commonly assigned with the subject application, shows a layer of foam surrounded by fabric material, all held together with stitching.
One drawback to such arrangements generally is that the above-referenced conventional quilting machine has an opening which can only handle a limited thickness of collective materials, such as only one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick. Such limitation makes it impractical to use such technology to create a mattress pad of adequate thickness for relatively firm support while still producing a washable product.
In another aspect of U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,610, various straps are provide to aid securing of the product during use, in particular, involving, for example, a chaise lounge chair.
Yet another approach in the marketplace to providing a covered mattress pad involves providing a pad with a completely removable (for example, zippered) fabric cover. Typical such arrangements may involve a foam base pad or polyester filling, with a fabric cover having a peripheral zipper which exposes one or more edges of the interior base pad, for selected removal and reentry thereof.
Various drawbacks exist with approaches involving the removal of an exterior cover from a base pad. For example, only the cover itself is washable in those circumstances, for generally the same reasons that an unfinished foam piece is unwashable. Another negative aspect is simply the fact of having to remove and subsequently reposition the cover in order to conduct even such partial washing of the product. Such removal and reentry operations are often difficult and/or relatively time consuming to realign the base as desired within the cover. Still a further drawback is that many such arrangements require or make use of straps or similar means to hold the product in place on the mattress. Such are needed because the cover material is often relatively slick, thereby reducing frictional engagement and preventing self-positioning or non-slip functioning of the product.
Other examples of various support supplements are shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,000 and U.S. Design Pat. No. D362,578, both of which are commonly assigned with the subject application.


A game comprising a board on which figurines can be moved along longitudinal paths by driving mechanisms arranged below the board. The driving mechanisms each comprises at least one handle and connectors for joining the handle to the figurines. The game comprises at least 2 sets of driving mechanisms which can be moved along a longitudinal axis of the board by means of the handles. The handles, which project outwardly from sides of a frame on which the board is mounted, can be moved longitudinally along the frame within slots within the frame sides over a distance equal to about half the frame length.

The present invention relates to a game with movable figurines which can move over a board.
The technical field of the invention is that of games and toys with manual controls. The invention relates more particularly to an indoor game in which the players move, via manual control means connected to movable parts by mechanical transmissions situated under the game board, figurines situated above this board.
Numerous game devices in which figurines are moved are already known; the Patents U.S. Pat. No. 2,229,232 (Widegren) and FR 1,395,049 (Parrot) describe apparatuses where the figurines are controlled by alternating link rods which extend beyond the ends of the game and which are thus liable to impede the players and which can furthermore be subjected to impacts leading to serious risks of deterioration of the link rods and thus of these games.
Furthermore, the U.S. Pat Nos. 2,148,354 (Hurlock) and 3,419,271 (Waskowsky) describe game devices where the figurines are attached to alternate belts, which makes it difficult or impossible to move the figurines in a direction other than the direction of the said belts especially in a direction corresponding to the direction of the width of the game, and which also prevent the rotation of these figurines on themselves.
Furthermore the Patents GB 1,051,371 (Cane), U.S. Pat. No. 3,475,028 (Rodorigo) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,921 (Takeo Iseki) describe game devices allowing the rotation of the figures on themselves and in which the significant extension of the manual control link rods on the outside of the game are avoided by means of complex electromechanical transmissions, which are liable to bring about a jerky operation and which contribute furthermore to the fragility of these game devices and the need to use an external power supply such as batteries for example.
The problem posed thus consists in providing a game device with movable figurines with manual controls which allow the figurines to be moved on a board in at least one longitudinal direction of the game, enabling the figurines to be moved within longitudinal strips, which device must be a very simple design, which does not necessitate complex electro-mechanical driving means and which does not necessitate a manual maneuvring link rod which extends beyond the frame of these games in an exaggerated way.

Parc Montvert 1 B - 9, rue des Flots Bleus


A drill having a head that has a modified egg shape. The distal most end of the drill head is rounded and has a smaller diameter with a cutting bevel which flares into an area having a maximum diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the corresponding screw or implant that is used in the surgical procedure. The distal end of the drill also includes a plurality of cutting flutes which extend part of the way up the narrower portion of the drill head just up to the area having the maximum diameter. This drill can then be used to turn a countersink area into the bone at the implant site.

Some orthopedic procedures require a screw or peg to be inserted into bone in order to hold fragments together, or to hold bones in alignment to permit fusion. It is a disadvantage when the screw head projects beyond the bone surface at the insertion site. However, it is also an advantage for the screw to have a head of a sufficient size to allow sufficient torque to be applied to the screw to allow it to be easily implanted in the bone. The present invention address that issue by providing a countersink, and a drill designed specifically to provide a countersink in the cortical bone at the implantation site so that a round headed screw or peg will not remain proud or project too far beyond the surface of the bone.

Countersink for use in orthopedic surgery


A locking device has a band provided with a locking element on its one end, a housing, a rocker turnably movable relative to the housing and having an edge which in a closed position of the device applies pressure to the band and stops the band from movement, the locking element provided on the end of the band being engageable with the housing, a first unit for turning the rocker and releasing the pressure on the band so that the band is released and can be moved but the locking element can not disengage from the housing, and a second separate unit which, upon release of the pressure on the band and application of an action to the second unit by a user, release the locking element from the housing in a next step so as to disengage the element from the housing and to open the locking device.

The present invention relates to locking devices, and can be used in particular for constricting devices for body parts, such as a vein constrictor.
Devices of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. One of such devices is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,437. It has an elastic band to form a loop around the body part to be constricted. When the band is tightened by pulling of its free end, the force which occurs at the end connected to a housing of the device turns the clamping rocker to its clamping position in which it arrests the band in its constricting condition.
In the device disclosed in my patent when a pressure is applied to convert the device into a closed position, a cap connected with one end of the band is snapped into a housing of the device. After the use of the device, when a pressure is applied to the clamping rocker, it turns so that its clamping edge releases the band, and the band due to the restoring force can slide automatically to release the band. At the same time, a further turning movement of the clamping rocker under the action of the pressure applied in the same direction leads to opening of an arresting closure, or in other words removal of the cap from the housing.
This construction has however the disadvantage that by operating the clamping rocker exclusively, the release of the band and the opening of the closure are performed simultaneously and very fast, so that the cap with the band can "jump" from a remaining part of the device, thus causing uneasiness for a user.


An image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program that permit camera calibration with high accuracy by using a known object in images captured by a plurality of imaging sections. An estimation section estimates a 3D position of a road sign included in each of images captured by a plurality of cameras with respect to each of the imaging sections. A recognition section recognizes a positional relationship between the plurality of cameras on the basis of the 3D position of the road sign with respect to each of the cameras estimated by the estimation section. The positional relationship between the plurality of cameras recognized by the recognition section is used to correct the images captured by the plurality of cameras.

In image processing carried out by linking images captured by a plurality of cameras, it is important to control, with high accuracy, relationships between three dimensional (3D) positions and orientations (attitudes) of the cameras. Also, the relationships between 3D positions and orientations of the cameras change depending on impact, temperature, lapse of time, and so on. Therefore, control parameters of these relationships need to be updated regularly.
Correction of images captured by cameras is known as an approach to controlling relationships between 3D positions and orientations of cameras such that given relationships are present. As an approach to determining parameters used for image correction, i.e., a camera calibration method, for example, correction parameters are found such that desired images are produced as a result of capture of a specific pattern with the respective cameras. This method requires shooting of a specific pattern, making it difficult to update the parameters regularly.
For this reason, there is proposed a method of determining parameters such that similarity of a known object in each image is enhanced by using images captured by a plurality of cameras under normal use without using a specific pattern (refer, for example, to PTL 1). This method permits determination of parameters under normal use, thereby allowing for regular updating of the parameters. Also, there is conceived a method of determining parameters by shooting an arbitrary scene.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program


A method performed by STA may comprise receiving, from a first AP, a first beacon frame comprising a first relay information element including a first field that indicates whether a root AP BSSID field is included in the first relay information element, determining that a first root AP BSSID field is included in the first relay information element and determining that the first AP is a relay AP of a root AP identified by the first root AP BSSID field. The method may further comprise receiving, from a second AP, a second beacon frame comprising a second relay information element including a second field that indicates whether a root AP BSSID is included in the second relay information element and determining that a root AP BSSID field is not included in the second information element and determining that the second AP is a root AP.

A wireless local area network (WLAN) in Infrastructure basic service set (BSS) mode has an Access Point (AP) for the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP typically has access or interface to a distribution system (DS) or another type of wired/wireless network that carries traffic into and out of the BSS. Traffic to STAs that originates from outside the BSS arrives through the AP and is delivered to the STAs. Traffic originating from STAs to destinations outside the BSS is sent to the AP to be delivered to the respective destinations. Traffic between STAs within the BSS may also be sent through the AP where the source STA sends traffic to the AP and the AP delivers the traffic to the destination STA. Such traffic between STAs within a BSS is really peer-to-peer traffic. Such peer-to-peer traffic may also be sent directly between the source and destination STAs with a direct link setup (DLS) using an 802.11e DLS or an 802.11z tunneled DLS (TDLS). A WLAN in Independent BSS mode has no AP and STAs communicate directly with each other.
New spectrum is being allocated in various countries around the world for wireless communication systems such as WLANs. Such spectrum is often limited in the size and bandwidth of the channels they comprise. In addition, the spectrum may be fragmented in that available channels may not be adjacent and may not be combined for larger bandwidth transmissions. Such is the case, for example, in spectrum allocated below 1 GHz in various countries. WLAN systems, for example built on the 802.11 standard, may be designed to operate in such spectrum. Given these limitations, the WLAN systems will only be able to support smaller bandwidths and lower data rates compared to high throughput (HT)/very high throughput (VHT) WLAN systems, for example, based on the 802.11n/802.11ac standards.
The IEEE 802.11ah Task Group (TG) has been established to develop solutions to support WLAN systems in the sub-1 GHz band and to achieve the following requirements: orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) physical (PHY) layer operating below 1 GHz in license-exempt bands excluding television white space (TVWS); enhancements to the medium access control (MAC) layer to support the PHY and coexistence with other systems; and optimization of rate versus range performance (range up to 1 km (outdoor) and data rates greater than 100 Kbit/s).
The following use cases have been adopted: sensors and meters; backhaul sensor and meter data; and extended range WiFi for cellular offloading. The spectrum allocation in some countries is limited. Therefore, there is a need to support a 1 MHz only option in addition to support for a 2 MHz option with a 1 MHz mode. The 802.11ah PHY is required to support 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 MHz bandwidths.
The 802.11ah PHY operates below 1 GHz and is based on the 802.11ac PHY. To accommodate the narrow bandwidths required by 802.11ah, the 802.11ac PHY is down-clocked by a factor of 10. While support for 2, 4, 8, and 16 MHz bandwidths may be achieved by the 1/10 down-clocking support for the 1 MHz bandwidth requires a new PHY definition with a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size of 32.
In the sensors and meters use case, up to 6000 STAs are supported within one BSS. The devices such as smart meters and sensors have different requirements pertaining to the supported uplink and downlink traffic. For example, sensors and meters may be configured to periodically upload their data to a server which will most likely to be uplink traffic only. Sensors and meters may also be queried or configured by the server. When the server queries or configures a sensor or meter, it will expect that the queried data should arrive within a setup interval. Similarly, the server/application will expect a confirmation for any configuration performed within a certain interval. These types of traffic patterns are different than the traditional traffic patterns assumed for WLAN systems.
In the signal (SIG) field of the physical layer convergence procedure (PLOP) preamble of a packet, two bits are used to indicate the type of acknowledgment (ACK) expected as a response (i.e., early ACK indication) to the packet: ACK ("00" value), block ACK (BA) ("01" value), no ACK ("10" value), and that a packet will be transmitted in the following frame ("11" value).
High Efficiency WLAN (HEW) is directed to enhancing the Quality of Experience (QoE) for a broad spectrum of wireless users in many usage scenarios, including high-density scenarios in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. New use cases which support dense deployments of APs and STAs, and associated Radio Resource Management (RRM) technologies are being considered. Potential applications for HEW include usage scenarios such as: data delivery for stadium events, high user density scenarios such as train stations or enterprise/retail environments, an increased dependence on video delivery, and wireless services for medical applications.

Range extension in wireless local area networks


A modular assembly for opto-electronic systems has a substrate on which various photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chips and electronic integrated circuit (EIC) chips are mounted. One or more waveguide (WG) chips mounted on the substrate align the optical communication between the PIC chips and fiber blocks for optical fibers. Preconfigured electrical connections in the substrate allow the PIC and EIC chips to communicate with one another and to communicate with solder bumps on the substrate for integration of the modular assembly with other electronic components.

Space must be used efficiently when assembling complex optical subassemblies or modules having highly integrated Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs). Coupling of light into these PICs to/from external fibers presents a particular challenge. Fiber coupling is typically achieved using active alignment, which is expensive, time consuming, and can take up value space in an assembly.
Current solutions to achieve fiber coupling involve either (i) actively aligning the PICs directly to fiber blocks, or (ii) using individual V-groove arrays aligned to the PICs using active alignment techniques or less accurate passive techniques. Active alignment techniques require expensive equipment, whereas passive alignment techniques can result in larger coupling losses, and hence lower performance.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

Modular assembly for opto-electronic systems


Composition comprising a benefit agent and an aprotic solvent, wherein the benefit agent comprises at least one nucleophilically and/or hydrolytically unstable bond.

Many compositions, including consumer good products comprise benefit agents. Benefit agents provide a consumer desired benefit, however often they are susceptible to hydrolysis by other components present in the product. This results in breakdown and loss of the benefit agent during storage which negatively impacts the consumer experience when they come to use the product. The consumer prefers to get consistent performance from the product across the lifetime of the product usage. If benefit agents are breaking down upon storage, the consumer experience can be unpredictable and dissatisfying.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a composition that provides improved benefit agent stability.
The Inventors have surprisingly found that the stability of benefit agents having at least one hydrolytically unstable bond in compositions can be improved by the presence of specific solvents, namely aprotic solvents.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compositions comprising benefit agent and aprotic solvent


Techniques using one or more drugs and/or electrical stimulation for treating schizophrenia by means of an implantable signal generator and electrode and an implantable pump and catheter. A catheter is surgically implanted in the brain to infuse the drugs, and one or more electrodes are surgically implanted in the brain to provide electrical

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to nerve tissue stimulation and infusion techniques, and more particularly relates to such techniques for treating schizophrenia.
2. Description of Related Art
The etiology of schizophrenia is unknown. Many hypotheses have been formulated including infectious (slow virus), genetic, autoimmune or immune dysfunction, environmental and neurotransmitter-mediated. Scans and postmortem studies show abnormalities in schizophrenics, such as enlarged cerebral ventricles and reduced brain size. Brain systems making use of dopamine appear to be particularly involved. Pet scans show that the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenic patients is not properly activated in response to intellectual tasks. Schizophrenia includes disturbances in one or more of three domains of psychopathology. Essentially all patients manifest "positive" symptoms that include delusions and hallucinations. A small majority also have thought disorders. A substantial minority are afflicted with primary, enduring negative symptoms such as flat affect, asociality, anhedonia and intentional impairment. The prevalence of schizophrenia in the U.S. is estimated to be 1.1 million persons with schizophrenia proper and another 2% to 3% of the population suffer schizotypal personality disorder which may simply be a mild form of the disorder. There is a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. The odds for any person in the general population to suffer from the illness is 1%. The odds that a person will have the illness if they have a parent or sibling with schizophrenia is 15%. And if they have an identical twin with schizophrenia the odds are between 30% and 50% that they will also have it.
The cause of schizophrenia is unknown. However, there are several hypotheses that are described above. The structures of the brain that are involved in schizophrenia are suggested by the symptoms that become manifest during the phases of the illness and by the pharmaceutical agents that have an effect on those symptoms. The effectiveness of the neuroleptic drugs (typical antipsychotic) which block the dopamine as a transmitter has led to the hypothesis that schizophrenia is the result of dysfunction of neurons utilizing dopamine as a neurotransmitter. In particular, researchers believe that there is an overactivity in these circuits which utilize dopamine.
There are several circuits in the brain that utilize dopamine: the mesolimbic pathways; the nigrostrial pathway; the mesocortical dopaminergic system and the tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic system. There is a hypothesis that overactivity of dopaminergic neurons in one or more of these pathways leads to the symptoms observed in schizophrenia. The overactivity could be either an increase in dopamine release or a hypersensitivity of the receptors. Recent reformations of the hypothesis argue that there is both hyper and hypo dopaminergic activity in schizophrenia patients. The positive symptoms are probably due to increased activity in the mesolimbic dopamine pathways while the negative symptoms are the result of decreased activity in the mesocortical pathway. The hyperactivity may not be the same from side to side. For example, research has shown increased levels of dopamine in the left amygdala of persons with schizophrenia.
Recently, a new class of drug has been found to be effective for treating schizophrenia. This drug, clozapine, is referred to as an atypical antipsychotic. The typical antipsychotic drugs bind to the D2 dopamine receptor and give rise to extrapyramidal side effects through interactions in the nigrostriatal pathways. Clozapine, on the other hand, binds to D3 and D4 dopamine neurons and does not exhibit these side effects. Clozapine does cause systemic side effects in some cases and needs to be monitored closely for these effects.
There are other biochemical hypotheses that are put forward to explain schizophrenia. These hypotheses are motivated by the fact that researchers have had difficulty documenting the dopamine hypothesis, the failure of the antipsychotic drugs to always be effective and an understanding of the neurochemistry of other pathways that have been shown to be the substrate for many of the symptoms manifest by schizophrenic patients. Other neurotransmitters postulated to be involved include serotonin (5-HT), norepinepherine and the excitatory amino acids (glutamate).
Jaskiw and Weinberger (Seminars in The Neurosciences, Vol. 4, 1992: pp. 179-188) have emphasized the concept that it is a dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex which leads to the disregulation of the dopamine systems. In other words, the excess dopamine activity is secondary to the original problem that lies in the cortex. Drug therapy that alters the dopamine activity is a means of compensating the nervous system to regain some balance. Specifically, Weinburger postulates that it is the loss of input to the prefrontal cortex and the resulting lack of feedback to the other circuits in the limbic areas and the brainstem that lead to the hyperactivity of the dopamine limbic pathways.

Method of treating schizophrenia by brain stimulation and drug infusion


An apparatus for manufacturing a device comprises a temperature regulator configured to regulate a temperature of a component associated with manufacture of the device, a controller configured to control the temperature regulator, and a console configured to send command information to the controller upon receiving an input regarding an operation of the temperature regulator, the command information including a command for causing the temperature regulator to operate in an electric power saving mode, and a parameter which specifies a detail of the electric power saving mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device manufacturing apparatus and device manufacturing method for manufacturing a device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device manufacturing process uses an exposure apparatus to reduce a pattern formed on a mask and project it onto a substrate coated with a photoresist. Higher integration densities of semiconductor devices require further micropatterning. Along with the development of the resist process, exposure apparatuses are coping with micropatterning.
Heat generated by a device manufacturing apparatus such as an exposure apparatus increases as the throughput of the device manufacturing apparatus increases. A stage driving mechanism having a linear motor is cooled using a coolant or cooling medium (cooling liquid) such as water, antifreeze, or inert liquid. The coolant or cooling medium may comprise gas. The cooling medium whose temperature rises upon absorbing heat undergoes primary temperature regulation by a cooler using inverter control or hot gas bypass control, or heat exchange with cooling water supplied from facilities. It is difficult for only primary temperature regulation using the cooler or heat exchange to achieve the kind of high-precision temperature regulation demanded by the device manufacturing apparatus. Thus, secondary temperature regulation using a high-precision heater with a good response characteristic is executed near a heat generating portion.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-133211 discloses a technique of satisfactorily cooling air by a cooler, then heating it by a low-sensitivity base heater, and further heating it by a high-sensitivity heater.
When the productivity of the device manufacturing apparatus is low, the amount of heat generated is small. In this case, electric power is wastefully consumed if cooling by the primary temperature regulator and rewarming by the secondary temperature regulator are performed for a target temperature determined in consideration of the maximum amount of generated heat.

Device manufacturing apparatus and device manufacturing method


A random orbital sander including an adjustable contoured hand grip that is removably coupled to the sander housing. The hand grip is repositionable with respect to the housing to provide various contour griping services engageable by an operator's hand. The adjustable hand grip, when used in combination with a random orbital sander, provides various contoured gripping surfaces that can be adjusted to fit the hands of various users. The perimeter of the hand grip includes a contoured irregular surface that can be rotated or repositioned with respect to the housing to provide various shaped gripping surfaces. The random orbital sander includes a housing with an internal cavity arranged to accept a motor within the housing. The motor includes an output shaft that can be coupled to a sanding pad or other structure. The upper end of the housing is adapted to accept an adjustable contoured hand grip that is adapted to be repositionable with respect to the housing to provide various contoured gripping surfaces engageable by an operator's hand. The hand grip includes a cavity that is adapted to be coupled to the housing. The cavity includes a plurality of retention members that are adapted to maintain the position of the hand grip with respect to the housing.

The present disclosure relates to hand operated power tools, and, in particular, to adjustable hand grips for use with power tools. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an adjustable contoured hand grip for use with a random orbital sander. Random orbital sanders typically include a fixed handle molded to the sander housing that cannot be adjusted.
A random orbital sander, in accordance with the present disclosure, includes an adjustable contoured hand grip that is removably coupled to the sander housing. The hand grip is positionable with respect to the housing to provide various contour gripping surfaces engageable by an operator's hand. The adjustable hand grip, when used in combination with a random orbital sander, provides various contoured gripping surfaces that can be adjusted to fit the hands of various users. As shown in the illustrative embodiments, the perimeter of the hand grip includes a contoured irregular surface that can be rotated or repositioned with respect to the housing to provide various shaped gripping surfaces.
According to the present disclosure, the hand operated random orbital sander includes a housing with an internal cavity arranged to accept a motor within the housing. The motor includes an output shaft that can be coupled to a sanding pad or other structure. The upper end of the housing is adapted to accept an adjustable contoured hand grip that is adapted to be repositionable with respect to the housing to provide various contoured gripping surfaces engageable by an operator's hand. The hand grip includes a cavity that is adapted to be coupled to the housing. The cavity includes a plurality of retention members that are adapted to maintain the position of the hand grip with respect to the housing.
Also in accordance with the present disclosure, the hand operated random orbital sander also includes a color coded lock ring with indicia that is removably coupled to the housing to identify and provide information regarding the operating characteristics of the power tool. The color coded lock ring with indicia allows users to identify a specific random orbital sander and identify whether the sander includes proper motor orbit for particular sanding purpose. Also in accordance with present disclosure, the random orbital sander further includes a housing that includes alignment indicia to assist in properly aligning the motor with respect to the housing when the motor is installed within the housing. The random orbital sander, when used with a particular matter collection system, can include a rotatable nipple having an exterior surface with a first diameter and a second diameter. The first diameter of the nipple is greater than the second diameter to accept different diameter vacuum hoses.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.


An LED illumination lamp device, including a polygonal-prism-shaped supporting member having a plurality of rectangular side surfaces, plate-like wing members configured to project outwardly from each of ridge lines formed by two adjacent rectangular side surfaces of the supporting member and having at least two opposing rectangular surfaces, and a plurality of LED elements disposed on the rectangular side surfaces of the supporting member and the rectangular surfaces of the wing members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an LED illumination lamp device for use as an illumination lamp for general lighting, a headlight for vehicle, or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
An LED illumination lamp device using a light emitting diode element (hereinafter, referred to as LED element) has the advantageous effects of a lower heat release value, a longer operating life, and so on, in comparison with a conventional illumination lamp without using LED elements such as an electric light bulb. In recent years, LED illumination lamps have been widely used in various circles as illumination lamps for general lighting, headlights for vehicle, or the like. Because one LED element emits only a small volume of light, it has become conventional practice to install a large number of LED elements in one illumination lamp to ensure emission of a large volume of light.
A known example of an LED illumination lamp is the bulb-type LED illumination lamp in which a large number of LED elements are disposed on a side surface of a cylindrical supporting member to form an electric light bulb (for reference, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-296245, FIG. 1, paragraphs 0014 to 0021, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-296249, FIG. 1, paragraphs 0012 to 0019, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-342574, FIGS. 1 to 3, paragraphs 0009 to 0014, and so on).
However, when installing a large number of LED elements in the above-mentioned conventional bulb-type LED illumination lamp, it has been necessary to increase either the diameter or length of the cylindrical supporting member. Therefore, the conventional bulb-type LED illumination lamp has been limited in its ability to assure bright illumination while maintaining a compact size.


A content based messaging audio and video conferencing system provides a messaging infrastructure for multimedia and collaborative applications. The audio/video conferencing system may be implemented using a publish/subscribe infrastructure, such as a content-based messaging (CBM) infrastructure and system. Conference participants may exchange audio and/or video data streams using the CBM system. A list of contacts displays the current status of users. For example, the status of a user may be offline, online, and in a conference. The conference system uses the publish/subscribe infrastructure to provide instant state changes in the contact list using published updates to generate state messages for those users subscribing to contacts using the conference system.

Developments in communication technology allows individuals to inexpensively communicate over long distances. In particular, conferencing systems allow groups of individuals to have real-time audio and/or video conferences despite being in different locations.
Conventional audio/video conference systems allow multiple users to connect into a central server to join a conference that is conducted by a host. However, such systems require that the participants connect to the server and that the host controls or administers the conference. If the host departs, the conference must end, or another participant must take the place of the departed host. Often, this is inconvenient in real world scenarios. However, new methods and technology continue to develop to supplement traditional audio/video conference systems.

Audio/video-conferencing using content based messaging


A dry mix particulate dispenser includes a container configured to hold a dry mix particulate. The container has a top portion, a bottom portion, and at least one side wall. The container includes a dispenser opening formed in the bottom portion and a sloped interior wall within the container is angled in a direction generally toward the opening. A slide track is positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the container receives an elongate slider. The slider including an opening formed therein which can be selectively aligned with the dispenser opening.

The present invention relates to dry particulate dispensers. More specifically, the present invention relates to dry particulate dispensers such as those used to dispense food products.
Dry particulates, such as cereal, salad toppings, peanuts, crushed cookies, candy pieces, xe2x80x9csprinklesxe2x80x9d, etc., are frequently used in food preparation. One simple technique for applying these toppings is to hold the various toppings in containers and then use a spoon to dispense the desired amount of a topping. However, this simple technique is not well suited for consumer food outlets such as salad bars, restaurants, ice cream shops, etc., which may experience high volume sales. Additionally, this simple technique does not provide accurate regulation in the amount of toppings dispensed and is prone to contamination.
Frequently, more sophisticated dispensers than the simple spoon method discussed above are used to dispense dry particulates. However, some dispensing methods do not provide accurate portion control and do not provide consistent product flow out of the dispenser. Such dispensers are frequently gravity fed in which gravity is used to draw the particulate from the dispenser. However, dispensers can have problems when dispensing a xe2x80x9ctough flowxe2x80x9d product which does not flow easily from the dispenser. Such a tough flow product tends to bridge or plug the dispenser opening. This plugging can cause the end user to under dispense which can cause the user to dispense again, resulting in an inconsistent product and causing higher costs due to waste in dispensing.
In one aspect, a dry mix particulate dispenser includes a container configured to hold a dry mix-particulate. The container has a top portion, a bottom portion, and at least one side wall. The container includes a dispenser opening formed in the bottom portion and a sloped interior wall within the container is angled in a direction generally toward the dispenser opening. A slide track is positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the container. An elongate slider is configured to be slidably received in the slide track. The slider including an opening formed therein which can be selectively aligned with the dispenser opening.


A computer-based system and method allow at least one player to play a poker-like game using a computer. A processor processes inputs through a graphic user interface (GUI). A display displays the GUI, including: a five column by five row display matrix, in which each column and row combination includes a matrix display region defining a block of the display matrix; five selectable display regions, each selectable display region corresponding to each column of the display matrix; and a plurality of user-actuatable icons, including an actuation icon. A selectable symbol generator responds to the user inputs by randomly generating selectable symbols corresponding to poker playing cards for display. The processor causes a selected symbol to be displayed in a selected matrix display region of the display matrix, and determines whether the display matrix displays a combination of symbols corresponding to a poker hand condition. The processor generates a score for each user. The poker-playing device may be adapted for playing a poker-style game among a plurality of users, with respective scores determined and displayed, and for providing a chat room feature for interactive text transactions between players before, during, and after play.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to computer-based games, and particularly to a computer-based system and method for playing a poker-like game.
2. Description of the Related Art
The game of poker has for many years been a popular game to play for recreation and for gambling. The popularity of poker as a gambling game has grown to the point in which, in recent years, gambling casinos have set up poker-based slot machine devices as an added attraction for their players. Examples of poker-based slot machine devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,137 to Fulton and U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,057 to Marnell, II.
However, attempts to implement the game of poker in a slot machine have been limited in abilities, for example, in being limited to single-individual play, and in typically determining success from purely random card generation without user input and strategic determinations of the processing of cards, as in regular hand-held poker. Accordingly, such slot machine versions of poker have been both limited and less enjoyable to play.
Some versions of poker implemented as video games allow for user interaction to select and discard cards, but such video games have heretofore also generally been limited to single user play, and so are not adaptable to on-line and/or remote play between a plurality of users.

Computer-based system and method for playing a poker-like game


A process for the preparation of an encapsulated toner composition comprised of a core and a shell thereover, which process comprises mixing an organic phase comprised of an olefinic monomer, pigment, and a first resin A soluble in the organic phase; dispersing the organic phase into microdroplets in an aqueous solution comprised of a surfactant; subjecting the resulting mixture to free radical polymerization by heating wherein the olefinic monomer is converted to a second resin B; and wherein said resin B is incompatible with said resin A and phase separates whereby a core and shell results.

The present invention is generally directed to toner processes, and more specifically to processes for the preparation of encapsulated toner compositions. In one embodiment, the present invention is related to a process for the preparation of encapsulated toners comprised of a core and a shell, and wherein the process comprises mixing an olefinic monomer, a free radical initiator, a pigment, an optional charge control agent, and a polymer resin A soluble in the organic phase; dispersing this mixture in an aqueous medium containing a surfactant, and heating the resultant stabilized microdroplet to effect the free radical polymerization of the olefinic monomer to polymer resin B, wherein both resin A and B are incompatible and phase separate to form a shell and core morphology. In another embodiment, the present invention is related to a process for the preparation of encapsulated toners comprised of a mixture of an olefinic monomer, such as for example isobutyl methacrylate or styrene, a free radical initiator, a pigment, and optionally a charge control agent, and a condensation polymer resin A such as a polyester, a polyurea, a polyamide, or polyurethane soluble in the organic phase; dispersing this mixture in an aqueous medium containing a surfactant; and heating the resultant stabilized microdroplet to effect the olefinic polymerization of the olefinic monomer to resin B, yielding an encapsulated toner wherein the condensation polymer resin A and the polymer resin B phases are incompatible and separate such that a shell and core morphology is obtained. Accordingly, in one embodiment of this invention, the condensation polymer A phase separates to the surface of the microcapsule toner resulting in a condensation polymer shell, such as a polyester shell, and the core is comprised of the addition-type polymer resin B, such as poly(isobutyl methacrylate), pigment and optionally a charge control additive. In other embodiments, the addition-type polymer, such as the aforementioned poly(isobutyl methacrylate) resin B phase separates to the microcapsule surface, and the core is comprised of pigment, an optional charge control agent and the condensation polymer, such as a polyester. The primary advantages associated with the processes of the present invention in embodiments is that the condensation polymer resin is not formed by an interfacial polymerization as illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,000,087 and 4,307,169, the disclosures of which are totally incorporated herein by reference. Thus, with the processes of the present invention there is avoided the use of undesirable toxic diacid chlorides, and diisocyanate monomers to form condensation polymers, and there is avoided the generation of byproducts associated with interfacial condensation polymerization such as inorganic salts or organic salts such as sodium chloride, hydrogen chloride alkylamino chlorides, and the like. Additionally, with the process of this invention, there are obtained encapsulated toners comprised of a core comprised of a condensation polymer such as a polyester, pigment and charge control, and comprised thereover a shell consisting of an addition-type polymer resin such as poly(isobutylmethacrylate) or polystyrene. The aforementioned polystyrene shell-polyester core, for example, cannot be readily obtained by known prior art processes, and the processes of the present invention are advantageous for obtaining excellent pigment dispersion of from about 70 to about 100 percent transmittance. Excellent pigment dispersion can be measured by fusing an image on transparency and acquiring the projection efficiency using a Match Scan II photospectrometer. Furthermore, with the process of this invention, encapsulated toners with low heat fusibility, excellent triboelectrification and admix, high projection efficiency, high gloss, nonblocking, nonghosting and nonsmearing properties are obtained.
It is known that encapsulated toners offer numerous advantages over conventional pulverization processes. The conventional pulverization process involves melt mixing of the toner ingredients such as a resin, pigment and charge control, followed by extrusion, grinding and energy consuming jetting process to obtain the desired volume average particle size of from about 7 microns to about 21 microns as measured by the Coulter Counter. Additionally, for the aforementioned particle size to remain unchanged until required for fixing on paper by reprographic methods, the glass transition temperature of the conventional toner should be not less than 50.degree. C., and preferably not less than 55.degree. C. after manufacturing, transporting or storage. This glass transition temperature of the toner can restrict the type of fuser rolls utilized in reprographic fixing systems and a fusing temperature of no less than 150.degree. C. and preferably no less than 160.degree. C. such that the toner can be fixed adequately onto paper. Encapsulated toner process enables, for example, the preparation of a core with a glass transition temperature of from about -70.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C. and surrounded by a shell material of glass transition temperature of above 50.degree. C. The primary function of the shell is to prevent toner agglomeration until used during the fixing step, at which time shell rupture by the application of pressure by the fusing roll is accomplished thereby releasing the core resin primarily responsible for sticking, fixing and adhering to the paper. Accordingly, one main advantage of encapsulated toners is that they can be fixed adequately onto paper at lower roll fusing temperatures, such as from about 100.degree. C. to about 130.degree. C., thereby reducing the energy consumption of the fuser as well as prolonging its lifetime. Additionally, encapsulated toner processes can offer other advantages over conventional processes, such as the ability to produce smaller size toner of less than 7 microns necessary for higher resolution in reprographic applications. Many prior art encapsulated toner compositions utilize condensation polymers as the shell component, such as a polyester or a polyurethane, which can be obtained by the interfacial condensation of diisocyanate or diacid chloride monomer with diols, amines, aminoethers and the like, and causing the generation of byproducts such as salts and hydrolyzed diacid chloride or diisocyanate monomers. The encapsulated toner processes of this invention do not utilize expensive and toxic reagents such as diisocyanates or diacid chlorides, and do not generate byproducts in embodiments. Additionally, with the process of this invention in embodiments there can be obtained encapsulated toners comprised of a core comprised of a condensation polymer of low glass transition of less than 50.degree. C., such as a polyester, pigment and charge control, and thereover a shell comprised of an addition-type polymer resin, such as poly(isobutylmethacrylate) or polystyrene, with a glass transition temperature of above 50.degree. C. not readily, if attainable with prior art processes.
Certain encapsulated toners and processes thereof are known. For example, both U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,489 and British Patent Publication 1,538,787 disclose similar processes for colored encapsulated toners wherein the core resins are prepared by free radical polymerization and the shell materials are prepared by interfacial polymerization. U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,764 discloses a colored microcapsule toner comprised of a colored core encapsulated by two resin shells with the inner shell having an affinity for both the core and the outer shell materials. Also mentioned primarily as background interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,671,954; 4,644,030; 4,482,606 and 4,309,213. Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,451 is a process for the preparation of encapsulated toners wherein the shell or condensation polymer resin is prepared by interfacial reaction involving diacid chlorides or diisocyanates. The present invention does not utilize an interfacial polymerization to form the condensation polymer resin, thereby avoiding the use of toxic diacid chlorides and diisocyanates and avoiding the generation of undesireable byproducts associated with the interfacial condensation. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,339 discloses a toner comprising an inner layer of ion complex and an outer layer containing a flowability imparting agent; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,201 illustrates the use of pressure sensitive toner clusters or aggregates with each granule of the cluster or aggregate being comprised of a pressure sensitive adhesive substance encapsulated by coating film. Color pigment particles or magnetic particles can be present on the surfaces of the encapsulated granules to impart the desired color to the toners. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,011 discloses a process for preparing encapsulated toners which involves a shell forming interfacial polycondensation and a core forming free radical polymerization, and further U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,924 discloses the use of a mixture of two polymers, one having a glass transition temperature in the range of -90.degree. C. to 5.degree. C., and the other having a softening temperature in the range of 25.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. as the core binders for a pressure fixable encapsulated toner. Other prior art, all United States patents, are summarized below: U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,099, which discloses methods of forming encapsulated toner particles and wherein there are selected organic polymers including homopolymers and copolymers such as vinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, and the like, see column 6, beginning at line 3, wherein there can be selected as the core materials polyolefins, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene oxide and the like, see column 3, beginning at around line 18; U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,994 directed to pressure fixable capsule toners with polyolefins, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, see for example column 3, beginning at line 15; U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,885, which discloses a pressure fixable microcapsule toner comprising a pressure fixable component, a magnetic material, and other optional components, and wherein the core material can contain a soft material, typical examples of which include polyvinylidenefluoride, polybutadiene, and the like, see column 3, beginning at line 10; U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,091, which discloses an encapsulated toner with a core which comprises a colorant, a dissolving solvent, a nondissolving liquid and a polymer, and may include additives such as fluorine containing resin, see column 10, beginning at line 27; U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,142 relating to capsule toners wherein additives such as polytetrafluoroethylenes are selected as lubricating components, see column 5, beginning at line 52; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,520,091; 4,642,281; 4,761,358; 4,599,289 and 4,803,144.
With further specific reference to the prior art, there are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,169 microcapsular electrostatic marking particles containing a pressure fixable core, and an encapsulating substance comprised of a pressure rupturable shell, wherein the shell is formed by an interfacial polymerization. Furthermore, there are disclosed in U.S. Pat. 4,407,922 pressure sensitive toner compositions comprised of a blend of two immiscible polymers selected from the group consisting of certain polymers as a hard component, and polyoctyldecylvinylether-co-maleic anhydride as a soft component. Interfacial polymerization processes are also selected for the preparation of the toners of this patent.
The disclosures of all the United States patents and other patent documents mentioned herein are totally incorporated herein by reference.
A number of United States patents and copending patent applications illustrate various encapsulated toner compositions and processes thereof, such as interfacial shell formation processes including, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,240, U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,970, U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,716 and U.S. Ser. No. 516,864, U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,253, U.S. Ser. No. 546,616, U.S. Ser. No. 456,278, U.S. Ser. No. 461,397, U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,757, U.S. Ser. No. 617,222, U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,159, U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,630, and U.S. Ser. No. 782,688, wherein there is disclosed, for example, a toner composition comprised of a homogeneous or substantially homogeneous mixture of polymer resin or resins, and color pigments, dyes, or mixtures thereof overcoated with a component derived from the condensation of a cellulose polymer with a silane component, the disclosures of each of the aforementioned copending applications and patents being totally incorporated herein by reference.

Encapsulated toner process utilizing phase separation


A thumb-twist throttle control device for vehicles includes a control device housing, a twist-type throttle control device mounted thereon which includes a rotatable handle and a thumb-type throttle control device mounted thereon generally adjacent the twist-type throttle control device, the thumb-type throttle control device including an outwardly-extending lever pivotably mounted on the control device housing. A throttle control device control mechanism is operatively interposed between the twist-type and the thumb-type throttle control device and the throttle of the vehicle and is operative to select one of the twist-type and the thumb-type throttle control device and to operatively connect the selected one of the twist-type and the thumb-type throttle control device to the throttle of the vehicle for operation thereof, with each control device being independently operable to control the throttle yet are not simultaneously operable, i.e. only one may control the throttle at any one time.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to throttle control devices and, more particularly, to a thumb/twist throttle control device which includes a twist-type throttle control device having a rotatable handle mounted on the handlebars of the motorized vehicle and a thumb-type throttle control device mounted adjacent to the twist-type throttle control device, the thumb-type throttle control device including a pivotally mounted lever, the twist-type throttle control device and thumb-type throttle control device each being independently operable to control the throttle of the motorized vehicle such that when the twist-type throttle control device is being used to operate the throttle, the thumb-type throttle control device is disengaged and when the thumb-type throttle control device is operating the throttle, the twist-type throttle control device is disengaged.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been an exponential increase in the number of personal recreational vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles for use on land and wave runner-type vehicles for use on the water. There are many reasons for this significant increase, but perhaps the most obvious reason is that these vehicles provide the operator with excitement, enjoyment, and freedom when they are using the vehicles. Another benefit of the vehicles is that they are relatively simple to use, in that the operator may merely sit on the vehicle and engage the throttle to power the vehicle and move the vehicle forward. Throttles and engines are of course well-known in the industry, and there are many different types of control devices for the throttle which are currently used.
However, the most common type of throttle device used with such vehicles is known as the "thumb" throttle and generally includes a lever pivotally mounted on the handle bars of the vehicle, the lever mechanically operatively connected to the throttle in the engine of the vehicle such that rotation of the lever by the operator's thumb either increases or decreases the throttle valve opening to increase or decrease the power output by the engine. In general, the thumb throttle is an effective way to control the power output of the engine, but it has been found that use of the thumb throttle over an extended period of time is quite tiring and detracts from the enjoyment of use of the personal recreational vehicle. There is therefore a need for an alternative type of throttle that can be used with personal recreational vehicles in conjunction with the thumb throttle currently being used.
Another type of common throttle device used in connection with motor vehicles is the twist throttle in which a rotatable handle is mounted on the end of the handlebar, the rotatable handle being connected through a mechanical operational mechanism to the throttle of the engine such that rotation of the rotatable handle either increases or decreases the throttle valve opening to increase or decrease power being output by the engine. Such twist-type throttles are commonly used in connection with motorcycles, but generally are not used in connection with personal recreational vehicles such as those described above. The main reason for this is that operation of a motorcycle generally does not involve the same degree of pitching and shifting of the handlebars as does operation of personal operational vehicles such as ATVs and wave runners and therefore it is far easier to restrict unintentional rotation of the twist-type throttle when using a motorcycle than if the twist-type throttle were the only throttle available on the personal recreational vehicle. However, there are many instances when the user of an ATV or wave runner is not in a situation where there is significant motion of the vehicle and it is at these times that a twist-type throttle would be useful for an operator of the personal recreational vehicle. There is therefore a need for a combination throttle which includes beneficial elements of both the twist-type throttle and the thumb-type throttle.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a thumb-twist throttle control device for vehicles which will replace and improve upon the standard thumb throttles and twist throttles already in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a thumb-twist throttle control device for vehicles which includes a housing, a twist-type throttle control device rotatably mounted on the housing, a thumb-type throttle control device pivotably mounted on the housing generally adjacent the twist-type throttle control device and a throttle control device control mechanism operative to alternatively operatively connect a selected one of the twist throttle or thumb throttle to the throttle of the vehicle for control thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a thumb-twist throttle control device for vehicles which will permit simple and quick switching between the twist-type throttle control device and the thumb-type throttle control device by the user of the present invention so that the user can use whichever throttle control is better suited for the current driving conditions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a thumb-twist throttle control device for vehicles which is usable with ATVs, personal watercraft and many other types of vehicles.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide a thumb-twist throttle control device for vehicles which is relatively simple and durable in manufacture and design and which is safe, efficient and effective in use.


A power train for an amphibious vehicle includes an engine and transaxle arranged North-South, driving front, rear, or all four road wheels. A power take off with optional decoupler and constant velocity joint drives marine drive. The power take off may be taken from the input shaft of the transmission, and may use a synchronizer. The transaxle includes a differential. The rear wheels may be set back from the differential outputs, with intermediate drives by chains or belts. A sandwich type power take off may also be used. In the four wheel drive embodiment, a power take off is required from the rear differential. Decouplers may be provided in at least one wheel drive shaft on each driven axle.

The present invention relates to a power train which is particularly suitable for use in an amphibious vehicle capable of travel on land and water, and more particularly to a means of adapting a conventional automotive transaxle drive arrangement to drive the wheels and the marine propulsion means of an amphibious vehicle. The invention also relates to an amphibious vehicle having such a power train.
In some automotive power train arrangements the engine has a crankshaft in line with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, whereby the engine drives an in-line transmission with an integral differential which is typically located between the engine and the transmission, the differential being connected by drive shafts to the drive wheels of the vehicle. This arrangement is commonly known as a transaxle drive and has been employed in front engine, rear engine and mid engine power train layouts.
It is also known for transaxle power train arrangements to be adapted to provide four wheel drive. In such known four wheel drive arrangements, the transaxle will typically drive the front wheels of the vehicle, with a power take off from the transmission driving the rear wheels of the vehicle.
The transaxle drive arrangement is currently used by several large car manufacturers in the production of private passenger vehicles and is therefore produced in relatively high volumes, which makes the arrangement most procurable for use in an amphibious vehicle. In choosing a power train for a specialised low volume production vehicle, such as an amphibious vehicle, availability is an important factor.
EP 0 742 761 discloses a power train for an amphibious vehicle using a front wheel drive power train reversed, to mount the engine behind the rear axle. The marine power take off is by a gearbox taken from the timing end of the engine, opposite to the transmission mounting end. This power take off requires a number of custom designed parts to be designed, built, and assembled; and may require redesign and relocation of engine mounted accessories, such as the alternator drive belt. Also, the reversal of the power train may require additional gearing or other modifications to ensure that the road wheels rotate in the required and expected directions. The cost burdens and assembly requirements of such adaptations are particularly unwelcome to low volume vehicle manufacturers.


Compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is alkyl or trans-4-alkylcyclohexyl and. R.sup.2 is alkyl, alkoxy or trans-4-alkylcyclohexyl their preparation, liquid crystalline mixtures containing these compounds and their use for electro-optical purposes.

Liquid crystals are used primarily as dielectrics in indicating devices, since the optical properties of such substances can be influenced by an applied voltage. Electro-optical devices based on liquid crystals are well-known to the person skilled in the art and can be based on various effects. Such devices are, for example, cells having dynamic scattering. DAP cells (deformation of aligned phases). guest/host cells. TN cells having a twisted nematic structure. STN cells ("super-twisted nematic"). SBE cells ("super-birefringence effect") and OMI cells ("optical mode interference"). The most common indicating devices are based on the Schadt-Helfrich effect and have a twisted nematic structure.
The liquid crystal materials must have a good chemical and thermal stability and a good stability towards electric fields and electromagnetic radiation. Further, the liquid crystal materials should have a low viscosity and in the cells should give short response times, low threshold potentials and a high contrast. Furthermore, at usual operating temperatures, that is, in a range below and above room temperature which is as broad as possible, they should have a suitable mesophase, for example a nematic or cholesteric mesophase for the cells referred to above. In addition, there has also recently been an increased interest in the especially rapidly switching ferroelectric liquid crystals having a chiral tilted, smectic mesophase, especially a smectic C phase.
Since liquid crystals are generally used as mixtures of several components, it is important that the components have a good miscibility with one another. Other properties such as the electrical conductivity, the dielectric anisotropy and the optical anisotropy must fulfil different requirements depending on the type of cell and field of application. For example, materials for cells having a twisted nematic structure should have a positive dielectric anisotropy and an electrical conductivity which is as small as possible.

Liquid crystalline mixtures containing 2-(2-fluorophenyl) pyridines

Niopic Moscow Research and Production Association


Disclosed is an electronic component which maintains good connection between a circuit board and connection terminals and provides size reduction. The electronic component includes a circuit board, a pair of connection terminals, and a housing with the pair of connection terminals mounted thereon. The circuit board is provided with a plurality of terminal sections connected to the connection terminals. Each connection terminal is provided with a spring member formed to be elastically deformable and which sandwich the terminal sections between them. A rib is provided in the housing, wherein the rib is provided between through-holes through which each of the pair of connection terminals pass, and whereby the rib is formed in convex shape, towards the circuit board and away from a bottom section of a substrate housing section in which the circuit board is housed, and the rib penetrates a plurality of terminal sections.

An electronic component such as CCD camera unit 101 and the like is mounted on a vehicle serving as a moving object. As shown in FIG. 11, the CCD camera unit 101 has a box-shaped first case 102 having an opening, a circuit board 104 mounted (assembled) to the first case 102, a camera lens device 106 mounted on the circuit board 104, spring members 103 mounted on an opposite side of the circuit board 104 to the camera lens device 106, a second case 105 assembled to cover the opening of the first case 102 and connection terminals 107 mounted to the second case 105 and electrically connected to the spring members 103 (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
As shown in FIG. 12, the spring members 103 are formed to elastically deform in both directions along which the first case 102 and the second case 105 come close to each other and get away from each other, which directions are parallel with the assembling direction of the first case 102 and the second case 105. Also, the connection terminals 107 extend towards the first case 102, and when the first case 102 and the second case 105 are assembled each other, the spring members 103 elastically contact the connection terminal 107, so that the connection terminals 107 and the spring members 103 are electrically connected.


Ozonolysis is an effective process for improving the quality of produced water. A process for reducing the concentration of water soluble organic materials dissolved in produced water consists of introducing into the produced water a sufficient amount of gaseous ozone by use of a means for maximizing the collision frequency of ozone gas and the produced water. The temperature of the produced water is between from about 80.degree. to about 180.degree. F. The process renders a water effluent with markedly reduced oil and grease content. The water effluent can be used on land as a drinking or irrigation water supply source and may be safely discharged into navigable waters.

Oil well production fluid refers to the composition obtained from earth formations such as geological reservoirs through oil wells. Such fluid normally consists of oil, natural gas and water. Typically it consists of at least 90% water and 10% or less of crude oil. Dissolved materials, such as the anionic salts of organic acids, are usually present in the water.
At surface level, the constituents of oil well production fluids are physically separated by such separation techniques as bulk separators and dissolved air flotation. In particular, the marketable constituents--gas and oil--are separated from the water. The separated water stream is referred to as "produced water". Produced water contains the above described water soluble organic materials. Conventional phase separation techniques will not remove such water soluble compounds from the aqueous phase.
Governmental regulations, in recognition of the need for conservation of the environment, prohibit the discharge of produced water into navigable waters without the removal first of the water soluble organics. In fact, under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended in 1972, it is unlawful to discharge any pollutant into a navigable water without first obtaining a permit under section 402 of the Control Act. 33 U.S.C.A. .sctn. 1311(a) (1977 Supp.).
After the produced water is separated from the oil and gas (of the oil well production fluid) it is necessary, assuming the produced water is to be discharged to surface waters, to measure the oil and grease content of the effluent produced water stream by gravimetric analysis. Oil and grease, which can include water soluble organic materials, must be reduced to 42 mg/l maximum and 29 mg/l monthly average for discharge to Outer Continental Shelf waters and, depending on EPA regional rules, must be reduced to 10-35 mg/l at onshore facilities.
Alternatively, in other areas where water is in short supply, such as in those areas adjacent to the Pacific coast, it is highly desirable to recycle the produced water for use on land. In order to make effective use of the water stream on land, it is necessary to decrease the oil and grease content of the aqueous effluent.
New methods are needed to readily and easily treat water soluble organic materials (WSOs) in produced water. One possibility is presented by the use of ozone--long considered to be a powerful oxidizing agent.
Extensively used in Europe as a bactericide, ozone recently has gained acceptance in the United States as a substitute for chlorine gas. Waste treatment facilities have also realized the advantages of using ozone for degradation of such natural organic matter as humic and fulvic acids. One of the main advantages of using ozone for the oxidation of hydrocarbons is its selectivity for forming nontoxic "oxygenated" products during partial oxidation. Furthermore, if needed, ozonolysis can be driven towards the total oxidation of those molecules forming carbon dioxide and water.
To date, no documentation exists addressing the successful use of ozonolysis with produced water. In large part this is due to the fact that ozone is relatively insoluble at the elevated temperatures in which produced water is conventionally processed. Thus, in order to make ozonolysis feasible it has long been considered necessary to first pretreat waters by cooling. In addition, pH adjustments, excessively long contact times and the use of such chemicals as hydrogen peroxide and, in some cases, UV lamps, have been considered to be mandatory. For most oil field applications these steps are not only uneconomical but also impractical.
The present invention provides a simple, economical procedure for accomplishing the stated objective. While known methods can reduce the content of water soluble organics to the desired low level, they are relatively complex and/or expensive in comparison with the process of the present invention.

Process of treating produced water with ozone


A method is disclosed for determining whether a transaction involving a financial instrument is in compliance with investment objectives associated with an investment portfolio. The method includes the step of providing a rule pertaining to an investment objective, wherein the rule contains a reference to a dynamic database having one or more related entries. The method also includes the steps of applying the rule to an investment request regarding a transaction involving a financial instrument, referring to the dynamic database to incorporate each related entry into the rule, and determining whether the investment request complies with the rule.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is directed to a system and method of using relational databases to perform instructed tasks, and more particularly, to a system and method of analyzing transactions involving financial instruments related to an investment portfolio in light of one or more investment objectives defined by an investor.
2. Background of the Related Art
Investment managers, and in particular, those who are responsible for managing the portfolios of large institutional investors, buy and sell fixed income securities and equities, based upon the investment objectives set forth by the investors. For example, a particular institutional investor may wish to restrict certain types of assets from its portfolio. In such an instance, the investor may instruct its portfolio manager not to purchase corporate bonds or equities from certain corporations or industry sectors. Alternatively, a particular institutional investor may have the desire to limit a certain percentage of its assets under management to certain types of fixed income securities. For example, an institutional investor may designate that not more than five percent of its assets under management should be invested in mortgage backed securities.
Investment objectives are generally conveyed from an investor to a portfolio manager in the form of a set of investment rules or guidelines. The investment rules are then used by the portfolio manager to develop compliance rules against which investment decisions or portfolios of investments are analyzed.
Compliance rules operate in two distinct ways. First, a compliance rule can effect a particular investment decision, such as the decision to purchase a large quantity of Treasury notes for inclusion in a particular portfolio. This decision could be governed by one or more compliance rules that would influence the decision before the investment is made. Such a rule is commonly referred to as a "front end" compliance rule. Alternatively, a compliance rule could effect the composition of a particular portfolio, such as by requiring a portfolio manger to sell a quantity of a particular type of fixed income security. For example, as a result of a change in interest rates, a compliance rule may be employed to instruct a portfolio manager to reduce the quantity of a certain class of Treasury notes within a particular portfolio. Such a compliance rule would effect the portfolio as a whole, rather than a particular investment decision, and is therefore commonly referred to as a "back end" compliance rule.
Compliance rules, whether related to back-end or front-end compliance, have been used by portfolio managers in computerized portfolio management systems. In the past, compliance rules set forth by institutional investors have been translated into computer readable statements. Such statements are then used to instruct a computer system to monitor investment decisions and the composition of portfolios as a whole, and to inform portfolio mangers whether particular investment decisions or portfolios of investments are in compliance with the investment objectives of particular investors.
In many instances, the computer readable statements used by portfolio management systems are extremely long, in that they contain a great number of characters and/or symbols representing the investment objectives of an investor. For example, a statement might include a long list of company names or types of investments that a particular investor desires to restrict from its portfolio. In such an instance, the computer programmer is faced with the time consuming task of creating such a lengthy statement. In addition, should the investor want to modify the investment objective, such as by adding or deleting certain types of investments that it desires to restrict from its portfolio, the computer programmer would need to edit the actual compliance rule dealing with such an objective. Such a task is time consuming, as well as disruptive to the effective management of the portfolio. It would be beneficial therefore, to provide a system and method for generating and utilizing compliance rules in a more efficient and cost effective manner.