A liquid crystal display includes a substrate, a gate electrode on the substrate, a gate insulating layer on the substrate and the gate electrode, a first semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, and a conductive layer on the second semiconductor layer. The conductive layer includes a data line and source and drain electrodes. The first semiconductor layer is wider than the conductive layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly, to an LCD and its fabrication method with enhanced reliability.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, an LCD has a lower substrate having a thin film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode, an upper substrate having a color filter for displaying color and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal filled between the lower and upper substrates. Here, glass or crystalline is generally used as the material for the substrates.
A crystal substrate facilitates the use of a high temperature process, but is rarely used to fabricate a large-sized display. Also, a crystal substrate is too expensive.
A glass substrate, however, is relatively inexpensive, but cannot be used in a high temperature process, and has a reduced reliability from stress. That is, the stress on the glass substrate is different when depositing a chrome layer on the glass substrate as opposed to depositing an amorphous silicon layer on the glass substrate.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a stress characteristics when chrome is generally deposited on a glass substrate. FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate stress characteristics when amorphous silicon is generally deposited on the glass substrate.
Referring to FIG. 1A, when a chrome layer 2 is deposited on the glass substrate 1, the substrate takes on a tensile stress. Thus, the glass substrate 1 is bent upward, as shown in FIG. 1B.
Referring to FIG. 2A, when an amorphous silicon layer 3 is deposited on the glass substrate 1, the glass substrate 1 is bent downward, as shown in FIG. 2B.
Accordingly, when a data line is formed of chrome in the LCD, the glass substrate is bent by the tensile stress as shown in FIG. 1B, but tends to return to its original state. Hence, a weak portion in the data line may become open.
The conventional LCD is described below with reference to the attached drawings.
Generally, an upper substrate of the LCD includes an active display area where a TFT and pixel electrode are arranged, a gate line pad for applying a driving signal to a TFT gate electrode of the active display area, and a data line pad for applying a data signal to a TFT source electrode. The TFT and pixel electrode of the active display area is illustrated in FIG. 3. In particular, the TFT is formed at the intersection of the gate line and data line, where the gate line is connected to a gate electrode, the data line is connected to a source electrode, and the drain electrode is formed to be connected to an ITO pixel electrode.
Here, for the active area of the TFT, the amorphous silicon layer is deposited between the gate electrode and source/drain electrode, and the active area is formed under the data line and is wider than the data line.
A method for forming the conventional LCD is described below with reference to FIGS. 4A-4E, which are cross-sectional views taken along the line I--I' in FIG. 3.
As illustrated in FIG. 4A, a metal such as aluminum (Al) is deposited on a glass substrate 1, and then selectively etched to form a gate line including a gate electrode 4. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, a gate insulating layer 6 (such as a silicon nitride layer), an amorphous silicon layer 7, and a high concentration n-type amorphous silicon layer 8 are sequentially deposited on the overall surface of the glass substrate 1 including the gate line. As illustrated in FIG. 4C, the amorphous silicon layer 7 and high concentration n-type amorphous silicon layer 8 are selectively removed except on the active area and the data line region of TFT.
As illustrated in FIG. 4D, a chrome layer 9 is deposited on the overall surface of the substrate, and then selectively removed except on the high concentration n-type amorphous silicon layer 8 of the data line region and on both sides of the amorphous silicon layer 7 and high concentration n-type amorphous silicon layer 8 of the active area to form the data line and source/drain electrode of the TFT. The exposed center portion of the high concentration n-type amorphous silicon layer 8 is removed using the chrome layer of the source/drain electrode as a mask. Here, the data line and source electrode are integrally formed (not shown).
As illustrated in FIG. 4E, a passivation layer 10 is formed on the overall surface of the substrate having the chrome layer 9. Then, the passivation layer on the chrome layer 9 of the drain electrode is selectively removed to form a contact hole. A transparent conductive layer is deposited on the overall surface and then selectively etched to remain only on the pixel area to form a transparent electrode 11. The transparent electrode 11 of the pixel area is electrically connected to the chrome layer 9 of the drain electrode through the contact hole.
However, the conventional LCD has problems as follows.
As the chrome layer is deposited in a state where the amorphous silicon layer and high concentration n-type amorphous silicon layer are formed on the active area and data line area, (with the remaining portion removed) the glass substrate takes on a tensile stress and becomes bent. Moreover, because the glass substrate also has a tendency to return to its original (unbent) state, the data line becomes open. Therefore, the reliability of the LCD is decreased.

Liquid crystal display having a bottom gate TFT switch having a wider active semiconductor layer than a conductive layer on same


A preparation of thermal contraction sleeve is disclosed. In this method, polyethylene fibers are elongated by 850%xcx9c1,200% and are exposed to a radiation of 2.5xcx9c3.5 Mrads, thus being cross-linked. The first surface of a fabric sheet, made of the polyethylene fibers, is exposed to a voltage of 20,000xcx9c25,000 V while passing over a plurality of rollers, thus being modified at the first surface. A first matrix sheet, melt-extruded at a temperature of 300xc2x0 C.xcx9c380xc2x0 C., is formed on the modified first surface of the fabric sheet, prior to an integration of the first matrix sheet with the modified surface of the fabric sheet. The integration is accomplished by a first elastic roller and a first cooling roller. The second surface of the fabric sheet is processed in the same manner as that described above. A second matrix sheet is layered on the modified second surface of the fabric sheet, thus forming a fabric-matrix layered body. The matrix sheets of the fabric-matrix layered body are exposed to a radiation of 2.5xcx9c3.5 Mrads, thus being cross-linked.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a reparation of thermal contraction sleeve and, more particularly, to a method of producing thermal shrinkable sleeves while increasing the adhesive force between the fabric sheet and the matrix sheet of a fabric-matrix layered thermal shrinkable sleeve and improving the production yield of the sleeves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, a variety of sealing elements have been used for the protection of joints of communication cables or electric wires from environmental impact or contamination. An example of conventionally used sealing elements for such joints is a thermal shrinkable sleeve made of polymeric materials.
Korean Patent No. 48,450, owned by Raychem Corporation of USA, discloses a representative example of such conventional polymeric thermal shrinkable sleeves. The polymeric thermal shrinkable sleeve, disclosed in the above Korean patent, uses high density polyethylene as a polymeric material, and has a matrix sheet. The elastic fabric sheet, set within the matrix sheet, is made of cross-linked polyethylene exposed to a radiation of 4xcx9c40 Mrads, while the matrix sheet is made of cross-linked polyethylene exposed to a radiation of not higher than 10 Mrads.
The above polymeric thermal shrinkable sleeve is advantageous in that it has a high shrinkage and is free from an undesired breakage of the elastic fabric sheet or the matrix sheet during a contraction of the sleeve, and accomplishes a desired pressure sealing effect for the joints of cables or wires.
However, the above sleeve is problematic in that the adhesive force between the elastic fabric sheet and the matrix sheet is somewhat low, thus sometimes allowing an unexpected separation of the fabric sheet from the matrix sheet. In addition, the process of producing the above sleeves undesirably consumes time and increases the production cost of such sleeves. The unexpected separation of the elastic fabric sheet from the matrix sheet may be prevented by an application of an expensive adhesive to the junction between the two sheets. However, the application of such an expensive adhesive to the junction between the sheets increases the production cost of the polymeric thermal shrinkable sleeve and complicates the process of producing the sleeves. Such a complex sleeve production process increases the cost of the sleeve production system.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing thermal shrinkable sleeves, which increases the adhesive force between the fabric sheet and the matrix sheet of a fabric-matrix layered thermal shrinkable sleeve.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing thermal shrinkable sleeves while improving the production yield of the sleeves.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing thermal shrinkable sleeves, which produces inexpensive thermal shrinkable sleeves while reducing the production loss.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a method of producing a thermal shrinkable sleeve, comprising the steps of: a)exposing polyethylene fibers elongated by 850%xcx9c1,200% to a radiation of 2.5xcx9c3.5 Mrads, thus cross-linking the polyethylene fibers; b)exposing the first surface of a fabric sheet made of the polyethylene fibers to a voltage of 20,000xcx9c25,000 V while passing the fabric sheet over a plurality of rollers, thus modifying the first surface of the fabric sheet, and forming a first matrix sheet, melt-extruded at a temperature of 300xc2x0 C.xcx9c380xc2x0 C., on the modified first surface of the fabric sheet, and integrating the first matrix sheet with the modified surface of the fabric sheet by allowing the fabric sheet with the first matrix sheet to pass through the nip between a first elastic roller and a first cooling roller; c)processing the second surface of the fabric sheet through the same process as that of step xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d and integrating a second matrix sheet with the modified second surface of the fabric sheet, thus forming a fabric-matrix layered body; and d)exposing the matrix sheets of the fabric-matrix layered body to a radiation of 2.5xcx9c3.5 Mrads, thus cross-linking the matrix sheets.

Preparation of thermal contraction sleeve


To reliably bias drugs to a rotor side without upsizing a device, with little layout limitations, and without damaging the drugs.

Conventionally, disclosed as a drug dispensing device is the one having a large number of cassettes for arranging and storing drugs and support means for arraying and holding these cassettes. In the cassettes, a port opening is formed that permits pressing drugs as well as extracting them, and, to the cassettes, biasing means is attached which biases the stored drugs toward the port opening. The support means holds the cassettes with the port opening exposed (see, for example, patent document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-198194

Abstract: Biasing means that biases drugs stored in a cassette 3 to a rotor 23 side to arrange the drugs includes: a casing 35; a constant load spring 36 provided in the casing 35 and having a spring part 41 fixed to the rotor 23 side of the cassette 3 at its tip; a locking plate 42 provided in the casing 35 and having a gear part 46 that engaged with and disengaged from a locking rack 26 formed in the cassette 3; and a pressing block 43 projected so as to be pressed from the contact surface of the casing 35 in contact with the drugs and rotating the locking plate 42 by pressing to release the gear part 46 from the locking rack 26.


A sheet (1), preferably for use in the building sector, and in particular, for sealing the shell of a building, comprising a planar sheet body (2) that has at least one elastic layer as a sealing layer (17) made of a material of such elasticity and such restoring force that, when the sealing layer (17) is penetrated by a fastener (4), the material of the sealing layer (17) surrounding the fastening means (4) encloses the fastener (4) and provides sealing in the region of the fastener (4). Alternatively, the sheet body contains a sealing material which, upon perforation of the sheet body, is able to automatically emerge or swell to an extent sufficient to close or seal the perforation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet, especially for use in the building sector, with a planar sheet body.
2. Description of Related Art
Sheeting and film products in the most varied applications must be fastened to undersurfaces. In the building sector, this relates, for example, to sheets which are used for sealing (airtightness and watertightness) of a building shell (for example, sealing sheets, facade sheets, air and vapor barriers, underlay sheets). If there is wood or wood material in the undersurface, fastening is generally performed mechanically, for example, by tacking, nailing, screwing and/or shooting. The latter three methods are also used in undersurfaces of plasterboard, concrete, plaster and rock. Here, the sheets are perforated such that the sealing function at the perforation site is no longer maintained.
At present, the sealing function is manually restored in a complex manner by subsequent sealing by means of sealing masses, sealing strips or adhesive tapes. One special case is the sealing of nails through counter laths. This is achieved by interposed foam strips (nail sealing strips).
The aforementioned known methods constitute a major additional effort and moreover entail the risk that undetected perforations and damage will continue to cause leaks.

Sheet, in particular for use in the building sector


A pneumatic tire is provided with a central tread area circumferential groove extended thereabout and a skid chain consisting of a link chain section having opposite ends and a generally cylindrical expansion spring semi-permanently interposed between and connected to the skid chain section opposite ends, the link chain section and expansion spring being seatingly received within the groove with the convolutions of the normally closed convolution expansion spring being slightly spaced apart and the link chain section having a generally square cross sectional shape including rounded corners to enable the final segment of the link chain section to be placed within or removed from the groove to be "rolled" over the associated side area of the outer peripheral tread area of the tire.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a single circumferential chain incorporating a link chain section having opposite ends semi-permanently joined together by a three to four inch expansion spring of the closed coil type extending between the chain section ends with the chain to be stretched over the circumference of a vehicle tire equipped with a central tread area groove for snug seating of the link chain section and the spring within the groove and with the spring in a slightly open coil state.
2. Description of Related Art
Various different forms of central tread groove applied chains and cables heretofore have been provided including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 922,631, 985,884, 1,293,528 and 2,276,640. In addition, other similar types of tire tread area traction improving devices have been provided such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,489,318 and 3,400,744. However, these previously known devices have not been constructed to allow relatively easy installation thereof on a pneumatic tire when the chain, cable or other traction devices are in a continuous loop form.


A system is configured to present representations of game environments to users within views of lobby environments that facilitate intuitive and engaging browsing of the game environments by the users. The representations of the game environments may include environment information related to game session being held in the game environments. The representations may present the environment information in an intuitive and/or engaging manner. The game environments and/or the representations thereof may be organized into environments sets. Within the views of the lobby environments, the users may browse the game environments according to environment set.

Systems that host a plurality of virtual game environments in which individual game sessions are held are known. In such systems, users may be provided with an interface to select a virtual game environment to join via a "game lobby". Conventional game lobbies tend to present the potential choices to users in a manner that is not intuitive and/or that does not mimic the way in which a user would select a game session to join in the real world. For example, in conventional game lobbies information about the ongoing game session and/or the users included therein tend to be heavily text based, and/or organized in a manner that is not parallel with how game sessions tend to be organized in the real world. For users, conventional game lobbies may reduce the level of immersion and/or engagement in the experience of selecting a game session to join.

System and method for presenting a view of a virtual lobby environment to a user


In this device, we employed four sets (or three sets) of different wavelength light sources and mixed each other to form the Moreland's color matching equation (a 580 nm+b 480 nm=c 440 nm+d 500 nm) or the Rayleigh's color matching equation (a 590 nm=b 546 nm+c 650 nm) and resulted in two mixed lights. On these two light paths, we employed a flat mirror to separate them into two halves and formed a single light path. On this light path, we added a neutral density filter to adjust light intensity to reach our purpose of attenuating the light intensity. In addition to this, a shutter diaphragm was set on the same light path to adjust a proper lighting area on the retina. Behind the shutter diaphragm, a set of lenses focused the light beam on to the observer's pupil of human. In order to monitor the observer's eye of human, a set of IR LED's was put and surrounded the transmission hole of the housing in front of the observer's eye, and the reflective IR light of the eye image was reflected by a dichroic mirror which was aligned 45 degrees with the impinging light beam and caused the eye image being caught by a CCD camera. Thus the eye image could be monitored by a B/W TV and the focused light position on the pupil could be adjusted.

Description Related to Prior Art
When light beam illuminated on the retina through cornea, pupil, lens and vitreous body, molecules of photopigment of the photoreceptors on the retina excited by this light beam will be deformed and hence, generate a current flow as illustrated by Wald G. in his literature in 1968--Molecular basis of Visual Excitation. Science 162, 230-239, and by Penn R. D. et al in their literature in 1969--Signal Transmission along retinal rod and the Origin of the Electroretinographic a-wave. Nature 223, 201-205. This deformed molecules of photopigment will be no longer in possession of its original character to accept light excitation and therefore, requires a period of time plus a series of chemical reactions before to be recovered to its origin, such as described in an article written by Stryer L -Cyclic GMP cascade of Vision, Annu. Rev. Neurosc. 9, 87-119, 1986--or, by Pugh E. N. et al.--Visual transduction in Vertebrate rods and cones, Vision Res. 26(10), 1613-1643, 1986--and by Fung, B. K. K.--Transducin: structure, function and the role in phototransduction. In "progress in retinal research" chap. 6, Persimmon Press, Oxford 1987. Alpern, M A & Krantz, DH-visual pigment kinetics in abnormalities of the uvea-retinal epithelium interface in man, Invest. Ophthalmal and Vis. Sci. 20, 183, 1979.
For the ordinary person, after the photoreceptor was excited by different light intensity by a period of time, the deformed molecules of photopigment thereon may return to its original form. The average capability of its recovery shall be effected by the micro-environment and this is what we called "metabolic activity". Based on the study made by Alpern M A et. al. ("Visual Pigment kinetics in abnormalities of the uvea-retinal epithelium interface in Man", Invest Ophthalmic and Vis Sci, 20: 83, 1979) the retinal pigment epithelium is one of the most active areas on the human body in metabolism. Apparently, under some conditions, the influence of this metabolic activity will lead the observer to have different color match under different brightness of light beam. This difference shall also appeared on the observer's retina, which accordingly, indicated whether its metabolic activity is normal or abnormal.
However, the micro-environment during the course of its recovery undertake by these molecules somehow will effect the rate thereof. That is to say; if the strength of light increases, the amount of deformed photopigment molecules needed to be recovered will correspondingly increase. To speak as a whole, the metabolic activity effected by this micro-environment is bound to have a change. Consequently, sensitivity to color change for a person under test shall also be changed accordingly, so is the difference of color matching caused by this change occurred. The stronger the light applied to retina, the great the difference in color matching appeared from the person under test whose metabolic activity is abnormal. This is because we usually are unable to take a direct measurement to the rate of metabolism on the bottom portion of human eye, but to re-laid on a method of measurement which can provide an indirect way to indicate its metabolism.
So far as we know, there are the following patent priorities proposed to use methods of color matching such as Moreland's match or Rayleigh match to identify the anomalous color vision of a person taking the test: ROC Patent No. 36290-Four Light Channel anomaloscope. Japanese Patent No. 1735230, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,453. However, the principle used by the present invention is completely different from the above three patent priorities and is more delicate in construction and novel in designing. The greatest difference is that the present invention can detect the dynamic change of the photopigment density along with the changing retinal illuminances. This is also the first one to use a TV monitor to directly reflect the observer's eyeball image during the course of test in comparison with U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,453. The anomaloscope of the present invention can produce more uniform project light than that of the above U.S. patent.

Method of measuring metabolic activity employing an anomaloscope


Electroluminescent devices are disclosed comprising a transparent anode; a layer of a hole transporting material; a layer of an electroluminescent material; a layer of an electron transporting material; a layer of a substituted lithium quinolate; and a metal cathode. The electroluminescent device may be an organic light-emitting diode having a cathode, an electron injection layer in contact with the cathode and an electron transport layer in contact with the electron injection layer and comprising aluminum, zirconium or hafnium quinolate or a mixture thereof or a mixture of any of them with a quinolate of a metal of group 1, 2, 3, 13 or 14 of the periodic table. Such devices may be made by the steps of forming a substituted lithium quinolate having one or more substituents and depositing the substituted lithium quinolate on a cathode of the device to provide an electron injection layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,472 (Hu et al., Xerox Corporation) discloses inter alia an organic electroluminescent device comprising in the following sequence a substrate, an anode, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer, a so-called "electron injection layer", and a cathode in contact with the electron injection layer. The so-called electron injection layer may be comprised of a metal oxinoid compound, e.g. tris-(8-hydroxyquinolinate)-aluminum, or bis-(8-quinolinethiolato)-zinc. The cathodes exemplified are of MgAg. Cathodes of lithium alloyed with other high work function metals such as aluminium or indium are disclosed but not exemplified. The use of aluminium cathodes is neither disclosed nor suggested. It is not apparent that the disclosed layers are true electron transport layers which should be very thin, in the case of organic materials not more than 10 nm and preferably less than 7 nm. The range of thicknesses disclosed by Hu et al. for their so-called electron transport layer is 5-80 nm. In the examples the deposited films are of thickness 80 nm and 30 nm, and these films are identified as electron transport layers rather than electron injection layers. Devices at a constant current of 25 ma/m2 gave initial light outputs of 350-450 cd/m2 and reduction in light output to 50% of initial intensity over periods of 150-210 hours of continuous operation, so that the effective life of the disclosed devices is short.
Hung et al., "Recent progress of molecular organic electroluminescent materials and devices", Materials Science and Engineering, R 39 (2002), 143-222 disclose that bilayer cathodes for OLEDs based e.g. on a thin (0.1-1.0 nm) LiF layer between an aluminium cathode and an aluminium quinolate electron transport layer exhibit significantly improved I-V characteristics and EL efficiencies compared to a MgAg cathode, see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,622 (Hung et al., Kodak). In a comparison of current/voltage characteristics of three OLEDs using Al, MgAg and Lif/Al as cathodes, the OLED with the Al cathode required higher drive voltages than that with MgAg, whereas that using Al/LiF required lower drive voltages. Hung et al explain that in OLEDs, the majority carriers are holes owing to their higher mobility and smaller injection barrier. Therefore, lowering the barrier height to electron injection is especially important as it leads to a better balance of electron and hole currents and results in a dramatic increase in luminance at a fixed bias voltage. The replacement of LiF with CsF or alkaline earth fluorides is also discussed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,817 (Ueda et al., Minolta) provides a general disclosure of the use of alkali metal and alkaline earth salts and complexes to form electron injection layers in electroluminescent devices. A list of 100 representative compounds said to be useful as electron injectors is given, amongst which is lithium quinolate is mentioned. Acetylacetonates are said to be preferred, but the present applicants have found that the use of these materials gives rise to sensitivity to moisture, processing difficulties, poor device lifetimes and relatively large drift voltages. Useful cathode materials are said to include aluminium, indium, magnesium, calcium, titanium, yttrium, lithium, gadolinium, ytterbium, ruthenium, manganese and alloys thereof. The preparation of lithium quinolates with suitable purities and properties is not described, lithium quinolate is not used in any of the examples, there is no disclosure or suggestion of the combination of an aluminium cathode and a lithium quinolate or substituted quinolate electron injection layer, and there is no discussion of the problem of finding a combination of materials with better overall properties than Al/LiF. The exemplified OLEDs are claimed to exhibit stable luminescence over a long service life, but this is supported by measurements of light output over a period of only five hours, times to reduction in light output of 50% of initial intensity are not quoted, and in truth the lifetimes of the exemplified devices are short.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,885,149 (Parthasarathy et al., Princeton University) discloses that during fabrication of an OLED, an organic electron injection layer may be doped with a metal either by depositing an organic electron injection layer on an ultra-thin layer of lithium or by depositing an ultra-thin layer of lithium on an organic electron injection layer, the organic material being e.g. 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP or bathocuproine), see also US 2004/0085016 (Parthasarathy et al.). Use of a metal doped electron injection layer is also known in the art wherein, for example, the organic component of the electron injection layer being e.g. is the compound shown below:


A solution is proposed for facilitating the selection of execution servers to be used in a scheduler for submitting the execution of jobs. Each job is defined by a corresponding descriptor. The descriptor specifies the execution servers to be used by the jobs in a formal way (through their properties); in addition, the descriptor may also include the definition of formal relationships to be satisfied by the execution server with other resources of the system (in turn defined in a formal way through their properties). A query is created according to the descriptor for selecting (concrete) execution servers having the desired properties and satisfying the desired relationships with the resources of the system. This query is then run on a central database, wherein all the concrete execution servers, resources and relationships are defined. In this way, it is possible to obtain a list of concrete execution servers eligible to execute the job in a single transaction.

Scheduling of different work units (for example, batch jobs) is a commonplace activity in data processing systems. For this purpose, workload schedulers are available to automate the submission of large quantities of jobs according to a specific plan (for example, based on constraints defined by the completion of other jobs); an example of commercial scheduler is the "IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler (TWS)" by IBM Corporation".
Typically, the scheduler controls the submission of the jobs on a set of execution servers from a central scheduling server. This allows implementing systems to be very powerful and easily scaleable. Moreover, the same structure ensures high reliability (since the plan can be run even in case of failure of one or more execution servers). Workload-balancing techniques may also be exploited to optimize the distribution of the jobs among the execution servers.
In this case, the scheduler selects the execution servers for the jobs dynamically when they are submitted for execution. For this purpose, each job specifies any hardware and/or software resources that are required for its execution (such as microprocessors, RAM, operating systems, software applications, databases, and the like); the scheduler determines the execution servers having the required resources and then selects one of them for executing the job (for example, according to their current workloads).
Document US-A-2006/0080666 (the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference) proposes a solution for managing more complex environments. In this case, each job specifies the required resources by means of formal definitions based on their properties. Moreover, the description of the job may include the specification of relationships that must be satisfied with other resources; those relationships are in turn specified by means of formal definitions based on the properties of the other resources. For example, it is possible to indicate that the job must be submitted on an execution server having an operating system of a specific type and accessing another computer that runs a specific application.
The identification of the actual resources that satisfy the above-mentioned conditions is quite complex. For this purpose, the cited document proposes an iterative method. Particularly, at first a set of eligible resources possessing the desired properties is selected. A loop is then performed to reduce this set by removing the eligible resources that cannot satisfy all the relationships (until no further eligible resource is removed).
However, the above-described iterative method is very time consuming. This has a detrimental effect on the performance of the scheduler.
As an extreme case, the application of the proposed solution may even be not feasible in specific environments (with very strict time constraints).
Moreover, the relatively long time required by the iterative method does not allow ensuring the consistency of the information that is used during the whole process (for example, because the resources have changed in the meanwhile). Therefore, it is impossible to guarantee the integrity of the results being obtained.
This can cause errors in the executions of the jobs (for example, when some jobs are submitted on execution servers that do not have the required resources actually). This is very serious when the error affects a critical job (on which many other jobs depend for their execution); as a result, the execution of the whole plan (or at least of a substantial part thereof) may be blocked.
All of the above hinders the widespread application of the proposed solution; this drawback is more acute in environments where its implementation would be particularly useful (for example, in distributed systems—especially based on the Internet).

Creating task queries for concrete resources using alias selection fields specifying formal resources and formal relationships

International Business Machines Corporation


An electrical conductor arrangement has conductor meshes that are arranged in areas with limiting lines defined by a network structure, and into which control devices are connected for the control of currents within the conductor arrangement.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an electrical conductor arrangement, particularly for a magnetic resonance apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical conductor arrangements are utilized in many areas of technology, for example for generating predetermined magnetic fields. In a magnetic resonance apparatus, thus, rapidly switched gradient fields that are generated by a gradient coil system are superimposed on a static basic magnetic field that is generated by a basic magnetic field magnet system. A conductor arrangement of a gradient coil of the gradient coil system can be defined, for example, according to a method as described in German OS 42 03 582 and/or German OS 197 26 332. Further, the magnetic resonance apparatus has a radiofrequency system that emits radiofrequency signals into an examination subject for triggering magnetic resonance signals and that picks up the generated magnetic resonance signals on the basis of which magnetic resonance images are produced.
A gradient coil of the gradient coil system generates a gradient field for a specific spatial direction. This gradient field has only one principal field component that is co-linear with the basic magnetic field, at least within a linearity volume in the desirable, ideal case. The principal field component has a prescribable principal gradient that, independent of location, is of approximately the same size at every arbitrary point in time, at least within the linearity volume. Since the gradient field is a temporally variable magnetic field, the above in fact applies for every point in time; an intensity of the principal gradient, however, is variable from one point in time to another point in time.
Due to Maxwell""s fundamental equations and contrary to the desired ideal case, however, no gradient coils can be fashioned that exclusively produce the principal field component over the linearity volume. At least one accompanying field component that is directed perpendicularly to the principal field component accompanies the principal field component. In some applications, the accompanying field components of gradient fields lead to a falsification of examination results.
The gradient coil system is usually surrounded by conductive structures wherein eddy currents are induced by the switched gradient fields. Examples of such conductive structures are the inner cryoshield of a superconductive basic field magnet system, the copper foil of the radiofrequency shielding and the gradient coil system itself. The fields generated by the eddy currents are undesired because, among other things, they weaken the gradient field unless counter-measures are taken and distort it in terms of its time curve. For example, this leads to degradations in the quality of magnetic resonance images.
The eddy current fields can be compensated to a certain extent by a corresponding pre-distortion of a reference current quantity of the gradient coil. However, only eddy current fields that similarly image the gradient field in a mathematical sense, i.e. are similar to the gradient field in terms of their field course, can be compensated by the pre-distortion. Since the eddy currents also do not similarly image the gradient field, additional, spatial field distortions of a higher order arise. Given actively shielded gradient coil systems, these latter field distortions can be compensated by a corresponding arrangement of conductors of shielding coils. This requires a correspondingly high mechanical precision in the structure of the gradient coil system, which involves high manufacturing costs.
In magnetic resonance technology, a homogeneity of the basic magnetic field is a decisive factor for the quality of the magnetic resonance images. Field inhomogeneities of the basic magnetic field within an imaging volume of the magnetic resonance apparatus thereby cause geometrical distortions of the magnetic resonance image that are proportional to the field inhomogeneities. The field inhomogeneity is especially important in fast pulse sequences, for example in the echo planar method.
Measures for improving the basic magnetic field homogeneity are referred to as shimming measures. A distinction is made between passive and active shimming measures. In the active shimming measure, correction coils, referred to as shim coils, are utilized in a shim coil arrangement, these homogenizing the basic magnetic field. A power pack device that delivers highly constant and reproducibly adjustable dc currents is required for the operation of the shim coil arrangement.
As disclosed, for example, in German AS 195 11 791. the basic magnetic field within he imaging volume can be described with coefficients of spherical harmonic functions. This German Patent also discloses that linear basic magnetic field deviations, i.e. field disturbances of the first order, can be compensated by charging gradient coils with an offset current. The offset current is a constant current that is superimposed on a current implementing a gradient sequence. For compensating field inhomogeneities of a higher order, a shim coil that essentially compensates the corresponding field disturbance and that is charged with a suitable current for this purpose is respectively provided according to the order to be compensated. Since a shim coil is to be provided for each order to be compensated but the space that is available for shim coils, for example within the gradient coil system, is tightly limited, limits are placed on the aforementioned compensation.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved electrical conductor arrangement, particularly for a use in a magnetic resonance apparatus, with which, among other things, the aforementioned disadvantages of the known arrangements can be alleviated.
This object is achieved in accordance with the principles of the present invention in an electrical conductor arrangement, particularly for a magnetic resonance apparatus, having a number of conductor meshes which are arranged in areas limiting lines defined by a network structure, and a number of control devices electrically connected in the respective conductor meshes for generating respective currents in the conductor arrangement.
A selected planar current distribution can be set and regulated as desired in a broad range as a result of an inventive electrical conductor arrangement that has conductor meshes that are arranged in surfaces whose limiting lines are determined by a network structure and into which control devices that are fashioned for the control of currents within the conductor arrangement are electrically linked. For example, the inventive electrical conductor arrangement represents a flexibly employable magnetic field generating unit wherein the field properties can be freely parameterized, at least within a broad range.
In an especially advantageous way, the inventive electrical conductor arrangement can be utilized in a magnetic resonance apparatus, for example within a gradient coil system, for compensating field errors as a consequence of eddy currents and/or of accompanying field components of gradient fields and/or of inhomogeneities of a basic magnetic field. For setting the corresponding planar current distribution, the control devices are parameterized or controlled using known pulse sequences for location-dependent field dynamics and known design methods for determining an optimum planar current distribution given gradient coils. The method for setting currents in a shim coil arrangement according to the initially cited German AS 195 11 791 is referenced by an example of known pulse sequences for location-dependent field dynamics. German OS 42 03 582, which has likewise already been cited, is an example of known design methods for determining an optimum planar current distribution. With the inventive electrical conductor arrangement, which, for example, always has an identical structure in hardware terms, magnetic field distortions as a consequence of individual manufacturing tolerances of magnetic field-generating components of a magnetic resonance apparatus can be individually compensated in a simple way by a corresponding parameterization of the control devices of the conductor arrangement.
In one embodiment, the inventive electrical conductor arrangement is fashioned as a flexible printed circuit board constructed single-layer or multi-layer. Given use in a gradient coil system of a magnetic resonance apparatus, for example, this can be cast together with further components of the gradient coil system.
In addition to being employed as a field-correcting device, one or more of the inventive electrical conductor arrangements can be utilized in a magnetic resonance apparatus as magnetic field-generating components in the sense of a gradient coil and/or of a basic field magnet and/or as an apparatus in the sense of a radiofrequency antenna for transmitting radiofrequency signals and/or for receiving magnetic resonance signals.


Apparatus and methods of accessing a packaged medicament include placing a blister-type package containing the medicament onto a receiving area of a holder with a blister portion of the package extending into an opening in the holder. The blister-type package is held in place while a severing device is moved relative to the opening to separate at least a part of the blister portion from the blister-type package in order to access the medicament.

The described aspects relate to the opening of blister type medicaments especially by elderly or disabled persons.
Many over-the-counter and prescription medications are packaged in tamper-resistant blister packaging. Blister packaging normally requires the user to peel off a security liner, such as a plastic, metallic or paper coating, from the back of the package before the medication can be exposed or pushed through a foil inner liner. For elderly users in particular, removal of this security liner can be very difficult.
A simple apparatus and method of opening such a package is needed which does not require a high level of manual dexterity.

Apparatus and methods for accessing packaged medicaments


A method for the reduction of noise in an image including identifying neighboring pixel values in pixels proximate to a subject pixel; comparing the neighboring pixel values to a preset tolerance range; using neighboring pixel values within the tolerance range to calculate a pixel intensity correction value; and applying the pixel intensity value to the subject pixel.

One of the most common problems with detector array based imaging systems, especially those that use un-cooled arrays, is noise. In such systems, minor hardware defects can cause a noise bias causing "blinking stripes" to appear along columns, rows, or both in the field of view (FOV). These flashing stripes impede performance of the imaging system by partially obscuring viewed objects and, in a night vision goggle or weapon sight application, can be distracting and cause headaches for the user. Unfortunately, because this noise is random, rather than fixed in time, it cannot be calibrated out of the image through the use of traditional offsets.
A need therefore exists for a method of reducing row and column noise in imaging systems.

Method for reducing row and column noise in imaging systems

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


A method and system for operating a motor vehicle brake system, including several wheel brakes, an electrically controllable pressure supply device, dispenses a pressure medium volume for actuating the brakes, and an analogized or analog-controlled inlet valve, arranged in each wheel brake between the pressure supply device and wheel brake, for adjusting wheel-individual brake pressures. A check valve is connected in parallel to each inlet valve. At the start of a wheel-individual brake pressure control, all inlet valves are closed, and a pressure build-up is carried out in a predetermined group of one or more wheel brakes by displacing a pressure medium volume into the predetermined group of wheel brakes by the pressure supply device. Each inlet valve of the predetermined group is controlled such that the inlet valve is overflowed, wherein each inlet valve of the remaining wheel brakes is controlled such that the inlet valve remains closed.

In automotive technology "brake-by-wire" brake systems are being used increasingly widely. Such brake systems often include, in addition to a brake master cylinder which can be actuated by the vehicle driver, an electrically controllable pressure supply device by means of which actuation of the wheel brakes or of the brake master cylinder takes place in the brake-by-wire operating mode. In order to communicate an agreeable pedal feel to the vehicle driver in the brake-by-wire operating mode, the brake systems usually include a brake pedal feel simulator. In these brake systems the wheel brakes can also be actuated on the basis of electronic signals without active intervention by the vehicle driver. These electronic signals may be output, for example, by an electronic stability program or a distance control system.
A brake-by-wire brake system comprising a brake master cylinder actuable by the brake pedal, a travel simulator and a pressure supply device is known from the international patent application WO 2011/029812 A1, which is incorporated by reference. In a brake-by-wire operating mode the wheel brakes are subjected to pressure by the pressure supply device. In a fallback operating mode the wheel brakes are subjected to pressure by means of the brake master cylinder actuable by the brake pedal. For each wheel brake the brake system includes an inlet valve and an outlet valve for adjusting wheel-individual brake pressures. A method for activating these valves is not described.
WO 2010091883 A1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a brake system having a brake booster the piston-cylinder system of which is driven mechanically by an electric motor, a single 2/2-way switching valve, a so-called multiplex valve, being provided for adjusting a wheel-individual brake pressure. With the multiplex method, pressure is adjusted sequentially at the individual wheel brakes, the pressure adjustment being effected by the forward and return stroke of the piston of the piston-cylinder system. Here, the not inconsiderable noise generation is considered disadvantageous, which noise results inter alia from the fact that, firstly, the electric motor has to execute high-frequency reversing operations of the piston-cylinder system and, secondly, the multiplex valves have to be closed and opened in rapid succession, causing impact noises inside the multiplex valves.

Method for operating a brake system for motor vehicles, and brake system


In a database whose entries contain values organized in categories, a first query is performed that includes input query values respectively associated with at least some of the categories and that seeks entries whose values match each input query value. Upon finding no entries, a category whose input query value to eliminate is identified. A second query is performed that includes the input query values except for the identified at least one category. The second query seeks any of the entries whose values match each of the input query values of the second query and that has no specified value for the identified at least one category. A data structure is configured to indicate an order that at least some of several categories will be eliminated when generating a new query after a previous query does not result in a match among entries of a database.

In many computer systems there is a need to evaluate rules at different times, for example at application runtime. Sometimes, rule evaluation can be done by querying a rule database with one or more specific input values and, upon finding that one of the rules matches the value(s), performing an action implicated by the identified rule. The rules that are to be applied in a system are sometimes referred to as a business configuration. In business configurations it is sometimes desired to determine a special behavior which is valid for a number of queries that can be very different from each other. In other words, there are a number of possible scenarios that can involve unique values of a variety of variables that should all lead to the same outcome when applying the rule(s). For example, systems from SAP AG have included "Rule Engines", "Context Finder" or "Formula and Derivation" Tools to be used in performing these types of queries. One challenge when creating systems that are to perform querying using this or other types of configuration is that the concrete query or queries may not be available at the time the function for the query is defined.

Performing a query for a rule in a database


A method of automatically communicating subscription-specific messages to a telematics-equipped vehicle includes the following steps: a) establishing a trigger and a message associated with the trigger; b) setting the trigger; c) monitoring for the occurrence of one or more conditions that satisfy the trigger; and d) determining that the one or more conditions have occurred and, if so, then; e) accessing the message associated with the trigger; and f) playing the message.

In recent years, vehicle telematics systems have grown in popularity and are increasingly available in all types of vehicles. In general, vehicle telematics systems use a combination of various wireless voice and data telecommunications technologies to communicate between vehicles and data centers. Such communication enables a wide variety of services to be provided to subscribers of telematics services, including vehicle navigation, maintenance, diagnostics, advertising, emergency services, and messaging.
For example, pre-recorded messages can be broadcast by satellite to an entire fleet of vehicles to notify vehicle occupants of generalized information such as advertisements.
But broadcast messages are not particular to any given telematics subscription. In other words, broadcast messages are not specifically tailored to any particular subscriber, or subscriber vehicle. In another example, a human customer service representative can generate a message and transmit it to a particular telematics subscriber's vehicle by telephony. But generation and delivery of messages by a customer service representative may not always be cost effective.

Automatic communication of subscription-specific messages to a telematics equipped vehicle


Identifying a trigger point of at least one OFDM decoder includes correlating a first time-domain sample of the at least one OFDM symbol with a second time-domain sample of the at least one OFDM symbol, processing the first time-domain sample and the second time-domain sample in the first moving average filter to determine a channel impulse response, comparing at least one correlation value of a first biggest path in the channel impulse response and a second biggest path in the channel impulse response, and determining a channel length of the channel impulse response based on a time duration of the channel impulse response. The OFDM decoder includes a first moving average filter and a second moving average filter.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments herein generally relate to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication systems, and, more particularly, to a method and system for Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) trigger point tracking for channels in OFDM based communication systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
OFDM systems are used for transmitting digital signals. In OFDM systems, data is provided with a number of orthogonal sub carriers, and are assigned to the amplitude and the phase of each sub carrier to perform digital modulation. The OFDM systems have wide applications in digital terrestrial broadcasting. Standards employing the OFDM system for terrestrial broadcasting include Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T), Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T), and Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Digital Sound Broadcasting (ISBD-TSB) among others.
In the existing OFDM systems, signals are transmitted in the form of OFDM symbols. To achieve transmission in orthogonal sub channels, an OFDM symbol in the frequency domain is converted to the time domain by applying an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) procedure. An OFDM symbol includes a valid symbol and a guard interval. The valid symbol is a signal period when IFFT is performed during transmission. To assure that orthogonality is maintained in dispersive channels, the guard interval is added to the resulting time domain sequence; i.e., the valid symbol.
The guard interval is a copy of the waveform of a part of the second half of the valid symbol and may have a time length of ¼ or ⅛ of that of the valid symbol. The guard interval is appended in the first half of the OFDM symbol. The time duration for which the guard interval occupies the OFDM symbol is known as Tg (guard interval time). In existing OFDM systems, the guard interval should be at least as long as the duration (i.e., channel length) of the impulse response of the channel to ensure orthogonality. The impulse response of the channel (hereinafter referred to as "channel impulse response") is the delay response of the channel while processing an incoming OFDM symbol in frequency domain during its transmission.
The duration of the channel impulse response (i.e., channel length) is the time duration until the end of reception of an incoming OFDM symbol. In the existing OFDM systems, the channel impulse response is calculated by a moving average filter. The moving average filter has a fixed moving average window of Tg. The peak position of the moving average output of an OFDM symbol is the desired trigger point for the OFDM symbol. The occurrence of a trigger point is used by a receiver apparatus of the existing OFDM systems to start the process of de-modulation of the OFDM symbol by applying a FFT.
Usually, in the existing OFDM systems, like ISDB-T, ISDB-TSB, and DVB T/H the FFT trigger point tracking is based on the channel impulse response, with the channel length (or delay spread) of the channel impulse response being smaller than the guard interval. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional system 100 for trigger point tracking in an OFDM system. The conventional system 100 includes a time-domain interpolator 102 for interpolating incoming OFDM symbols in the time domain to form a time-domain interpolated channel. Further, an inverse FFT block 104 performs an inverse FFT on the time-domain interpolated channel to obtain a channel impulse response.
Thereafter, the channel impulse response is fed to a moving average filter 106. The moving average filter 106 has a fixed moving average window size Tg, where Tg is the guard interval time for an OFDM system. The moving average filter 106 uses the Tg to limit the time of processing of the OFDM symbols. A peak detection block 108 detects the peak position of the moving average output from the moving average (MA) filter 106. The peak position indicates the desired trigger point. However, in the existing OFDM systems, the trigger point may not be determined accurately for long channels. The long channels are prone to aliasing.
The aliasing causes the continuous signals in the long channels to become indistinguishable during processing by the moving average filter 106. Thereby, the channel impulse response detected by the moving average filter 106 for long channels may not represent the accurate channel impulse response. Since, the trigger point detection is based on the channel impulse response; an inaccurate channel impulse response may lead to errors in the detection of the trigger point for long channels. Additionally, the traditional design 100 may not detect the trigger point accurately in the long channels due to echo channels.
In some instances, echoes in long channels may occur outside the guard interval. In these instances the moving average filter 106 may process only the main path in the channel and may miss out on the echo channels. Since, the moving average filter 106 has a fixed moving average window size Tg, the moving average filter 106 may not detect the echo channels causing inferior trigger points and results in large inter-symbol interference.

Robust FFT trigger point tracking for echo channels in OFDM based communication systems


A hologram recording plate, which has a plastic layer (a rosin derivative) that undergoes frost deformation by being acted upon by a solvent vapor, is set in a developing box supplied with a solvent vapor (cyclohexane) from a solvent vapor reservoir. The solvent vapor is exhausted from the developing box by a suction device. This is followed by subjecting the hologram recording plate to a high voltage from a high-voltage power supply and irradiating the plate with laser light, which represents a hologram to be formed, by opening a light shutter. This makes it possible to reduce the size of and to automate the hologram producing apparatus. The developing box and optical elements inclusive of a light source are secured to respective ones of individual carriers, and the carriers are provided so as to be free to be moved along an optical system aligning rail and fixed to the rail. A very simple and precise optical system can be constructed without using an optical bench or table having a vibration-proof structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hologram recording apparatus and method for producing a hologram for the purpose of instantaneously recognizing the minute vibration of an object and a change in the shape of the object, as well as patterns and characters, and for various other purposes as well. The invention further relates to an apparatus to which the above-mentioned apparatus and method are applied, an example of which is a unit for constructing an optical system necessary in laser applications technology, e.g., creation of holograms, recognition of object shape, recognition of character strings, interferometry experiments and diffraction experiments. More specifically, the unit is an apparatus for laying out and aligning the optical elements that construct the optical system. A method for this purpose is also provided.
2. Description of the Related Art
A so-called photographic plate and a photoconductor/thermoplastic hologram photographic plate are available as photosensitive photographic plates for holography. The former is obtained by coating a transparent supporting body (a glass substrate or the like) with silver halide photosensitive material used in photography. The latter is obtained by building up a transparent electrically conductive layer, a photoconductive layer which includes poly-N-vinylcarbazole and a thermoplastic resin layer on a transparent supporting body in the order mentioned.
A method of producing a hologram using a photographic plate involves irradiating a silver halide photosensitive material, which has been applied to the photographic plate, with reference light rays and light rays that have been reflected or transmitted by an object irradiated with laser light, and then developing the plate.
Though a high sensitivity is achieved with this method, the maximum diffraction efficiency is low (The larger the value of diffraction efficiency, the better the quality of the reproduced image obtained). In addition, it is necessary that the photographic plate be removed and developed in darkroom after exposure. The developing treatment is inconvenient as it requires the use of a troublesome process. Once the photographic plate has been removed for development, it is difficult to accurately return the hologram to its original position. As a result, real-time hologram interference cannot be achieved.
A hologram recording method (a method relying upon a thermoplastic) using a photoconductor/thermoplastic hologram photographic plate utilizes frost deformation of a thermoplastic resin. This method includes charging the thermoplastic resin, then softening the thermoplastic resin by high-frequency heating while irradiating the thermoplastic resin with reference light rays and light rays that have been reflected or transmitted by an object irradiated with laser light, and recording the interference fringes. This method has various advantages such as a high diffraction efficiency, spontaneity and reversibility.
However, it is difficult to control the optimum heating temperature and optimum heating time of the thermoplastic resin, and there are problems in terms of expansion and contraction of the substrate and deterioration of the resin layer due to repeated use. Moreover, this method requires a large high-frequency heating apparatus to thermally fuse the thermoplastic resin. It is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus. Another drawback is that the problem of thermal strain, which influences the performance of the hologram, cannot be avoided.
On the other hand, in order to perform experiments regarding image formation by lenses and optical interference, and experiments and research regarding hologram creation, not only the light source but also such optical elements as lenses and beam splitters must be arranged and fixed along the necessary optical path. The optical system is susceptible to vibration, and even slight positional displacement of the optical elements can cause the optical path to become misaligned, in which case the optical elements must be realigned.
The conventional practice is to arrange the optical elements on an optical bench or isolation table adapted to resist vibration, and to assemble the optical system in two dimensions. Since the optical bench or isolation table is costly and heavy, the apparatus must be set up in a special laboratory, thus making it impossible to perform optical experiments in simple fashion.

Advanced Technology Research Corporation


A flotation device for mixing and aerating an ore-containing slurry, comprising a tank having a conical-shaped floor. A vertically positioned flotation assembly is located within the tank. The open bottom of the flotation assembly is shaped is positioned above the conical portion of the floor. The assembly has a middle section having a cage with spaced, vertical bars forming its outer circumference. A rotatable impeller is located within the middle section which draws slurry from the tank through the bottom section and into the middle section and thereafter through the cage and out of assembly. The impeller is attached to a rotatable shaft which is connected at its bottom portion to the upper side of the back plate to rotate the impeller in a plane normal to the shaft. A hollow, vertically situated tubular shaped upper section is located directly above the middle section through which the shaft passes. The upper section has an opening at its lower end which is blocked by the back plate of the impeller.

This invention relates to mixing and aeration impellers, flotation assemblies in which the impellers are utilized, flotation cells in which the flotation assemblies are deployed, and flotation devices comprising the impeller, flotation assembly and flotation cell operating in combination. Specifically this invention provides a method and apparatus for mixing and aerating slurries processed in flotation devices to recover mineral values therefrom.
The mineral processing industry has found it necessary to treat ever-increasing amounts of lower and lower grade ores. This has required the use of correspondingly increasingly large processing equipment, including flotation devices. Consequentially, there is a need for flotation devices that can more efficiently separate valued minerals, such as copper, from a ground ore.
Flotation devices typically operate as follows: a slurry is prepared from a ground mixture of ore and a liquid which is typically water with selected conditioning, collecting and frothing agents. The slurry is fed into a flotation device comprised of one or more flotation cells. In the flotation cells, means, for instance mechanical means such as impellers, are typically employed to aerate and physically mix the slurry. Aeration and mixing are desired to simultaneously produce bubbles in the slurry and to bring ore particles in contact with the bubbles. As is known, ore particles having desired mineral values tend to be carried to the surface of the slurry to form a froth which may be regarded as a concentrate of the desired mineral value to be recovered. Some particles, which tend to be the heavier particles which are frequently rich in the desired mineral value, tend to settle to the bottom of the flotation cell. In order to improve the efficiency of the flotation machine process it is desirable to thoroughly mix and suspend as many particles as possible in the slurry without overmixing or agitating which could reduce the opportunity for bubbles to transport desired particles to the surface.


Propellants comprising a combination of: (a) a liquid component that is soluble in the organic chemical-based material; (b) a soluble gas component that has a solubility of at least about 3% by weight in the organic chemical-based material; and, (c) a substantially insoluble gas component that has a solubility of less than about 3% by weight of the organic chemical-based material are effective for a wide range of airless applications. Adjustment of the ratios of (a) to (b) to (c) can lead to propellants that provide excellent spray patterns for a wide range of organic chemical-based formulations.

This invention relates to the field of spray or aerosol delivery systems and, in particular, to providing a nonflammable propellant for such system.
Airless canister and aerosol systems offer the advantages of portability, ease of cleaning and convenience over more conventional spray systems. However, strict Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations govern maximum allowable canister shipping pressure so propellants must be used that can both aerosolize the contents into a useful spray pattern and maintain sufficient pressure to deliver the contents until the canister is empty.
Typically, one of the propellant components is a compound that at canister pressure can support both liquid and vapor phases. As the canister is emptied, vapor accompanies the adhesive out of the canister but the vapor is replenished from the liquid phase to maintain the equilibrium. It is more efficient to have most of this component in the liquid phase to conserve volume but this component must be able to vaporize rapidly when the liquid/vapor equilibrium is disturbed by the spraying operation. Low boiling point liquids that are commonly used for this purpose consist of but are not limited to dimethyl ether, liquefied petroleum gas blends such as A-70T, and hydrofluorocarbon and fluorocarbon blends such as Dymel® 152A, Dymel® 134A.
The second propellant component is usually a gas, included to provide a high enough pressure to empty the canister without compromising the spray pattern. Typically, nitrogen, air, (NO)x or carbon dioxide is used although in theory almost any gas can be substituted. An inert gas is preferred; oxygen, air and (NO)x can prematurely age certain formulation components, for example.
There is much art to the design of the propellant. The propellant components must be compatible with each other. Moreover, they must interact with the formulation in such a way so as to prevent phase separation of the liquid portion. Finally, some solubility of the propellant in the formulation is desirable so that when the material exits the spray gun, release of the soluble propellant provides the desired breakup of the liquid stream and uniform fan pattern.
Environmental considerations are becoming more and more important in shaping the composition of propellants. Thus, the formulator must consider the impact of using toxic, flammable, volatile organic compounds (VOC) content and hazardous air pollutants (HAPS). Insurance agencies are increasing fire insurance premiums for manufacturers storing flammable substances. Dymel® 152A and Dymel® 134A are the only propellants in the above list that are VOC exempt; of these, only Dymel® 134A is nonflammable. Neither Dymel® 152A nor Dymel® 134A is very compatible with most organic chemical-based formulations. Chlorofluorocarbons have been shown to damage the ozone layer and have been banned by international agreement.
There are very few propellant choices remaining if flammability and VOC issues are to be considered. It is therefore important to develop novel and innovative approaches to identify safe, nonflammable, VOC compliant and effective propellants.
Patent literature teaches the importance of formulation in promoting sprayability of water-based pressure pot systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,661, Page et al. disclose the use of a high hydrophilic/lipophilic balance ("HLB") value nonionic surfactant to improve paint aerosolization by reducing foaming. Alcohol additives and polymer mixtures are used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,575 (Rapaport et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,797 (Suk) to improve sprayable paint systems. Evans et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,613) stabilize an aqueous-based tackifier using a combination of small amounts of a nonionic or anionic surfactant and an elastomeric latex. Horwat et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,049) improve latex spray adhesion by introducing a controlled instability. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,112, Carnahan teaches use of a nonionic neoprene latex to aerosolize a water-based adhesive.
Equipment is also important in providing an even, consistent spray in water-based systems. Hammarth et al. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,905,084 and 6,848,599) describe the guns, hoses, canisters and accessories in some detail. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,354, Brand et al. claim an application system for sprayable water-based adhesives.
The focus of the present invention is the utility of certain propellant mixtures for both water-based and solvent-based airless canister and aerosol systems. Haraguchi et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,061) teach that "the solvents and the propellant are required to have mutual solubility or stable dispersion properties under sprayable pressure" and recommend dimethyl ether "from the point of view of mutual solubility and sufficient fluidity." In EP 0 616 018 B1, Nguyen recognizes the importance of ecologically sound propellant systems while allowing that the mixtures of propellants used should be compatible with the other components of the formulation, but focuses on compatibilization by hydrogenation of the SBS block. Here also, the distinction is made between the liquid and gaseous components of the propellant system and the value of each is briefly discussed. Purvis et al. (EP 1 160 179 A1) claim design parameters for aerosol cans while teaching that a combination of liquid and gas propellants involving "one or more components" is "a preferred embodiment."


The present invention provides an image pickup apparatus, including: an image pickup section of the plural channel output type configured to output signals individually corresponding to divisional regions of an image pickup device; a plurality of signal processing sections configured to individually receive the output signals of the plural channels of the image pickup device as inputs thereto to produce digital data corresponding to pixel values, and a digital signal processing section configured to receive the pixel value data produced by the signal processing sections as inputs thereto to execute an image correction process.

This invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, an image signal processing circuit, an image signal processing method and a computer program, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus, an image signal processing circuit, an image signal processing method and a computer program wherein an image pickup device has a plurality of divisional regions and signal processing is carried out individually for output signals from the divisional regions to carry out black level adjustment for the divisional regions.

Image pickup apparatus, image signal processing circuit and image signal processing method as well as computer program


Provided are chimeric Protein C-Factor VII proteins comprising a Gla domain from Protein C (PC), an EGF-1 domain from PC, an EGF-2 domain from Factor VII (FVII), and a protease domain from FVII.

Blood coagulation factor VII (FVII) is a glycoprotein that is found in normal human plasma. When vascular injury occurs, trace amounts of the activated form of FVII (FVIIa) bind to an endothelial cell transmembrane receptor, tissue factor (TF), that becomes exposed at the site of injury. Under physiological conditions, TF-bound FVIIa (TF:FVIIa) rapidly activates blood coagulation Factor X (FX) leading to amplification of the intrinsic blood coagulation pathway for effective fibrin clot formation and hemostasis. Under pathological conditions, TF binding to FVIIa can lead to excessive fibrin clot formation and life-threatening thrombosis.
Within the vasculature, FVII/FVIIa is known to bind to a transmembrane receptor, endothelial cell Protein C receptor (EPCR), the primary receptor for Protein C (PC) and its activated form (APC) (Fukudome et al., 1994). APC is a potent anticoagulant enzyme that proteolytically inactivates blood coagulation factors Va and VIIIa, thereby down-regulating thrombin generation and fibrin clot formation (Kisiel, 1979). Pharmacologically administered recombinant FVIIa (rFVIIa) competitively inhibits PC binding to EPCR and PC activation by thrombin:thrombomodulin (Ghosh et al., 2007) to reduce the anticoagulant effects of APC and thereby contribute to the hemostatic effectiveness of rFVIIa (Keshava et al., 2017).
Severe hemophilia A and B are characterized by spontaneous bleeding episodes, resulting in an overall mortality rate six times greater than the unaffected population. Because hemophilia is caused by a deficiency of critical coagulation factors, standard treatments rely on replacing the missing factor with recombinant or plasma-derived protein. Unfortunately, up to 33% of severe hemophilia patients develop neutralizing alloantibodies against these replacement factors, rendering them ineffective. Once the development of alloantibodies occurs, the treatment options for acute bleeding are extremely limited. Currently, the preferred treatment option involves the use of rFVIIa to bypass the missing factors by binding to platelets and activating Factor X directly on the platelet surface. However, the use of rFVIIa requires frequent high dosing at significant cost, and is limited by an inconsistent response with pronounced interpatient variability.
In 1998, it was speculated that rFVIIa might also be useful as a "universal" hemostatic agent in patients without blood coagulation defects, who were suffering from uncontrolled bleeding for reasons other than hemophilia, e.g., bleeding related to surgery or trauma (Hedner, 1998). In the years that have followed, there is evidence that rFVIIa may be effective in minimizing blood loss in a variety of clinical settings; however, the known risk of TF-driven thrombosis has been a strong deterrent for early intervention, and has led to the use of treatment regimens with limited dosages and frequency of administration. Metanalyses that have generally not considered these constraints have concluded that the use of rFVIIa to control bleeding is ineffective and unsafe in non-hemophilia patients (Yank et al., 2011).
There is a need to develop FVII variants that display reduced tissue factor-dependent thrombogenicity. Previous attempts to improve rFVIIa therapy have failed, in part, because the mechanism of platelet-rFVIIa binding is not well understood.

The U.S. Government as Represented by the Department of Veteran Affairs


A socket with a base and a reciprocating cover for use in the burn-in test of an electrical part which is characterized in that during the time from immediately before mounting of the electrical part to the completion of mounting thereof, the electrical part is moved in such a manner that a terminal lead of the electrical part will come in contact and wipe a contact element of the socket so that any oxide film on the surface of the contact element of socket is removed. Also, a latch can be provided for holding the socket in desired mounting position during the above described wiping and contacting procedure.

This invention relates to a socket having a contact element which in connection with the insertion and installation of an IC package with a prescribed electrical part and IC chip is electrically contacted with this electrical part.
In recent years, the IC package has become thin and small thereby making it more suitable for surface mounting. As the IC becomes thinner and smaller, the quality of the product and any test to determine defective products assumes as important a role as ever.
The testing of the IC packages including the IC for surface mounting typically uses a burn-in test for heat resistance which is carried out by putting the IC package in a heating furnace. A prior art socket for IC package mounting in such a test is shown in FIG. 25.
As shown in an expanded plane view in FIG. 21, an expanded front view in FIG. 22 and an expanded back view in FIG. 23, the IC package 10 has a lead 10b only on one side of the IC chip to be vertically mounted on a printed substrate in a so-called vertical surface mount package (VPAK) type. Protrusions 10a are provided at both ends of the side where the lead 10b of the IC package is provided, with tips 10c of the leads being bent by approximately 90 degrees. FIG. 24 is an expanded cross-section cut along line 24--24 in FIG. 22 which shows this feature. The IC package 10 is mounted vertically on the printed substrate 50 which is indicated by an imaginary line. In this state of mounting, the protrusions 10a are inserted into blind holes 50a of the printed substrate 50, with the result that the IC package 10 is positioned relative to the printed substrate 50 and the bent tip 10c of the lead 10b is soldered to the wiring 50b of the printed substrate 50.
In connection with a burn-in test, however, the IC package 10 is mounted horizontally on the socket as shown in FIG. 25. FIG. 25 shows an expanded cross-section of a socket with the IC package having been mounted. The socket comprises a main socket body or base 41 equipped with a contact 43 and a cover 42. The cover is biased open by a coil spring 45 and is stopped at a prescribed location as compared with the base by a "stop" mechanism which is not shown in the drawings.
The charging of IC package 10 is done by inserting the package into space 41a placing it on the surface 41c of the stand 41b. The contact 43 has its basal part 43a buried in the bottom wall of the base 41 and a terminal part 41e that protrudes from the bottom of the base 41. A pin part 43b is attached to the base part 43a and has a curved part extending into a space in the base but further with a tip portion 43c and tip end 43d. Due to the elasticity of pin part 43c, the tip 43d of the tip part 43c compressively contacts the curved tip portion 10c of the lead 10b upon the insertion of the IC package 10 thereby providing electrical contact between lead 10b and contact 43.
As shown in FIG. 26, the electrical connection between lead 10b and contact 43 is made certain by the use of a sharp contact tip end 43d which bites into the tin plated layer through the oxidized coating 10f on the surface of the tin plated layer. If tip end 43d bites through the tin plated layer 10e of the lead 10b in the core material 10d (nickel or copper), good electrical connection is still maintained. The reason for this good electrical connection lies in minimizing the contact resistance due to the oxide coating 10f that is inevitably produced on the surface of the tin plated layer by biting through the oxide layer. This socket, however, of the aforementioned construction still has the following problems:
(i) The surface of the contact is often plated with gold, etc., for low contact resistance and good corrosion resistance and the tin on the surface of the lead adheres to the surface of the plated layer on the contact surface during connection of the contact and lead. As a consequence of this fact, the contact resistance increases at the time of a burn-in test and the reliability of the test will then drop.
(ii) Since the lead is only on one side of the IC package, the IC package tends to jump upward as it is pushed by the contact.
(iii) In view of the fact that the contact is arranged outside as compared with the IC package, the width of the socket becomes greater by the width of the contact, with a result that the density of the mounting on the printed substrate for test in the case of a large number of sockets with the IC package mounted drops at the time of a burn-in test. Because of this fact, there is a decrease in the number of IC packages that can be tested at one time, thereby bringing about inefficiency.
The aforementioned problem (i) similarly exists in the case of the IC package with the leads being provided on a plurality of sides such as the IC package of the type where leads are provided on the mutually opposed sides in addition to the IC package of the VPAK type.


In 3GPP LTE, the uplink ACK and CQI bits are jointly coded prior to transmission to maintain a low peak to average ratio (PAR) waveform. Further, when data needs to be transmitted, the uplink control channels are multiplexed with data prior to transmission. However, due to errors on downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) assignments, an evolved Base Node (eNB) receiver needs to employ a set of rules to decode the control channels, to minimize the number of blind decoding hypotheses. This innovation describes the rules employed by a receiver to reduce complexity and computational overhead in part by assuming that the UE is responding to grant on the downlink while providing for combinations in which one or more types of grants are not received. Energy detection in accordance with metrics and normalizing for differing power controls enables selecting the correct combination for decoding.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication, and more specifically to techniques for receiving and decoding information in a wireless communication network.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, data, and so on. These systems may be multiple access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., bandwidth and transmit power). Examples of such multiple access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple access communication system can simultaneously support communication for multiple wireless terminals. Each terminal communicates with one or more base stations via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the base stations to the terminals, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the terminals to the base stations. This communication link may be established via a single-input-single-output (SISO), multiple-input-single-output (MISO), single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) or a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system.
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is one of the third-generation (3G) cell phone technologies. UTRAN, short for UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network, is a collective term for the base nodes (Node B's) and Radio Network Controllers (RNC) which make up the UMTS core network. This communications network can carry many traffic types, from real-time Circuit Switched to IP based Packet Switched. The UTRAN allows connectivity between the UE (user equipment) and the core network. The UTRAN contains the base stations, which are called Node Bs, and RNCs. The RNC provides control functionalities for one or more Node Bs. A Node B and an RNC can be the same device, although typical implementations have a separate RNC located in a central office serving multiple Node B's. Despite the fact that they do not have to be physically separated, there is a logical interface between them known as the Iub. The RNC and its corresponding Node Bs are called the Radio Network Subsystem (RNS). There can be more than one RNS present in an UTRAN.
Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the name given to a project within the 3GPP to improve the UMTS mobile phone standard to cope with future requirements. Goals include improving efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of a new spectrum of opportunities, and better integration with other open standards. The LTE system is described in the Evolved UTRA (EUTRA) and Evolved UTRAN (EUTRAN) series of specifications. In order to provide improved communication services and increased efficiency, cellular communication systems are continuously developed and enhanced. Currently, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards body is in the process of standardizing improvements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) known as LTE.
Similarly, to advanced communication services, such as High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), LTE uses a very fast scheduling of communication resources allocated to user traffic and control data over the air interface. Specifically, scheduling for user traffic may be performed in the individual serving base station (eNodeB) thereby allowing scheduling to be so fast that it can follow changes in the characteristics of the propagation channels to the individual User Equipments (UEs). This is used to schedule data for UEs such that data is predominantly scheduled for UEs which currently experience advantageous propagation conditions. The fast scheduling may be performed both for uplink user data traffic transmitted on a physical channel known as the Physical Uplink Shared CHannel (PUSCH) and for downlink user data traffic transmitted on a physical channel known as the Physical Downlink Shared CHannel (PDSCH).
In LTE, the resource allocation can be changed in sub-frames having a duration of only 1 ms with a typical scheduling interval (i.e. how often the scheduling algorithm runs) of between 1 and 10 sub-frames. One frame consists of 10 such consecutive sub-frames. The PUSCH and PDSCH are shared channels wherein the scheduling is not only dependent on the current propagation conditions but also on the resource requirement of the UEs. In order to simplify the scheduling and to reduce the signaling overhead, LTE allows for persistent scheduling wherein a resource allocation for the PUSCH or PDSCH may be made for a plurality of subframes.
In order to provide efficient fast scheduling in the base station, the UE must transmit uplink control information to the scheduling base station. Specifically, the UE transmits Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) data which is indicative of the current propagation conditions for the UE. Based on the measurements of the received signal, the UE generates a CQI which may indicate a modulation scheme and data rate that is considered to be supportable by the air interface communication channel from the base station to the UE, or which may be a measure of the Signal to Noise plus Interference Ratio. As another example, LTE uses a retransmission scheme (referred to as Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) or Hybrid ARQ (HARD)) and the UE transmits ARQ data in the form of uplink acknowledge (ACK) or non-acknowledge (NACK) messages which are used to determine whether individual data packets need to be retransmitted. As yet another example, LTE allows the base station to utilize adaptive antenna technology and the UE may report a Precoding Matrix Index (PMI) which is used to signal the antenna weights recommended by the UE for the individual antenna elements.
The uplink control information is transmitted using physical uplink channels. Specifically, in sub-frames wherein the UE transmits uplink user data traffic on the PUSCH, the control data is embedded within the transmission such that the control information is transmitted to the base station using the PUSCH. However, for sub-frames wherein no uplink user data traffic is transmitted on the PUSCH, the UE uses a physical uplink channel known as the Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH) to transmit the control information. Thus, the physical air interface channel used for the transmission of the control information may change for different sub-frames.

Blind decoding of uplink control channels