A gas turbine engine component coated with a thermal barrier coating that includes a metallic bond coat and a ceramic top coat is repaired by removing the ceramic top coat from an engine-run gas turbine engine component and inspecting the component. A metallic flash coat is applied to at least a portion of the component. A ceramic top coat is then applied over predetermined portions of the component, including the portion to which the metallic flash coat was applied.

Over the years, gas turbine engine manufactures have increased the temperature and pressure at which gas turbine engines operate to meet demands for more powerful and efficient engines. The increased temperatures and pressures have imposed rigorous operating conditions on certain engine parts, particularly turbine vanes and blades immediately downstream of a combustor. In modern engines, turbine vanes and blades may be exposed to temperatures near or above the melting point of the alloy from which they are made.
While manufacturers have been designing gas turbine engines that operate under very demanding conditions, they have been striving to improve gas turbine engine reliability and to extend maintenance intervals to improve the economics of operating gas turbine engines. Manufacturers have addressed both objectives by applying protective coatings to certain parts, particularly turbine vanes and blades. Initially, the coatings focused on providing oxidation and corrosion protection. Examples of these include diffusion aluminide coatings, MCrAlY coatings, where M is Ni, Co, Fe, or Ni/Co, and other metallic coatings. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,585,481 and Re 32,121, both to Gupta et al., describe such coatings. More recently, multi-layer, thermal barrier coatings that comprise an oxidation and corrosion resistant metallic bond coat and a ceramic top coat have been used. Such coatings are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,321,310 to Ulion et al., 4,321,311 to Strangman, 4,401,697 to Strangman, 4,405,659 to Strangman, 4,405,660 to Ulion et al., 4,414,249 to Ulion et al., and 5,262,245 to Ulion et al. Thermal barrier coatings provide thermal resistance to the high temperatures in a gas turbine engine in addition to providing oxidation and corrosion resistance.
As with other gas turbine engine parts, gas turbine engine operators find it desirable to repair thermal barrier coated parts periodically to restore them to desirable conditions. An important step in repairing thermal barrier coated parts is stripping the thermal barrier coating. Both the ceramic and metallic portions of the coating are removed. The process for stripping the ceramic portion of the coating may include soaking the part in a solution of KOH for about 4 hours to about 8 hours at a pressure of about 375 psia to about 425 psia and a temperature of about 400.degree. F. to about 450.degree. F. The metallic portion of the coating may be stripped by soaking the part in a HCl solution for about 2 hours at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of about 140.degree. F. to about 160.degree. F.
Although the stripping process effectively removes the ceramic and metallic portions of the coating, it also removes a portion of the base metal under the metallic portion, thinning the exterior wall of the component. The thinner wall is acceptable as long as it meets applicable inspection criteria. To ensure that the component wall does not become too thin, a wall thickness inspection is used to determine the wall thickness remaining after stripping. Once the wall thickness becomes too thin, the part is scrapped. As a result, stripping and related blending operations limit the number of times a particular part can be repaired. Once the repair limit has been reached for a particular part, the part must be replaced with a new part, rather than being repaired.
If the part is repairable, it is routed through the rest of a repair cycle. The repair cycle may include operations such as weld repairs to fill cracks and/or restore tip dimensions, braze repairs to fill cracks and/or restore or change a vane's "class" ("class" is a measure of the amount of open area available for gas flow in an assembled gas turbine engine), tip repairs to restore abrasive tips, and other steps. Many of these operations are described in more detail in expired U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,008,844 to Duvall et al., 4,073,639 to Duvall et al., and 4,078,922 to Magyar et al. Naturally, the repair cycle also includes reapplication of both layers of the thermal barrier coating. Following repair, the parts are inspected again to determine if they are acceptable to return to service.
Although this type of repair cycle has been used successfully in many instances, it has several drawbacks. First, the use of chemical stripping can limit the number of times a particular part can be repaired. As a result, the operator may need to purchase a new part when the repair limit is reached. Second, removing and reapplying the metallic bond coat portion of the thermal barrier coating can result in cooling hole plugging (sometimes knows as "coat down"). Parts with plugged cooling holes are typically unacceptable for return to service as is and must either be reworked or discarded. Third, stripping and reapplying the coating can be expensive and time consuming. In this age of rapid turn times and "just in time" planning, the time it takes to perform a repair cycle that includes stripping and reapplication of the coating can be a major issue with some customers. In addition, coating application can generate waste material or by-products that require costly disposal.
Therefore, what is needed in the industry is a repair for gas turbine engine parts coated with a ceramic thermal barrier coating that increases the number of times a part can be repaired and is less expensive and time consuming prior art repair methods. Moreover, the repair method should not lead to the coat down phenomenon noted with prior art repair methods.

Repair of gas turbine engine component coated with a thermal barrier coating


A recirculatory lubrication system for applying a film of lubricant to an open gear set having a pinion gear and a bull gear in meshing engagement with the pinion gear, the open gear set enclosed by a gear set cover having a lower portion for collecting lubricant therein. The system includes a lubricant reservoir having a supply port and a return port; a first lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the supply port of the reservoir; a filter assembly having a filter housing having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet in fluid communication with the first lubricant supply line, the filter housing having at least one filter element positioned therein; a second lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the outlet of the filter housing; a hollow elongated lubricant distribution header in fluid communication with the second lubricant supply line, the header having a plurality of lubricant feed orifices positioned along its length for applying a film of lubricant onto the gear set; and a lubricant return line in fluid communication with the lower portion of the gear set cover and the lubricant return port of the reservoir.

In the mechanical transmission of power, large open gear sets are frequently employed, particularly in plants having large mills, kilns and the like. Lubricants conventionally used for open gear sets generally possess good adhesive properties to assure that a film of lubricant is maintained on the contact surfaces of the gear teeth. In the usual case, to lubricate an open gear set, the lubricant is generally applied using a all-loss method.
At present, open gears are lubricated with heavy asphaltic lubricants which are applied continuously by a paddle wheel or periodically by a system known to those skilled in the art as a Farval system, usually once every 15 to 20 minutes. Although such systems are generally acceptable, a number of problems have surfaced in recent years. One such problem stems from the fact that most sprayed-on lubricants are diluted with a solvent. As may be appreciated, with today's heightened concern for the environment, the presence of such solvents necessitate that special handling procedures for waste lubricants be employed. From a lubrication standpoint, when premature evaporation of the solvent occurs, pumping problems are often encountered even before the lubricant is applied. Since presently employed open gear lubricants are all-loss materials, following their application, they become a hazardous waste material. Moreover, leaked or spilled open gear lubricants, due to their inherent tackiness, are difficult to clean up. In states where disposal is strictly regulated, the cost of proper disposal of used open gear lubricants may run in excess of $200,000, annually, for the average plant, and can be expected to increase in the future.
From a mechanical standpoint, much of the wear which occurs in open gear sets is caused by a combination of airborne abrasive dust and the present "feast-or-famine" method of periodic lubricant application. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, when lubricants are applied using a form of periodic application, the film so applied will usually vary from being somewhat excessive, just after application, to being somewhat inadequate, just prior to the next application.
Therefore what is needed is an open gear lubricating system which overcomes the aforementioned problems and, in particular, is acceptable to open gear builders, employs a lubricant which has recycle capability, negligible environmental impact, is cost effective, permits easy clean up, prevents gear wear and offers improved power transmission efficiency.

Recirculatory lubrication system for an open gear set


A radio frequency (RF) device (or “tag”) for containing specific information relating to a particular good being shipped from one location (e.g., warehouse) to another (e.g., customer). The device includes a circuitized substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board), a semiconductor chip, an antenna and a power regulator, and is designed in one embodiment to be partly inserted within a good (e.g., a cardboard box) containing one or more of the goods being shipped and tracked. Alternatively, the device may be attached by other means (e.g., adhesive). A shipper can simply track the goods containing such devices using wireless communication devices (e.g., satellites) to quickly and readily ascertain the specific location of the goods at any time as well as the appropriate desired information relating to such goods (e.g., quantity, weight, type, etc.).

It is imperative in today's highly competitive commercial environment that products reach the marketplace quickly and efficiently. This is especially important for products such as food products, particularly when such products are of the perishable variety. With due consideration to today's security-conscious environment, it is also imperative that such products are assured safe and secure transport to the final destinations thereof, such that tampering and theft are effectively prevented. Finally, it is imperative that effective accountability of each product in the distribution process occur, to assure that the end customer receives and pays for the correct goods he/she has purchased.
The invention defined herein is useful for tracking other goods than simply food products, and is thus not limited thereto. The teachings herein are equally applicable to receiving and distribution of all sorts of goods, including electronic packaging components (e.g., printed circuit boards and cards, chip carriers, etc.), electronic components (e.g., computers, servers, etc.), and a multitude of others of many different sizes and shapes. As defined herein, the invention is also applicable to effective receipt and distribution of both large and small quantities of such goods, and of goods of many different cost levels.
Tracking and identifying quantities of goods during a storage and/or distribution process has presented a significant challenge for both industry and science. For example, the demands of keeping track of consumer products, such as food products, jewelry, and the like, and the strong interest in effective identification devices (perhaps the most classic today being credit/debit cards with personal photo identification thereon), has led to the need for a secure, relatively fast, yet readily inexpensive to operate, tracking system such as taught in the aforementioned pending application. Additionally, emerging technologies such as combinatorial chemistry, genomics research, and microfluidics also require the ability to identify and track the location of large numbers of items, especially in the science industry and other industries shipping goods such as chemicals, powders, and the like.
A well known procedure for tracking the location and/or identity of goods is the utilization of Universal Product Code (UPC) technology, or, as also known, "barcode" technology. Barcodes use a linear array of elements that are either printed directly on goods or on labels that are affixed to the goods, typically in the form of a decal or the like (some of more recent vintage are printed as part of the package container). These barcode elements typically comprise bars and spaces, with bars of varying widths representing strings of binary "ones" and spaces of varying widths representing strings of binary "zeros". Barcodes can be detectable optically using devices such as scanning laser beams or handheld wands, or these can be implemented in magnetic media. The readers and scanning systems electro-optically decode the symbol to multiple alpha-numerical characters that are intended to be descriptive of the article or some characteristic thereof. Such characters are typically represented in digital form as an input to a data processing system for applications such as in point-of-sale processing and inventory control, these latter two being only examples of many such applications. Traditional barcodes usually contain 15 or less digits but are not limited to this number if the length of the overall label allows more to be used. However, two dimensional bar codes have also been developed in which one-dimensional bar codes are stacked with horizontal guard bars between these to increase the information density. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,786 describes the use of a high density two-dimensional bar code symbol for use in bar code applications.
A different form or technology that has been developed for labeling objects includes a composition comprising silicon or silicon dioxide microparticles and a powder, fluid or gas to be applied to goods such as vehicles, credit cards and jewelry (see foreign patent WO 95/29437 for a description of such usage). This system typically allows the formation of several million particles on a single wafer, each of the particles on one wafer being designed to be of identical shape and size so that when the particles are freed from the wafer substrate one is left with a suspension containing a single particle type which can thus be identified and associated with a particular item (good).
Still another, yet more recent, technology is combinatorial chemistry which has also resulted in the development of various encoding schemes (See, for example, Czarnik, A. W., "Encoding Methods for Combinatorial Chemistry", Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol., 1997, 1, 60). The need for this development has arisen in part from the split and pool technique utilized in combinatorial chemistry to generate libraries on the order of one million compounds. Split and pool synthesis involves dividing a collection in beads into N groups, where N represents the number of different reagents being used in a particular reaction stage, and after the reaction is performed, pooling all of these groups together and repeating the split and pool process until the desired reaction sequence is completed. Clearly, in order to keep track of each of the compounds produced from a reaction series, the beads must be "tagged" or encoded with information at each stage to enable identification of the compound of interest or the reaction pathway producing the compound. The tags used to encode the information, however, must be robust to the conditions being employed in the chemical synthesis and must be easily identifiable to obtain the information. Exemplary encoding techniques that have been developed include the use of chemically robust small organic molecules ("tags") that are cleaved from the bead after the synthesis is completed and analyzed using mass spectroscopy (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,565,324 and 5,721,099 for descriptions of this technology). Radio frequency (RF) encoded combinatorial chemistry is also known and combines recent advances in microelectronics, sensors, and chemistry and uses a single or multiple addressable radiofrequency tag semiconductor unit to record encoding and other relevant information along the synthetic pathway (Nicolaou et al, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1995, 34, 2289).
Still another example of on-bead decoding includes the use of colored and fluorescent beads (Egner et al., Chem. Commun. 1997, 735), in which a confocal microscope laser system is used to obtain the fluorescence spectra of fluorescent dyes.
As understood from the following, the present invention provides a new and unique device which utilizes RF identification to track goods, including those of the several different types mentioned hereinabove, and others. The device as defined herein is of relatively simple yet robust construction, may be reusable, and can be operated expeditiously at relatively low cost to assure safe, efficient and secure shipment such that a receiver of the desired goods will know he/she is receiving exactly the type and quantity of goods he/she has requested.
It is believed that such a device will constitute a significant advancement in the art.

Radio frequency device for tracking goods

Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Inc.


A series of new high abrasion resistance coating materials have been prepared utilizing organic/inorganic hybrid materials formed by cohydrolyzing a metal alkoxide sol (e.g. silicon, aluminum, titanium, or zirconium metal alkoxide sol) with one or more bis(trialkoxysilane-containing) organic components or related functionalized species. These hybrid materials show optical clarity and improve the abrasion resistance of polymer substrates when applied as coatings and cured on such substrates.

Various types of protective coating materials have been used to improve the abrasion resistance and hardness of polymer surfaces( e.g., polycarbonate resin). For example, Ishigaki et al. improved the scratch resistance of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) by utilizing silane compounds as coating materials (Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 63 48,364). Komatsu et al. used a mixed inorganic composition of zirconate-silicate with a SnO.sub.2 sol as an antistatic and scratch resistance coating material (Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 63,152,675). Nishiuchi et al. also obtained an abrasion resistant and glossy coating material from a mixed system of alkali metal oxides (Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 63,992268). Yamada et al. used zirconium-containing organosiloxanes as hard coating materials which were based on a 1:1 molar ratio of Zr(OBu).sub.4 with Si(MeO).sub.3 H and ethylacetoacetate as the chelating agent (Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 64 01,769 [89 01,769]). A pencil hardness value 4H was observed for the Yamada et al. system. Based on the same composition without Zr(OBu).sub.4, the pencil hardness value was reduced to only an HB value. The disclosure of these references describe coatings, which provide good adhesion of coatings on polymer, but which are limited to inorganic systems with no organic component.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,278 also discloses various sol-gel derived coatings on plastics which are also inorganic in nature and do not contain organic moieties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,366 to G. Philipp et al. describes the formation of scratch-resistant coatings, which can be applied to plastic substrates, which are formed by the hydrolytic polycondensation of at least one titanium or zirconium compound (such as tetraethyl titanate or tetrapropyl zirconate) and at least one organofunctional silane. In these systems, the organic moiety has a single silane functionality at one end which is capable of hydrolytic polycondensation with the titanium or zirconium compound.

High abrasion resistance coating materials from organic/inorganic hybrid materials produced by the sol-gel method

Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.


A method for optimizing device-to-device communication protocol selection in an edge computing environment is provided. The method includes: receiving a request for a service from a user device, wherein the computing system is one of plural edge computing devices in an edge computing environment; determining computational tasks performed in providing the service; selecting, using a machine learning model, a set of the edge computing devices to perform the computational tasks and communication protocols for the set of the edge computing devices to use while performing the computational tasks, wherein the machine learning model is configured to select the set of the edge computing devices and the communication protocols based on minimizing a time to perform the computational tasks; and sending instructions to perform the computational tasks, thereby causing the set of the edge computing devices to perform the service in response to the request from the user device.

Aspects of the present invention relate generally to distributed computing systems and, more particularly, to optimizing device-to-device communication protocol selection in an edge computing environment.
A cloud is an information technology (IT) environment that abstracts, pools, and shares IT resources across a network. An edge is a computing location at the edge of a network, along with the hardware and software at those physical locations. Cloud computing is the act of running workloads within clouds, while edge computing is the act of running workloads on edge devices.

Optimizing device-to-device communication protocol selection in an edge computing environment


An audio jack connector (100) with reliable grounding device includes a dielectric housing (1) defining an inner receiving space (12) and a grounding member (2) mounted on the housing (1). The grounding member (2) includes a base portion (21) secured on the housing, a mating portion (242) extending into the inner receiving space (12), a terminal portion (25) for inserting into a print circuit board (6) and a spring portion (26) extending beyond the housing for connecting to a metallic panel (5) of an electrical device. This grounding structure combines inner and outer grounding together by an integrated grounding piece, which enhance the grounding effect.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and especially to an audio jack connector having a reliable grounding device.
2. Description of Related Art
Audio connectors are usually used in computer or other electronic equipment for transferring audio signals. An audio connector may include an audio plug and an audio jack.
A conventional audio jack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,267. The audio jack has a housing 1 including an embedded groove 13 positioned at the bottom near the front surface, and a retaining groove 16 formed at the bottom of the housing 1. The audio jack further comprises a grounding piece 10 for abating the interfering effect of noise from outside and a L-shaped grounding terminal 15 for inner grounding. One end of the ground piece 10 is bent as an L-shaped insert end 11 for being inserted into an embedded groove 13 of the dielectric housing 1 for preventing the grounding piece 10 from sliding. The main body of the grounding piece and the inserting end 10 are formed as a tilted hook. The main body includes a frame-type grounding portion 12 which extends about the periphery of a round cylinder 14 formed on the front surface of the housing 1.
A further grounding terminal 15 is installed. The grounding terminal comprises a transverse portion and a longitudinal portion. The transverse portion is engaged to the retaining groove 16 of the housing 1. Meanwhile, the front end of the transverse portion extends toward the front surface so as to connect to the grounding piece 10. The longitudinal portion is insert into through hole formed on a PCB connecting the grounding piece 10 to the grounding circuit on the PCB so as to suppress noise form outside.
In this grounding structure, the inner grounding and the exterior grounding are jointed together, which can get better grounding effect. However, it also brings some problems. Firstly, the grounding piece 10 cannot be securely fixed on the housing and requires a space between the panel of electronic device and the audio jack housing to receive it. Further, the connection between the grounding piece and the grounding terminal is not reliable especially when the grounding terminal fails to recover from deflection permanently after mating with an audio plug. In addition, as the grounding terminal is fixed mainly by soldering on the print circuit board, the grounding terminal will come loose after the plug is inserted in and pulled out for a lot of times.
Hence, it's desirable to invent a grounding structure that overcomes the above disadvantages.

Audio jack connector with reliable grounding device


A transmission control method, a related device and system are provided. The method includes: receiving a TDM pattern sent by a base station, where the TDM pattern is configured to indicate an uplink resource and/or a downlink resource available for the UE, and the base station is a serving base station of the UE; and performing a transmission control according to the TDM pattern.

The interference problem has always existed in communication technology, and the interference has seriously affected the communication performance of the User Equipment (UE). The common interferences include the interference between different terminals, interference between different systems, etc. However, with the development of communication technology and increasing people's requirements for the performance of UEs, another type of interference, i.e., an intra-UE interference has been paid more and more attention by the people. The intra-UE interference refers to that the interference generated by the signal transmitted by the UE itself affects the received signal of the UE. For example, the uplink signal transmitted by the UE interferes with the downlink signal of the UE. Due to the intra-UE interference, the transmission performance of UEs is poor.

Transmission control method, related device and system


In general, techniques are described for adapting audio streams for rendering. A device comprising a memory and one or more processors may be configured to perform the techniques. The memory may store a plurality of audio streams that include one or more sub-streams. The one or more processors may determine, based on the plurality of audio streams, a total number of the one or more sub-streams for all of the plurality of audio streams, and adapt, when the total number of the sub-streams is greater than a render threshold, the plurality of audio streams to decrease the number of the one or more sub-streams and obtain an adapted plurality of audio streams. The one or more processors may also apply the renderer to the adapted plurality of audio streams to obtain the one or more speaker feeds, and output the one or more speaker feeds to one or more speakers.

There are a number of contexts in which rendering of audio data may not be suited to particular audio data. For example, some vehicles or other types of devices (such as extended reality—XR—devices, which may refer to virtual reality—VR—devices, augmented reality—AR—devices, and/or mixed reality—MR—devices) may only feature renderers that support certain formats due to processing, memory, power, or other constraints. Audio streams are increasingly being provided in a variety of formats that may not be suitable for the vehicles and/or XR devices, thereby limiting the audio experience in these contexts.


A process for fabrication of semiconductor devices, particularly FinFETs, having a low contact horizontal resistance and a resulting device are provided. Embodiments include: providing a substrate having source and drain regions separated by a gate region; forming a gate electrode having a first length on the gate region; forming an epitaxy layer on the source and drain regions; forming a contact layer having a second length, longer than the first length, at least partially on the epitaxy layer; and forming an oxide layer on top and side surfaces of the contact layer for at least the first length.

In a fabrication of semiconductor devices, many FinFETs rely on a tall gate structure. Such a structure may allow for a reduction in horizontal resistance. However, a tall gate structure typically results in high parasitic capacitance, and may require complex or costly metal chamfering and self-aligned contact (SAC) processes.
A need therefore exists for methodologies for fabrication of semiconductor devices, particularly FinFETs, having a low gate horizontal resistance without use of a tall gate structure, and a resulting device.


Executing a gather operation on a parallel computer that includes a plurality of compute nodes, including: dividing, by each task in an operational group of tasks, a send buffer containing contribution data into a plurality of chunks of data, each chunk of data located at an offset within the send buffer; sending, by each task in the operational group of tasks, one chunk of data to a root task through a data communications thread for each chunk of data; receiving the chunks of data by the root task; and storing, by the root task, each chunk of data in a receive buffer of the root task in dependence upon the offset of each chunk of data within the send buffer.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatus, and products for executing a gather operation on a parallel computer that includes a plurality of compute nodes.
2. Description of Related Art
The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely complicated devices. Today's computers are much more sophisticated than early systems such as the EDVAC. Computer systems typically include a combination of hardware and software components, application programs, operating systems, processors, buses, memory, input/output devices, and so on. As advances in semiconductor processing and computer architecture push the performance of the computer higher and higher, more sophisticated computer software has evolved to take advantage of the higher performance of the hardware, resulting in computer systems today that are much more powerful than just a few years ago.
Modern computing systems can be embodied as parallel computers that include a large number of compute nodes. Such parallel computers can execute parallel operations that require communication between many of the compute nodes in the parallel computer. Such compute nodes may communicate using serial data communications, where one message is sent after another between the compute nodes. Such serial communications can present a bottleneck in the execution of such parallel applications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

International Business Machines Corporation


A folding trailer having an integral cargo platform generally includes a chassis having wheels and a towing hitch, a trailer body attached to the chassis such that a front end of the trailer body faces the towing hitch and the platform attached to the chassis between the front end of the trailer body and the towing hitch. The platform generally includes a substantially flat and substantially rigid core member and a layer of substantially abrasion and weather resistant material positioned on the core member. The platform further includes a first side and a second side and is configured to be attached to the chassis such that the second side contacts the chassis. The first side of the platform has a surface defined by the layer of abrasion and weather resistant material, with the surface shaped to limit movement of cargo received on the first side of the platform.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recreational vehicles having a cargo carrying device and, more particularly, to folding camping trailers having a cargo carrying device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of recreational vehicles for comfortable travel is well known. Recreational vehicles include those that can be driven down the road as a self-contained unit and others that are towed such as folding camping trailers. Besides providing shelter and creature comforts away from home, recreational vehicles must enable the owner to transport all manner of supplies and lifestyle accessories, such as bicycles, boats, camping and hunting gear, and the like. This gear is commonly known as cargo.
Folding camping trailers (hereinafter referred to as "folding trailers"), wherein major design goals include low cost, compact size and light weight, present a particular challenge to their designers and manufacturers in providing cargo-carrying accommodations for large items that folding trailer owners are likely to transport in the use of their folding trailers. Such items may include, for example, large storage boxes as are commonly found in beds of pickup trucks, bicycles, lawn furniture, ice chests, firewood, children's playthings and portable water storage tanks.
The current arrangements in folding trailers for carrying such large cargo items include rooftop cargo racks, enclosed and integrated trunks, commonly known in the art as integral storage trunks, and owner-fabricated devices of all sorts. There are shortcomings with each of these arrangements.
The shortcomings of rooftop cargo racks are that they are expensive and must be permanently installed by drilling through the folding trailer roof. Additionally, rooftop cargo racks are difficult to access due to their location atop the folding trailer and are inaccessible when the folding trailer is setup. Also, rooftop cargo racks can undesirably raise a folding trailer's center of gravity. Further, rooftop cargo racks can obstruct the driver's rearward vision when large objects are placed upon them. Holes drilled improperly when installing the rooftop cargo rack may cause leaks in the roof.
Integral storage trunks likewise have shortcomings. For example, they provide only restricted access to their contents when the folding trailer is opened and are limited by small access doors. In addition, integral storage trunks are generally unable to accommodate large, odd-shaped items such as bicycles. Integral storage trunks can also add additional cost and weight to the folding trailer.
Owner-fabricated devices are often of uncontrolled integrity and are typically located at the rear of the folding trailer. The rear of the folding trailer is an undesirable location for placing owner-fabricated devices and the accompanying additional weight of the cargo for numerous reasons. First, the extended length reduces the departure angle of the folding trailer and, thus, the devices often drag on the ground when the folding trailer negotiates inclines. Additionally, these devices often obscure the visibility of the folding trailer's lights to following vehicles. Finally, the weight of the cargo added to the rear of the folding trailer can adversely affect the folding trailer's towing characteristics.
An object of the present invention is to provide a folding trailer having a cargo carrying device that adds minimal cost and weight to the folding trailer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a folding trailer having a cargo carrying device that can accommodate large, odd-shaped cargo items.
Accordingly, I have invented a folding trailer having a chassis, a trailer body attached to the chassis and an integral cargo platform attached to the chassis adjacent the trailer body. The chassis includes wheels and a towing hitch. The trailer body is attached to the chassis such that a front end of the trailer body faces the towing hitch. The cargo platform is attached to the chassis between the front end of the trailer body and the towing hitch. The cargo platform includes a substantially flat and substantially rigid core member and a layer of substantially abrasion and weather resistant material positioned on the core member. The cargo platform further includes a first side and a second side and is configured to be attached to the chassis such that the second side contacts the chassis. The first side has a surface defined by the layer of abrasion and weather resistant material, with the surface shaped to limit movement of cargo received on the first side of the cargo platform.
The cargo platform may be polygonal-shaped. Preferably, the cargo platform is trapezoidal-shaped and is spaced from the front end of the trailer body. The layer of abrasion and weather resistant material may enclose the core member.
The surface of the first side may define a plurality of substantially parallel recesses, with each of the recesses separated from an adjacent recess by a rib portion. The cargo platform may further include a first edge and a second edge and the recesses preferably extend substantially a distance from the first edge to the second edge. In addition, the surface of the first side may incline from the first edge toward the second edge such that liquid on the surface of the first side flows toward the second edge. The surface of the first side of the cargo platform may form a plurality of raised lip portions positioned on the first side of the cargo platform to limit the movement of the cargo received on the first side of the cargo platform.
In the trapezoidal-shaped embodiment of the cargo platform, the cargo platform is defined by a first edge, a second edge and two lateral edges. The lip portions are preferably formed along the first edge and along each of the lateral edges of the cargo platform in this embodiment of the cargo platform.
The chassis preferably further includes an extended front support structure supporting the cargo platform. The cargo platform may also have a plurality of tie-down loops attached to the first side of the cargo platform for securing the cargo received on the first side of the cargo platform.
Further details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout.

Folding trailer with integral cargo platform


The present invention provides a vehicle control device capable of realizing access authority definitions by the number equal to or greater than the number of access control registers provided in a memory protection device. In the vehicle control device according to the present invention, the whole or a part of a storage device that stores the access authority definitions used by the memory protection device to control the access authorities, is allocated fixedly to a memory area in advance and the rest is allocated dynamically.

A vehicle control system including electronic control units (ECUs) that control the operation of a vehicle, controls the vehicle with the ECUs cooperating through communication. Development of a recent vehicle control system requires compliance with a functional safety standard, such as ISO 26262. The system requires developing with a development process based on safety levels.
In order to equip one ECU with a software group in which each piece of software has a different safety level, it is required to implement Freedom From Interference (FFI) that causes no mutual interference between the pieces of software having the respective different safety levels. In order to implement the FFI, it is required to implement a memory protection function, a time protection function, and a data protection function.
Use of a memory protection unit enables implementation of the memory protection function. Writing of information defining an access authority into an access control register causes the memory protection unit to perform access control such that a central processing unit (CPU) accesses a memory in accordance with the definition. Use of the memory protection unit allows control of an access authority to a specific memory address area in accordance with the operation mode of the CPU (e.g., supervisor mode or user mode), resulting in detection of access to a memory address area to which no access is permitted, as unauthorized access.
The following PTL 1 discloses that a plurality of access control registers each stores a different access authority definition in advance, and selection of any of the definitions of the access control registers, for application to the same memory address area, allows detailed control of access authority.


The present invention provides a composition and an antiviral drug preparation, each comprising at least one water-insoluble antiviral drug and at least one water-soluble carrier material, wherein the water-insoluble antiviral drug is dispersed through the water-soluble carrier material in nano-disperse form. The present invention further provides processes for preparing the compositions and drug preparations, and also aqueous nano-dispersions obtained by combining water and the compositions.

The present invention relates to improvements in compositions comprising one or more antiviral drugs. In particular, the present invention relates to pharmaceutically-active compositions (and precursors thereof) which comprise a drug for treatment of infection caused by a virus, i.e. an antiviral drug. The present invention is especially (but not exclusively) concerned with compositions which comprise a drug for treatment of infection cause by a retrovirus, i.e. an antiretroviral drug.
The present invention further relates to a pharmaceutically-acceptable form of an antiviral drug, whether alone or in combination with another drug, such as another antiviral drug, or other pharmaceutically-acceptable excipients.
The present invention is believed to be generally applicable to compositions comprising any antiviral drug (i.e. for treating infection by viruses, such as the herpes virus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, influenza, and the like), and especially those compositions comprising an antiretroviral drug (i.e. for treating infection by retroviruses), but will be described with particular reference to compositions comprising drugs for treating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).


This invention discloses a method of preparing and extruding biodegradable starch blends into biodegradable products in such a way that preprocessing steps, such as gelatinizing or destructurizing of the starch, are not required. Unprocessed raw starch is combined with biodegradable copolymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), a nucleating agent, and a plasticizer. The combination may be processed using a twin-screw mixer, and blown into a film. The method described in this invention alleviates pre-preparation steps, reduces the cost and time required to prepare and extrude starch-based biodegradable materials, eliminates the need to use expensive pre-processed starch, and results in a substantially completely biodegradable product.

Waste disposal has become increasingly problematic in recent years, and plastic packaging is perceived to be a major contributor to the problem. The availability of landfill space is decreasing, and international restrictions on the disposal of plastics at sea will be imposed in 1994. According to some estimates, conventional plastics require hundreds of years to decompose. In response to these concerns, there has been much activity in recent years in the development of biodegradable packaging materials. Polymers such as chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate have been investigated for these applications.
Many attempts have been made to produce biodegradable films from petroleum and cellulose derived materials. None has been completely successful because either they are too costly or decompose too slowly for most applications. Starch is probably the most abundant, low-cost, biodegradable polymer available, and its use in plastic film production could greatly reduce the demand for petrochemicals and the harmful impact on the environment caused by discarding nonbiodegradable plastic films.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,438 to Wittwer et al., and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,133,784, 4,337,181, and 4,454,268 to Otey et al., many starch-based biodegradable formulations use starch that has first been "destructurized" or "gelatinized". Destructurization or gelatinization is accomplished by heating the raw starch granules in the presence of water under elevated pressure. This treatment produces a disordering of the starch granules and allows the starch to be more effectively blended in conventional processing and production steps. However, destructurizing or gelatinizing the starch requires an additional pass through an extruder which increases the time and cost required to make starch-based biodegradable articles.
Starch must be combined with other materials (copolymers) in order to produce a satisfactory extruded film because extrusion of starch alone produces a brittle, water-sensitive foam. Addition of polyethylene or polypropylene are known to add water stability, elasticity, and toughness to processed starch-filled films. Unfortunately, polyethylene and polypropylene are compounds which have been shown not to be biodegradable. As a result, only the starch portion of the composite film biodegrades while the remaining copolymers remain intact. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,650 to Willett et al., for example, olefins such as ethylene and propylene are copolymerized with comonomers such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, and hexyl acrylate to produce a graft copolymer which is then combined with starch. The graft copolymer is not biodegradable, and thus the final product is actually only partially biodegradable due to decomposition of the starch component.
Conventional preparation of starch-based films, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,181 to Otey et al., requires a multiple step process in which starch is gelatinized, combined with pellets of nonbiodegradable copolymer, and processed into a film or other shaped article using a single screw extrusion process. In the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,650 to Willett, a starch-based "masterbatch" is formed by combining starch with copolymers, chopping the masterbatch extrudate into pellets, then blending the masterbatch pellets with polyolefins such as polyethylene or polypropylene which then can be injection molded or blown into film. Due to the fixed proportion of starch and copolymer in the pellets utilized in the prior art, ratios of starch and copolymer are not easily tailored to specific product requirements. Therefore, production of biodegradable starch-based products with different ratios of starch and copolymer are not easily manufactured. Furthermore, these conventional techniques of producing a starch-based film require additional steps that take extra time and add to the cost of the final articles.

Method of producing biodegradable starch-based product from unprocessed raw materials

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


In one aspect, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a secure router configured as a trust anchor, a non-volatile random access memory (RAM) direct memory access (DMA) channel coupled to the secure router, a first DMA coupled to the secure router and configured to receive data with a first classification and a second DMA coupled to the secure router and configured to receive data with a second classification. The IC also includes a secure boot/key controller coupled to the secure router and configured as a trust anchor to boot the IC securely and a processor coupled to the secure router and configured to encrypt data, to store protocols, to store instructions to detect malicious intrusions on the IC and to provide key management.

Over time more and more devices are connected through an Internet protocol (IP). Any device that is connected over IP runs the risk of being compromised by hostile entities and/or malicious code. The devices that can connect over IP include smart phones and mobile devices. Generally, for example, a user must choose to have a lightweight unsecure smart phone or have a heavily weighted device that consumes high power. Other devices connected over IP include medical monitoring equipment that provide status and control but are generally unencrypted and thus vulnerable to attack. For example, a medical device can be hacked and turned off potentially risking human life.

Integrated circuit for cyber security processing


A voltage tripler circuit includes a plurality of switches and first, second, and third capacitors each having first and second terminals that are selectively interconnected via the plurality of switches. The first capacitor charges to a supply voltage during a first phase. The second capacitor charges to two times the supply voltage during a second phase that follows the first phase. The third capacitor charges to three times the supply voltage during a third phase that follows the second phase. The voltage tripler circuit draws the same peak current from a source of the supply voltage at a beginning of each of the first, second, third phases.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Circuits in many electrical and electronic devices can be powered by batteries. Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1B, a battery 10 may output a voltage Vdd to a circuit generally called a load 12. The load 12 may draw varying amounts of current from the battery 10. The voltage Vdd may vary depending on the amount of current drawn by the load 12. Additionally, Vdd may decrease over time as shown by line 20 in FIG. 1B as the battery 10 gets used.
When the load 12 instantaneously draws a large amount of current from the battery 10, Vdd may drop or dip momentarily before returning to a value that is less than or equal to Vdd. Momentary drops in Vdd are called voltage spikes in Vdd. The amount of drop in Vdd may be proportional to the amount of current instantaneously drawn by the load 12.
For example, the drop in Vdd may be small (i.e., the voltage spike may be small) as shown at 22 when the amount of current instantaneously drawn is small. On the other hand, the drop in Vdd may be large (i.e., the voltage spike may be large) as shown at 24 when the amount of current instantaneously drawn is large.
Thus, voltage spikes in Vdd, momentarily decrease Vdd. When voltage spikes decrease Vdd below a threshold voltage Vthreshold, a reset may be triggered that resets the load 12 as shown at 26 and 28. Large voltage spikes may trigger the reset even when the battery 10 is relatively new as shown at 26. On the other hand, small voltage spikes may easily trigger the reset when the battery 10 gets relatively old as shown at 28. Thus, limiting the drops or voltage spikes in Vdd, may minimize triggers that reset the load 12 and may increase life of the battery 10.


An endoscope system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes an endoscope with a monochrome image pickup device for capturing reflected light and fluorescence from the body cavity, an excitation light cut filter which is installed in front of the image pickup device for shielding excitation light, and an endoscope ID which includes information on the type of the endoscope. A light source unit includes a first switching filter that irradiates light including excitation light for a fluorescent image mode and a filter for generating continuous light for a normal-light image mode. The filters switch based between the fluorescent image mode and the normal-light image mode. A second switching filter with a limiting filter that limits certain wavelengths of excitation light of the first switching filter is provided. The limiting filters are switched according to the endoscope ID or observation state in the fluorescence mode. The excitation light cut filter shields excitation light generated by the first and second filters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system using normal light and fluorescence for obtaining normal reflected light images and fluorescent images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes are widely used today in the medical field and the industrial field. Particularly in the medical field, a technology to obtain images which make it easier to identify normal tissue and abnormal tissue has been proposed, in addition to an endoscope system for obtaining normal-light images using conventional white light.
For example, as a first prior art, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-137174 discloses a system for generating display signals mainly by reflecting the relative intensity of fluorescence to the color, and the intensity of a reference light to the luminance.
As a second prior art, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-270265 discloses a system for overlaying fluorescent images and background images.
As a third prior art, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-37650 discloses a system for detecting an abnormal section of the respiratory metabolism of a human body using fluorescent images and reference images by reference light.
As a fourth prior art, Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 10-309282 discloses a system for irradiating excitation light and obtaining images which make it easier to identify normal tissue and abnormal tissue by two fluorescent images with different wavelength bands and reflected images by excitation light.
In addition to these, the following are also prior art.
(a) U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,190
This patent discloses a system for creating fluorescent images and non-fluorescent images. Excitation light (400 to 450 nm) and illumination light (including 700 nm) are sequentially irradiated endoscopically, and fluorescent and reflected light generated from biological tissue are received by an image pickup device. These signals are displayed on a monitor such that pathologically affected tissue and normal tissue can be distinguished.
Or, the irradiation time of the above mentioned excitation light is set to longer than that of non-excitation light (illumination light). By building a CCD into the tip of the endoscope and by integrating the pixels of the CCD when fluorescent images are captured (when excitation light is irradiated), brightness (S/N) is improved.
(b) Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-151104
This patent discloses a system for sequentially displaying conventional-light images and fluorescent (infrared) images. A rotary filter for conventional-light images and a rotary filter for fluorescent images are arranged concentrically, and the rotary filters move depending on the mode (FIGS. 12 to. FIG. 17 of this gazette).
Also an optical aperture for transmitting the infrared light is installed at the tip of the endoscope, so in fluorescent mode, brightness can be improved since more infrared light transmits. With visible light, the opening (see FIG. 6 of this gazette) is restricted by the optical aperture, so ability of distinction becomes high.
(c) Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-201707
This patent discloses a system for sequentially displaying normal-light images and fluorescent images. It is disclosed that the filter which transmits the visible light and the filter which transmits the infrared light are selected by switching the mode (normal-light images and fluorescent images) for the rotary filters red and infrared, G and B, installed at the light source (FIG. 9 to FIG. 11 of this gazette).
In the first prior art, the intensity of the fluorescence emitted from a normal tissue differs depending on the patient, so the color tone of a normal tissue differs depending on the patient, and the identification of pathologically affected tissue and normal tissue may be difficult in some cases.
In the second prior art, reflected light has a wide band, so the function to obtain images, which make it easier to identify normal tissue and pathologically affected tissue, drops.
In the third prior art, a regression line to the target tissue is derived using the fluorescent images and reference images, but only the wavelengths of the reference images are matched with the wavelengths of the fluorescent images, so the identification function between the normal tissue and pathologically affected tissue may not be sufficiently performed.
The fourth prior art has a complicated configuration.

Endoscope system using normal light and fluorescence


A preservation apparatus and method for using the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the preservation apparatus comprising: a removable closure adapted to fit together in sealed relationship with a first container for containing an item, where the removable closure comprises a second container to contain a substance operable to collect oxygen molecules contained within the first container. The preservation apparatus also comprises a removable cap adapted to cover a portion of the removable closure including the second container, in order prevent the second container from being exposed to oxygen molecules outside the cap.

Virtually anyone who routinely drinks wine notices that if a bottle of wine is uncorked and not completely consumed, the wine contained within the bottle changes in its physical and chemical characteristics making the wine much less enjoyable to consume as time passes. This is caused by oxidation, that is, the bonding of oxygen molecules to oxidizable compounds present within the wine. Oxidation of wine results in the production of brown compounds and browning of red pigments with loss of color. It further results in the production of aldehydes and desirable grape (primary), fermentation (secondary) and aging (tertiary) derived flavors. The product of new and desirable flavor compounds can mask the desirable flavor compounds.
Such oxidizable compounds in wine include phenolics, alcohols and some aldehyde compounds. Although wines suffer from oxidation, because of the high concentration of phenolics extracted from the grape skins during red wine production, red wine has a high reserve of oxidizable compounds and hence appears more sensitive to oxidative spoilage. Sulfur dioxide added to red wine loosely binds to red wine pigments decolorizing the pigment molecules and rendering a portion of the sulfur dioxide ineffective. The sulfur dioxide is also used to inhibit microbial growth and is thus a highly desirable additive for use in red wines.
It has thus been recognized to be highly desirable to limit or entirely prevent oxygen, such as that contained in ambient air, from contacting the surface of a food product, such as wine, in order to maintain the product's desirable flavor and other physical characteristics.
There have been rather rudimentary attempts to inject an inert gas in the free space of an opened wine bottle in order to displace air. Such devices generally are in the form of a syringe like product which enables the user to withdraw air from the bottle's free space to inject a gas therein. Once the gas is injected in to the bottle, it combines with the existing air. Since air is approximately 21%, the oxygen atoms become mixed with the inert gas. Such mixing makes it very difficult to remove all of the oxygen atoms from the bottle without apply tremendous amounts of inert gas. Even at small percentages of oxygen there are huge numbers of oxygen atoms which cause the wine to oxidize and degrade.


Provided is a synthesis method for a self-dispersible pigment, including performing ring-opening addition of a lactone-based compound to an acidic group bonded to a surface of a pigment particle directly or via another atomic group to bond a functional group including an ester group to the surface of the pigment particle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synthesis method for a self-dispersible pigment, a self-dispersible pigment, an ink jet ink, an ink cartridge, and an ink jet recording method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a pigment alone is hardly dispersed in a dispersion medium. Thus, various studies have heretofore been made to obtain a stable pigment dispersion. For example, the dispersion stability of a pigment in various dispersion media has been enhanced by using a resin or a surfactant as a dispersant for dispersing the pigment. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-143813 proposes a print ink using, as a pigment dispersant, a resin having a graft structure in which a polyester chain as a side chain is bonded to a main chain constructed of a polyamine. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-524400 describes an attempt to enhance dispersibility of a pigment itself in a dispersion medium by bonding an ionic group to the surface of the pigment particles by a chemical treatment.
In recent years, an ink jet recording apparatus has been frequently used in an office or a home. Under such circumstances, demands for abrasion resistance of an image have been increased. In order to overcome this problem, various attempts have so far been made. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-143272 proposes a combination use of a self-dispersible pigment with an emulsion of a resin having a polyester structure as ink components.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2003-519709 and 2008-531762 each propose modification of a pigment by chemically bonding a resin to the surface of a pigment particle in addition to covering the pigment with the resin to form a microencapsulated pigment.

Synthesis method for self-dispersible pigment, self-dispersible pigment, ink jet ink, ink cartridge, and ink jet recording method


A semiconductor device comprises a plurality of semiconductor chips; electrodes formed on circuit surfaces of said plurality of semiconductor chips; inner leads made of a metal foil and bonded at first ends thereof to the electrodes, outer leads each having a predetermined surface at a first end thereof bonded to a second end of at least one of the inner leads, and a sealing material sealing said plurality of semiconductor chips, the electrodes, the inner leads, and part of each of the outer leads. The semiconductor chips are laminated in such a manner that those surfaces of the semiconductor chips on which their respective circuits are formed are disposed in facing relation to each other. This provides a semiconductor device which is excellent in assembling efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plastic-molded-type semiconductor device, and more particularly to a semiconductor device suitable for integrally sealing a plurality of semiconductor chips at a high density.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As conventional methods of enhancing the degree of integration of semiconductor chips in a plastic-molded-type semiconductor device having a limited external size, there are known a method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 62-109333, in which semiconductor chips are attached to opposite sides of one lead frame, and they are integrally joined together by plastic molding, and a method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 57-148362 and 62-119952, in which a plurality of lead frames each having a semiconductor chip attached to only one side thereof are stacked, and are integrally joined together by plastic molding.
With respect to the above prior art method of mounting the semiconductor chips on both sides of the lead frame, electrodes on the surface of the semiconductor chip on one side of the lead frame are wire-bonded to the leads of the lead frame, using fine metal wires, and then after the lead frame is inverted, the wire bonding of the semiconductor chip on the other side of the lead frame must be done. Thus, two separate wire bondings, must be performed, which increases the number of production steps, and besides the side of the lead frame already subjected to the wire bonding is fixedly supported on a support bed, and in this condition the wire bonding of the other side is performed. Therefore, there has been encountered a problem that the fine metal wires on the side first subjected to the wire bonding are deformed, so that the fine metal wires are contacted with each other or are broken.
On the other hand, with respect to the method using the plurality of lead frames, the lead frames are connected together by spot welding or the like before the resin molding is carried out. Then, the resin molding is carried out using a two-split type mold used for holding an ordinary lead frame therebetween from upper and lower sides, or the resin molding must be performed using an at least three-split type mold of a complicated structure capable of dealing with a plurality of lead frames. In either case, there has been encountered a problem that the efficiency of the assembling operation is lowered.
Further, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 62-109333, in which the wire bonding is used for connecting the semiconductor chips to the lead, the fine metal wires for each of the laminated semiconductor chips are connected in a curved manner resembling a mountain, so that a certain height must be secured, which results in a problem that the overall thickness of the semiconductor device can not be reduced.

Semiconductor device with a plurality of face to face chips


A method and apparatus for injecting oxygen into a fuel cell reformate stream to reduce the level of carbon monoxide while preserving the level of hydrogen in a fuel cell system.

This invention relates to a fuel cell system and more particularly to a system having a plurality of cells which consume an H2-rich gas to produce power for vehicle propulsion.
Fuel cells have been used as a power source in many applications. For example, fuel cells have been proposed for use in electrical vehicular power plants to replace internal combustion engines. In proton exchange membrane (PEM) type fuel cells, hydrogen is supplied to the anode of the fuel cell and oxygen is supplied as the oxidant to the cathode. PEM fuel cells include a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a thin, proton transmissive, non-electrically conductive solid polymer electrolyte membrane having the anode catalyst on one of its faces and the cathode catalyst on the opposite face. The MEA is sandwiched between a pair of electrically conductive elements which (1) serve as current collectors for the anode and cathode, and (2) contain appropriate channels and/or openings therein for distributing the fuel cells gaseous reactants over the surfaces of the respective anode and cathode catalysts. A plurality of individual cells are commonly bundled together to form a PEM fuel cell stack. The term fuel cell is typically used to refer to either a single cell or a plurality of cells (stack) depending on the context. A group of cells with the stack is referred to as a cluster. Typical arrangements of multiple cells in a stack are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,113, assigned to General Motors Corporation.
In PEM fuel cells hydrogen (H2) is the anode reactant (i.e., fuel) and oxygen is the cathode reactant (i.e., oxidant). The oxygen can be either a pure form (O2) or air (a mixture of O2 and N2). The solid polymer electrolytes are typically made from ion exchange resins such as perfluoronated sulfonic acid. The anode/cathode typically comprises finely divided catalytic particles, which are often supported on carbon particles, and admixed with a proton conductive resin. The catalytic particles are typically costly precious metal particles. These membrane electrode assemblies are relatively expensive to manufacture and require certain conditions, including proper water management and humidification, and control of catalyst fouling constituents such as carbon monoxide (CO), for effective operation.
For vehicular applications, it is desirable to use a liquid fuel such as an alcohol (e.g., methanol or ethanol), or hydrocarbons (e.g., gasoline) as the source of hydrogen for the fuel cell. Such liquid fuels for the vehicle are easy to store onboard and there is a nationwide infrastructure for supplying liquid fuels. However, such fuels must be dissociated to release the hydrogen content thereof for fueling the fuel cell. The dissociation reaction is accomplished within a chemical fuel processor or reformer. The fuel processor contains one or more reactors wherein the fuel reacts with steam and sometimes air, to yield a reformate gas comprising primarily hydrogen and carbon dioxide. For example, in the steam methanol reformation process, methanol and water (as steam) are ideally reacted to generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In reality, carbon monoxide and water are also produced. In a gasoline reformation process, steam, air and gasoline are reacted in a fuel processor which contains two sections. One is primarily a partial oxidation reactor (POX) and the other is primarily a steam reformer (SR). The fuel processor produces hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and water. Downstream reactors such as a water/gas shift (WGS) and preferential oxidizer (PROX) reactors are used to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) from carbon monoxide (CO) using oxygen from air as an oxidant. Here, control of air feed is important to selectively oxidize CO to CO2.
Fuel cell systems which process a hydrocarbon fuel to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate for consumption by PEM fuel cells are known and are described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/975,442 and 08/980,087, filed in November, 1997, and U.S. Ser. No. 09/187,125, filed in November, 1998, and each assigned to General Motors Corporation, assignee of the present invention; and in International Application Publication Number WO 98/08771, published Mar. 5, 1998. A typical PEM fuel cell and its membrane electrode assembly (MEA) are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,017 and 5,316,871, issued respectively Dec. 21, 1993 and May 31, 1994, and assigned to General Motors Corporation.
Efficient operation of a fuel cell system depends on the ability to effectively control the amount of oxygen provided to the reactors and to the fuel cell stack while maintaining the level of hydrogen supplied to the anode in the fuel cell stack. This is particularly difficult during transient operation of a vehicular fuel cell system wherein the reformate fuel requirements vary with the changing loads placed on the fuel cell.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus by which a controlled amount of oxygen is supplied as a reactant to catalyze the oxidation of carbon monoxide while maintaining a high level of hydrogen in the anode fuel stream particularly during dynamic system operation.
The present invention is directed toward a method and apparatus for controllably supplying oxygen to promote the oxidation of carbon monoxide while avoiding excessive oxidation of hydrogen in a fuel cell reformate stream.
The fuel cell system of the present invention comprises a source of a reformate stream which contains hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO). The reformate stream typically contains more hydrogen on a volume basis than CO. The fuel cell system further comprises a PROX reactor for selectively oxidizing the CO through contact of the stream with a catalyst inside the PROX reactor chamber. The catalyst is supported by a carrier within the chamber and the chamber includes an inlet and an outlet allowing the stream to pass through the reactor chamber and over the catalyst.
The fuel cell system further comprises an injector system which includes at least one electrically energized injector for supplying controlled pulses of a gaseous mixture containing oxygen, or preferably air, into the stream containing hydrogen and CO at a predetermined location or locations along the stream. In one location, the injector is placed downstream from the reformate source, but upstream from the PROX reactor. Alternate or complimentary locations are directly into the PROX reactor or downstream of the PROX reactor. The injector is electrically energized by a control unit which may also establish and regulate the duration of each pulse; and also regulate the frequency or time between the pulses wherein no oxygen is added to the stream.
The precise supply of an oxygen mixture in controlled pulses by the injector system advantageously provides a sufficient amount of oxygen to promote oxidation and thereby consumption of CO with minimal or lesser oxidation and consumption of hydrogen in the stream which is essential for efficient operation of the fuel cell and system. The advantageous result is a CO depleted reformate stream with high levels of hydrogen feeding the anode in the fuel cell. The fuel cell system further comprises one or more fuel cells downstream of the PROX reactor which receives and consumes the hydrogen-rich, CO depleted reformate stream to produce electrical energy.
The injection system of the present invention may also comprise a similar second injector between the PROX reactor and the fuel cell which functions to promote oxidation of remaining unreacted CO in the stream prior to the stream entering the anode inlet in the fuel cell. Thereby, the CO content of the stream is further reduced.
The present invention may also comprise devices for monitoring the amount of hydrogen in the reformate stream upstream and downstream of the reactor. A control unit may receive signals from the monitoring devices and compare the respective amounts of hydrogen upstream and downstream of the reactor. Based on the input, the control unit would adjust the pulses by the injector to reduce the level of CO while minimizing excessive consumption of hydrogen in the reformate stream.
The present invention may also comprise a device for monitoring the amount of CO in the stream downstream of the reactor. A control unit may receive a signal from the CO monitoring device and similarly adjust the pulses by the injector to maintain the desired levels of CO and hydrogen in the reformate stream. Thus, the invention enhances oxidation of CO to CO2, while minimizing excessive oxidation of H2 to H2O.
Advantageously, the present method and apparatus is adaptable to, and easily implemented in, existing fuel cell systems which comprise a fuel processor, preferential oxidizer (PROX) and stack of fuel cells. The present method can be implemented in existing process controllers. In addition, the present monitoring method and apparatus is useable within a variety of fuel cell system configurations.

Controlled air injection for a fuel cell system


Technologies are provided for measuring a programming current (PC) for a memory cell (MC) of a one-time programmable read-only memory array. The MC includes a fuse equivalent circuit (FEC) that includes a first current path (CP) having a first node, a second CP having a fuse of the memory cell and a second node, and a third CP. The PC is split into a first current, a second current and a third current that flow over the first CP, the second CP, and the third CP, respectively. A first voltage applied along the first path is divided to generate a second voltage at the first node, and an output voltage generated by an operational amplifier controls the second current to maintain a third voltage at the second node at substantially the same value as the second voltage so that the second current has a sufficiently low value and does not burn the fuse.

A one-time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM) array is a memory architecture that includes a plurality of memory cells that can each be programmed a single time. Each memory cell can store the equivalent of one bit (i.e., a logic high value or state, or a logic low value or state) and is commonly referred to as a bit cell. The terms memory cell and bit cell are used interchangeably herein.
Typically all memory cells of a OTPROM array are programmed during manufacturing such that all bits read a logical one (1). After manufacturing each memory cell of the OTPROM array can be programmed one time. To allow the memory cell to be programmed, each memory cell includes a fuse that can be "burned" to program the memory cell. Here, the term "burn" is used to refer to the process of programming a memory cell and more particularly to the process of "burning" a fuse of the memory cell to cause that memory cell to read a logical zero (0). Once a memory cell has been programmed, it is not possible to program it again since the fuse cannot be unburned.
In order to determine the current required to burn the fuses of the OTPROM array, one memory cell of the OTPROM array can be selected and tested. A current meter can be used to measure a programming current (Iprog) that can be used to program the memory cells of the OTPROM array.
FIG. 1 shows a programming path for a particular memory cell of an OTPROM array (not illustrated in FIG. 1) that is selected and used during testing to measure a programming current (Iprog) that can be used program the memory cells of the OTPROM array. FIG. 1 also illustrates a bit line driver 110 for the memory cell 150 and other external elements 170, 180 that are not part of the OTPROM array, but that are used during testing of the array to measure the programming current (Iprog) 172. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a programming voltage source (Vprog) 180 is coupled to the bit line driver 110 for memory cell 150. During testing, this particular memory cell 150 of the array can be selected so that it is coupled to a programming voltage source (Vprog) 180. Thus, the memory cell 150 is one memory cell of an OTPROM array that is selected during testing for measuring a programming current (Iprog) 172 via current meter 170. In this regard, it is noted that the memory cell 150 can be any memory cell in the OTPROM array, and that any other memory cell (not illustrated) of the OTPROM array could be selected and used to measure a programming current (Iprog) 172.
The memory cell includes an N-channel transistor 130 and fuse 120 having a resistance (Rpre). Each memory cell is coupled to a bit line 132 and a word line 134 that are used to select that memory cell 150. When the p-channel transistor 110 (that is used to implement the bit line driver) is turned on by applying an appropriate voltage at its gate and the N-channel transistor 130 of the memory cell 150 is turned on by applying an appropriate voltage at its gate, a programming current (Iprog) 172 is allowed to flow through node B and the memory cell 150 to ground 190. This programming current (Iprog) 172 can be measured via the current meter 170.
A problem with this arrangement is that the programming current (Iprog) 172 that flows through the fuse 120 and will eventually cause the fuse 120 to burn, which is undesirable since the memory cell 150 is no longer useful because it can no longer be programmed. It would be desirable to provide a solution that avoids burning of the fuse 120 during measurement of the programming current (Iprog) 172.
One approach for preventing the fuse 120 from burning is to use a fuse array. FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional fuse array 200 that can replace the fuse 120 of FIG. 1. The fuse array 200 is a 10×10 array of the fuses 120-1 . . . 120-100. The values of the fuses 120-1 . . . 120-100 are selected such that the fuse array 200 has the same resistance value (Rpre) as the fuse 120 of FIG. 1. The fuse array 200 provides one possible solution to the problem of unwanted burning because as the programming current (Iprog) 172 flows through the array 200 it splits over ten different paths. As such, only 1/10th of the programming current (Iprog) 172 flows through each of the fuses 120-1 . . . 120-100 and the fuses 120-1 . . . 120-100 do not burn. However, this approach is has drawbacks.
For example, employing 100 fuses 120-1 . . . 120-100 instead of one fuse 120 consumes a much larger area. Another problem is that the wiring to connect 100 fuses causes unwanted parasitic resistors that reduce measurement accuracy. This is particularly true when the fuses 120-1 . . . 120-100 each have low resistance values (e.g., 30 ohms) Although none of the fuses 120-1 . . . 120-100 burn when using this approach, it would be desirable to provide an alternative approach to the one illustrated in FIG. 2 that does not suffer from the drawbacks mentioned above, and is not prone to measurement errors (e.g., reduced measurement accuracy particularly in case of metal fuses with low Rpre values (e.g. 30 ohms))
Another approach for preventing the fuse 120 from burning is to replace the fuse 120 with a variable resistor having a resistance value that is close to the measured resistance value (Rpre) of the fuse 120. However, this approach can be difficult to implement since the accuracy of the variable resistor is difficult to control due to process variations, non-linearities, temperature effects, etc. Differences between the resistance value of the variable resistor and the resistance value (Rpre) of the fuse 120 can result in additional errors when measuring the programming current (Iprog) 172.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved techniques and technologies that can be used to measure a programming current for programming a memory cell of a one-time programmable read-only memory array without causing unwanted burning of the fuse associated with the selected memory cell. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Equivalent fuse circuit for a one-time programmable read-only memory array


In an electron-emitting device having an electron-emitting member containing carbon as a main component, and an extraction electrode arranged near the electron-emitting member, electrons can be emitted by substantially only a region of the electron-emitting member close to the extraction electrode. Brightness nonuniformity and abnormal lights-on errors are reduced in an image forming apparatus in which the electron-emitting devices are constituted into an electron. The electron-emitting threshold field of the electron-emitting member is set low at a portion close to the extraction electrode and high at a portion apart from the extraction electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron-emitting device, an electron source using the same, and an image forming apparatus serving as a television broadcasting display apparatus, a display apparatus for a video conference system or computer, or an optical printer using a photosensitive drum or the like.
2. Related Background Art
An FE (Field Emission) electron-emitting device which emits electrons from a metal surface by applying a high field of 106 V/cm or more to a metal has received a great deal of attention as one of cold electron sources.
In recent years, flat display apparatuses using liquid crystals have been replacing CRTs in image forming apparatuses such as a display apparatus. The flat display apparatuses are not of self-emission type and require a backlight, and thus demands arise for self-emission display apparatuses.
If an FE cold electron source becomes commercially available, it implements a flat self-emission image display apparatus, contributing to low power consumption and light weight.
A known example of a vertical FE electron source is one disclosed in C. A. Spindt, "Physical Properties of Thin-Film Field Emission Cathodes with Molybdenum Cones", J. Appl. Phys., 47, 5248 (1976).
A diode structure in which a carbon nanotube is formed close to one terminal of an electrode is described in SID (Society for Information Display) Digest p. 386, 2000. By shifting the electron-emitting member to one terminal of the electrode, a higher field is formed at the terminal than at the center of the electrode. The high-field region formed only at the end of the electron-emitting region narrows the orbit of emitted electrons, obtaining a small electron beam spot.
Also, an electron-emitting device with a triode structure (only section) is proposed in 17th IDW (International Display Workshop) Digest p. 1005, 2000. This structure is shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, an electron-emitting member is formed from a substrate 71, lower electrode (gate electrode) 72, insulating layer 73, upper electrode (cathode) 74, and carbon nanotubes 75. An anode (fluorescent substance) 76 is arranged above the electron-emitting member. The insulating layer 73 is formed from two, SiO2 and polyimide insulating layers. In this device, the lower electrode 72 is set to a high potential to form a high field between the upper and lower electrodes. The field causes the carbon nanotubes 75 formed on the upper electrode 74 to emit electrons, which reach the anode 76 serving as a fluorescent substance.

Method of manufacturing electron-emitting device and electron source


Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for meeting room control. The method includes receiving, through a mobile device of a user, a request to access a meeting, the meeting comprising one or more meetings. The method also includes receiving, from the mobile device of the user, a request to toggle a control mode for the meeting, the control mode comprising an interface for the meeting, the interface displayed through the mobile device. The method also includes receiving instructions regarding controlling functions of the meeting through the interface on the mobile device, the functions comprising at least one of muting all meeting participants, promoting a speaker, recording the meeting, sharing the meeting, or transferring the meeting. The method also includes applying the instructions to the functions of the meeting.

Conventionally, videoconferencing and teleconferencing technology require use of a fixed/dedicated room controller that allows only a single user to control aspects of the meeting. The fixed/dedicated room controller typically is bulky and not meant for multiple users to access. This becomes problematic when multiple users desire control of the meeting, but are limited in their ability to access the fixed/dedicated room controller.


A production system and method for producing a VIPDL output stream from a dynamic document and a recipients list including a data iterator for iterating through the recipients list one record at a time and computing values for each dynamic object in the dynamic document for the record, a document instantiator for creating an instance document for the record, an output generator operating in tandem with the document instantiator for generating code specifying the rendering of the document instance, and a merge component for generating the VIPDL output stream from output of the output generator.

Today, it is quite common to personalize documents with, for example, a reader's name or other information specific to one reader or a group of readers. An example is an advertising mass mailing that has been personalized with the addressee's name, offered goods, and special prices on the offered goods, all selected and calculated according to the addressee's past purchasing from the company making the offer. This document personalization exists in both World Wide Web (web) documents and printed documents.
The process of generating the personalized copies of documents includes three major phases: creation, production and rendering. Creation includes planning, design, programming, and authoring. Production is the phase in which target media formats are generated for rendering a specified set of personalized copies. Rendering is the phase in which printing or web-presentment actually occurs.
The production of such documents generates output format specification for rendering personalized instances of the documents in the desired target media (e.g., PostScript for print, available from Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., USA). Existing tools are either media-specific (e.g., Darwin for print, available from CreoScitex, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada), or use rendering instructions that have no explicit specification of variability.

System and method for efficient production of dynamic documents


A fastener for use in the construction of pallets is provided which includes a head having a head diameter, a single elongate shank having a nominal shank diameter, and a plurality of rings extending outwardly from the shank. Each ring had a crest and a root, with the crest being located closer to the head than the root. The fastener has a bending yield strength of about 100 ksi or greater, and a length of between about 0.5 inch and 1.75 inches. The ratio of the head diameter to the nominal shank diameter is between 2.70 and 3.37, and the plurality of rings are formed so that an average outer diameter of the crests of the rings between a middle ring and the head is greater than an average outer diameter of the crests of the rings between the middle ring and the tip.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to fasteners. More specifically, the present invention is related to fasteners for securing pallet members together.
2. Description of Related Art
Block and stringer pallets have numerous connections that involve attaching thin deck boards to thin sub-structures with fasteners. Due to the thin sub-structures, there is little material for the fasteners to penetrate, which may create weak joints that may cause premature pallet failures. Such failures may create a need for repair. If the pallet is designed for multiple trips, such as pallets that are leased rather than purchased, premature pallet failures may create a disruption to the distribution system. Such a disruption ultimately increases the cost of such a system.
In order to avoid premature failures, conventional pallet design and logic suggest the use of a larger or deformed shank fastener that may resist more load. However, due to the design of leased pallets, a longer fastener should not be used, due to the thickness of the boards being attached to each other. With the primary component of a typical fastener in pallet construction being steel, the use of a larger diameter fastener, deformed or not, will increase the fastener cost and, in turn, increase the cost of the pallet. Moreover, the use of a larger diameter fastener may be more apt to split harder woods, thereby creating an addition challenge.

Fasteners for securing pallet members together


Cementitious compositions having high compressive strength and high flexibility. An efficient method of making such strong cementitious compositions entails pre-mixing cement additives that can easily be added to a mixture of cement, silica, fibers and water. The cementitious compositions can be used to make strong, thin layers, such as tiles, that are relatively lightweight, as well as heavy structures, such as roads and bridges, without additional reinforcement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to cementitious compositions, and methods of making cementitious compositions in which certain chemicals are pre-mixed.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of cement additives are commercially available for enhancing the structural properties of cement. However, when the compressive strength of cement is increased, the cement typically becomes less flexible and more brittle. Consequently, tensile strength also decreases as the compressive strength is increased. Thus, optimization of the structural properties of cement compositions typically involves a compromise between compressive strength, flexibility, and tensile strength.
Heavy, pre-cast concrete products, such as bridges and roads, typically include reinforcements, such as steel reinforcement bars or steel mesh, or entail pre-stress methods such as tightening an embedded cable while the concrete is curing. These reinforcements are necessary because of the need to balance compressive strength with flexibility and tensile strength. For the same reasons, large, thin sheets of unreinforced concrete are generally impractical due to either the brittleness or weakness inherent in such structures.
The process of making cementitious compositions can be time-consuming, particularly when attempting to enhance (and balance) the structural properties of the composition with various commercially available additives.
Accordingly, there is a need or desire for a cementitious composition that can achieve high compressive strength while also achieving high flexibility and tensile strength. There is a further need or desire for cementitious compositions that can be used to make large structures, such as roads and bridges, without requiring added reinforcement. There is yet a further need or desire for cementitious compositions that can be used to make large, thin sheets that are relatively flexible. There is still a further need or desire for an efficient method of making cementitious compositions.

Cementitious compositions and methods of making cementitious compositions


A method (200, 300) and system (100) for performing real-time, dynamic overlays on fluoroscopic images to aid in navigation and localization during medical procedures.

Heart arrhythmia are usually caused by improper or abnormal coordination of electrical impulses in a patient's heart. They can present themselves as a fast, slow, or irregular heart beat. Electrophysiology (EP) procedures or studies, such as radio frequency ablation (RFA), are conducted by cardiac medical specialists to help diagnose and treat these abnormal heart rhythms of patients. This is generally described in an article by M. Haissaguerre, L. Gencel, B. Fischer, P. Le Metayer, F. Poquet, F. I. Marcus, and J. Clementy, entitled "Successful Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation," J. Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, 1994, pp. 1045-1052, Vol. 5.
At the beginning of an EP procedure, a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel near the groin of a patient and guided to the heart. The specialist will use specialized EP procedure tools to then conduct heart rhythm tests and, if warranted, treatment. Specifically, RFA is a treatment that heats the heart tissue to the point of causing lesions that will block certain electrical pathways in the heart tissue that are contributing to an arrhythmia. Ablation treatment decisions by the specialist can either be based on electrical signals (e.g., flutter, AVNRT) or on anatomy, respectively. In particular, treatment of atrial fibrillation (Afib) is based on anatomy, because specific sections of the pulmonary veins are primary ablation targets. Ablation treatment itself may be carried out using an irrigated ablation catheter.
Such ablation and other EP procedures are routinely conducted under image guidance, for example, using mono-plane and bi-plane X-ray fluoroscopy, to provide visualization and localization of both a patient's anatomy and the respective EP procedure tools. In the case of RFA, this allows the specialist to target ablation points within the heart. Ablations lesions are usually set by applying radio-frequency energy to endocardial tissue or even epicardial heart tissue. Recently, an augmented fluoroscopy system has been developed that is capable of overlaying image information involving the heart and targeted ablation locations from pre-operative image data for additional guidance. The system specifically is capable of fusing properly rendered 3D anatomical heart information, as well as planned ablation locations, with 2D fluoroscopy projections for enhanced guidance during EP procedures. This is detailed in a first article by F. Bourier, F. Heisenhuber, H J. Schneider, P. Ganslmeier, R. Fischer, A. Brost, M. Koch, N. Strobel, J. Hornegger, and K. Kurzidim, entitled "3D-Funktionalitat und Navigation durch einen Siemens-Prototypen in der biplanen Fluoroskopie zur Pulmonalvenenisolation," Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kordiologie, Jahrestagung, 2011, Mannheim, and a second article by F. Bourier, H J. Schneider, P. Ganslmeier, F. Heisenhuber, R. Fischer, A. Brost, M. Koch, N. Strobel, J. Hornegger, and K. Kurzidim, entitled "Unterstuetzung der transseptalen Punktion durch vorherige Oberlagerung eines 3D-Volumens von linkem Atrium und Aorta," Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kordiologie, Jahrestagung, 2011, Mannheim, each of which is incorporated by reference herein. The 3D data may involve pre-operative magnetic resonance images (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) images of a patient's heart.
A pre-operative 3D magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomography (CT), or C-arm computed tomography (CACT), image of the patient's chest can offer important insights into a patient's heart anatomy. This pre-operative data can be used to provide additional information during the respective EP procedure by overlaying 2D perceptive renderings of the 3D data upon the intra-operative fluoroscopic images. However, although useful, such overlay image information offers only approximate guidance because of intra-operative heart beating motions, breathing motions, and catheter motions. It would be advantageous to dynamically update the overlay image information in order to account for these motions.

Method for performing dynamic registration, overlays, and 3D views with fluoroscopic images