Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for decoding parameters for Viterbi search are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving lattice data that defines a plurality of lattices. The actions include for each defined lattice determining a particular path that traverses the lattice; determining a node cost of a path from the start node to the frame node; determining a beam size for each frame; determining a beam cost width for each frame; determining a maximum beam size from the beam sizes determined for frames; and determining a maximum beam cost width from the beam cost widths determine for the frames. The actions include selecting a particular beam size and a particular beam cost width. The actions include determining paths for additional lattices using the pruning parameters of the particular beam size and the particular beam cost width.

A time-synchronous Viterbi search is widely used in Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based pattern recognition systems, such as speech recognition and optical character recognition (OCR). Such decoding algorithms are used to efficiently search for a "best" hypothesis from among many different possible hypotheses.
It is, however, infeasible to evaluate all the hypotheses in most cases. Thus, the decoding algorithm employs some pruning algorithms to reduce the number of hypotheses evaluated. Such pruning algorithms usually come with tunable parameters. Those parameters are optimized so that the decoding with the parameters satisfies a condition required by an application in mind. When performing optical character recognition or speech recognition, a computing device may use hidden Markov models to assist in identifying the letters or words.


There is disclosed a semiconductor memory device which comprises a plurality of bit line pairs each having first and second bit lines arranged in a first direction, a cell array having a plurality of SRAM cells each of which is connected between the first and second bit lines of a corresponding bit line pair via first and second storage nodes, respectively, a plurality of word lines arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a data write circuit which, in the write mode, writes data into an SRAM cell selected by a word line via the first and second bit lines and, in the read mode, rewrites data read onto the first bit line from an SRAM cell selected by a word line onto the first bit line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and more particularly to an SRAM.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the demand has increased for increasing the capacity and speed of an SRAM, transistors that form SRAM cells have also increasingly advanced in fine structure and speed. As a result, leakage currents that occur in bit lines have increased more and more. The leakage current is caused by a leakage current of an off-state transfer gate transistor in each SRAM cell. If, therefore, the number of SRAM cells connected to one bit line increases, then the total amount of leakage current that occurs in bit lines will increase to a level that cannot be neglected, causing a problem of the occurrence of data read errors. In particular, in a configuration in which only one of the complementary bit lines is used to read data, when the same potential as the precharge potential is read out onto the bit line to which a data read circuit is connected, data must be compensated for by the precharge potential on the bit line that is set at a floating state. This further increases the possibility of data read errors due to the leakage currents.
For precharging, there is a conventional technique in which a precharge circuit that doubles as a write driver is used to precharge a bit line selected at the time of reading from the SRAM (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Disclosure No. 6-195977).
In addition, there is another conventional technique in which a precharge circuit is provided which has a function of, at precharge time, selectively restoring the potential on a bit line connected to an SRAM cell whose discharged condition has been checked in advance (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,616).
With the former technique, however, it is impossible to cope with a drop in the potential on the bit lines due to leakage currents from many SRAM cells after precharging is performed to the bit lines, causing read errors to occur.
With the latter technique, on the other hand, it is possible to cope with a drop in the potential on the bit line connected to an SRAM cell in question; however, as with the former technique, it is impossible to cope with a drop in the potential on the bit lines due to leakage currents from many SRAM cells after precharging, likewise causing read errors to occur.
With the conventional memory devices, when data the potential of which is the same as the precharge potential is read from an SRAM cell onto its associated bit line, the transfer gate transistor provided in the corresponding memory cell is turned off, making it impossible to supply or compensate charges to that bit line. For this reason, the presence of a leakage current from a precharged bit line at data read time causes the potential on it to drop and causes the data read error.


A method of allocating resources in a network for the transmission of a data flow is disclosed. The method involves receiving a query specifying one or more quality-of-service (QoS) requirements for the data flow and identifying, based on the specified QoS requirements, one or more QoS models from a set of stored QoS models, each QoS model defining a class of service available in the network. A query response specifying the identified QoS models is transmitted. Subsequently, a reservation request is received specifying at least one of the identified QoS models. Resources are allocated in the network for the data flow based on the at least one QoS model specified in the reservation request.

The present invention relates to transmission of data flows over computer networks with agreed Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics.
As the volume of traffic transmitted on packet switched networks has increased, and the types of traffic transmitted over such networks has broadened to include traffic types that rely upon low latency transmission over the network, such as voice or streaming media, it has become increasingly important to enable proactive management of the traffic on the network.
Various approaches have been developed to enable differentiated handling of different types of network traffic. The Integrated Services, IntServ, architecture is designed to guarantee a particular quality of service for the transmission of a stream of packets across a network. Prior to transmission of a stream of packets, IntServ requires that an originating network component reserves resources in each router through which the stream of packets will pass. This resource reservation, usually requested using RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol), ensures that each router in the path has the necessary resources to guarantee transmission of the packet stream at a particular QoS prior to transmission of the packet stream. However, the IntServ system does not scale easily, since it quickly becomes difficult for the network components to manage the reservations.
An alternative approach is the Differentiated Services, DiffServ, architecture, which enables the network to classify the traffic into one of a specified and predetermined (and usually quite small) number of traffic classes. A differentiated services, DS, field is populated in each packet transmitted across the network and the field indicates to the network the quality of service, QoS, that is to be provided to that packet in its transmission between network components. The DiffServ model can be used to provide low-latency transmission of critical network traffic, such as streaming packets or voice-over-IP packets, across a network. Packets not marked with a prioritised packet code, such as email and web traffic, can be transmitted when the network components have capacity to do so (so-called "best-effort" traffic). However, the limitation to a small set of predefined classes of service generally limits flexibility for network clients transmitting data flows over the network, and also means that available network resources may not always be utilised efficiently.
In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of allocating resources in a network for the transmission of a data flow, comprising: receiving a query specifying one or more quality-of-service (QoS) requirements for the data flow; identifying, based on the specified QoS requirements, one or more QoS models from a set of stored QoS models, each QoS model defining a class of service available in the network; transmitting, in response to the query, a query response specifying the identified QoS models; receiving a reservation request, the reservation request specifying at least one of the identified QoS models; and allocating one or more resources in the network for the data flow based on the at least one QoS model specified in the reservation request.
QoS models generally define classes of service available in the network. Such classes of service may be considered "available" (for example) in the sense that they have been preconfigured (e.g. by the network operator) or have been determined to be supportable by available network resources based on measurement of network performance. Resources may be physical or logical. Allocation of resources typically involves assignment of one or more routes, or bandwidth on one or more routes, where routes may directly represent physical connections or may represent logical connections such as tunnels or label-switched paths (LSPs). However, other types of logical resources may be allocated in the allocation step; for example, a given class of service (CoS) that is determined based on the reservation request for allocation to the data flow may itself be considered a "resource" that is allocated.
Preferably, each QoS model specifies a set of one or more QoS features defining data flow characteristics associated with the model. QoS features (or data flow characteristics) may concern any measurable, quantifiable or classifiable characteristic relating to the transmission of data in the network, including measures of data transmission performance, measures relating to cost or energy consumption, and the like.
Identifying one or more QoS models may comprise comparing the received QoS requirements to QoS features of stored QoS models, and selecting one or more QoS models based on the comparison. Preferably, the identifying step comprises selecting at least one QoS model having QoS features meeting at least one of (optionally several or all of) the QoS requirements. When reference is made herein to a QoS model "meeting", "supporting" or being "compliant" with a requirement (or similar language), this may be taken to mean that the QoS model defines a performance level for a given feature that meets or exceeds a performance level specified by a corresponding QoS requirement. This may for example be determined by numerical comparison of feature metrics, though the specifics may depend on the numerical or other data representation of the given feature metric. A similar interpretation applies where reference is made to a route "complying" with or "supporting" a QoS model or QoS model feature, or similar language.
The query may specify one or both of: a first set of one or more QoS requirements indicated as mandatory for the data flow; and a second set of one or more QoS requirements indicated as desirable but non-mandatory. The method then preferably comprises selecting one or more of the stored QoS models that are compliant at least with each of the specified mandatory QoS requirements (and optionally also compliant with one or more non-mandatory QoS requirements).
The query response preferably specifies for each selected QoS model the QoS feature(s) associated with the selected QoS model, e.g. by specifying QoS metrics for those features (where metrics may be specified as specific values, or value bounds/bands). The response may further specify for at least one QoS model a set of selectable QoS bands within the QoS model, each QoS band preferably defined by a bounded value range or limit for a QoS feature metric.
After transmitting the query response, the method may involve receiving one or more further queries including modified QoS requirements in relation to the data flow, and repeating the identifying and transmitting steps for the or each further query.
Allocating resources may comprises allocating a class of service to the data flow, the class of service associated with a set of one or more QoS features selected in dependence on the QoS features of the QoS models specified in the reservation request. The allocated class of service may correspond to one of the specified QoS models or a combination of a plurality of the specified QoS models (e.g. by combining some or all QoS features taken from respective QoS models).
The method may comprise generating a class of service identifier identifying a class of service for the data flow, the class of service identifier optionally comprising a Differentiated Services Code Point, DSCP, value, and preferably including the class of service identifier in a reservation response.
Allocating resources preferably comprises selecting for transmission of the data flow at least one network route supporting data transmission in accordance with one or more of the QoS models specified in the reservation request. The reservation request may specify a constraint on at least one QoS feature of a given QoS model; the allocating step further comprising selecting at least one route supporting the given QoS model within the specified constraint (in other words, a route is selected that offers performance required by the QoS model that also meets the constraint). Thus, the selected QoS model may be further parameterised to limit the selected routes to a subset of the routes that support the QoS model. The constraint may comprise a QoS band within the given QoS model and/or the constraint may be specified as an upper and/or lower bound on a QoS feature metric.
The reservation request may specify a single QoS model, with resources (e.g. a route) allocated to meet the QoS level specified by that model. Alternatively, the reservation request may specify a plurality of selected QoS models, in which case the reservation request may further include priority information indicating respective priorities for one or more of the selected QoS models. The priority information may indicate a priority order for the specified QoS models (or at least for some of them).
The method may then comprise allocating resources based on the selected QoS models in accordance with the priority information.
Allocating resources preferably comprises selecting one or more network routes based on the priority information. The selecting may include one or more of: selecting routes complying with a greater number of the specified QoS models in preference to routes complying with fewer of the QoS models; selecting routes compliant with (a) higher priority QoS model(s) in preference to routes compliant with (a) lower priority QoS model(s); selecting routes compliant with at least a predetermined minimum number of QoS models (or a predetermined minimum number of highest-priority QoS models); not selecting a route that does not comply with a highest priority one of the specified QoS models. The method preferably further comprises allocating at least one selected route for transmission of the data flow.
The method may comprise: accessing information for a first available route, the first available route determined in accordance with an ordering based on compliance of routes with a given one (preferably a highest-priority one) of the specified QoS models; and evaluating compliance of the identified route with one or more other specified QoS models (e.g. against a compliance criterion), optionally in accordance with priority information. The method then preferably further comprises one of: if the identified route meets the compliance criterion, selecting the route for allocation to the data flow or as a candidate for allocation; and if the identified route does not meet the compliance criterion, accessing a next available route in accordance with the ordering; and repeating the evaluating step for the next available route. The compliance criterion may indicate a minimal compliance required for the remaining QoS models.
The method may comprise, after receipt of the reservation request, modifying the set of QoS models specified in the request, the allocating step performed based on the modified set of QoS models. This may allow a network operator to influence the considerations and priorities that are applied when allocated resources for a data flow. For example, the modifying may comprise one or more of: modifying priorities assigned to one or more of the specified QoS models; adding a QoS model, optionally with associated priority information, to the set of specified QoS models; and removing a specified QoS model.
The allocating step preferably comprises identifying one or more network routes for transmission of the data flow, and may further comprise allocating a portion of bandwidth on the identified route(s) to the data flow. The method may comprise: allocating a first route for the data flow based on one or more QoS models specified in the reservation request; determining an available bandwidth of the first route; determining a bandwidth requirement for the reservation request; and in response to determining that the available bandwidth is less than the bandwidth requirement, allocating at least one further route for the data flow based on the one or more QoS models specified in the reservation request.
The method may comprise configuring the network or at least one component associated with the network to perform load sharing across a plurality of the identified routes when transporting the data flow.
The method may further comprise transmitting a response to the reservation request, the response including an indication of allocated resources and/or a class of service identifier for use in marking packets of the data flow.
Preferably, the method comprises receiving one or more packets associated with the data flow, and transmitting the packets through the network using the allocated resources and/or in accordance with a class of service assigned to the data flow. This may involve receiving one or more data packets including a class of service identifier allocated to the data flow, identifying using the class of service identifier one or both of: the QoS features selected for the data flow in response to the reservation request, and the resource(s) allocated to the data flow; and transmitting the packet(s) based on the identified QoS features and/or resources. The method may comprise load-balancing the data packets of the data flow across a plurality of routes allocated to the data flow.
The QoS models are preferably stored in a database of QoS models, and the database may include for each of a plurality of QoS models a mapping the respective QoS model to a set of one or more network routes supporting data transmission in accordance with the QoS model. The resource allocation may then comprise identifying routes supporting one or more specified QoS models using the stored mapping.
The QoS requirements specified in the query and/or QoS features specified in the QoS models preferably include one or more QoS metrics, the QoS metrics preferably comprising one or more of: packet delay; packet loss; packet jitter; cost associated with data transmission; energy consumption associated with data transmission; and failure resilience of a network route or portion via which a data flow is transmitted. Any other appropriate performance metrics or other metrics may be used.
The method is preferably performed at a first computer system (such as a gatekeeper, gateway server, or other suitable network component which may be used to manage or control access to the network). The query and reservation request are preferably received at the first computer system from a second computer system (such as a client system) and the query response and optionally a reservation response are sent from the first computer system to the second computer system. The method preferably further comprises, at the second computer system: receiving the query response; selecting one or more of the identified QoS models, and optionally generating priority information associated with the one or more selected QoS models; generating the reservation request specifying the selected QoS models and optionally the priority information; and transmitting the reservation request to the first computer system.
The invention also provides a computer readable medium comprising software code adapted, when executed on a data processing apparatus, to perform any method as set out herein.
The invention further provides a system or apparatus having means, preferably in the form of at least one processor and associated memory, for performing any method as set out herein. Such system/apparatus aspects of the invention may include a computer device configured (e.g. via software) to implement the methods set above. More particularly, devices respectively implementing the functionality of the gatekeeper and client system (described in detail below) may be provided as independent aspects of the invention. A further aspect of the invention provides a system incorporating both a client system and a gatekeeper system arranged to communicate with each other to implement QoS negotiation as set out above.
The invention extends to methods and/or apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Any feature in one aspect of the invention may be applied to other aspects of the invention, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to apparatus and computer program aspects, and vice versa.
Furthermore, features implemented in hardware may generally be implemented in software, and vice versa. Any reference to software and hardware features herein should be construed accordingly.

Negotiating quality of service for data flows

BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS, public limited company


The flanged type guide wheel (1) or (2) has a peripheral edge (27) which has within its profile a recess (30), for example, a notch, the shape and position of which maintain the surface cover (28) of the guide wheel at a distance from the travel surface (8) or (9) that exists opposite it on the guide rail (4) when there is lateral force on the guide wheel. This invention has applications for guide assemblies for road vehicles used on guide rails.

It is important that the guide assembly on a road vehicle that uses guide wheels to travel along a guide rail be stable, move without vibrating, and be as quiet as possible
Wear and tear on the wheels must be controlled, with wheels being changed as seldom as possible, ideally, during periodic technical checkups.
In addition, primarily for safety reasons, the design of the guide assembly and the shape of the wheels and guide rail must serve to minimize any tendency to derailment and they should be designed to reduce and preferably compensate for any force which, if amplified, would lead to derailment.
Replacing worn out parts in the guide assembly should be accomplished quickly and simply.
However, exceptional force on the guide wheels and/or the arm of the guide assembly cannot be eliminated.
Furthermore, the contact surfaces of guide wheels are equipped with a covering that is generally glued or tightly fitted around the perimeter of the wheel rim. The covering is made of flexible material such as rubber or a similar material and is used to provide electrical and sound insulation between the wheel and the rail and to ensure smooth operation.
Thus, the necessity arises for an arrangement or a safety procedure whereby when exceptional lateral forces are exerted on the guide wheel, the contact between the wheel and the rail will be only steel against steel, with the covering used as the travel surface on the guide wheel still be maintained in place.
The present invention has precisely this objective and responds to the problem posed above.

Guide assembly for guide rail comprising pair of angled guide wheels


A skydiving garment provides a wearer with enhanced control, maneuverability, and lateral speed during free-fall. The garment includes a torso portion having sleeves and leg portions depending therefrom which have a tubular configuration and are sized to receive the arms and legs of the wearer, respectively. At least one pocket is mounted on the exterior surface of each sleeve and leg portion. Each pocket has an opening which extends in the direction of the limb and which is configured to selectively balloon open when exposed by the wearer to an airstream during free-fall.

Parachuting by military personnel and civilians often includes "free-fall" between exiting an aircraft and the deployment of a parachute. During free-fall, the parachutist configures his/her body to maneuver through the air, adjust fall rate, and control lateral movement with respect to the ground. Military free-fall and civilian skydiving are performed in the "frog position," wherein the parachutist faces the earth, the back is arched, the pelvis is down, the arms are out with elbows bent, and the legs are bent at the knees with the feet extending upwards away from the earth. Bringing the feet up closer to the derriere will cause the free-faller to backslide. Extending the feet away from the derriere will cause forward movement. Extending the feet directly upwards away from the earth is called the neutral position and causes neither forward nor backward movement.
The object of military parachuting is to deploy troops within a specific zone, and is typically attained in one of the following two ways: high altitude, high opening (HAHO); and high altitude, low opening (HALO). During HAHO, a detachment exits an aircraft at high altitudes (typically exceeding 25,000 feet), deploys parachutes soon thereafter, and then drifts downward to the prescribed location. Depending on the winds, the detachment might be able to drift up to 18 miles in any lateral direction with respect to the earth. HAHO allows military personnel to deploy from the aircraft further from the target.
Unfortunately, winds at high altitudes can be unpredictable and make it difficult for all members of a detachment to land at the same location. In addition, deployment of parachutes at high altitudes requires a parachutist to be suspended within the parachute harness for long periods of time, often 20 to 30 minutes. This length of time often causes the legs and arms to fall asleep because of decreased circulation. Furthermore, high altitudes often cause parachutists to become very cold and requires oxygen for breathing. In addition, HAHO causes a parachutist to be more susceptible to detection because his/her parachute is open for such a long period of time.
HALO involves exiting from an aircraft at about 25,000 feet and free-falling to about 4,000 feet before deploying the parachute. The lateral distance with respect to the earth that a military parachutist is able to cover during free-fall is limited. Thus, HALO requires a military detachment to exit an aircraft that is relatively close to the target, thereby increasing the risk detection.
The civilian sport of skydiving involves various competitive aspects of free-falling, including: style, relative work, sit flying, sky surfing and free-style. Style is a competitive event in which the skydiver exits an aircraft at approximately 7,500 feet and then assumes a tuck position in which the face is to earth, the knees are drawn up towards the chest, and the arms are held tightly near the body. The arms, feet, and legs are used to help the skydiver perform "style set" which includes a 360.degree. right turn, a 360.degree. left turn, and a back loop. Each turn and back loop is repeated a second time for a complete style set, and the entire style set is performed as quickly as possible in a range of about 6 to 8 seconds.
Sit flying involves skydiving in a sitting position with arms extending out from the body for control purposes. Sky-surfing involves skydiving with a small surfboard strapped to the feet, and performing a preplanned series of maneuvers. Free-style involves performing various choreographic maneuvers. "Relative work" involves two or more skydivers falling relative to each other for the purpose of carrying out a preplanned set of maneuvers. These maneuvers involve turns, forward and backward movement, and side to side movement. Before a maneuver can occur, all of the skydivers must "dock" together. To do this, each skydiver must increase his/her fall rate in order to join the other skydivers. Therefore, it is necessary that each skydiver join the formation as quickly as possible to ensure enough time to perform the maneuvers. Unfortunately, skydivers fall at different rates depending on their height and weight.
Each of the above described civilian and military free-fall activities requires the ability to maneuver quickly and accurately. In addition, many free-fall activities involve multiple skydivers and multiple military parachutists in the air at any given time. It is understood that the terms "skydiver" and "skydiving" will be used hereinafter to refer to both civilian skydivers and civilian skydiving, and military parachutists and military free-fall. Collisions during free-fall can be fatal. It is especially important that each skydiver be aware of his/her position relative to other skydivers and be able to move quickly in whatever direction necessary to avoid a collision. Therefore it would be desirable to provide a way to enhance maneuverability, fall rate control, and lateral speed control.

Skydiving garment for enhancing control and maneuverability during free-fall


Print materials described herein include a first polymerization initiator comprising an initiator material having a thermal decomposition rate and a peak photo-initiated decomposition rate, wherein the thermal dissociation rate is higher than the peak photo-initiated decomposition rate; a vinylic monomer; a polyfunctional monomer; scattering particles; and quantum dots. Methods of making a quantum dot material using such print materials, and of incorporating into light emitting devices, are also described.

Inkjet printing is a technique useful for depositing small drop of material at precise locations on a substrate. Aspects of inkjet printing technologies include processes associated with depositing a drop of print material, or ink, at an appropriate location on a substrate by monitoring substrate position, distance between a printhead and the substrate, relative rates of motion between the printhead and the substrate, regulating viscosity of the print material prior to deposition, adjusting the pressure of the print material prior to deposition of drop, and the timing of actuating an orifice in order to produce a drop having an appropriate size to cover a designated area of the substrate.
Inkjet printing is useful in depositing materials on sub-regions of pixels of electronic or computer displays. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and materials associated with inkjet printing of computer display substrates.

Quantum dot material and method of curing


A method of locating one or more reflectors in an environment crowded with reflectors. A transmitter and multiple receivers are used to obtain reflected signals. Each path of a reflected signal is defined by an ellipse having the transmitter at one focus and a receiver at the other. A reflector is assumed to lie on the ellipse, and an intersection of ellipses is assumed to be a reflector location. The region is iteratively divided into smaller and smaller cells, and a search algorithm is performed to determine whether a given point in each cell lies on an ellipse. A “solution” is a point that lies on the same number of ellipses as the number of receivers.

Reflected radio frequency (RF) or acoustic waves may be used to determine the location of an object that reflects such waves, i.e., a "reflector". Various algorithms have been developed, for use when there are one or more reflectors and for use in two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional space. One approach uses the travel time of the reflected signal to compute the length of the path of the signal from transmitter to the reflector(s) to receiver. Once the path lengths are known, mathematical and geometric techniques are used to locate the object.
Traditional algorithms are easy and straightforward when there is a single reflector. However, in a space crowded with reflectors, such as an indoor space, traditional algorithms are less satisfactory.

Location finding system, using reflected radio frequency or acoustic signals in a crowded reflector environment


A mechanically stable and oriented scanning probe tip comprising a carbon nanotube having a base with gradually decreasing diameter, with a sharp tip at the probe tip. Such a tip or an array of tips is produced by depositing a catalyst metal film on a substrate (10 & 12 in FIG. 1(a)), depositing a carbon dot (14 in FIG. 1(b)) on the catalyst metal film, etching away the catalyst metal film (FIG. 1(c)) not masked by the carbon dot, removing the carbon dot from the catalyst metal film to expose the catalyst metal film (FIG. 1(d)), and growing a carbon nanotube probe tip on the catalyst film (16 in FIG. 1(e)). The carbon probe tips can be straight, angled, or sharply bent and have various technical applications.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to scanning probe microscopy systems, in particular, atomic force microscopy systems comprising carbon nanotube tips, and methods for fabricating such tips.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been an important and powerful technique for resolving nanoscale features, and thus has been utilized for various scientific, engineering, and biological applications. The key component of SPM is the probe tip, as the resolution of SPM imaging is determined by its sharpness, size and shape. See articles by G. Reiss, et al, "Scanning tunneling microscopy on rough surfaces: tip-shape-limited resolution", J. Appl. Phys. 67, 1156 (1990), and by J. E. Griffith et al, "Scanning probe metrology", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 10, 674 (1992).
Typical commercially available SPM probe tips are made of silicon or silicon nitride microfabricated into a pyramid configuration. Such probes are often easily broken or worn out during long time operation. They also generally exhibit a limited lateral resolution, and their rigid pyramid shape does not allow easy access to narrow or deep structural features.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted much attention due to their various interesting physical and chemical properties. The high aspect ratio geometry and the nano-scale diameter of the CNT offer obvious advantages for imaging as an AFM probe. Moreover, due to its good mechanical flexibility, such a CNT probe is also suitable for studying soft matters such as biological samples with minimal damage.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), either single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) or multiwall nanotubes (MWNTs) can be grown in a controlled manner using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processing. Carbon nanotubes with graphene walls parallel to the axis of the nanotube as well as those with graphene walls at an angle to the axis of the nanotube can be grown. The latter type of carbon nanotubes, sometimes called nanofibers, still have a nanoscale tube configuration, and hence will be referred throughout this disclosure as nanotubes. Vertically aligned, periodically spaced MWNTs can be grown in a controlled manner using DC-plasma enhanced CVD process using an applied electric field. See V. I. Merkulov, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 4816 (2002), J. F. AuBuchon, et al, Nano Letters 4, 1781 (2004).
There have been several approaches developed for fabrication of CNT based probes. Most approaches are based on attaching CNTs (mostly multiwall nanotubes) on commercial pyramid tips by acrytic adhesive, electric field, arc welding, magnetic field and liquid phase dielectrophoresis. See articles by H. Dai, et al, Nature 384, 147 (1996), H. Nishijima, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 4061 (1999), by R. Stevens, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 3453 (2000), by A. Hall, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 2506 (2003), and by J. Tang, et al, Nano Lett. 5, 11 (2005).
These methods are operated manually and are time consuming. The attachment angle, the number of CNTs attached, and adhesion strength are not always controllable. A direct growth of CNTs with catalyst particles or catalyst film coating on Si tips by thermal CVD has also been reported. See articles by J. H. Hafner, et al, Nature 398, 761 (1999), by C. L. Cheung et al, Appl. Phys. Left. 76, 3136 (2000), and by E. Yenilmez, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 2225 (2002). While such an approach can potentially lead to wafer scale production of AFM tips, there are some major issues that need to be resolved for practical SPM applications to materialize:
i) The reproducibility and reliability in shape, size, and attachment angle of nanotube probes is yet to be established. Snow et al. reported the effect of the attachment angle of the CNT tip with respect to the cantilever body for AFM imaging. It was shown that a tilt attachment angle of the CNT can severely reduce the imaging performance. See E. S. Snow, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 2002 (2002).
ii) The frequent presence of undesirable multiple nanotubes at the probe tip, instead of a desirable single nanotube is a problem. This is often seen during the prior art in-situ CVD growth of nanotubes from AFM pyramid tips, due to the presence of multiple catalyst particles, as it is not always easy to place just a single catalyst island at the pyramid apex. The presence of such multiple nanotubes at the probe tip, some of which tangle with each other, is highly undesirable as it complicates the AFM imaging and interpretations.
iii) To ensure a suitable length of CVD-grown CNTs for imaging, an electric pulse cutting technique has been developed to shorten CNT on the tip during AFM operation. This process is tedious because every CVD-grown CNT tip has to be checked and trimmed individually. See J. H. Hafner, et al, Nature 398, 761 (1999).
iv) The attachment or growth of too small a diameter nanotube such as a single wall nanotube (SWNT) with a diameter of ˜1.2 nm induces an instability problem, especially if the probe length is made reasonably long for ease of probe handling and fabrication as well as for ease of access into deep cavities. Such a thin and long probe tends to vibrate with high frequency, thus the lateral position and resolution of the probe tend to get deteriorated.
Therefore there is a need to find an improved SPM or AFM probe configuration and fabrication technique in order to resolve these serious issues. This invention discloses a simple, reliable and protection-layer-free technique of fabricating a single SPM probe on the cantilever and unique probe tip structures by utilizing the unique direct-write feature of the electron-beam-induced carbon island deposition. Electron beam induced deposition (EBID) of carbon is a novel writing technique to directly fabricate nanopatterns on the substrate bypassing the use of any resist-layer-related steps. The technique is especially useful for creating a pattern on sample substrate edges, especially on tiny samples such as a pre-fabricated tipless cantilever. The resultant formation of a nano island metal catalyst pattern allows a growth of a sharp, high-aspect-ratio nanotube probe structure with desired mechanical stability by an electric-field-guided CVD process.

Probe system comprising an electric-field-aligned probe tip and method for fabricating the same

The Regents of the University of California


The present invention provides compounds and methods for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. In particular, LFA-1 antagonists are described herein to be used in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. One aspect of the invention provides for diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy and administration of a LFA-1 antagonist, after the patient is diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy.

Worldwide, one of the most significant causes of blindness is diabetic retinopathy (DR) which often includes an associated disorder, diabetic macular edema (DME), which is one of the complications of diabetes resulting in microvasculature insult, injury and degeneration in the body, and in particular, the eye. The loss of workplace and personal function subsequent to such loss of visual function can have devastating impact upon the individual and on the community surrounding that individual as a whole. Nearly all individuals with diabetes demonstrate some degree of diabetic retinopathy, and the numbers of diabetic patients are increasing, therefore there is need for more effective treatments for vision loss and the symptoms of DR and associated macular edema.

Compositions and methods for treatment of diabetic retinopathy


A highway vehicle towing system includes a light railroad track embedded in a highway and capable of transmitting electricity from a power supply plant, and a towing tractor movable along the light railroad track to tow a car. The owing tractor has multiple pairs of metal wheels movably supported on the light railroad track, a motor, electrical wires connecting the metal wheels to the motor for transmitting electricity from the light railroad track to the motor, a transmission shaft coupled to and rotatable by the motor, and a differential mechanism coupled between the transmission shaft and the metal wheels for enabling the metal wheels to be rotated along the light railroad track by the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highway vehicle towing system, which uses a towing tractor to move on a highway along a light railroad track, thereby towing a car. The towing tractor obtains power supply from a power plant through the light railroad track for charging the battery of the car being towed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following fast development of industry, discharged gas from vehicles and factories cause severe air pollution, threatening our health, our environment and our quality of life. Many vehicle manufacturers keep designing hybrid cars, electric cars and other cars that consume less fuel gas. A hybrid car combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The most common form of hybrid car is a car driven by a gasoline internal combustion engine and electric motors powered by batteries. A hybrid car reduces fuel gas consumption. However, the gasoline internal combustion engine of a hybrid car still discharges waste gas during operation. For a long distance travel, a hybrid car will still consume a big amount of fuel gas.
Further, many electric cars are known using batteries to power motors. An electric car can travel for a distance about 160˜180 kms when the batteries are fully charged once. This range cannot satisfy the demand. In consequence, an electric car is not suitable for a long distance traveling. When driving a hybrid car or electric car down a highway or freeway, the driver may have to charge the batteries of the car before reaching the destination.


The invention relates to a process for preparing a crystalline zeolite having a molar composition: EQU (0.9-1.1)MO.X.sub.2 O.sub.3.(5-20)SiO.sub.2.(0.7-0.02)trioxane.(0-10)H.sub.2 O. wherein M is one or two alkali or alkaline earth metal ions having a total valence of 2 and X is at least one of the metals aluminum, iron or gallium. The process comprises maintaining an aqueous mixture of a source of silica, a source of ions of the alkali or alkaline earth metal M, a source of an oxide of X and trioxane at an elevated temperature thereby forming the crystalline zeolite. The molar ratios initially present in the aqueous mixture are:. X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :SiO.sub.2 =0.06-0.12 PA1 H.sub.2 O:SiO.sub.2 =5-30 PA1 OH.sup.- :SiO.sub.2 =0.05-0.6 PA1 trioxane:SiO.sub.2 =0.1-2.0 PA1 MO:SiO.sub.2 =0.15-0.35

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing a novel crystalline zeolite utilizing trioxane as a template.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various processes are available in the prior art to produce crystalline zeolites. U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,748, issued Apr. 14, 1987, describes the process for preparing the crystalline zeolite ECR-1. According to this reference, a tetraalkyl ammonium cation of the type (CH.sub.3).sub.2 R'.sub.2 N.sup.+, wherein R' is ethyl, propyl, butyl, hydroxyethyl or hydroxypropyl, is used as the organic template in the preparation of ECR-1. There are a number of drawbacks with regard to this crystalline zeolite though:
1) The template is expensive and/or difficult to synthesize. PA1 2) The preparation occurs at a relatively high temperature for a relatively long period of time. PA1 3) The product may contain non-porous analcite (Na.sub.2 O.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.4 SiO.sub.2.2 HOH) and has a SiO.sub.2 :Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio of only 6.5 which limits its stability. PA1 X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :SiO.sub.2 =0.06-0.12 PA1 H.sub.2 O:SiO.sub.2 =5-30 PA1 OH.sup.- :SiO.sub.2 =0.05-0.6 PA1 trioxane:SiO.sub.2 =0.1-2.0 PA1 MO:SiO.sub.2 =0.15-0.35 PA1 X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :SiO.sub.2 =0.06-0.12 PA1 H.sub.2 O:SiO.sub.2 =5-30 PA1 OH.sup.- :SiO.sub.2 =0.05-0.6 PA1 trioxane:SiO.sub.2 =0.1-2.0 PA1 MO:SiO.sub.2 =0.15-0.35 PA1 X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :SiO.sub.2 =0.07-0.11 PA1 H.sub.2 O:SiO.sub.2 =10-25 PA1 OH.sup.- :SiO.sub.2 =0.01-0.5 PA1 trioxane:SiO.sub.2 =0.2-1.5 PA1 MO:SiO.sub.2 =0.2-0.3
It has now been found that these drawbacks may easily be avoided if trioxane ##STR1## is used as the template in the preparation of this type of zeolite. Rather than ECR-1, a related but novel zeolite is produced.

Process for preparing a crystalline zeolite


A wavelength displacement correcting system and method where a monochromatic beam from an LED is incident through an incident slit of a spectral device and is diffracted on a diffraction grating to form a dispersed light image. Information relating to the dispersed light image is outputted and a wavelength displacement is calculated, using a forward voltage value corresponding to the constant current, and a forward voltage initial value. Wavelength displacement amounts of at least two diffracted beams are calculated, using output values of the at least two diffracted beams, and diffracted beam output initial values with respect to the dispersed light image. A dispersion width is calculated, using the calculated wavelength displacement amount of the beam, and the calculated wavelength displacement amounts of at least two diffracted beams.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wavelength displacement correcting system for use in a polychromator, particularly for use in a polychromator provided with plastic molded parts to correct a wavelength displacement of the polychromator with time and/or under heat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been popularly used a polychromator, as a spectral device for use in a spectral apparatus such as a spectrocolorimeter or a spectroradiometer. The polychromator is constructed in such a manner that wavelength dispersed beams by diffraction on a diffraction grating are simultaneously received on a light receiving array. Considering production cost reduction, it is desirable to use plastic molded parts as primary elements of the polychromator such as a diffraction grating or a housing. The plastic molded parts, however, unavoidably undergo a change with time and/or under heat after the molding, with the result that a wavelength displacement is unavoidable. There are two kinds of wavelength displacement. One is a displacement or change in dispersion width, primarily resulting from a change in grating constant by thermal expansion of a diffraction grating. The other is a uniform displacement or change primarily resulting from a positional displacement in optical arrangement. The former is a displacement proportional to wavelength, and the latter is a displacement which is not proportional to wavelength. There are known technologies to correct these displacements, for instance, the first conventional art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-69784 (D1) i.e. counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 7,116,417B2, and the second conventional art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-298066 (D2) i.e. counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,156B1.
D1 discloses use of a monochromatic beam from an LED (light emitting diode) of a low cost and yet with an unstable wavelength output, as a reference beam by measuring the wavelengths of a first-order diffracted beam as a first-order beam, and a second-order diffracted beam as a second-order beam. Specifically, D1 utilizes a phenomenon that a positional displacement in optical arrangement causes an identical wavelength displacement with respect to the first-order beam and the second-order beam, whereas a wavelength displacement of the light emitting diode causes a wavelength displacement with respect to the second-order beam twice as large as a wavelength displacement with respect to the first-order beam. With use of the phenomenon, the wavelength displacement resulting from a positional displacement in optical arrangement is detected and corrected by eliminating the wavelength displacement of the light emitting diode. In D1, however, it is impossible to distinguish a wavelength displacement of the light emitting diode from a change in dispersion width, because in both of the cases, the wavelength displacement with respect to the second-order beam is twice as large as the wavelength displacement with respect to the first-order beam. Accordingly, D1 fails to correct a change in dispersion width resulting from a change in grating constant, which may be serious in the case where a plastic diffraction grating subjected to a large thermal expansion is used.
In D2, a plastic material is used for a diffraction grating and a housing. By using the plastic material for the diffraction grating and the housing, a decrease in dispersion width resulting from a change in grating constant by thermal expansion is cancelled by an increase in dispersion width by thermal expansion of the housing, and a uniform wavelength change resulting from a positional displacement in optical arrangement by thermal expansion is cancelled by a thermal expansion of a support member of a light receiving array made of a material different from the material of the housing. D2, however, is proposed on a premise that the entirety of the polychromator is uniformly subjected to a temperature change. Accordingly, D2 not only fails to cope with a non-uniform temperature change but also fails to cope with a wavelength displacement resulting from a cause other than the temperature change such as a change with time.

Wavelength displacement correcting system


The invention provides a process for the isolation of hydroxy fatty acid derivatives from Convolvulaceae plants like Ipomoea batatas and Ipomoea orizabensis by extracting parts of said plants like leaves, stems, seeds and in particular roots and tubers thereof, with an organic solvent, removing the solvent for at least the main part from the extract, dispersing the obtained residue into water, subjecting the obtained dispersion to a single hydrolysis step and recovering the released hydroxy fatty acids, like 11-hydroxy palmitic acid and 3,11-hydroxy myristic acid from the aqueous dispersion by means of an extraction agent. The obtained hydroxy fatty acid may be used in the synthesis of specific organic compounds like lactones or in the preparation of products having purgative properties and of thickeners for lubricating greases respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for the isolation of hydroxy fatty acid derivatives from Convolvulaceae plants by extracting plants like leaves, stems, seeds and in particular roots and/or tubers of said plants with an extraction agent and subsequently subjecting the extraction liquor to a hydrolysis step.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR .sctn..sctn.1.97-1.99
From Planta Medica 9 (1961), the Chemistry of some Convolvulaceous Resins part I, pages 102-116 it is known to isolate Vera Cruz jalap resin from dried tubercles of Ipomoea purga Hayne by extracting the substance with alcohol, evaporating off most of the alcohol, pouring the alcoholic liquor into a large volume of water and filtering off the precipitated resin which is then washed with water and dried. Thereupon this jalap resin is divided into an ether insoluble fraction and an ether soluble fraction. Both said fractions are chemically examined by two hydrolysis methods i.e.
a) alkaline hydrolysis using baryta followed by acid hydrolysis and PA1 b) direct acid hydrolysis. PA1 a) extracting these parts of the Convolvulaceae plants with the help of an organic solvent; PA1 b) removing the solvent for at least the main part and dispersing the obtained material in water, followed by a hydrolysis in a pH-range of 1-9 and PA1 c) recovering the obtained hydroxy fatty acid derivative(s) from the aqueous dispersion.
Above method (b) was carried out by dissolving the fraction of the jalap resin in question i.e. the ether soluble fraction or the ether insoluble fraction in ethanol (96%) and acidifying the solution with sulphuric acid until the acid content was about 5%. The ethanolic solution was refluxed for several hours after which most of the alcohol was removed and the residue steam distilled. The remaining aqueous liquor was allowed to stand overnight. During that period a solid matter precipitated which was filtered off or dissolved in chloroform for identification of the obtained hydorxy acids. Dependent on the starting fraction several long chain hydroxy fatty acids could be identified like 3.11-dihydroxy myristic acid and a monohydroxy pentadecanoic acid in the ether insoluble portion and jalapinolic acid (11-hydroxy palmitic acid) in the ether soluble portion.
In Planta Medica 9 (1961), pages 141-145, the Chemistry of some Convolvulaceous Resins part II, the composition of Brazilian jalap resin, obtained from dried sliced tubercles of Merremia tuberosa (L) Rendle and of Operculina macrocarpa (L) Urban was investigated. The applied investigation method for said resin was based on a subdivision of the resin in an ether insoluble and an ether soluble fraction and then subjecting said fractions to an alkaline hydrolysis followed by an acid hydrolysis. Dependent on the starting fraction several long chain hydroxy fatty acids could be identified like a dihydroxy palmitic acid and probably a trihydroxy myristic acid as well as jalapinolic acid (11-hydroxy palmitic acid).
Further in Planta Medica 9 (1961), pages 146-152, the Chemistry of some Convolvulaceous Resins part III, the composition of Tampico, Ipomoaea and Scammony resins obtained from dried tubercles of Ipomoea simulans Hanbury, dried sliced tubercles of Ipomoea orizabensis and dried roots of Convolvulus scammonia L. respectively were investigated.
Concerning the Tampico jalap resin which was completely soluble in ether, the chemical investigation was carried out by means of an alkaline hydrolysis followed by acid hydrolysis. One of the identified fatty acids was jalapinolic acid.
The Ipomoea resin was divided in an ether insoluble and an ether soluble fraction, which fractions subsequently were subjected to an alkaline hydrolysis and an acid hydrolysis. The same procedure was carried out with Scammony resin. From the results it revealed that said last two resins have to be considered identical and contain several long chain hydroxy fatty acids like jalapinolic acid.
However, from the above it is clear that the isolation methods described in the above references are quite laborous and complicated. For instance several solvents like ether, ethanol and, if required, chloroform are applied.
Summarized it is brought to the fore that the above discussed prior art refer to inadequate methods for isolating the long chain hydroxy fatty acids from the jalap resins or any other suitable source which are not or hardly suitable for use on a large scale. Nevertheless, there is a need for a process for isolating these hydroxy acids on an industrial scale as they are important starting materials for preparing laxatives, lactones and ingredients for lubricating greases.

Process for the isolation of hydroxy fatty acid derivatives from convolvulaceae plants


Provided is a method of forming an aluminum oxide layer and a method of manufacturing a charge trap memory device using the same. The method of forming an aluminum oxide layer may include forming an amorphous aluminum oxide layer on an underlying layer, forming a crystalline auxiliary layer on the amorphous aluminum oxide layer, and crystallizing the amorphous aluminum oxide layer. Forming the crystalline auxiliary layer may include forming an amorphous auxiliary layer on the amorphous aluminum oxide layer; and crystallizing the amorphous auxiliary layer.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method of forming an aluminum oxide layer and a method of manufacturing a charge trap memory device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because the amount of data to be securely stored for a relatively long time may be increased and a data storage device, e.g., a memory stick, for moving a task result to another place may be provided, there is a need for a non-volatile memory device wherein data may be electrically stored and erased and which may conserve stored data even when power is not supplied.
Conventionally, increased capacity non-volatile memory devices, e.g., NAND flash memory devices, may be used. The NAND flash memory device may have a structure in which a floating gate for storing charges (e.g., data) and a control gate for controlling the storing of charges in the floating gate may be sequentially laminated. However, the floating gate may include a conductive material, e.g., doped polysilicon, which may cause increased parasitic capacitance between adjacent memory cells when higher integration is desired.
Accordingly, in order to solve the aforementioned problem of the conventional NAND flash memory device, there has been research on non-volatile memory devices referred to as Metal-Oxide-Insulator-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOIOS) memory devices, e.g., Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Semiconductor (SONOS) memory devices or Metal-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Semiconductor (MONOS) memory devices. The SONOS memory device may use silicon as a material for the control gate, but the MONOS memory device may use a metal as the material for the control gate.
The MOIOS memory device may include a charge trap layer, e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4) film, instead of a floating gate, which includes polysilicon, in order to store charges. For example, a structure of a memory cell in the MOIOS memory device may include an oxide film, a nitride film, and an oxide film, which may be sequentially laminated between a substrate and the control gate. The MOIOS memory device may use a characteristic, whereby a threshold voltage may be shifted as charges may be trapped in the nitride film.
A dielectric constant of the silicon nitride film and a silicon-oxide film in the conventional MOIOS memory device, e.g., the SONOS memory device, may be relatively low. Thus, the conventional MOIOS memory device may have an increased operation voltage, decreased speed for recording (programming) and erasing data, and relatively short retention time (a time during which stored data may be conserved). One method to increase the retention time may be to use an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, which has an alpha-phase crystalline structure, as a blocking layer.
The aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer having the alpha-phase crystalline structure may be formed by thermal treating an amorphous aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer at a temperature higher than about 1200° C. However, a silicon substrate may bend due to thermal stress from the thermal treatment process. Hence, the aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer having the alpha-phase crystalline structure may be difficult to use as the blocking layer.

Method of forming aluminum oxide layer and method of manufacturing charge trap memory device using the same


A pointing device includes a shaft having an elongated shape suitable for gripping by a user, a pointing tip coupled to a first end of the shaft for interacting with an input surface of a tablet computing device, and a hook coupled to a second end of the shaft, the hook having a first portion extending away from the shaft, and a second portion coupled to the first portion distal from the shaft and extending from the first portion generally toward the first end of the shaft such that the hook is adapted to fit a depth of the tablet computing device and retentively and removably couple the pointing device to the tablet computing device.

Many users of tablet computing devices utilize pointing devices such as smart pens. Some tablet devices have structures, such as shafts to house a pointing device to help a user keep from misplacing the pointing device. Many tablets lack such structures, leaving it to the user to find a place to store the pointing device when not in use.

Pointing device having coupling structure


A computerized visualization method for illustrating multi-dimensional data, comprising: receiving a plurality of location data points, each location data point having a plurality of measured features; choosing at least one location dimension from received said plurality of dimensions; grouping said plurality of location data points into a plurality of location groups according to chosen said at least one location dimension; plotting, by a processor, said plurality of location groups as a plurality of flower charts, each said plurality of flower charts, having a plurality of pie sectors, illustrates remaining said plurality of measured features subsequent to said choosing at least one location dimension; and positioning each said plurality of flower charts, in a visual representation, according to chosen said plurality of location dimensions.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to info-graphics and, more specifically, but not exclusively, to methods, computer programs and systems for multi-dimensional data visualization in the context of location.
Two dimensional data sets, also referred to as panel data, are easily analyzed, understood and visualized. However, information from a variety of disciplines, from science and engineering to business, economics and health care, often depends on a larger number of variables. Information having three of more dimensions is referred to as multi-dimensional information. The higher the dimension of the data, the more complex and challenging it become to make sense of it. Multi-dimensional information management is often achieved by visualization tools and visualization techniques. Visualization tools and techniques assist in making information based decisions, gaining insights into the information distribution, exploring interesting trends and patterns or "structure" in the information and stimulating visual thinking.
One approach to enabling multi-dimensional visualizations is reducing the data dimensions. Reducing data dimensions may introduce ambiguities in data presentation. For example, a three-dimensional scatter plot is projected onto two-dimensions. A point in the projection may correspond to any value parallel to the viewing axis. Another approach to enabling multi-dimensional visualizations is to use multiple simple representations having fewer dimensions, each representation showing a different combination of dimensions. Yet another approach to enabling multi-dimensional visualizations is to provide many visual cues such as color, patterns and size.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 illustrating prior art coxcomb graph 100 presenting aggregated statistical data of British soldiers' deaths. As used herein, the term/phrase coxcomb graph means a plot for illustrating multiple data dimensions, having a plurality of segments, in which the radial distance is indicative of a weight of a particular segment. In a coxcomb graph, also referred to as a polar-area graph, the segment's angel is typically not used to indicate the weight of a particular segment, as in a pie chart. This graph 100 is a classic example of a coxcomb graph as found in the work of Florence Nightingale from 1858 titled "Notes on Matters Affecting the Health, Efficiency and Hospital Administration of the British Army". Two dimensions are presented in the graph: the month of the year and the cause of death. The cause of death is classified in one of two categories: battle and non-battle. The graph is divided to 12 pie sectors 102 representing 12 months (particularly April 1854 until March 1855). Each pie sector 102 occupies an equal angel of the full circle, while the radius is changed. The filled region 102A, 102B along the radius 103 is changed in order to create an area proportional to the number of death represented in the respective category.


A belt fixing device of a type gripping and transporting a recording member bearing an unfixed toner image between an endless belt and a back-up member to fuse the unfixed toner image on the surface of the recording member and comprising a fixing/drive roller, heating/driven roller heated by a heater, a heated endless belt wound around the drive roller and driven roller, and a back-up member pressed against the drive roller through the endless belt. The belt fixing member is capable of transporting a recording member so as to cause the least damage possible, e.g., wrinkling and the like, to the recording member, and precisely maintaining the belt transport speed and transport member transport speed at a predetermined speed so as to produce excellent fixed images. The drive roller has a surface layer of elastic material which is treated by a polishing process along the exterior and in a direction opposite the direction of powered rotation of the drive roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to a method of forming images and to a belt transport device including a drive roller and a belt wound around the drive roller, and a belt fixing device using a belt transport device, and further relates to a belt fixing device to fuse an unfixed toner image on a recording member bearing the unfixed toner image via heat and pressure in an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic type.
2. Description of the Related Art
Belt transport devices are used in various technological fields today. For example, image forming apparatuses of the electrophotographic type such as copiers, printers and the like are provided with fixing devices to fuse an unfixed toner image on a recording member bearing the unfixed toner images under heat and pressure, and such fixing devices may use a belt transport device as the fixing device.
Belt fixing devices are provided with a fixing roller/drive roller heated by a heater, an endless belt wound around the rollers, and a back-up member (typically a back-up roller) pressing against the drive roller through the endless belt. Fixing devices of this type are advantageous compared to fixing devices having a construction providing a back-up roller disposed opposite a heating roller heated by a heater; the related advantages are described below.
Heating an unfixed toner image formed on the surface of a recording member starts when it is inserted between the fixing roller and the back-up roller without any preheating, such that the toner is inadequately heated on the recording member side, although a predetermined temperature on the surface side of the toner image is attained; thereby, making it difficult to achieve excellent toner image fusion. This tendency is particularly pronounced when toner images comprising cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are overlaid one over another on the surface of a recording member in color image forming apparatuses. When a belt fixing device is used, however, an unfixed toner image can be preheated before insertion at the fixing position by means of the heated belt extending upstream from the fixing position in the direction of the transport of the recording member, so as to achieve the desired toner fusion under heat and pressure.
Consideration has been given to elevating the fixing temperature without using a belt fixing device. However, when the fixing temperature is raised, molten toner readily adheres to the fixing roller causing offset. A sufficient application of a separation agent, such as silicone oil, or the like, must be applied to the fixing roller so as to prevent this offset. This leads to further disadvantages insofar as excessive application of the separation agent will cause the separation agent to be transferred to the recording member, thereby reducing the quality of the recording member. Therefore, simply elevating the fixing temperature is not a sufficient solution.
Through extensive investigation, the present inventors found several problems with conventional belt fixing devices.
In belt fixing devices used in image forming apparatuses of an electrophotographic type, a recording member must be smoothly transported during the fixing of a toner image so as to avoid disturbing and dislocating the unfixed toner image carried on the surface of the recording member, and therefore, the recording member must be transported at a predetermined speed. According to the research conducted by the present inventors, when an unfixed toner image is fused onto the surface of a relatively thick recording member such as, an envelope, the fixing pressure must be reduced to avoid causing wrinkles in the recording member. However, reducing the pressure adversely affects the fixing characteristics of the toner image. It was discovered that forming at least a surface layer of an elastic material on the fixing roller/drive roller and increasing the fixing nip width between the fixing roller/drive roller and the back-up member, produces excellent toner image fusion while reducing the fixing pressure to a particular degree.
However, if the surface layer of a fixing roller/drive roller is formed of an elastic material in a belt fixing device, the radius of the drive roller readily changes due to the soft irregularities of the surface layer and tearing off of protuberances of the surface layer, so as to make it difficult to maintain the belt transport speed at a predetermined speed. This ultimately causes the recording member transport speed to fluctuate so as to easily reduce the quality of the fixed image.
Although these disadvantages have been described in terms of belt fixing devices used in image forming apparatuses of an electrophotographic type, such disadvantages are not limited to belt fixing devices. Rather, such belt fixing devices running a belt at a predetermined speed with good precision and transporting a transport object with as little damage as possible to the object, are applicable to belt transport devices in general which grip and transport a transport object between an endless belt and back-up member and are provided with a drive roller, driven roller, endless belt wound around the drive roller and driven roller, and back-up member pressed against the drive roller through the endless belt.

Belt transport device and belt fixing device


A brake system with at least one brake circuit comprises a mechanical brake-pressure control device and an electrical brake-pressure control device. The brake system is constructed without additional expenditure and by use of a mechanical brake-pressure control device and by an electrical control valve device. The system is constructed such that the brake-pressure modulator (8) of the electrical brake-pressure control device (6, 8, 11, 19) can also be controlled by pressure. The brake-pressure modulator (8) meters the brake pressure, both on the strength of the supplied electrical signal as well as according to the value level of the fed-in redundant brake pressure. The control electronics (11, 19) of the electrical brake-pressure control device (6, 8, 11, 19) is constructed such that it sets the strength of the electrical signal to a value required for covering and for meeting the respective brake-pressure demand request. The invention structure can be employed preferably in connection with road vehicles and motor vehicles.

1. Field Of the Invention
The invention relates to a brake system with at least one brake circuit, actuated by a feeding of a brake pressure, with a mechanical brake-pressure control device and an electrical brake-pressure control device.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Such a brake system is actuated predominantly by the electrical brake-pressure control device. In case of a fault in the electrical brake-pressure control device, the brake system remains functioning based on the redundant brake-pressure transmitted by the mechanical brake-pressure control device.
Such a brake system is known from the German Patent Document herein incorporated by reference DE-OS-3,501,179-Al. The brake-pressure modulator of this brake system is formed as a blockin device with respect to the redundant brake pressure. For this purpose, the brake-pressure modulator of the German Printed Patent Document, herein incorporated by reference, DE-OS-3,501,179-Al is structured such that, upon actuation of the brake system in the sense of an increasing or level-maintaining brake pressure, its passage is blocked for the redundant brake pressure and, upon actuation in the sense of a falling brake pressure, its passage is open. Thereby, the desired brake-pressure drop is made possible by means of the mechanical brake-pressure control device.
If the known brake system is to comprise one or several elements, which require a particularly quick brake-pressure drop, then the brake system has to contain an electrically controlled valve device, as taught for example in FIG. 2 of the German Printed Patent Publication, herein incorporated by reference DE-OS-3,501,179-Al. This electrically controlled valve device assures the required quick brake-pressure drop during operation of this element or these elements, respectively. Such elements are, for example, an anti-skid protection system and a superposed electrical or hydraulic long-time brake, conventionally designated as retarder.
The German Printed Patent Document DE 3,212,930 to Werner Stumpe, herein incorporated by reference, teaches a multi-circuit braking system. A pressure control valve is employed which, on the one hand, assures that the control circuits are always in use and that the pressures furnished to the brake cylinder compensate in each case.
The German Printed Patent Document DE 2,218,315 to Joseph R. Morse et al., herein incorporated by reference, teaches a braking system for a vehicle. A control unit is furnished by an electronic signal processing unit which delivers electrical output signals, and is connected to a braking valve or to brake cylinders and coordinated to pressure indicators. This electronic signal processing unit compares the signal corresponding to the momentary pressure values present in the brake control valve and in the brake cylinders.
The German Printed Patent Document 1,555,556 to Heinz Nicolay et al., herein incorporated by reference, teaches a pressure operated braking system for vehicles, as well as a relay valve and a solenoid valve for the switching on of a retarder. A relay valve is constructively combined with a solenoid valve such that the double valve body of the relay valve can also be actuated by a piston subjectable to a pressure controlled by the relay valve.
The German Printed Patent Document DE 3,703,639 to Werner Stumpe, herein incorporated by reference, teaches an electro-pneumatic braking system for tractors. An emergency brake release device is furnished, which can be activated in case of an intereruption of a brake line by electrical and/or pneumatic signals generated by an activation of a brake-Pedal
The German Printed Patent Document DE 3,240,276 to Ewald Hubl et al., herein incorporated by reference, teaches a pressure control valve for a braking system. The reference employs a solenoid valve disposed at least indirectly analog relative to the brake cylinders for controlling the brake pressure, where the solenoid valve is continuously adjustable depending on the current fed to the solenoid valve.
The German Printed Patent Document DE 3,205,228 to Egbert Muller et al., herein incorporated by reference, teaches a multi-circuit braking system based on a pressurized medium. The pressure control valve of the reference is controlled from several circuits and includes electrical switches for at least one control circuit.
The German Printed Patent Document DE 3,416,338 to Gerhard Fauck et al., herein incorporated by reference, teaches an apparatus for the adaptation of the distribution of the brake force. A delay valve allows the pressure to pass with a value level reduced by the opening pressure in case of a further increasing pressure, once the opening pressure has been reached.
The German Printed Patent Document DE 3,239,970 to Ingolf Grauel et al., herein incorporated by reference, teaches a braking system for a vehicle train. The brake value sensor is formed for controlling both, electrically-actuated and pressure-actuated braking circuits. One of the pressure-activated circuits for controlling the trailed control valves is a pure control circuit.
The German Printed Patent Document DE 2,939,907 to Erich Reinecke, herein incorporated by reference, teaches a dual-circuit braking system. An adapter valve is employed between the control connection for the subjection of the second part face and the conduit carrying the pressure for the rear-axle brake circuit.
The WABCO pocket book addition, published in 1987 illustrates on page 241 a load/empty valve.

Brake system with at least one brake circuit


A wave-based method has at least two reference stations (1, 2) transmit signals (s1, s2; s3, s4). The signals are transmitted almost at the same time (S1, S2), are transmitted in the same frequency range, and are separable using a multiplexing method. At least one of the sending reference stations (1, 2), besides transmitting its own signal (s1, s2), also receives at least one signal (s2, s1) sent by another reference station (2, 1) at the same time and determines a time stagger (τ1) and/or a phase angle between its own transmission and the reception with high precision. At least one receiving station (7) which at least receives the signals (s1, s2) receives the signals (s3, s4) from at least two of the reference stations (1, 2). A system and stations perform the wave-based method.

The invention relates to a system and a method with stations receiving at least three signals. The invention relates in particular to an arrangement and a method for calculating time offsets in wireless systems or for calculating positions.
Radiolocation systems can utilise different measurement variables. Known measurement variables are, for example, an angle measurement, time of arrival measurement, or field strength measurements. Time of arrival measurements (TOA) are frequently encountered in the field of high-precision systems. However, due to the very quick speed of light, an extremely precise synchronisation of the stations involved is necessary. Otherwise, even small time errors will lead to large measurement errors with regard to distance in systems which determine positions. A synchronisation of the stations is thus a key problem closely linked to radiolocation. The problem has been mitigated in part by assessing only time differences of arrival (TDOA). Although this reduces the locating accuracy depending on the situation, a precise synchronisation between a mobile station and stationary stations is no longer necessary.
The remaining problem of synchronising the stationary stations with one another has been solved in the past in different ways:                One method lies in that a glass fibre network provides a time reference over the entire system.        Another method lies in fixing an additional "mobile" node at a known location. The clock deviations are determined from the measurement of the times of arrival at this node and the known distances.        Yet another method lies in that one of the stationary stations emits a synchronisation signal in each measurement cycle. The other stationary stations synchronise themselves with this.
The first solution is very complex with regard to its installation and is costly with regard to the capital investment in the glass fibre network. The other two solutions are based on basic assumptions that limit the potential precision:                Radio channels used for synchronisation must have a clear line of sight.        Any multipaths additionally occurring must have a sufficient path length difference in order to be separable from the line of sight with the available bandwidth.        The length of the line of sight must be known.        Clocks of the stationary stations are assumed to have an absolutely precise timing rate in a time between synchronisation and measurement.        The transfer of a system clock to a signal generation within a station is assumed to be ideal and fault-free.
Any deviation from these idealised assumptions will result in a synchronisation error and therefore in a falsified measurement. A systematic deviation from these assumptions can lead to a systematic measurement error that cannot be remedied, not even by subsequent statistical compensation methods.
Furthermore, the precision achieved by previous methods is insufficient to perform phase-coherent measurements.
A pre-synchronisation with an accuracy that makes it possible to separate various transmitters in iFDMA is known in general from S. Roehr, M. Vossiek, P. Gulden, "Method for High Precision Radar Distance Measurement and Synchronization of Wireless Units," 2007 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, Honolulu, USA, June 2007, pp. 1315-1318.

System and method using reference stations and a receiving station


The invention is a process for determining the charge level of a vapor cycle environmental control system, having a condenser, evaporator, and an expansion valve, comprising the steps of providing a neural network having four input neurons, two hidden neurons and one output neurons; determining the number of degrees below the saturation temperature of the liquid refrigerant exiting the condenser and providing this measurement to the first input neuron; sensing the condenser sink temperature and providing the measurement to the second input neuron; sensing either the refrigerant outlet temperature from the condenser or the evaporator exhaust air temperature and providing the measurement to the third input neuron, sensing the evaporator inlet temperature and providing the measurement to the fourth input neuron; and using the trained neural network to monitor the charge level in the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of environmental control systems and, in particular, to a process for determining the refrigerant charge level in a sophisticated aircraft environmental control system.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern, lightweight vapor cycle systems sometimes have a shortcoming, which is that it is difficult to detect refrigerant over- and under-charges. Previous systems incorporated receivers and sight glasses, making charge detection possible although not reliable. An efficient, modern system may employ separately controlled compressor speed, evaporator expansion valve, surge control valve, flash sub-cooler expansion valve, and condenser flow control shutters. These many "moving parts" make charge detection by traditional methods (i.e. compressor inlet superheat or condenser outlet sub-cooling measurements) unsuitable. Mechanical charge level indication systems (sight glasses, liquid level indicator, float switch and receiver tank) all rely on measuring the proportion of a liquid versus saturated vapor in a container. This container is located at a position downstream of the condenser heat exchanger that will contain saturated refrigerant (liquid and vapor).
By design, sub-cooled refrigerant (no vapor content) exits the condenser heat exchanger of this vapor cycle system. A tank located at this spot would be full of liquid refrigerant, thus there would be no level to measure. In order to create a location in this system where saturated refrigerant, consisting of a mixture of vapor and liquid, would be present, the condenser heat exchanger would have to be replaced with a separate condenser and sub-cooler. A receiver could then be located between them.
The liquid level in the receiver could then be measured by mechanical means i.e. a sight gage/level switch. For a given charge level, the level in the receiver would vary, depending on ambient conditions and system load. The weight and volume penalty associated with such a design would be undesirable in most cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,482 Heat Pump Control System by E. Murway describes a scheme in which the receiver is mounted on a weight transducer, allowing the charge level to be monitored. U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,177 Refrigerant Over-Charging System Of Closed Circuit Refrigeration Air Cooling System By M. Taino, et al. describes a valve for charging a refrigeration system, which relies on sensing the liquid level in a receiver to close the valve when the desired liquid level is reached. This scheme prevents overcharging but does not detect undercharges.
Modern vapor cycle systems may incorporate a number of sensors and a microprocessor, which reads a number of system parameters, making some computation-based approaches possible. One such approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,152. Method Of Determining Refrigerant Levels by L. R. Brickner, et al. Here, refrigerant charge level is determined by operating the system in a special mode, then comparing the time response of evaporator temperature to "model" responses, collected in controlled conditions with known charge levels.
Yet another system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,286 System Monitoring Refrigeration Charge by S. Tulpule incorporates a neural network-based approach; this particular invention takes a two-step approach using four layers. The first step is a "Kohonen" type self-organizing network (although not stated as such) consisting of an input layer and a two dimensional "hidden layer" of 4.times.16 neurons. Individual training patterns are learned in a cluster of neurons surrounding a central neuron. The training methodology is sometimes referred to as "competitive learning" because node weight updating is based on a competition of equally spaced center neurons to see which is initially closest to the input training pattern. There is no activation function on any of these neurons. During operation an unknown input is applied to the net, which finds the three closest stored patterns, which are further processed in the "interpolation" layer, which consists of 16 neurons using a hyperbolic tangent activation. The final single output neuron also uses a hyperbolic tangent activation function.
Applicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/947,483 Process For Determining The Refrigerant Charge Level Using A Neural Net, filed Sep. 22, 2004, disclosed a process for determining the charge level of a vapor cycle environmental control system, having a condenser, evaporator, and an expansion valve. In detail, the invention includes the steps of providing a neural network having four input neurons, two hidden neurons and three output neurons; determining the number of degrees below the saturation temperature of the liquid refrigerant exiting the condenser and providing this measurement to the first input neuron; sensing the condenser sink temperature and providing the measurement to the second input neuron; sensing either the refrigerant outlet temperature from the condenser or the evaporator exhaust air temperature and providing the measurement to the third input neuron, sensing the evaporator inlet temperature and providing the measurement to the fourth input neuron; and using the trained neural network to monitor the charge level in the system. However, this invention could only indicate whether there was an over or under or normal charge. It could not indicate the amount of over or under charge.
Thus, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a process for monitoring the charge level of a vapor cycle environmental control system.
It is another primary object of the invention to provide a process for monitoring the charge level of a vapor cycle environmental control system using a back propagation neural net.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a process for monitoring the charge level of a vapor cycle environmental control system using a neural net having a minimum of input neurons.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a process for monitoring the charge level of a vapor cycle environmental control system using a neural net having only one output neuron.

Process for refrigerant charge level detection using a neural net having one output neuron


A ruggedized mobile computing system for a motor vehicle includes a ruggedized mobile computing device, which can be mounted in the trunk or other convenient location, and a suitable user interface system, such as a display screen, keyboard, etc., mounted in the vehicle cabin. The computing device can accommodate user-removable, plug-in electronic modules that perform specialized processing, communications, control or other specialized tasks relating in some way to the vehicle mission or purpose. The device has a ruggedized enclosure made of a durable material such as sheet metal or high-impact plastic. The enclosure can include a guard that protects cables extending from the front panel from being damaged or inadvertently removed. Cooling and warming systems can be included that maintain the enclosure environment within suitable operating temperatures in hot or cold weather. Some or all of the electronic or electromechanical elements, such as a disk drive, can be mounted with isolation mounts that protect them against harmful effects of mechanical shock and vibration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computing systems and, more specifically, to a computing device for mobile environments, such as in a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Police cars and other emergency vehicles are becoming increasingly technologically sophisticated. Whereas there was a time when the only electronic systems related to emergency functions were warning lights, sirens and radios, today's police cars commonly have a variety of sophisticated digital communication and information processing systems.
In recent years, for example, it has become common for laptop computers to be used in police cars and other emergency vehicles. The laptop typically is mounted on a bracket or similar mounting in an orientation that allows the driver to use the keyboard and view the screen. The laptop computer is commonly able to communicate with law enforcement agency computers via a wireless (radio) data link. A police officer can enter a search query into the laptop to run a check on an automobile license number or determine if a person being detained for questioning is wanted by any law enforcement agencies. It is desirable for such a laptop to be of the "ruggedized" variety, but such is not always feasible due to the substantially greater cost of a ruggedized laptop as compared with a standard consumer-grade laptop. Indeed, a ruggedized laptop can cost five times as much as a regular, consumer-grade version. "Ruggedized" is a well-understood term of art that is generally applied to an electronic device that resists damage due to harsh environmental conditions or abuse, such as impact, vibration and shock, dust and dirt, moisture and liquid spills, and extreme heat and cold. The harsh environment of a police vehicle or other emergency vehicle can subject an ordinary laptop computer to some or all of the above-listed conditions, causing it to fail. The keyboard and screen are particularly sensitive to damage. An example of a ruggedized laptop computer is the TOUGHBOOK® line of laptops produced by Panasonic Corporation.
Emergency vehicle electronics are not limited to laptop computers. Some police cars also include global positioning satellite (GPS) systems for navigation or location purposes. Such systems can help guide the police officer to a location input by a dispatcher and received in the police car via the wireless data link. The GPS receiver and associated electronics are generally mounted in the vehicle trunk and connected with the laptop or other input/output device by cabling.
A video recording system is another increasingly common electronic device or system used in police cars. A camera mounted in the car feeds a video signal to a recording device. Although some newer systems may record video in digital format directly onto a laptop computer hard disk, more commonly the recording device is a videotape recorder or digital recorder mounted in the trunk of the vehicle.
With a video recorder, GPS receiver, controllers for sirens and warning lights, and so forth, all mounted in the vehicle trunk, the jumble of cabling that connects these devices with the vehicle systems to which they relate or to a laptop computer or dashboard controls, can prove to be a nightmarish mess for technicians charged with installing and maintaining such electronics. Moreover, as these devices are typically independent of one another without any integration among them, there are typically a number of cables carrying power, a number of cables carrying digital information, a number of cables carrying analog signals, etc., running between the trunk and other areas of the vehicle. Similarly, as a police department upgrades its vehicles with additional devices, space must be found for them in the trunk, and other devices and their cabling may need to be relocated. It has been said that with all of the electronics packed into a modern police car trunk, there is hardly room left anymore for a spare tire.
Also, as such devices become more technologically sophisticated, they increasingly include microprocessors, GPS receivers, Ethernet cards, and other such common computing and communication elements. It is not unknown for the trunk of a police car to contain a number of specialized devices made by different manufacturers, each with its own enclosure, power supply, microprocessor or similar controller, GPS receiver, own network card, etc. This duplication of electronics and cabling is very inefficient (especially in terms of power consumption), and the array of cabling and disparate devices makes maintenance difficult.
Furthermore, as police cars used by large metropolitan police forces are known to have useful lives that average about 18 months, maintenance personnel find themselves somewhat frequently having to remove some or all of the specialized electronics from a police car and install it in another.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mobile computing device that can withstand the rigors of the emergency response vehicle environment and that can be readily installed, removed and expanded. The present invention addresses these problems and deficiencies and others in the manner described below.