The present invention relates to an improved refrigeration subcooler comprising an accumulator and receiver apparatus for use in a refrigeration unit or heat pump. Specifically, the present invention relates to a subcooler that requires less refrigerant and is operable at lower operating pressures than conventional subcoolers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved refrigeration subcooler comprising an accumulator and receiver apparatus for use in a refrigeration unit or heat pump. Specifically, the present invention relates to a subcooler that requires less refrigerant and is operable at lower operating pressures than conventional subcoolers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a heat exchanger comprising an outer housing that functions as an accumulator and an inner housing that functions as a receiver is well known in the refrigeration art. Such heat exchangers are known as "subcoolers." Such a subcooler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,381 to Imral, et al. In prior art subcoolers, the accumulator is installed in the suction line of a compressor used in the refrigeration cycle for the purpose of preventing the introduction of liquid slugs or other impurities into the suction line of the compressor. The use of a filter medium, comprising desiccant, can be used in such receivers to facilitate the purification and/or drying of the refrigerant. The outer casing or accumulator stores liquid refrigerant.
Prior art refrigeration units commonly use refrigerants containing chlorofluorocarbons ("CFCs"). CFCs are known to have an adverse effect upon the environment. Accordingly, federal environmental regulations have been enacted which are aimed at reducing the release of CFCs into the environment.
After extended use, the filter and/or desiccant medium in a conventional receiver must be replaced. In the case where the refrigerant contains CFCs, the refrigerant must be evacuated from the system in many prior art accumulators/receivers before the filter and/or desiccant medium can be replaced. This evacuation process is costly and time consuming. One improvement of the present invention is the elimination of the need to evacuate system refrigerant prior to changing the filter medium in order to avoid the release of CFCs into the environment.
The accumulator/receiver of the present invention is also designed to operate with less refrigerant than prior art accumulators/receivers, thereby allowing greater energy conservation and lower operating pressures. Additionally, the accumulator/receiver of the present invention is designed to provide superior heat transfer and condensing capabilities over prior art accumulators/receivers.


A portable, multi-configurable exercise apparatus including a first pair of parallel spaced elongate rigid members having an outer and an inner rigid member and a second pair of parallel spaced elongate rigid members having an outer and an inner rigid member. The first pair of elongate rigid members being coupled to the second pair of elongate rigid members by a pair of elongate guide members parallel spaced and transverse to the first and second pairs of rigid members. The outer and inner rigid members of each pair of rigid members being separated by at least one elastic member for providing variable resistance between each inner member and respective outer member. An alternate embodiment discloses a first pair of parallel spaced elongate rigid members and a second pair of elongate rigid members including a first and second rigid member, wherein the second pair of elongate rigid members are disposed between the first pair of elongate rigid members. The first pair of elongate rigid members is coupled to the second pair of elongate rigid members by locking guide members. Each first and second rigid member having at least one transversely coupled fastening guide member. The fastening guide members being separated by at least one elastic member for providing variable resistance between the first and second rigid members.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to isometric exercising apparatuses, and, more particularly, to a portable, multi-configurable exercise apparatus and associated physical exercises for strengthening muscles through a series of pushing and pulling movements.
2. Background of Related Art
An individual may wish to strengthen the muscles of the upper body to provide added mobility, greater strength and improved physique. To achieve this, an individual may employ the use of well known muscle strengthening machines such as a bench press, a barbell curling platform, a pull-down bar press and other similar machines. Typically these muscle strengthening machines are costly, take up a lot of space and are complicated in use. Additionally, to properly exercise and strengthen the body requires an exercise routine which includes the use of many different exercise machines. This not only requires a great deal of time but may also initiate boredom in the individual who therefore may forego completing the entire exercise routine.
The present disclosure is directed to an improved portable, multi-configurable exercise apparatus for isometric developing and strengthening of muscles within the upper body of a person. The exercise apparatus easily converts into multiple configurations wherein each configuration is specifically directed to strengthening particular muscles groups. The exercise apparatus is also durably constructed and manufactured from lightweight materials. Assembly of the exercise apparatus into each specific configuration is facilitated by pre-formed members and fittings sized to be easily mounted to together.
The use of portable strength building exercise machines are well known in the prior art. These devices are mainly designed and marketed for a particular muscle group and at best provide varying results. In addition, many of these devices are difficult to assemble.
In this respect, the portable, multi-configurable exercise device according to the present disclosure substantially departs for conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus which is particularly well suited in solving the inadequacies of the exercise machines of the prior art.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a need for a new and improved portable, multi-configurable exercise apparatus which can be used for developing and strengthening muscles groups of the upper body as well as providing an improved overall physique.
The embodiments herein disclosed throughout the present disclosure achieve the intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing readily available materials.


According to one embodiment, a heat dissipation system includes an elongated radar absorbing member configured with a thermal dissipation mechanism. The radar absorbing member extends proximate a junction of a microwave antenna enclosure that houses an antenna and a radome that covers an opening in the microwave antenna enclosure. The radar absorbing member absorbs electro-magnetic energy incident upon the junction. The thermal dissipation mechanism absorbs heat generated by the absorbed electro-magnetic energy.

Antennas operating in the microwave frequency range use various directing or reflecting elements with relatively precise physical characteristics. To protect these elements, a protective covering commonly referred to as a radome may be placed over the antenna. The radome separates the elements of the antenna from various environmental aspects, such as precipitation, humidity, solar radiation, or other forms of debris that may compromise the performance of the antenna.

Thermal dissipation mechanism for an antenna


There is provided a method for use by a content navigation module for managing delivery of content. The method comprising communicating an identifier contained in the content navigation module with a first computing device to enable the first computing device to receive a selected content from a presentation server over a network; receiving a delivery progress of the selected content from the first computing device periodically; storing the delivery progress of the selected content; losing communication with the first computing device after storing the delivery progress; and communicating the identifier contained in the content navigation module and the delivery progress of the selected content with a second computing device to enable the second computing device to resume receiving the selected content from the server over the network according to the delivery progress of the selected content stored in the content navigation module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the distribution of electronic content. More particularly, the present invention relates to computer mediated delivery of electronic content.
2. Background Art
Personal computers (PCs) are now to be found nearly everywhere and are used by almost everyone. What was not long ago an exotic and primarily personal possession has grown to be so common and so widely used as to have become a staple of modern communication. In the highly mobile, wired culture of today, PCs are typically available for public use in many venues where use of a truly personal communication device might be inconvenient, costly, or forbidden. As a result, public PCs have assumed a role in modern society corresponding to that of the public telephone during a now largely bygone era.
In addition to the proliferation of publicly shared PCs, the communication environment of today is populated by a dizzying variety of extremely portable mobile communication devices. Many of these highly portable mobile devices also possess substantial computing power, enabling them to replicate some of the functions performed by bulkier PCs. The presence of these multifunctional mobile devices, together with the prevalence of publicly accessible PCs, has contributed to the dispersion of traditionally personal computing activities, from a single, often home-based, computing system, to multiple independent systems, some of which may be shared by other users.
One of the benefits flowing from the dispersion of computing functionality from a single system to numerous highly portable or publicly available systems is that access to rich content, such as streaming content available from a server-based content provider, is more accessible than ever before. A user need not wait until returning home, or even until finding adequate space in a public environment to setup a personal workstation, in order to access and enjoy content available over the Internet, for example. Consequently, a commuter enduring a tedious trip, or a business traveler suffering through an all too common airport or other transit hub delay, can, in principle, alleviate the stress and unpleasantness of their immediate circumstances through the diversion available from content accessible online.
The benefits of being able to access content from many diverse locations, using a variety of computing devices may be substantially offset, however, by the increased burden resulting from the technological proficiency required to use multiple computing devices in this way. For example, access to desired online streaming content may require that a user launch a web browser local to the particular computing device being used, navigate to a web address from which the content is provided, and interact with a remote media player to control delivery and presentation of selected content. In addition, in situations in which a user owns multiple computing devices, or uses a shared or public system for the first time, drivers and other software required for interoperability with a particular media player may have to be downloaded and installed to enable each of the computing devices to interact with the available content.
Moreover, because conventional approaches to enabling access to content typically localize the relevant drivers, control application, and user history to a particular computing device, it may be inconvenient or even impossible to enjoy a single lengthy presentation across more than one computing device. For example, a business traveler viewing a streaming television episode on a public PC provided at an airport, while awaiting a departure perhaps, may wish to interrupt the presentation to board a flight, and then resume viewing the episode at a later time using a personal communication device. Because the conventional approach to enabling access to content localizes and identifies a viewing session with the particular computing device used—in this case a public PC—the user has no convenient way to resume enjoyment of the content at the place he or she left off.
An attempt to resume viewing of the episode at a later time, using another computing device, might require the user to begin the presentation anew, or to remember and locate the point at which the earlier presentation session was interrupted, and try to adjust the presentation to begin at that point. As a result, even for a technically savvy user, accessing the available content may prove to be more inconvenient than pleasurable. For a technically naïve user, the obstacles to enjoyment may simply be overwhelming.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a solution enabling even a novice user to readily access desired content, utilizing any one of a variety of computing devices, such that information relevant to user viewing history can be recorded independently of any single computing device used to access the content, thereby enabling the user to intelligently pause-and-resume content.

Content navigation module for managing delivery of content to computing devices and method therefor


Described herein is a system and method that recognizes vehicle lane departure in road conditions affected by environmental conditions. The system uses magnetic field flux detection to determine if a vehicle is departing from a projected vehicle trajectory or a determined vehicle position between lanes. A magnetic material is applied to the stripes painted on road surfaces or on other applicable lane boundary indicators. The system uses magnetic field flux sensors or Hall Effect sensors mounted in the vehicle to recognize changes in magnetic field flux from the magnetized road stripe. These changes in magnetic field flux are interpreted by the system to determine whether alarms should be initiated for vehicle lane departure.

Lane departure is an automotive enhanced driving assistance feature. The current lane departure technology is based and dependent on the camera sensing capability of recognizing, and analyzing the road guide lines and stripes. The prior systems have limitations and will work only in ideal and limited conditions. It is not always possible for the camera to "visually" see the road guide lines and road delimitation stripes, for example when the road is subjected to environmental conditions such as being covered by snow, dust or sand due to weather conditions.

Vehicle lane departure system based on magnetic field flux detection


An artificial heart comprising a case with inlet and outlet openings for blood which can be implanted in human body instead of an incurable human heart and can provide the normal blood flows in both large (body) and small (lungs) blood circulations for a long period (years). It has a driving arrangement which has a driver armed with magnets and is placed outside the human body. The case is formed with cylindrical wall and two end plates and contains a movable grid consisting of twelve elongated wall elements which are disposed between said plates and which bear slidingly and sealingly on said plates, each wall element being articulately sealingly connected at its end points to at least one further wall element. The grid has nine axles; the central one is connected at least with one of the said plates, the remaining axles are free. The grid is armed with permanent magnets which cause the grid's rotation by their magnet coupling with the driving magnets of the driver. The grid has four cells and together with the end plates forms four operating chambers which alternate their volumes during rotation of grid and work as pump chambers for blood.

The invention relates to an artificial heart having at least two inlet openings and two outlet openings for blood and comprising four operating chambers of variable volume.
The field of use of the artificial heart is medicine, namely the implantation of the said heart in a human body instead of an incurable biological heart.
It is known that in industrial countries heart disease is the main reason of death. A heart transplantation is up to now the last and only radical cure. In such a case a healthy heart from a donor is used, which comes e.g. through a fatal accident. In early days there were few transplantations and the donor problem was of secondary importance. The main problems were the operation technique and suppressing the patient's natural immunity after the operation to prevent the reject reaction. Now thousands of operations are executed every year, and the donor problem is the main one. Also the reject-reaction problem can not be seen as well solved; the patient constantly depends on medicaments and is under risk of its side-effects.
The solution of donor and also largely of reject-reaction problem is the development of a mechanical artificial heart. Instead of conventional heart machines which operate in operation rooms today an implantable artificial heart must have:
1) small volume and low weight; PA1 2) long working life (e.g. ten years); PA1 3) low vibration; PA1 4) a driver which is placed outside the human body and works without damaging the skin; PA1 5) low energy consumption. PA1 two stationary plates which are arranged parallel and spaced to each other, and which together with a cylinder wall build a case, which has inlet and outlet openings for blood and is implanted in the human body instead of an incurable biological heart, PA1 twelve elongated wall elements which are disposed between said plates and which bear slidingly and sealingly on said plates, and together with said plates form four operating chambers, PA1 each wall element being articulately sealingly connected at its end points (articulation points) to at least one further wall element in such a manner that said wall elements from a movable grid having nine axles, the central axles of the said grid being connected at least with one of the said plates and at least two of the remaining axles of the said grid are equipped with permanent magnets and, PA1 the driver being placed outside the human body, which is formed as a round plate, as a bar, or as a grid being similar to the grid contained in the case, and which is equipped at least with two magnets.
Presently available piston-, rotor-, membrane or flexible-pipe pumps can not satisfy these requirements.
The pump FIG. 1a,b which was built in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,409 seems to be a way to fulfill the items 1)-5). It has four operating chambers 18a-d which are placed in a case 20 consisting of two end plates 2, 10 connected with a cylinder wall. The operating chambers 18a-d are formed by two parallel plates 2, 3 and a grid 4 consisting of twelve elongated wall elements which are disposed between said plates 2, 3 and which bear slidingly and sealingly on said plates, each wall element being articulately sealingly Connected at its end points (articulation points) to at least one further wall element in such a manner that said wall elements form a movable grid 4 . The grid 4 has nine joints and nine axles, respectively. The central grid's axle 7 is connected with the plate 2, the two opposite outside axles 6a,b are connected with the plate 3. The remaining six grid's axles are free. The plate 3 can be rotated around the shaft 5. During this rotation the forms and volumes of operating chambers 18a-d are changed.
In the plate 2 there are four openings 13a,b, 14a,b for blood. In FIG. 1a the plate 2 is omitted to show the grid. In spite of it the locations of openings are shown in FIG. 1a with thin lines. Connections of openings with the operating chambers are controlled by the grid's elements. In the configuration of the grid 4 shown in FIG. 1a all openings are closed, the chambers 18a,c have their maximum volume, whilst the chambers 18b,d have their minimum volume. If the plate 3 is rotated in the direction shown in FIG. 1a with the arrow, the openings 13a,b, 14a,b would be connected with the chambers 18c, 18a, 18d and 18b, respectively. The volume of the chambers 18a,c would be diminished and the volume of the chambers 18b,d would be increased. Therefore the openings 13a,b serve as outlets and the openings 14a,b serve as inlets for blood.
The case 20 would be implanted into the human body instead of an incurable biological heart in such a way that the plate 10 is placed near the skin. The ribs can be used to secure the position of the case. One outlet-inlet pair e.g. 13a, 14a can be connected to the small (lungs) blood circulation whilst another outlet-inlet pair 13b, 14b can be connected to the large (body) blood circulation.
The rotation of the plate 3 is initiated by the driver, namely by the plate 12 (FIG.1b) which is placed outside die human body near to the skin surface and is connected with the driving shaft 8. Both plates 3, 12 are equipped on their perimeters with the permanent magnets 11, 11' to create a magnet coupling.
The sealing is never perfect, and blood from the operating chambers leaks into part. 21 of the case's room outside the grid 4. Therefore this part must be washed properly with blood. The openings 15 and 16 serve for it. Through these openings part 21 can be connected (serial or parallel) to one of the blood circulations.
The disadvantages of the artificial heart FIG. 1a,b are yet a complexity and the large size and weight of its implant i.e. the case 20 and its contents.


The present invention relates to a method for producing an α-form titanylphthalocyanine represented by the formula (1):

In image-formation apparatuses, such as photocopiers and printers, to which electrophotographic technologies are applied, many organic photoreceptors are employed, each of which has a sensitivity to light emitted from a light-source in the apparatus within a range of wavelength of the light. It is known that the organic photoreceptor includes monolayer type photoreceptors and multilayer type photoreceptors. The monolayer type photoreceptor comprises a single photoreceptor layer wherein a charge generating material and a charge transferring material have been dispersed in a thin film of an appropriate binder resin. The multilayer type photoreceptor comprises a charge generating layer comprising a charge generating material; and a charge transferring layer comprising a charge transferring material, wherein the charge generating layer and the charge transferring layer are laminated.
Conventional phthalocyanine compound has a spectral sensitivity to a light having a long wavelength or less, good charge generation efficiency, good fastness, high sensitivity and high durability. Therefore, various phthalocyanine compounds are employed as charge generating materials. Among others, titanylphthalocyanine can be used in an electrophotographic photoreceptor, since the titanylphthalocyanine has characteristics such as high charging amount and high sensitivity, and the titanylphthalocyanine can be easily formed into a thin film, such as a charge generating layer, by vapor deposition or dispersing.
These phthalocyanine compounds have considerably different electric characteristics depending on each stacking state even though they have the same molecular structure. Stacking state of the organic compound molecule is determined by its polymorph. Therefore, different polymorph provides different stacking state. Accordingly, perturbation of electron in π electron system is altered. This is why that the characteristics in an electronic material such as an organic photoreceptor can be significantly altered.
Generally, titanylphthalocyanines can be produced by an urea synthetic method (i.e., Weiller method) or a phthalonitrile synthetic method. These conventional methods, however, immediately after the synthesis, often provide a crude titanylphthalocyanines containing various polymorphs, such as "β-form", "α-form" and other metastable polymorphs, i.e., a polymorphic mixture. Since the polymorphic mixture is a mixture of crystals each of which has different electric characteristics, the conventional titanylphthalocyanines are not suitable for applying them to a charge generating material such as an electrophotographic photoreceptor.
Therefore, in the art, titanylphthalocyanine having a suitable single polymorph has been investigated in order to use the titanylphthalocyanine, as starting material, as it is a crude, suitable for producing a charge generating material. Examples of such attempts include the followings.
Patent Literature 1: JP-A-61-239248 discloses a method for producing an α-form titanylphthalocyanine having a peak at a Bragg angle (2θ±0.2°) in X-ray diffraction spectrum with CuK α-ray: 7.5°, 12.3°, 16.3°, 25.3° and 28.7°, which includes preparation of a crude α-form titanylphthalocyanine according to a phthalonitrile synthetic method; washing the crude titanylphthalocyanine with acetone by means of a Soxhlet's extractor; dry milling the washed titanylphthalocyanine in the presence of alumina beads. This method employs a Soxhlet's extractor. Therefore, the equipments for the synthesis are complicated. The method includes vigorous washing with a solvent with heating. Therefore, such procedure is complicated. Totally, the disclosed method is not a convenient for producing an α-form titanylphthalocyanine.
Patent Literature 2: JP-A-8-209023 discloses a method of transformation including subjecting a low crystalline titanylphthalocyanine resulted from an acid pasting treatment to milling with zirconia beads in the presence of dichlorotoluene, sodium chloride and water to prepare a crystal thereof having a peak at a Bragg angle (2θ±0.2°) in X-ray diffraction spectrum with CuK α-ray: 7.22°, 9.60°, 11.60°, 13.40°, 14.88°, 18.34°, 23.62°, 24.14° and 27.32°. This method, however, includes a complicated steam distillation in order to remove the dichlorotoluene. There may be a problem that the resulting photosensitive characteristics of the titanylphthalocyanine are deteriorated, if the resulting titanylphthalocyanine is contaminated with any inorganic salt such as sodium chloride. Therefore, many water-washing procedures are required. Totally, the disclosed method is complicated.

Method for producing α-form titanylphthalocyanine and electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising α-form titanylphthalocyanine

Abstract: which has a peak at a Bragg angle (2θ±0.2°) in X-ray diffraction spectrum with CuK α-ray: 7.5°, 10.2°, 12.6°, 13.2°, 15.1°, 16.3°, 17.3°, 18.3°, 22.5°, 24.2°, 25.3° and 28.6°, wherein the method includes steps of:                (I) subjecting a crude titanylphthalocyanine having an α-form polymorph to an acid pasting treatment, and then filtering and washing with water to give a water-containing wet cake, and then subjecting the wet cake to drying and crushing to give a low crystalline titanylphthalocyanine;        (II) adding a dispersing aid to the low crystalline titanylphthalocyanine and dispersing at room temperature, in DMF, to prepare a polymorph; and        (III) filtering, washing, and drying under a reduced pressure.


A technique for isocentric ion beam scanning is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized by an apparatus for isocentric ion beam scanning. The apparatus may comprise an end station having a mechanism for holding and translating a wafer. The apparatus may also comprise a deflector that tilts an ion beam to a predetermined angle and directs the ion beam into the end station. The wafer may be translated with respect to the ion beam for isocentric scanning at least a portion of a surface of the wafer, and wherein the ion beam is maintained at the predetermined angle during isocentric scanning.

Ion implantation is a process of depositing chemical species into a substrate by direct bombardment of the substrate with energized ions. In semiconductor manufacturing, ion implanters are used primarily for doping processes that alter the type and level of conductivity of target materials. A precise doping profile in an integrated circuit (IC) substrate and its thin-film structure is often crucial for proper IC performance. To achieve a desired doping profile, one or more ion species may be implanted in different doses, at different energy levels, and sometimes at different incident angles.
For a uniform distribution of dopant ions, an ion beam is typically scanned across the surface of a target wafer. FIG. 1a shows a typical beam path 10 formed by scanning an ion beam spot 102 across a wafer 104. The ion beam spot 102 may be scanned back and forth in the X direction while the wafer 104 is translated in the Y direction, thereby forming the zigzag pattern of the beam path 10. FIG. 1b shows another typical beam path 11 formed by scanning the ion beam spot 102 across the wafer 104. Here, the ion beam spot 102 is scanned along straight lines in the X direction and makes square turns at the end of a sweep.
As the semiconductor industry is producing devices with smaller and smaller feature sizes, ion beams with lower energies are required for wafer implantation. Compared with high- or medium-energy ion beams, low-energy ion beams present some unique challenges. For example, a low-energy ion beam usually has a large beam spot, which can cause problems for beam utilization and uniformity tuning. In addition, the shape or current density of a low-energy ion beam can change substantially as it propagates down a beam line. As a result, if different portions of a wafer meet the low-energy ion beam at different positions along the beam line, different dopant profiles may be created for the different portions of the wafer. This problem is illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein an ion beam 202 is propagating along the Z direction. If a wafer 204 meets the ion beam 202 at a first position Z=Z1, the wafer 204 will see a beam spot 206. If the wafer 204 meets the ion beam 202 at a second position Z=Z2, for example, when the ion beam 202 is scanned across the surface of the wafer 204, the wafer 204 will see a beam spot 208 that may be quite different from the beam spot 206. Therefore, the portion of the wafer 204 implanted with the ion beam at beam spot 208 may have a different dopant profile from the portion implanted with the ion beam at beam spot 206. The problem of beam-line variation is not unique to low-energy ion beams but can also be observed in some high-current ion beams.
As a countermeasure to the beam-line variation problem, a concept known as "isocentric scanning" has been proposed. Isocentric scanning generally involves moving a wafer with respect to an ion beam in such a way that the point in space where the ion beam strikes the wafer surface remains the same no matter which part of the wafer surface meets the ion beam. It should be noted that isocentric scanning does not have to cover the entire surface of a wafer but may cover only a portion of the wafer surface.
FIG. 3 illustrates isocentric scanning of a wafer 304. An ion beam 302 may propagate along the Z direction, and the wafer 304 may be translated within the X-Y plane to perform the isocentric scanning. Effectively, the wafer 304 is moved in such a way that a beam spot 306 (i.e., a cross section of the ion beam 302) having the same shape and current density distribution will strike different portions of the surface of the wafer 304 at a same point (X0, Y0, Z0) in space.
FIG. 3 only shows the simplest example of isocentric scanning wherein the ion beam 302 has a normal incidence on the wafer 304. These days, however, it is often necessary to implant a wafer at one or more different incident angles other than the normal incident angle, which technique is known as "angled ion implantation." Sometimes, it may also be desirable to implant different portions of a wafer at different incident angles. In existing ion implantation systems, angled ion implantation is typically accommodated by maintaining an ion beam along a fixed reference direction and tilting a target wafer with respect to the ion beam. To achieve isocentric scanning on a tilted wafer, the wafer has to be moved in a complex pattern with respect to the ion beam.
FIG. 4 illustrates a complex movement of a tilted wafer 404 for isocentric scanning by an ion beam 402. The ion beam 402 propagates along the Z direction. For isocentric scanning, the wafer 404 is moved in such a way that the same beam spot (or ion beam cross section) 406 strikes the surface of the wafer 404. Since the wafer 404 is tilted with respect to the ion beam 402, the wafer 404 is moved not only in the X-Y plane, but also in the Z direction. For example, at position A, the center of the tilted wafer 404 may be at Z=ZA. At position B, the center of the tilted wafer 404 may be at Z=ZB (ZB≠ZA). The movement in the Z direction has to precisely coordinated with the movement in the X-Y plane in order to meet the isocentric scanning requirement.
To precisely control the tilting and the three-dimensional (3-D) translation of a wafer for isocentric scanning, existing ion implantation systems have to be equipped with a fairly complex end station to hold, tilt, and move the wafer. FIG. 5 illustrates a typical setup for isocentric scanning in existing ion implantation systems. An end station 508 may be a process chamber or similar component that houses a mechanism (not shown) for holding a wafer 504 and for controlling wafer movements. An ion beam 502 may propagate along a reference direction 50 and may be directed into the end station 508 via an aperture 510. With respect to the end station 508, the angle of the ion beam 502 is relatively fixed. Isocentric scanning is achieved by tilting and moving the wafer 504, all inside the end station 508. For example, the wafer 504 may be tilted by an angle θ so that the normal direction 52 of the wafer 504 is at an angle θ with respect to the reference direction 50. The mechanism in the end station 508 is capable of moving the wafer 504 in all three dimensions based on the tilt angle θ and the isocentric scanning requirement. Such capabilities necessitate a sophisticated design of the end station 508 that is often expensive to build and maintain.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a technique for isocentric ion beam scanning which overcomes the above-described inadequacies and shortcomings.

Technique for isocentric ion beam scanning

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.


An electrical distribution system having a load center for programmably and remotely controlling a plurality of circuit breakers, an expander unit coupled to the load center and a plurality of external switches for providing signals to the load center representative of the status of the switches. The load center contains a control module that continually receives inputs from the expander unit via an interface module. It also contains a keyboard and display for programming instructions for closing and opening the individual circuit breakers and for displaying the status of the circuit breakers. The interface module, coupled to the control module, causes the circuit breakers to open and close according to programmed instructions received from the control module or another external device. The expander unit contains a plurality of input circuits coupled to external switches. An expander circuit having a microprocessor receives signals from the input circuits, which are representative of the status of the external switches, and continually provides signals representative of the status of the switches to the load center for the load center to cause the circuit breakers to open and close as a function of the status of the external switches. The expander circuit also continually receives information from the load center about the status of the individual circuit breakers and provides, to a plurality of output terminals, signals representative of the status of the circuit breakers. The output terminals are coupled to a display device for displaying the status of individual circuit breakers. The output terminal also may be used to activate other devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to circuit breakers and more particularly to improvements in the control and monitoring of remotely controlled circuit breakers.
2. Descriptions of the Related Art
Remotely controlled circuit breakers are commonly used for temporary interruption of electrical power to electrical devices during peak use hours and for programmable control. of lighting and other devices in commercial applications. By selectively opening and closing from remote locations, such circuit breakers can provide energy savings and convenience of operations over manually operated circuit breakers. For these reasons, remotely controlled circuit breakers are increasingly being used in various industries and office buildings alike.
Remotely controlled circuit breaker systems typically include a circuit breaker load-center having circuit breakers wired to a remotely located control unit, such as a computer, for monitoring and/or controlling the individual circuit breakers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,476 issued to Brodsky et al. on Apr. 24, 1990, shows a circuit breaker system wherein the wiring is accomplished by using a patch-board within the load-center. Other systems use hard-wiring between each circuit breaker input/output and a terminal in the remotely located computer. Such systems are not flexible, in that each time the circuit breaker control requirements change, the wiring and many system components must be reconfigured or replaced, which can be expensive and burdensome.
The parent co-pending patent application U.S. Ser. No. 07/723,474, filed on Jun. 28, 1991 and assigned to the assignee of this application, provides an electrical power distribution system which solves the above-noted problems. It includes multiple circuit breakers, each of which is operable by remote control in at least an open and a closed position. A circuit breaker control circuit having a termination circuit interprets circuit breaker control signals from an external switch device. A circuit breaker driver board controls and monitors the circuit breaker input means. Data paths are provided for receiving programming data from an external device. A switch input data path coupled to the termination circuit carries circuit breakers switching instructions from the termination circuit. The control circuit responds to manual input instructions, programming data and circuit breaker switch instructions according to a prioritization scheme. The parent patent application U.S. Ser. No. 07/723,474, filed on Jun. 28, 1991, is incorporated herein by reference.
The above described circuit breaker system is enclosed in a single panel, which has a limited capability to accept inputs from various external switches or devices, which in many applications significantly reduces the capability of such circuit breaker systems. Additionally, no means are provided to remotely display the status of individual circuit breakers or to operate other devices as a function of the status of the individual circuit breakers.
The present invention provides an electrical distribution system having the above described circuit breaker unit or the load panel and an expander unit. The expander unit enables the circuit breaker unit to utilize a large number of inputs from various external switches and/or devices. The expander unit also displays the status of the individual circuit breakers at a remote location and is adapted to drive or operate other devices as a function of the status of the individual circuit breakers.

Electrical distribution system with an external multiple input and status unit


A system and method is provided for user and command specific place based caching with cache validation, including a server; a database; a server cache; the server responsive to receiving a request message for generating a user-specific cache file name, accessing the server based cache with the file name to obtain a cached response message, validating the cached response message, generating a response message selectively from the cached response message if obtained and validated, and otherwise generating from the database and selectively caching the response message.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to caching. More specifically, it relates to server executed caching based on application semantics.
2. Background Art
In IBM® Lotus® QuickPlace® server pre-release 3.0 design, each HTTP request from a client browser results in a number of connections to the database before the server is capable of rendering a complete page back to the client browser. Consequently, some database operations are very expensive especially in the case of large databases, resulting in slow response time.
Heretofore, many software products have used caching to improve such response time. However, such products have not recognized and accommodated the need to manage cache operations based on who the user is as well as on project specific validation of cached objects.
Caching of forms in collaboration space has heretofore been done by the place server in memory, and has been lost when the server is terminated.
Domino, IBM, the IBM Logo, Lotus, Notes, QuickPlace are trademarks of International Business Machines in the United States, other countries, or both.

System and method for caching and validating user and command specific server response messages

International Business Machines Corporation


Embodiments of the present invention relate to an array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing method comprises: step 1: forming a gate line, a gate electrode, a first insulating layer, an active layer and ohmic contact layers on a base substrate by a first patterning process using a gray-tone or half-tone mask, in which the active layer between the ohmic contact layers corresponds to a channel region; step 2: forming a second insulating layer and a pixel electrode film on the base substrate obtained after the step 1 by a second patterning process using a gray-tone or half-tone mask; and step 3: forming a drain electrode, a source electrode, a data line and a passivation layer on the base substrate obtained after the step 2 by a third patterning process using a gray-tone or half-tone mask.

A thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) has the advantages of small volume, low power consumption, non-radiation, etc. and has prevailed in the current flat panel display market. As for the TFT-LCD, the product performance, the yield and the price of the TFT-LCD are determined by a structure and a manufacturing process of an array substrate.
Currently, the array substrate is manufactured by using many patterning processes. In order to effectively reduce the price of the TFT-LCD and improve the yield of the TFT-LCD, the manufacturing process of the array substrate is gradually simplified, that is, from the original seven patterning processes to four patterning processes based on the gray-tone mask technology. The current four patterning processes technology utilizes a gray-tone or half-tone mask to finish the patterning of an active layer, a data line, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a channel region for a thin-film transistor (TFT) by one patterning process.
As each patterning process generally includes photoresist coating, exposure, development, etching, striping and other processes, the number of the patterning processes can be used for measuring the complexity of the manufacturing process of the array substrate. In the manufacturing process of the array substrate, the fewer the number of the patterning processes adopted is, the shorter the production time is, the higher the production efficiency is, the lower the manufacturing cost is.

Array substrate and manufacturing method thereof


Disclosed are a method and a system that adaptively transform visual contents inputted from a network, in accordance with the visual characteristics of a terminal user. A visual characteristics descriptor that describes the information of the user visual characteristics in a predetermined format is proposed. The descriptor includes the information of the color vision deficiency type and the color vision deficiency degree. The color vision deficiency may be described in numerical degree or textual degree. The invention adaptively transforms visual contents differently in accordance with the color vision deficiency type.

The MPEG-21 is being established as the next generation standard for a multimedia framework by MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group), which is a Working Group of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29. The goal of MPEG-21 is to realize a multimedia integration framework capable of freely and easily using multimedia contents despite the wide-range characteristics of networks, terminals and users, existing under various environments, by unifying the standards of the existing MPEGs or other standardization groups. The digital item adaptation part of the MPEG-21, Part 7 relates to adaptively transforming the multimedia contents (or digital items) in accordance with the characteristics of networks, terminals (video display devices) and users, the standardization of which is now in progress.
Preceding researches for users with a color vision deficiency are as follows: In "Computerized Simulation of Color Appearance for Dichromats" (Journal of Optical Society of America. A, v.14, no. 10, 1997, 2647-2655), H. Brettel studied an algorithm for allowing common users to experience the color vision characteristics of users with dichromacy. However, in this paper, only an algorithm capable of simulating the color vision characteristics of users with the color vision deficiency is disclosed. An adaptation algorithm for obtaining information that is impossible or difficult to obtain due to the color vision deficiencies is not mentioned. This method requires that contents manufacturers perform a simulation process for dichromats before selecting the colors of the contents. An object of such a method is to avoid a combination of colors that is difficult to be distinguished by the dichromats, if possible, by performing a simulation process to determine whether the dichromats can discriminate the selected combination of the colors.
However, this method urges the contents manufacturers to use limited number of colors, thereby restricting the creativity of the manufacturers and possibly inducing the inconvenience and monotony in the process of recognizing the color information for normal users. Therefore, this method is difficult to satisfy the requirements of various users. Accordingly, there is a need for adaptation not in the contents manufacturing step, but in accordance with individual vision abilities or terminal devices. Nowadays, numerous digital multimedia contents are manufactured even in a day. Thus, such a process performed in the contents manufacturing step has a disadvantage in that it is impossible to adaptively transform the already existing contents.
In order to solve these problems, improving the abilities for recognizing the color information processing of humans with a color vision deficiency by directly transforming the colors of visual contents may be considered. This method has an advantage in that it is not required to redesign a display device and it is possible to adaptively transform all existing contents.
A method of adaptation for users with a color vision deficiency is discussed in "Enhancing Color Representation for Anomalous Trichromats on CRT Monitors Color" (G. Kovacs, Research and Application, v.26 SUPP, 2001, S273-S276), in which an algorithm is disclosed which allows the users to see like a normal user by computing a filter to be mounted in cathode ray tube (to be referred as "CRT") and applying the obtained filter to a RGB spectrum response value of a corresponding CRT monitor. However, this method applies a filter to a monitor and has a disadvantage in that it is impossible to perform a transformation in accordance with the contents if a plurality of digital items, i.e. a number of images, exist in a screen. Furthermore, it is a burden to purchase a specially manufactured CRT monitor in order to implement this function.
In the Gazette of U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,830, an equation for modeling a human with a color vision deficiency is vaguely derived. However, the process for adaptively transforming visual contents in accordance with the color vision characteristics of humans with a color vision deficiency is very complicated. Moreover, the method does not allow humans with a color vision deficiency to conceive the adaptively transformed visual contents, but allows humans to merely discriminate the visual contents. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,830 is incorporated herein by reference.
Humans recognize colors and brightness of an object by the visual cells sensing the light reflected from the surface of the object. The visual cells existing in the retina include rod cells and cone cells. The visual cells are specialized cells that function to sense light. Human eyes contain about seven million cone cells and one hundred and thirty million rod cells. Humans discriminate light and darkness using the rod cells and recognize detailed appearance and colors using cone cells. As photochrome contained in the cone cells absorb photons, color recognition of humans is made. Normal humans have three types of cone cells, which absorb different portions of light with a visible wavelength, in the retina. The types are classified into L (long), M (middle) and S (short) in accordance with the peak sensitivity of a wavelength region absorbed by each type of cone cell. Humans recognize colors depending on the ratio of signals which the three types of cone cells generate in accordance with light.
Unlike the above conditions, color vision deficiency is the state in which any of the three types of cone cells does not exist naturally or function abnormally. If there are only two types of cone cells, it is called a dichromacy. In addition, if the function of the cone cells is abnormal, even though all three types exist, it is called an anomalous trichromacy. In the world, about 8% of males and about 0.5% of females have a color vision deficiency. Nevertheless, no method for treating color vision deficiencies exists at present; thus, this study has been commissioned to research a new scheme for treating color vision deficiencies.
It is medically impossible to make humans with a color vision deficiency see original colors. The goal of adaptation for dichromacy is to allow humans with a color vision deficiency to obtain information from the colors of contents at the same level of a normal human, although they are not capable of seeing the original colors.

Method and system for transforming adaptively visual contents according to terminal user's color vision characteristics

Electronics and Communications Research Institute

Information and Communications Educational Foundation


A fire detector capable of readily and accurately adjusting the sensitivity thereof and of not erroneously outputting any fire signal is provided with a first-stage amplifying circuit having an output adjusting variable resistor and a fire discriminating section having a reference voltage adjusting variable resistor. As a result, it is possible to adjust the amplified output to a predetermined value by the switching level of the fire discriminating section to a predetermined value by the reference voltage adjusting variable resistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fire detector, and more particularly to a photoelectric type fire detector capable of photoelectrically detecting smoke generated as a result of a fire, as well as to a heat-photoelectric type fire detector which detects occurrence of fire by sensing both heat and smoke generated by the fire.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional photoelectric smoke detector, when smoke arises due to fire, the light emitted from a smoke detecting light-emitting element of a light-emitting section is scattered by the smoke and enters a smoke detecting light-receiving element of a light-receiving section. The scattered light received by the light-receiving element is then amplified in an amplifying circuit and then sent to a fire discriminating section where fire discrimination is made on the basis of the output value. If it is determined that there is fire, the discriminating section transmits a fire signal to a fire signal transmitting section through an accumulating circuit, and the transmitting section sends this fire signal to a fire receiver etc. for reporting the fire.
In the conventional photoelectric type smoke detector, the sensitivity of the detector is adjusted by a sensitivity adjusting means and the operation of the fire discriminating section etc. is stabilized by means of a constant voltage circuit. Further, in such a type of detector, a pulse output of an oscillating circuit is supplied to an operation indicating lamp so that the lamp is intermittently turned on to indicate that the detector is normally operating.
In the conventional sensitivity adjustment, a reflecting plate, which would generate a scattering light being equivalent to the scattering light which would be generated when 10%/m of smoke has entered, is disposed in a smoke detecting dark box of the photoelectric type smoke detector, and a detected output at that time is used for selecting a reference resistance of a comparator as a fire discriminating means such that the comparator replies. As a result, the detected output would become varied due to the dispersion of the circuit constant of an electric circuit of the respective photoelectric smoke detector. This leads to troublesome procedure for the sensitivity adjustment i.e. the selection of the reference resistance. In addition, since a different value of the detected output is obtained in each of the photoelectric type smoke detectors, in order to know the historical variation of the sensitivity of the detector from the initial state, the initial detected outputs of the detectors must be recognized, which has been laborious procedures.
The conventional detector includes an accumulating circuit composed of a plurality of D-type flip-flops. Accordingly, for example, the fire signal would be sometimes undesirably transmitted from the fire signal transmitting section by the operation of the accumulating circuit upon turning on of the power source when the fire resetting operation is carried out.
The constant voltage circuit in the conventional detector is composed of a transistor, a Zener diode connected to a base of the transistor, and a resistor connected between a collector and the base of the transistor. Therefore, when there is a significant difference in the power source voltage to be supplied to the smoke detector between the fire receivers, the current to be consumed in the constant voltage circuit of the smoke detector varies depending on the fire receiver connected there to. For example, when the power source voltage is high, the current flowing through the Zener diode of the constant voltage circuit becomes correspondingly large, while when the power source voltage is low, the current flowing through the Zener diode of the constant voltage becomes correspondingly small.
Thus, in the case of a fire receiver with a high power source voltage to be supplied to the smoke detector, there is a disadvantage in that the number of smoke detectors which can be connected is significantly restricted due to the power consumption of the constant voltage circuit, in comparison with a fire receiver with a low power source voltage. Further, the power source voltage of the fire receiver is sometimes unstable and fluctuates. In such a case, if the fire detector is changed to a smoke detector having semiconductor circuits, a necessary number of fire detectors cannot be connected.
In the conventional detector, the oscillating circuit of the operation indicating lamp is provided separate from and independent of a pulse oscillating circuit for supplying the pulse output to the smoke detecting light-emitting element of the light-emitting section. As a result, even if the pulse oscillating circuit for detecting the smoke fails so as not to make the light-emitting element emit light i.e. in a fire monitoring disabled state, the indicating lamp flickers if the oscillating circuit is normally operable, erroneously indicating that the detector is in normal state.


Embodiments of the invention provide a computerized optimization system configured to optimize the operations of a hydrogen generation, processing, and delivery network. Such a network typically includes a complex of physical equipment, plants, and pipelines, including both production and distribution facilities. A hydrogen optimization system provides a software system that optimizes the production and distribution of hydrogen over such a hydrogen network. The hydrogen optimization system may use both a genetic algorithm configured to “evolve” a population of solutions to improve the quality of solutions over time as well as directed heuristics to identify a superior operating state for the hydrogen pipeline network.

Generally, a hydrogen pipeline system provides a continuous pipe conduit, complete with equipment such as valves, compressor stations, communications systems, and meters, for transporting hydrogen from one point to another, usually from one point (or points) of production or processing to another, or to points of use.
Optimizing the operations of a hydrogen pipeline system is a complex task. In particular, optimizing a pipeline system to account for power costs of various nodes, for reconfigurable elements (e.g., a pipeline element that can act to increase pressure or flow, or decrease pressures or flows at a particular node of the pipeline), and for contractually obligated output and pressure requirements and at various nodes, has proven to be a difficult task. Further, a variety of different sources may introduce hydrogen into the pipeline at different purity levels; this difference in purity for input feeds (as well as output feeds) complicates the optimization process. Commercially-available pipeline optimization systems have been generally unable to provide satisfactory solutions for configuring complex pipeline systems. In particular, commercially-available pipeline optimization systems have been unable to account for the variety of factors that may impact on the operational cost of operating the pipeline. Instead, such systems often constrain a variety of these variables and seek to optimize an isolated aspect of pipeline operation, assuming that the others may be optimized independently. Often, this has lead to sub-optimal solutions. Moreover, even when current systems have proven capable of identifying a highly-quality solution, they often fail to do so in a reasonable amount of time.

Optimizing operations of a hydrogen pipeline system


The method allows a pressure test of a string with external packers without having the packer setting apparatus exposed to tubing pressure so that at a later time and at a lower pressure than the pressure test pressure, the external packers can be set with annulus pressure opened to a piston that references a low pressure chamber. The packers can be set in any desired order. Thereafter, a circulation sub can be triggered to open to allow the fracking to start. Fracking each interval beyond the first in an uphole direction can be accomplished with pumping ever increasing balls to seats associated with sliding sleeves to open the sleeves in order. In cemented completions, after a pressure test, a ported sub can open on a timer or other signal to allow pumping a combination of a bridge plug and a perforating gun to the desired location.

As regulations regarding completions become more restrictive due to safety and other reasons a need has arisen to perform a pressure integrity test on a string in a variety of circumstances. The string could be cemented and need to have a series of bridge plugs and perforating guns delivered at different depths so that portions can be sequentially perforated and fracked. However, with a need for a pressure test on the tubular there needs to be no openings in the wall open. In order to then be able to pump bridge plugs attached to perforating guns after a pressure test particularly in a horizontal well defined as having an incline of more than 62 degrees from vertical there has to be a wall opening through which circulation or injection can be established where the ported sub that can provide such an opening is configured to stay closed during the pressure test of the string. The problem is that if the ported sub opens in response to applied internal pressure, the needed pressure to get the ported sub to open after the pressure test of the tubular will require subjecting the string to even higher pressures to open. In other fracking systems a series of packers that are spaced apart are set at the same time before any fracking sleeves are opened up. The problem here is that if a pressure test is required on the string and the packer setting ports are still open then the packers will be subjected to higher pressures than the intended setting pressure. This additional setting force on the packers can adversely affect the formation by fracturing at the packers rather than as intended between them. Accordingly it would be advantageous to be able to pressure test the string without the packers set and then set the packers without having to further resort to even higher pressures than the pressure integrity test on the tubular string.
The method of the present invention relies on ported subs that can be selectively opened with a timer or a signal. In the case of multiple spaced packers, the string can be pressure tested without the packers being set. The setting force for setting the packers can be annulus pressure so that valves can communicate annulus pressure to an actuation piston for the packers to set them with a reference pressure on the opposite side of the piston as being low or atmospheric. The order of setting can be as desired and the valves can respond to a timer or another signal for operation to set the packers in the desired order. Then in order to be able to deliver a succession of balls to different frack sleeves between pairs of packers a ported sleeve valve can be triggered by timers or other signal to open a first access to the formation so that all balls that then need to land on seats and shift sleeves for formation access can be pumped because there will always be a flow path for fluid to carry each ball to its destination.
Relevant to the art of using timers to shift sleeves or operate other downhole equipment are: WO2009/105128A1; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,709,708; 6,035,880; 3,896,667; 3,570,594; U.S. 20130062124; 20120138311; 20100200243; 20090071642; 20040045724. Also of interest is J. N. McCoy Timer Control of Beam Pump Run Time Reduces Operating Expense presented at the 46th Annual Southwestern Petroleum Short Course, Lubbock, Tex. Apr. 21-22, 1999.
Those skilled in the art will better understand the methods of the present invention from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.

Fracturing sequential operation method using signal responsive ported subs and packers


A method of enhancing one or more fields of a master database record based on a consumption of one or more data points provided via a third-party data subscription service is disclosed. An aggregated view corresponding to a master database record is accessed. The aggregated view identifies correspondences between the one or more fields of the master database record and the one or more data points provided via the third-party data subscription service. Based on a determination that one or more consumption criteria are met, the one or more data points are consumed and stored in a central database. The one or more fields of the master database record are updated based on the one or more consumed data points. The enhanced master database record is provided via a network to one or more computerized processes associated with one or more consumers of the enhanced master database record.

Data intelligence solutions may connect, aggregate, and anonymize data to prepare it for commercial consumption. For example, business entities may apply algorithms to its data and create data insights, services, or data-driven applications for its businesses and its customers. The business entities may then supplement their own data items with customer, partner, or third-party industry data items. Revenue streams created and associated with such data intelligence solutions may be called Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) revenue streams.
There are various technical problems associated with implementing such data intelligence solutions. Such technical problems may relate to, for example, accessibility (e.g., knowing whether or not specific data items exist or not knowing how to access existing data items), actionality (e.g., finding data, but discovering it is unformatted, outdated, or cannot be extracted), and sharing (e.g., needing to know what datasets a business entities owns and how to centrally share these datasets across lines of business).


Mapping and localization using image processing of wireless signals is provided. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a novel approach for high accuracy mapping of an environment around an antenna (or antenna array) coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transceiver through image processing of RF signals. The image processing includes constructing a map of line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) objects in the environment by distinguishing NLOS objects and correctly projecting their positions relative to the LOS objects. In some examples, a three-dimensional (3D) image of the environment around the antenna (or antenna array) is produced. Aspects disclosed herein can further provide simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for a wireless device.

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is the ability of a system (such as a base station, a robot, or a mobile device) to identify its environment, create a three-dimensional map, and acquire a current position (e.g., the position of the robot or mobile device in the environment). SLAM enables autonomous agents to navigate independently in a crowded environment while avoiding collisions with the surroundings and protecting humans from possible injury. Additionally, SLAM has found applications in virtual and augmented reality, autonomous driving, and assisted living technologies. SLAM can also be used for military applications, such as navigation in GPS challenged or denied regions, autonomous navigation in unstructured environments (indoor, outdoor, and subterranean), navigation for multiple devices even in non-line-of-sight situations, and accurate localization of devices or objects deep inside buildings.
A common requirement for most SLAM applications is providing the location of the user/device with high spatial accuracy. Spatial resolution is directly proportional to the wavelengths of utilized electromagnetic signals, therefore millimeter wave (mmWave) has become a promising spectrum for SLAM systems. Due to their short wavelength and large absolute bandwidths, mmWave signals promise a high spatial resolution.
One of the early works on SLAM in wireless network environment was done by using the WiFi Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) from multiple access points (APs) and estimating the location of a mobile station (MS). Others extended SLAM into mmWave radio frequency (RF) networks by incorporating direction-of-arrival (DoA) and creating a fingerprinting database for possible locations. Sub-6 gigahertz (GHz) systems have been used concurrently with mmWave systems by estimating angle-of-arrival (AoA) from the sub-6 GHz system and feeding it to the mmWave system to simplify the beam training for ranging and localization. Algorithms leveraging angle-difference-of-arrival (ADoA) were developed by first estimating the position of access points then estimating the location of the user by comparing the ADoA from each AP to the user. However, those methods require at least 4 APs. At mmWave frequencies, localization algorithms for line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) were developed. These solutions, however, are limited for only one reflection and require an antenna array at each device for localization.
Thanks to the hundreds to thousands of antennas that are expected to be deployed at mmWave base stations (BS), these BSs could also be used for mmWave imaging. Further, future communication systems "6G and beyond" will likely utilize even higher frequency bands. The higher bandwidth can be leveraged to provide even higher resolution images, thus increasing the accuracy of SLAM approaches.

Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University


A measuring and dispensing device (10) is used to selectively dispense a selected fixed volume of a solid, flowable human consumable material. The device may be in releasable connection with a container (12) that is operable to deliver the material therefrom to the device by gravity. The device includes a lid (20) which is in rotatable connection with a cup plate (24). The cup plate includes a cup (26) having an interior volume. The cup has a cup outlet (80) that is closable by a relatively movable cup closure (28). The lid includes a lid plate opening (52) and the cup plate includes a cup plate opening (84) that are positionable in overlapping relation to enable the interior volume of the cup to be filled with material from the container. Relatively rotating the lid and cup plate to a cup fill prevented/release orientation that is angularly disposed from the cup fill enabled orientation, is operative to cause a latch (32) to automatically open the cup closure and enable the dispense of the material in the cup interior volume from the cup outlet.

Many different types of human consumable materials are provided in reclosable containers. Solid flowable materials such as powders, particulates or granules are often provided in relatively large containers. To remove the material from the container users are often required to tip the container so that the material can flow out of a container opening by gravity into a measuring cup or other similar device. The process of pouring or otherwise removing the flowable material from the container can result in some of the material being spilled. As a result a mess is created and some material is lost. Manually reaching into a container interior with a measuring scoop is messy and may introduce contaminants into the container. Further, the process of pouring or otherwise removing the material from the interior of the container may be difficult to do in a way that results in an accurate and repeatable amount of the material being removed. Obtaining an accurately measured volumetric amount of the material may be important when the material involved is a medication, dietary supplement or other material of which a fixed amount is repeatedly required delivered for consumption.
Measuring and dispensing devices may benefit from improvements.


A guide sleeve structure for guiding and supporting the cylinder in the spindle guide tube comprising vertical guide webs(110) formed toward the spindle between the radial line of the ribs(130), and the vertical guide grooves toward the spindle in response to the ribs(130) to structurally withhold the expanding and the shrinking of the slide gap caused by the change of temperature.

Generally, the guide sleeve for guiding the spindle of the length-adjustable column for chairs has been widely used in manufacturing chairs or tables.
The guide sleeve used in the column is provided with a slide sleeve comprising 6 or more vertical guide webs on its internal surface, projected toward the central longitudinal axis, and the vertical grooves having a larger width than that of the guide webs, both of which, alternate in its order and the multiple ribs(rib web) are formed on the outer surface to receive and support the guide tube.
The guide sleeves having multiple ribs on the outer surface of the guide sleeve were disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,923,280, 4,756,496, and 5,413,414. Among them, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,414, as seen in the FIG. 1, which may be considered to be similar to this invention includes a guide sleeve(10) having a slide sleeve structure for guiding and supporting the spindle(20) in touch with the spindle, an outer tube(15) for receiving the slide sleeve, and the ribs(20) radially formed in the center of the spindle between the slide sleeve structure and the cover surface of the guide sleeve(10).
Further, the above slide sleeve structure, as seen in FIG. 2, has vertically formed guide webs(14) touching the spindle(20), the ribs(13) formed radially toward to the outer surface, and the vertical guide webs(13) formed radially on the internal surface projected toward the spindle(20) in the portion in line with the ribs(13).
In the above slide sleeve structure, the vertical guide webs(14) have smaller width than that of the vertical grooves (12) formed between the vertical guide webs(14). This guide sleeve(10) for length-adjustable chairs forms a conventional slide sleeve structure where the vertical guide webs(14) are projected toward the axis and radially in line with the ribs(13) and in touch the spindle(20).
Furthermore, since the respective components such as vertical guide webs(14) made of resin and ribs(13), and the spindle(20) made of metal are susceptible to temperature change, and cause the slide gap between the vertical guide webs and the spindle to increase and decrease with such temperature change, the conventional guide sleeve cannot maintain an optimal mobility.
With extremely hot temperature, the slide gap between the vertical guide web(14) and the spindle(20) decreases and tightens, and it becomes difficult to control and operate the up and down function of the spindle. The conventional guide sleeve does not consider the susceptibility of the material to the temperature change and thus, unreliable.
Moreover, the conventional device has a small area for the vertical guide webs(14) to touch the spindle(20) and this can cause the webs to easily chip during its up and down operation. Therefore, it is not durable.
Furthermore, the vertical grooves(20) between the vertical guide webs(14) have larger width than that of the vertical guide webs (14) and this makes it difficult to retain oil and therefore, it is difficult to prevent it from breaking and from the noise.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a slide sleeve of the guide sleeve for a length-adjustable column for chairs designed in such a way that the slide sleeve of the spindle is not affected by the temperature change so as to guarantee the structural reliability and durability, and to overcome the problems of the conventional sleeve.
In order to achieve the above object, the guide sleeve for the length-adjustable chair of this invention constructed the vertical guide webs, which form radially and project toward the axis between the radial line of the ribs, so as to allow the ribs and the webs of the slide sleeve structure to respond to the change of temperature and thus, minimize the expanding and shrinking of material in the slide gap.

Guide sleeve for a length-adjustable column for chairs


A composition suitable is disclosed for topical application for preventing and treating changes associated with skin aging and formation of abnormal skin lesions. The composition is derived by hydrolyzing a source composition in an acidic solution. The source composition can be, e.g., a soy composition and can include one or more isoflavones, phytoestrogens, sitosterols and saponins. After hydrolysis, water is added to the acidic solution to produce a first precipitate, which is then dissolved in an alcohol solution. The alcohol solution is then separated from undissolved portions of the first precipitate, and the alcohol in the separated alcohol solution is eliminated to produce a second precipitate of solids that were dissolved in the alcohol. This second precipitate is then dissolved in an organic solvent to produce a composition suitable for inclusion in a dermatological or cosmetic preparation.

Topical application of estrogenic hormones (e.g., estradiol and estriol compounds) have been shown to markedly improve the elasticity and firmness of skin and to decrease the wrinkle depth and pore sizes. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant compounds that behave similarly to estrogen in the body.
Isoflavones are known phytoestrogens; and they are found, for example, in soy products and are known to have systemic effects in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, malignant tumors and other maladies in humans. The current literature supports the safety of isoflavones as typically consumed in diets based on soy or containing soy products.
A number of proposed techniques have been directed to the oral ingestion of the isoflavone compositions. Though, other methods have been proposed for topical application of an isoflavone for blocking ultraviolet radiation to lessen or prevent skin sunburns, premature aging and skin cancer.
Although there are some industrial and laboratory methods for isoflavone purification, the high cost of these compounds limits creation of widely available cosmetic or dermatological preparations.

Hydrolysis and purification of active plant compounds suitable for topical application


When chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is used to planarize a surface coexposing patterned features and dielectric fill, where patterned features and the fill are formed of materials having very different CMP removal rates or characteristics, the planarized surface may have excessively rough, dishing or recessing may take place, or one or more or the materials may be damaged. In structures in which planarity is important, these problems can be prevented by forming a capping layer on the patterned features, wherein the CMP removal rate of the material forming the capping layer is similar to the CMP removal rate of the dielectric fill.

The invention relates to a method to improve planarity of a planarized surface.
Different materials have different removal rates during chemical mechanical planarization. When a surface is planarized, and when that surface has two materials having different removal rates coexposed, one material tends to become dished or recessed relative to the other. In some cases, when two materials having unlike polishing properties are exposed together, one material may be damaged, resulting in surface roughness. In structures in which planarity is important, such dishing, recessing, or surface damage is disadvantageous.
There is an advantage, therefore, in a method to reduce or prevent dishing, recessing, or damage at such a surface.

Method to minimize formation of recess at surface planarized by chemical mechanical planarization


There is provided a vehicle tracking and monitoring system for monitoring railway cars within a defined radius of a receiver for wireless communication. The system comprises a transmitter on-board each railway car, a receiver at a wayside station, and a central database at a remote location. The transmitter includes an RF circuit, an I/O circuit and a microcontroller for autonomously and spontaneously transmitting vehicle signals on a cyclic basis to the receiver. The transmitter periodically transmits railway car information and/or cargo status information to the receiver within a predetermined time interval, for example, every 15 minutes. In addition, the transmitted information is communicated from the wayside station to the central database over a longer time interval, fore example, every 24 hours. Accordingly, the central database develops a record of transit vehicle information based on the transmitted information for each transit vehicle in the defined radius of the receiver.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for tracking and monitoring transportation vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for precisely locating and monitoring railway cars within a predetermined radius of a receiver for wireless communication.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Systems for tracking and monitoring railway cars are generally known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,616 to J. H. Auer, which issued on Apr. 9, 1968, entitled VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM provides a railway car identification system in which a transducer device is mounted to a railway car. The transducer device has an electrical signal generating circuit that is rendered effective when the transducer is exposed to a light beam from a wayside station. The transducer then radiates a signal that includes a vehicle identification code of the railway car to a receiving device of the wayside station.
Similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,616 above, U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,522 to D. V. Dikinis, which issued on Jul. 10, 1979, entitled AUTOMATIC CAR IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM describes another railway car identification system in which light signals are received from and transmitted to a wayside station. This patent provides a light beam-based system in which an identification label having vertical, light re-transmitting columns is attached to the side of a railway car. Each column of the identification label represents a digital number. As the railway car passes a wayside station, a light transmitter of the wayside station transmits a light beam at the identification label and a light receiver of the wayside station receives a light signal from the identification label. The light receiver then decodes the light signal and transmits all pertinent information to other data processing equipment at a remote location.
In addition to light signals, wireless signals or communication may also be used to transmit railway car identification information between a railway car and a wayside station. Such wireless communication includes radio frequency, microwave, satellite link and spread spectrum technologies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,630 to N. E. Chasek, which issued on Aug. 1, 1978, entitled VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM USING MICROWAVES, provides a microwave-based system in which an identification panel is attached to the side of a railway car. To identify the railway car, a microwave signal emitted from an interrogating transmitter of a wayside station is reflected by the identification panel as a doppler offset signal. Thus, the wayside station will register that a railway car when an identification panel has passed. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445, 347 to J. S. Ng, which issued on Aug. 29, 1995, entitled AUTOMATED WIRELESS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR MAGNETIC LEVITATION (MAGLEV) TRAINS AND OTHER VEHICLES provides an automated maintenance system for a MAGLEV train. Each car of the MAGLEV train includes a status unit which monitor the operational status or condition of the car. Network units at wayside stations transmit control signals which poll the status units and cause them to transmit data signals via a spread-spectrum time-division-multiple-access network. The network units relay the data signal to a maintenance control center via a wide-area-network.
Thus, the above patents provide systems for monitoring railway vehicles in which each vehicle must have vehicle transmitters and vehicle receivers in order for the system to operate properly. In particular, the vehicle transmitters are necessary to transmit vehicle identification signals to wayside receivers at local wayside stations, and the vehicle receivers are necessary to identify a local wayside station and determine when the vehicle transmitters should transmit such signals. Therefore, the cost of manufacturing, installing and maintaining the systems described in the above patents must include the such costs for both the transmitter and the receiver for each transit vehicle. In addition, each transit vehicle must have enough power to maintain the energy requirements of both the transmitter and the receiver.
The present invention provides an efficient and cost effective system for monitoring transit vehicles within a defined area of a wayside receiver. For the present invention, each transit vehicle has a vehicle transmitter but does not require a vehicle receiver. In particular, the vehicle transmitter sends vehicle information, such as transmitter specific parameters and status conditions of cargo, without regard to whether a wayside receiver is nearby. When the vehicle comes within range of a wayside receiver, the wayside receiver will periodically receive vehicle information from the vehicle transmitter and forward such information to a central database. Accordingly, the cost of manufacturing, installing and maintaining a vehicle receiver and the energy requirements for maintaining such vehicle receiver are no longer needed.


An update change request that is made against attributes of a directory object causes automatically collection of customized information for an initiator of the request. A correlation identifier for the change request is generated. The changes to the attributes are processed to update the directory object and the customized information is updated to an extension attribute for the directory object. A unique audit event is raised for each changed attribute including the extension attribute and each audit event includes the correlation identifier.

Existing techniques for updating directory-based objects include an intermediate directory service that handles updates to the object. When the updates are recorded in the directory database audit events are generated. The problem is that the audit information is at a coarse-grain level of detail, such that the original user that requested the updates and the device of that user are not recorded in the generated audit events. Rather, the audit events include an identifier for the intermediate directory service.
As a result, the true user that initiated the updates cannot be determined through the audit events. This lack of fine-grain information about directory object updates can pose security risks for an enterprise's networked environment and/or puts the enterprise at risk of failing compliance audits.

Real-time monitoring and alerting for directory object update processing


A phase-locked method includes: generating a selection signal according to a detection result of a phase/frequency detector (PFD) of a phase-locked loop (PLL); generating a plurality of oscillation signals according to at least a first oscillation signal generated by the PLL, wherein the plurality of oscillation signals respectively correspond to a plurality of phases; and from the plurality of oscillation signals, selecting an oscillation signal as an output signal of the PLL according to the selection signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase-locked loop of a video display device, and more particularly, to a phase-locked loop capable of dynamically adjusting a phase of an output signal according to a detection result of a phase/frequency detector, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a pixel sequence corresponding to a pixel driving clock CLK0 while a horizontal synchronization signal HS0 in a prior art video display device (not shown) has a phase shift. A phase-locked loop of the video display device generates the pixel driving clock CLK0 according to the horizontal synchronization signal HS0. H1, H2, H3, etc, which are shown in FIG. 1, respectively represent initial periods corresponding to a first row of pixels, a second row of pixels, a third row of pixels, etc. in the pixel driving clock CLK0, and timing of the driving periods (A2,1), (A2,2), (A2,3), etc. relative to the initial period H2 in the second row of pixels equals timing of the driving periods (A1,1), (A1,2), (A1,3), etc. relative to the initial period H1 in the first row of pixels. If an average period of the horizontal synchronization signal HS0 is T, and the phase-locked loop locks a frequency corresponding to the average period T, the above-mentioned initial periods H1, H2, H3, etc. align initial positions of the driving periods of respective rows of pixels, as shown in FIG. 1. When the horizontal synchronization signal HS0 in the initial position of the driving periods of the second row of pixels has a phase shift corresponding to time difference ΔT, the second row of pixels shown by the video display device may have errors.
For example, if frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal HS0 is 60 kHz and frequency of the pixel driving clock CLK0 is 80 MHz, a period T of the horizontal synchronization signal HS0 may be ten or more microseconds, a horizontal scanning period corresponding to a pixel may be ten or more nanoseconds, and the above-mentioned time difference ΔT may be several nanoseconds. Because response time of the phase-locked loop is usually greater than the time difference ΔT, the phase-locked loop is unable to adjust the pixel driving clock instantaneously, merely letting the above-mentioned phase shift occur repeatedly. As a result, other rows of pixels displayed by the video display device may have errors due to phase shifts.

Phase-locked loop capable of dynamically adjusting phase of output signal according to detection result of phase/frequency detector, and method thereof