The wavelength stability of superfluorescent sources is controlled with optical arrangements in which the polarization-dependent gain (PDG) induced by the polarized pump light is reduced. In one apparatus and method, a Faraday rotator mirror is used at the end of the waveguide in the superfluorescent source. In another apparatus and method, the birefringence of the waveguide is exploited in conjunction with a Faraday rotator mirror to further average out the effect of PDG on the mean wavelength difference between the spectral outputs of orthogonal polarization components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fiber amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light sources, and more particularly, to superfluorescent fiber sources that have a mean wavelength that is stable with respect to changes in pump polarization and fiber birefringence.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fiber ASE light sources are well known in the art. ASE sources have been advantageously used to provide wideband (e.g., on the order of 10 to 30 nanometers), spatially coherent light for multiple applications. For example, ASE sources have been used to provide laser light as an input to a fiberoptic gyroscope. For a description of an exemplary superfluorescent fiber source, see an article entitled xe2x80x9cAmplification of Spontaneous Emission in Erbium-Doped Single-Mode Fibersxe2x80x9d by Emmanuel Desurvire and J. R. Simpson, published by IEEE, in xe2x80x9cJournal of Lightwave Technology,xe2x80x9d Vol. 7, No. 5, May 1989.
An ASE light source typically comprises a length of single-mode fiber, with a portion of its cross-section (typically the core) doped with an ionic, trivalent rare-earth element. For example, neodymium (Nd3+) and erbium (Er3+) are rare-earth elements that may be used to dope the core of a single-mode fiber so that it acts as a laser medium.
The fiber receives a pump input signal at one end. The pump signal is typically a laser signal having a relatively narrow spectrum centered around a wavelength xcexp. The ions within the fiber core absorb the input laser radiation at wavelength xcexp so that electrons in the ground state of these ions are excited to a higher energy state of the ions. When a sufficient pump power is input into the end of the fiber, a population inversion is created (i.e., more electrons within the ions are in the excited state than are in the lower laser state), and a significant amount of fluorescence is generated along the length of the fiber. As is well known, the fluorescence (i.e., the emission of photons at a different wavelength xcexs) is due to the spontaneous return of electrons from the excited state to the lower laser state so that a photon at a wavelength xcexs is emitted during the transition from the excited state to the ground state. These photons are amplified by the gain as they travel down the fiber, leading to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The light which is emitted at the wavelength xcexs from the fiber is highly directional light, as in conventional laser light. However, one main characteristic of this emission which makes it different from that of a traditional laser (i.e., one which incorporates an optical resonator) is that the spectral content of the light emitted from the superfluorescent fiber source is generally very broad (typically several tens of nanometers). This principle is well known in laser physics, and has been studied experimentally and theoretically in silica-based fibers doped with erbium, neodymium, or other rare earths, for several years.
Light emitted from ASE fiber sources has multiple applications. For example, in one application, the output of the ASE source is fed into a fiberoptic gyroscope. For reasons that are well understood by those skilled in the art, the fiberoptic gyroscope should be operated with a broadband source which has a highly stable mean wavelength. Of the several types of broadband sources known to exist, superfluorescent fiber sources, in particular, made with erbium-doped fiber, have been thus far the only optical sources which meet the stringent requirements for inertial navigation grade fiberoptic gyroscopes. The broad bandwidth of light produced by erbium-doped fiber sources, together with the low pump power requirements and excellent mean wavelength stability of erbium-doped fiber sources, are the primary reasons for use of such sources with fiberoptic gyroscopes.
In an erbium-doped fiber, the emission of a superfluorescent fiber source is bi-directional. That is, the light which is emitted by the return of electrons to the ground state in the erbium ions is typically emitted out of both ends of the fiber. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,749, to Kalman, et al., for erbium-doped fibers of sufficient length, the light propagated in the backward direction (i.e., in the direction opposite that in which the pump signal propagates) has a very high efficiency. Thus, it is advantageous to implement erbium-doped sources so that the light emitted from the ASE erbium-doped source is emitted from the pump input end of the fiber (i.e., in the backward propagation direction).
An ASE source is generally implemented in one of two configurations. In a first configuration, called a single-pass ASE source, the superfluorescent source output power is emitted in two directions, one of which is not used. In the second configuration, called a double-pass ASE source, a reflector is placed at one end of the doped fiber to reflect the superfluorescent source signal so that the superfluorescent signal is sent a second time through the fiber. Since the fiber exhibits gain at the superfluorescent signal wavelengths, the ASE signal is further amplified. One advantage of the double-pass configuration is that it produces a stronger signal. A double-pass ASE source configuration also produces output only at one port (i.e., in one direction). A disadvantage of such a configuration is that the feedback optical signal from the gyroscope must be kept very low in order to prevent lasing (e.g., with use of an optical isolator located between the source and the gyroscope).
For fiberoptic gyroscope applications, one critical measure of source performance is the stability of the source mean wavelength (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,216 to Kim, et al.). As is well known in the art, stability of the source mean wavelength leads directly to the stability of the gyroscope scale factor. Precise knowledge of the scale factor is critical for an accurate measurement of the rotation rate of the gyroscope. Presently, superfluorescent fiber sources exist which have a mean wavelength stability with respect to pump power, pump wavelength, temperature, and level of optical feedback down to a few parts per million each, assuming reasonable stabilization of system parameters such as pump wavelength, pump power, temperature and optical feedback from the gyroscope. However, an overall stability of better than one part per million in mean wavelength is desirable for some applications, in particular, high-grade fiberoptic gyroscopes.
Polarization effects have recently been shown to play a role in the instability of the mean wavelength of superfluorescent fiber sources (SFS). The polarization dependence of the mean wavelength of an SFS output has been predicted through numerical modeling by J. L. Wagener, et al. [see J. L. Wagener, xe2x80x9cErbium doped fiber sources and amplifiers for optical sensors,xe2x80x9d Ph.D. thesis, Applied Physics Department, Stanford University (March 1996); and J. L. Wagener, M. J. F. Digonnet, and H. J. Shaw, xe2x80x9cA High-Stability Fiber Amplifier Source for the Fiber Optic Gyroscope,xe2x80x9d J. Lightwave Technol. Vol. 15, 1689-1694 (September 1997); and J. L. Wagener, D. G. Falquier, M. J. F. Digonnet, and H. J. Shaw, xe2x80x9cA Mueller Matrix Formalism for Modeling Polarization Effects in Erbium-Doped Fiber,xe2x80x9d J. Lightwave Technol. Vol. 16, 200-206 (February 1998) which are hereby incorporated by reference herein]. These studies have shown that the mean wavelength of the SFS depends slightly on pump polarization. The reason for this can be explained in physical terms as follows. The ions of erbium (or another dopant, such as Nd or another rare earth) in the fiber host experience an intrinsic anisotropy of absorption and emission with respect to polarization. For example, some erbium ions more strongly absorb a given polarization than others, and correspondingly, these erbium ions have a preferred polarization associated with their emission. This effect gives rise to polarization-dependent gain when the erbium-doped fiber is pumped in the usual manner, i.e., by a highly polarized source such as a laser diode. This in turn can result in orthogonal polarization components of the output ASE signal having different mean wavelengths.
One aspect of the present invention is a superfluorescent source that comprises an optical pump and a laser medium. The laser medium has a dopant therein that produces amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) whose spectrum has a mean wavelength that is different for different polarization components of the ASE. The medium is pumped by pump light from the optical pump. An optical coupler optically couples the pump to the medium. A Faraday rotator mirror reduces the polarization dependence of the output of the source. The mirror reflects ASE emitted from the medium back through the medium. An output port couples ASE from the source. In one embodiment, the source further comprises a depolarizer between the medium and the coupler. In one embodiment, the mirror is coupled to the optical coupler. In one embodiment, the mirror is coupled to the medium. In one embodiment, an optical isolator is positioned at the output port to reduce optical feedback. In one embodiment, a fiber optic gyroscope receives output from the superfluorescent source. In one embodiment, the medium is polarization maintaining and the pump light is directed into the medium in such a way that equal powers of the pump light are launched along birefringence axes of the medium. In one embodiment, the pump light is linearly polarized and is introduced to the medium at 45 degrees with respect to the birefringence axes of the medium. In one embodiment, the dopant is erbium. In one embodiment, the reduction of polarization dependent gain in the medium reduces the mean wavelength difference between the respective spectral outputs of orthogonal polarization components. In one embodiment, the reduction of the polarization dependent gain reduces any dependence of the mean wavelength of any polarization component on birefringence of the medium. In one embodiment, the mirror reflects unabsorbed pump light back through the medium to further reduce the polarization dependence of the output. In one embodiment, the medium includes an optical fiber. In one embodiment, the medium includes an optical waveguide.

Polarization and wavelength stable superfluorescent sources using Faraday rotator mirrors

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


This device collects and analyzes general data on the state of the patient, and collects continuously a monitored signal representative of a physiological function. It includes a memory with a first zone for the durable memorizing of these data, and analyzes in real time the monitored signal to detect there the occurrence of a particular event. The memory includes a second zone for the continuous memorizing of the monitored signal over a first period of time, the memorizing being started on detection of a particular event. The device can also collect context information representative of circumstances possibly related to the occurrence of the particular event. The memory then includes a third zone, for the conditional memorizing of this information on detection of an event, for a second period of time shorter than the first period. The monitored signal can, for example, be a ventilatory signal, in which case the event is a hypopnea and/or a apnea, the context information include a ventricular and/or atrial electrogram, events markers of the heartbeat rate and/or a signal of the peak endocardial acceleration. The monitored signal can be also an electrogram signal, a signal of the peak endocardial acceleration, a series of events markers of the heartbeat rate and/or an intracardiac signal of bio-impedance. The event is then a preset disorder of the heartbeat rate and/or a disorder of atrio-ventricular conduction, the context information include the events markers of the heartbeat rate, a signal of the peak endocardial acceleration and/or a ventilatory signal.

The invention more precisely relates to those devices that are equipped with Holter functions, i.e., with functions for recording over a long time period, from several days to several months, data collected by the device, typically data relating to the cardiac or ventilatory activity of the patient. Information thus recorded can be transmitted later on, by telemetry, with an ancillary device or "programmer" for display and analysis.
The physiological signals collected by these implants can be of very different natures:                signals representative of the cardiac activity and the heartbeat rate measured by means of atrial and/or ventricular implanted electrodes—these signals are usually called "electrograms," as opposed to "electrocardiograms" collected by external electrodes;        signals representative of respiratory activity, for example, the minute ventilation signal obtained by measurement of the transthoracic impedance taken between the metal case of the device and a distant electrode;        signals representative of blood flow or myocardium contractility, obtained from an intracardiac measurement of impedance (e.g., transvalvular, between two cavities located on the same side of the heart, or trans-septum impedance, inter-ventricular or oblique impedance, taken between two cavities located on two different sides);        signals of measurement of the oxygen saturation in blood, or of measurement of the blood pH, etc.
One will include in this concept of "signals" not only the signals themselves collected by electrodes, but also the event markers of the heartbeat rate, event counters, or signals not collected but representative of a state or an action of the implant, for example, the application of a therapy, or a commutation of operating mode, etc.
EP-A-0 653 226 and its counterpart, U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,645, commonly assigned herewith to ELA Medical, describes such an implantable device—a cardiovertor, equipped with Holter recording functions able to operate a memorization of data on several levels of detail: in the case of an event (e.g., occurrence of a disorder of the rate, application of a therapy . . . ), the device records throughout a short period more detailed information (typically, an electrogram sample of the period having preceded and/or followed the particular event), while the remainder of time it records simply a chain of markers.
In this known device, as in the other implants integrating the Holter functions of recording, almost all the memory—whose size is necessarily limited because of the constraints of miniaturization and of power consumption—is reserved for the memorizing of information concerning the many algorithms and available functions such as statistics, histograms, electrogram episodes, markers triggered on particular events, etc. It is the reason for which the above mentioned EP-A-0 653 226 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,645 propose memorizing the electrogram only over a very short duration, limited to the moments preceding and following the triggering of a therapy, typically the two seconds preceding and following the cardioversion or defibrillation shock.
In certain circumstances, however, it can be useful to collect and memorize a significant volume of information, dedicated to a particular function, for a long given period, for example, over 24 hours.
One of the goals of the present invention is to propose an implant equipped with Holter recording functions that can be dedicated at will to the continuous recording in real time of a particular function.
Thus, for example, for the study of disorders related to sleep apnea, it would be interesting to be able to monitor continuously and over 24 hours, or at the very least for part of the night, the entirety of the minute-ventilation signal. Also, for disorders of the heartbeat rate or evaluation of atrio-ventricular conduction, it would be interesting to be able to safeguard continuously the totality of the electrogram over 24 hours, to be able later on to analyze it in same manner as an electrocardiogram recording produced by an external device connected to surface electrodes.
The basic idea of the invention consists in envisaging an implantable device whose Holter memory can be used either in a standard way (i.e., by memorizing the usual data such as statistics, histograms, markers, etc), or in a way dedicated to the follow-up of a particular function.
In the dedicated Holter configuration, the apparatus devotes the major part of its memory to the continuous recording of the chosen signal, preserving only some bytes for general information on the other functions of the apparatus. The implanted device of the invention not only monitors the recorded signal, preferably continuously, but, moreover, analyzes this collected signal in real time.
In the example where the recorded signal is a ventilatory signal, this analysis makes it possible to identify certain events such as apnea, hypopnea, or respiratory pauses, or the particular respiratory profiles, such as profiles of the Cheyne-Stokes type. One will be able to refer in this respect to EP-A-0 970 713 and its counterpart, U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,507, EP-A-1 336 422 and its counterpart U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0063375, and EP-A-1 295 623 and its counterpart U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/255,144, all in the name of ELA Médical.
In the example where the monitored signal is a cardiac signal, the analysis makes it possible to identify events such as an arrhythmia or a disorder of conduction. The detection of these events then triggers memorization of one or more pieces of "context information," i.e., of parallel information, distinct from the monitored signal, which will make it possible to study later the context of occurrence of the events, in particular for the purpose of diagnosis. For example, if the monitored signal is the ventilatory signal, context information could be an electrogram episode, a signal of the peak endocardial acceleration, a signal delivered by a sensor of activity such as an accelerometer integrated into the case of the device, or any other information making it possible to document the event (apnea, hypopnea . . . ) detected on the monitored signal.

Active implantable medical device with holter recording functions


An apparatus for predicting a network event flood comprises an event rate detector for detecting rates of event emissions from one or more devices; an aggregator for producing an aggregate rate and an aggregate rate trend of the rates of event emissions from a plurality of the devices; a level generator for generating a plurality of levels comprising maximum acceptable event rate values of a plurality of the aggregate rate trends over plural time periods; a storage component for storing the plurality of levels; a comparator for comparing a current aggregate rate trend with at least a selected one of the levels; and a signaller for signalling a predicted event flood responsive to the comparator detecting that the current aggregate rate trend will exceed the at least a selected one of the levels at a first point in time.

There are a number of network management systems available. These systems gather fault information from disparate devices across a network and then correlate, categorize, prioritize and present this information in a form that allows an operator to manage the network and repair it efficiently. In addition, basic predictive statistical analytic techniques have been applied to operational data gathered from network devices to predict potential future problems.
Network management involves gathering data from a range of devices in a network. Known implementations use a large variety of monitoring devices such as probes or agents to perform this task which can provide a large amount of source data from many types of network devices and systems.
One of the problems with managing very large networks is that there are network failure modes that can result in a very large number of fault events, particularly when a network cascade failure occurs. The high number of fault events can flood the network management system, making it unresponsive and rendering it difficult for an operator to isolate the original cause of the failure or prioritize the repair effort efficiently. In existing solutions a monitoring probe (that may gather data from multiple devices) can initiate a shutdown once the fault event rate exceeds a given threshold, and then initiate a restart once the level drops back below the threshold. However, by this point a cascade failure has often already started to occur, and many other devices may have started to flood the management system. There will typically also already be a large number of fault events resident in the system before this basic form of flood protection is activated. Disadvantageously, this solution also results in a large amount of data loss including information that may be vital to fixing the network. Furthermore, if the probe is monitoring multiple devices, then all data from all devices is lost even if only one of them is producing the event flood. Finally intelligent central administration of how probes manage a data flood is not possible.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,539,752 discloses detecting event numbers exceeding a fixed threshold and causing the number of events permitted to be throttled back. As a further example, United States Patent Application No. 20100052924 discloses detecting event numbers exceeding a fixed threshold and causing event information to be buffered. This means that information becomes unavailable for managing the system during the event flooding incident.
Existing predictive analytic systems often concentrate on device metrics that display a simple progression before the device develops a fault condition. For example, fitting a linear trend to disk space or central processing unit (CPU) usage to predict a future problem, or performing an historical analysis of these metrics to indicate abnormal usage. Again, in each case, the predictive data relies on a fixed threshold to determine the abnormality, and these systems cannot take a flexible approach to device-specific fault event rates, as this metric is much harder to gather and analyze.
Therefore, there is a need to address the aforementioned problems in network systems according to the present state of the art.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

International Business Machines Corporation


An implantable or insertable medical device which comprises (a) a therapeutic agent and (b) a polymeric release region that controls the release of the therapeutic agent upon administration to a patient. The polymeric release region comprises a radiation-crosslinked polymer, and the polymeric release region is crosslinked with a radiation dose of at least 10,000 rads. The radiation-crosslinked polymer can be, for example, a radiation-crosslinked methylene-containing polymer. The polymeric release region can be, for example, (a) a carrier region that comprises the therapeutic agent or (b) a barrier region that is disposed over a therapeutic-agent-containing region that comprises the therapeutic agent. The present invention is further directed to methods of forming such medical devices, methods of releasing a therapeutic agent within a patient using such medical devices, and methods of modulating the release of a therapeutic agent from such medical devices.

Numerous medical devices have been developed for the delivery of therapeutic agents to the body.
In accordance with some delivery strategies, a therapeutic agent is provided (a) within a polymeric carrier layer and/or (b) beneath a polymeric barrier layer that is associated with an implantable or insertable medical device. Once the medical device is placed at the desired location within a patient, the therapeutic agent is released from the medical device at a rate that is dependent upon the nature of the polymeric carrier and/or barrier layer.
The desired release profile for the therapeutic agent is dependent upon the particular treatment at hand, including the specific condition being treated, the specific therapeutic agent selected, the specific site of administration, and so forth. As a result, there is a continuing need for polymeric layers, including polymeric barrier layers and carrier layers, which are able to provide a range of therapeutic agent release rates.

Implantable or insertable medical devices containing radiation-crosslinked polymer for controlled delivery of a therapeutic agent


This invention relates to the melting of scrap metal containing steel in an electric arc furnace using whole scrap rubber tires as an additional source of heat. Also, scrap rubber may be pylarized to form combustibles which are fed into the electric arc furnace for combustion.

Scrap automotive tires present an environmental problem and recycling is practically non-existent. Tires do not degrade in landfills and when stockpiled, create a major fire hazard that is impossible to extinguish once ignited. Since they have about the same heating value as coke, 15,000 BTU's per pound, a tire weighing about 20 pounds has approximately 300,000 BTU's. The scrap automotive tires are so plentiful that they have a near zero cost. At the present time, scrap automotive tires are being used as fuel or auxiliary fuel in a variety of operations such as cement kilns, coal fired generators and other applications wherein a controlled firing rate is used. In such instances, it is often necessary to shred the scrap automotive tires prior to using in a furnace. Also, when the scrap automotive tires contain steel belts, it is often necessary to remove the steel belts. In some instances, whole rubber tires have been used but such use required equipment changes that reduced the cost advantages. In the manufacturing of steel from scrap metal, some of the steel mills add coke to the scrap metal that is melted in a furnace such as an electric arc furnace.

Melting a mixture of scrap metal using scrap rubber


A battery adapter can include a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections capable of being connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine, and a battery-side-connecting section(s) to which a battery or batteries can be connected. The number of the machine-side-connecting sections is preferably configured to be larger than the number of the battery-side-connecting section(s). Further, the electric machine is preferably connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter through its battery-connecting ports. The electric machine can be driven by the battery or batteries connected to the battery-side-connecting section(s) of the battery adapter.

1. Field of the Invention
Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a battery adapter provided with a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections capable of being connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided in an electric machine, and with a battery-side-connecting section to which a battery can be connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, in an electric tool or an electric working device (hereinafter termed an electric machine), a battery that corresponds to a rated voltage of a motor of the electric machine is used. For example, in the case of an electric machine with a DC voltage of 36 volts, a battery with a DC voltage of 36 volts is usually used. However, batteries with a DC voltage of 36 volts are rather expensive and are not widely available in the market. In contrast, batteries with a DC voltage of 18 volts are generally used and widely available in the market.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,858 discloses an electric tool with a DC voltage of 36 volts that is constructed such that two batteries with a DC voltage of 18 volts can be connected to the electric tool. As shown in FIG. 14, an electric tool 100 as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document is provided with two battery-connecting ports 103 so that two batteries 102 with a DC voltage of 18 volts can be connected to the ports 103. Further, the electric tool 100 includes an electric circuit for connecting the two batteries 102 in series. Thus, it is possible to drive an electric tool with a DC voltage of 36 volts by generally-used batteries with a DC voltage of 18 volts.
However, in an electric tool with a DC voltage of 36 volts provided with two battery-connecting ports (hereinafter termed as "a two-port electric tool") for batteries with a DC voltage of 18 volts, it is impossible to use a battery with a DC voltage of 36 volts. Nor is it possible to drive a two-port electric tool with a DC voltage of 36 volts by a single battery with a DC voltage of 18 volts.
In this way, a two-port electric tool is not easy to use.


In a method of removing acidic compounds, color, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and for removing or converting hydrocarbons containing heteroatoms from used oil distillate, phase transfer catalysts are employed to facilitate the transfer of inorganic or organic bases to the substrate of the oil distillate. An inorganic or organic base, a phase transfer catalyst selected from the group including quaternary ammonium salts, polyol ethers and crown ethers, and used oil distillate are mixed and heated. Thereafter, contaminants are removed from the used oil distillate through distillation.

Each year, about 20 million tons (150 million barrels) of used lubricating oils, such as automotive lubricating oils, gear oils, turbine oils and hydraulic oils which through usage or handling have become unfit for their intended use, are generated world-wide. Used oil accumulates in thousands of service stations, repair shops and industrial plants, derived from millions of cars and other machines. Lubricating oil does not wear out during use, but does become contaminated with heavy metals, water, fuel, carbon particles and degraded additives. Eventually the lubricating oil is so contaminated that it can not satisfactorily perform its lubricating function and must therefore be replaced. Most of this used oil is dumped (legally or illegally) or burned as low-grade fuel, but such methods of disposal are highly detrimental to the environment and can cause serious pollution. Public opinion and governmental requirements are increasingly demanding the recycling, rather than the burning or dumping, of waste products. Used lubricating oil may contain 60 to 80% highly valuable base oil (generally comprising mineral oil fractions with a viscosity of not less than 20 cSt at 40 degrees Centigrade), worth significantly more than heavy fuel oil. It is therefore desirable to extract and reuse this base oil.
To date, however, recycling has not generally been undertaken by the refiners of crude oil. This is because, although used oil represents a sizable raw material source for re-refining, its volume is relatively small in relation to the world's crude oil requirements, which currently exceed 9 million tons (65 million barrels) a day. In addition, used oil is contaminated by impurities which can cause expensive disruption and downtime in conventional large crude oil refineries. Furthermore, since used oil does not generally originate from one source in large volumes, its collection and handling require resources which are incompatible with the normal raw material logistics of large oil companies.
It has been known since the early 1900s that used lubricating oil from engines and machinery can be recycled. Such recycling grew and developed with the popularization of the automobile. During the Second World war, re-refining became more widespread due to the difficulties in supplying virgin lubricating oil. Used oil re-refining still continued in the 1960s and 1970s, but then became uneconomical. This was because the conventional re-refining processes at that time involved the addition of sulphuric acid in order to separate the contaminants from the useful hydrocarbon components of the used oil, thereby generating as a waste product a highly toxic acid sludge. With the increased use of performance-enhancing oil additives towards the end of the 1970s, the amount of acid sludge generated by conventional re-refining plants grew to an unacceptable level. In the United States of America, it has been reported by the American Petroleum Institute that, as a consequence of legislation prohibiting the land filling of acid sludge generated by conventional re-refining operations, the number of used oil re-refining plants has dropped from 160 in the 1960s to only three today.
As an alternative to the acid treatment process for the re-refining of used oil, various evaporation/ condensation processes have been proposed. In an attempt to obtain high operating efficiency, it is generally suggested that thin film evaporators be used. These evaporators include a rotating mechanism inside the evaporator vessel which creates a high turbulence and thereby reduces the residence time of feedstock oil in the evaporator. This is done in order to reduce coking, which is caused by cracking of the hydrocarbons due to impurities in the used oil. Cracking starts to occur when the temperature of the feedstock oil rises above 300 degrees Centigrade, worsening significantly above 360 to 370 degrees Centigrade. However, any coking which does occur will foul the rotating mechanism and other labyrinthine mechanisms such as the tube-type heat exchangers which are often found in thin film evaporators. These must therefore be cleaned regularly, which leads to considerable downtime owing to the intricate structure of the mechanisms.
It is known from WIPO Document Number WO-91/17804 dated November, 1991, to provide an evaporator which may be used in the re-refining of used oil by distillation. This evaporator comprises a cyclonic vacuum evaporator in which superheated liquid is injected tangentially into a partially evacuated and generally cylindrical vessel. The inside of the vessel is provided with a number of concentric cones stacked on top of one another which serve to provide a ref lux action. As a result of coking, however, the evaporator still needs to be shut down periodically in order to undertake the intricate and time-consuming task of cleaning the cones.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,207 discloses an oil rerefining method and apparatus wherein a re-refining plant comprises two or more evaporators connected to one another in series. Feedstock used oil is first filtered to remove particles and contaminants above a predetermined size, for example 100 to 300 .mu.m, and is then passed to the first evaporator by way of a buffer vessel and a preheating tank, where the feedstock is heated to approximately 80 degrees Centigrade. Additional chemical additives, such as caustic soda and/or potash, may be introduced at this stage. The feedstock is then injected substantially tangentially into the first evaporator, in which the temperature and pressure conditions are preferably from 160 to 180 degrees Centigrade and 400 mbar vacuum to atmospheric pressure respectively. Under these conditions, water and light hydrocarbons (known as light ends, with properties similar to those of naphtha) are flashed off and condensed in the spray condenser of the evaporator and/or in an external after-condenser. These fractions generally account for between 5 to 15% of the used oil volume. The cyclonic vacuum evaporation process combined with the use of a spray condenser produces a distilled water which has a relatively low metal and other contaminant content. Light ends present in the water are then separated, and may be used as heating fuel for the re-refining process. The water may be treated in order to comply with environmental regulations and may be discharged or used as a coolant or heating fluid in the re-refining process. The bottoms product, comprising the non-distilled 85 to 95% of the used feedstock oil, is recirculated as described above. In the recirculation circuit, the bottoms product is heated, preferably to 180 to 200 degrees Centigrade, and mixed with the primary feedstock supply for reinjection into the first evaporator. Advantageously, the pump in the recirculation circuit generates a recirculation flow rate greater than the initial feedstock flow rate. This helps to reduce coking in the recirculation pipes since overheating of the oil in the heat exchanger is avoided. The recirculation flow rate should be large enough to generate a well turbulent flow, and accordingly depends on the heat exchanger duty and on the size of the pipe lines. This is typically achieved with a recirculation flow rate 5 to 10 times greater than the initial feedstock flow rate.
A proportion of the recirculating bottoms product from the first evaporator is fed to and injected into a second evaporator. This second evaporator is substantially similar to the first evaporator, but the temperature and pressure conditions are preferably from 260 to 290 degrees Centigrade and 40 to 100 mbar vacuum respectively. Under these conditions, a light fuel oil (similar to atmospheric gas oil) and a spindle oil (having a viscosity at 40 degrees Centigrade of about 15 cSt) are flashed off as overhead products, leaving behind a bottoms product from which the base oil distillate is to be recovered. These gas oil and spindle oil fractions generally account for between 6 to 20% of the original used oil volume. The condensed fractions are fed to storage and may be subjected to a finishing treatment, the severity of which will be determined by final usage and market requirements. The bottoms product of the second evaporator is recirculated as in the first evaporator, but at a temperature preferably in the region of 280 degrees Centigrade, and a proportion of the recirculated product is fed to and injected into a third evaporator.
The third evaporator preferably operates at temperature and pressure conditions of around 290 to 330 degrees Centigrade and 15 to 25 mbar vacuum respectively. These operating values may be varied within predetermined limits (generally +/-10%) to suit the required distillate output products. Advantageously, the third evaporator is in communication with first and second spray condensers. The second spray condenser serves to condense some of the lighter fractions from the vapor phase which passes through the first spray condenser.
Two base oil fractions are produced in the third stage as overhead distillate products and fed to storage. The first and second spray condensers, operating at elevated temperatures (100 to 250 degrees Centigrade) allow a partial condensation whereby two specific distillate fractions can be produced. The spray condensers have the added advantage that the temperature as well as the recirculation flow rate can be varied, thereby allowing a flexible fractionation. The viscosity of the fractions may be altered by adjusting the ratio of temperature to recirculation flow rate; by increasing the condenser temperature, a heavier oil fraction can be produced. The base oil fractions extracted by the third evaporator generally account for about 10 to 50% of the used oil volume. The bottoms product is recirculated at around 330 degrees Centigrade as before, and a proportion of the recirculated product is fed to and injected into a fourth evaporator.
The fourth evaporator preferably operates at temperature and pressure conditions of around 320 to 345 degrees Centigrade and 5 to 15 mbar vacuum respectively. Further base oil fractions, which are heavier than those extracted in the third stage, are flashed off as overhead products and are condensed as base oil distillate fractions and fed to storage. In certain embodiments, the evaporator may be operated in a blocked manner, whereby a number of discrete temperature and pressure conditions are applied in order to extract specific fractions from the feedstock. Each such fraction is preferably fed to individual storage. The base oil fractions extracted by the fourth evaporator generally account for about 10 to 50% of the original used oil volume; this depends to some extent on the general viscosity of the used feedstock oil. The remaining bottoms concentrate contains heavy metals from the used oil, and sediments, carbon particles, ash and various non-volatile oil additives. This bottoms concentrate is fed to storage and is suitable for use as a roofing flux, a cold patch material or an asphalt extender. Where environmental regulations permit, the bottoms concentrate may be used as a heavy fuel oil in applications such as cement kilns, blast furnaces or incinerators. Dependent on its intended usage, the evaporator conditions may be set to produce a bottoms concentrate at viscosities ranging from 380 cSt at 40 degrees Centigrade for heavy fuel to 200 cSt at 135 degrees Centigrade for asphalt use.
The distillate fractions typically amount to 85-95% of the used lubricating oil, leaving 5-15% as bottoms. The base oil distillate fractions may be treated to produce finished base oils (which have viscosities of not less than 20 cSt at 40 degrees Centigrade and have characteristics similar to those of virgin base oils). Depending on the fractions contained in the used oil and on market requirements, the base oil fractions that are typically produced are 100 SN (solvent neutral), 150 SN, 250 SN and 350+SN. If only one or two wider base oil fractions are required, the fourth evaporator may be omitted.
As an alternative to the multi-stage distillation plant described above, it is possible to utilize a single evaporator operating in a blocked manner. The various fractions may then be extracted sequentially by applying predetermined temperature and pressure conditions in the evaporator. This has the advantage over a multi-stage plant of requiring less capital expenditure, but is less efficient since continuous process conditions can not be achieved.
The raw base oil distillates may contain volatile contaminants, oxidation compounds, unstable sulphur compounds and various decomposition products from additives, depending on the type and quality of the feedstock. It is therefore advantageous to provide a finishing treatment in which base and fuel oil distillates are chemically treated in order to remove unstable or other undesirable components.
The present invention comprises a method of removing acidic compounds, color, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and removing or substituting heteroatoms from used oil distillates, such as those produced by the foregoing process. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, an organic or inorganic base, a transfer catalyst, and the used oil distillate are mixed and heated. Thereafter, the contaminants are removed by distillation.
The method of the invention may be operated either in a batch mode or in a continuous mode. When the continuous mode is used, the method may be used prior to, or concurrent with, the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,207 as described above. By means of the present invention, the complexity of the apparatus of the '207 Patent is substantially reduced.

Method of removing contaminants from used oil


A coding/decoding apparatus for high-speed and reliable detection of even an error which has occurred in the compressing division or between the compressing division and the error correcting division in the coding unit. The coding/decoding apparatus is equipped with, in addition to error correcting means and decompressing means, means for detecting production of data other than statistical coded data, in inputted data, means for detecting an error related to end-of-block data, means for detecting an error related to cyclic signals inserted in the inputted data, and means for detecting an error related to the total number of blocks in each frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coding/decoding apparatus for pictures, sounds, data, etc., and more particularly to a coding/decoding apparatus with an improved circuit for detecting errors in data which have occurred in a compression division or between the compression division and an error correcting division at the sending end, by a receiving unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Data compressing/decompressing apparatuses for transmission according to the prior art are designed, as illustrated in FIG. 4, so that error correcting circuits 4 and 5 according to Viterbi, Reed-Solomon, etc., which are mounted in a coding unit 1 and a decoding unit 2, detect an error which has occurred in a transmission line B.
In addition, since errors which have occurred in a compressing division 3 and the interface between the compressing division 3 and an error correcting division 4 in the coding unit 1 cannot be detected by the error correcting division 5 in the decoding unit 2, conventionally, cyclic signals are inserted into an inputted original picture signal or the like which is then compressed through the coding unit 1, and the decoding unit 2 which has received the compressed data decompresses the data in a decompressing division 6, and verifies the data to detect an error.
As mentioned above, with a coding/decoding apparatus of the prior art, original data with cyclic signals are inserted therein undergoes data compression according to variable length coding, and the decoded data is verified in the decoding unit to detect an error.
This mechanism, however, has a problem in that error-mixed data, even once processed by decompression, may cause the cyclic data to be produced depending on the contents of the data, and thus detection of errors may become impossible. In addition, since errors can be detected only at intervals of reception of the cyclic data, errors cannot be detected in early stages.


There is disclosed a method and system for improving the user interface between operator and motor controller, in particular a frequency converter. According to the invention, instead of presenting all information on a display at one time, a method of programming the motor controller is suggested, in which the operator is guided through the set up procedure, so that only relevant parameters are displayed on the different views. Another aspect of the invention is a method of programming a motor controller not in terms of parameter and parameter numbers, but in physical, technical and process terms. In this way, a high level mode of programming a motor controller is achieved, because the user interface does not deal with the less interesting motor controller specific parameters, but instead allows the operator to program the unit in terms he uses.

Today's motor controllers--e.g. DC drives, servo controllers and frequency converters--are digitally controlled, with a huge number of control possibilities made possible through the digitization. Most electronic control devices are programmed via a menu consisting of a number of parameters to be set. For example, setting a Danfoss (manufactured by Danfoss A/S, Nordborg, Denmark) frequency converter VLT.RTM. series 3000 to ramp up the motor in 45 seconds requires programming of parameter number 217 to "45". However, this means some maneuvering on the user panel located on front of the unit. First step is selecting the right group, which can be found by looking in the user manual. After selecting Group 2 "Operations set up", next the correct parameter number for "Ramp up" must be located. Again, the user manual will help. The correct parameter number is 217, which can then be set to "45". During this single programming step the buttons on the user panel have been activated quite a few times, and consulting the user manual was necessary.
For the optimal setting of a frequency converter a minimum of about 10 parameters have to be accessed and set up, which is cumbersome and time consuming from the front panel on the unit. However, linking the motor controller to a personal computer (PC) and programming, monitoring or servicing the motor controller with the software on the PC is another way of accessing the motor controller. U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,207 to Wilson et al. describes a motor controller connected to a PC which incorporates software for servicing the motor controller. Wilson improves the user interface between operator and motor controller during troubleshooting by creating on the PC monitor a sequential flow diagram consisting of boxes, where the flow diagram is a graphical representation of the program to be run by the motor controller. It is then possible to run through the program for the motor controller step by step and to follow the movements on the flow diagram, thereby checking that the sequence is correct. However, Wilson does not deal with the user interface at the initial set up of the motor controller.
The user interface is typically a hand held terminal with a screen display or a personal computer, which is more comfortable because of the larger view. The huge number of parameters which can be set up on the frequency converter - in some cases more than 200 combined with the many options added to the software interface tend to confuse the operator. Not only has he to memorize the parameter numbers or use time to seek information about them, he is also confronted on the screen with an abundance of information and programming choices to be made.

User interface for programming a motor controller


The present invention relates to a device (10) for analyzing and archiving at least one combinatorial library of materials, comprising at least:                a. an area for analyzing and holding materials, consisting at least of two sections (12) capable of holding at least two building blocks (20),        b. means for feeding and/or discharging fluid media to and/or from at least one section (12),        c. means for identifying the device (10) or the combinatorial library of materials or for identifying the device (10) and the combinatorial library of materials.

Combinatorial tests of heterogeneous catalysts are known from, amongst others, WO 99/41005. In that reference, a process is described for the parallel testing of multiple materials with respect to their catalytic properties. In a tubular bundle reactor, a multitude of active masses is reacted with identical mixtures of educt gases in spatially separated channels. The products contained in the exhaust flow of materials are then characterized analytically and quantified, e.g., by gas chromatography. Due to the compact design and the fact that the catalysts can be studied under realistic conditions, up to 100 types of materials can be tested sensibly. However, a larger-scale reactor of this type can hardly be realized due to its inert heating and cooling behavior and its high gas consumption. In addition, the time required for analysis would not be tolerable.
The reference WO 00/51720 describes microreactors of an array of catalysts and takes only the reaction step into account. The procedure as described in the reference is strongly adapted to the analysis of adsorbers and relies mostly on layers or films as far as the materials to be screened are concerned. Assembling and disassembling a new library is not straightforward, i.e. cumbersome and requiring manual work. Also, open libraries are used in most cases, limiting the scope for storage.
The technology of mass spectroscopy as described in WO 00/29844 is cumbersome to handle since all materials to be screened have to be present as pellets or the like. The design of the reactor basically requires that these pellets have to be exchanged perpetually. In addition, the design is not truly two-dimensional. Storage of the materials is not possible and the potential for automation is highly limited.
Microreactors for heterogeneously catalyzed reactions, as described in the literature, are almost exclusively limited to using microreators for manufacturing products. The concept of parallel coupling is mentioned only in WO 00/51720. In the case of microreactors, catalysts are mostly applied as catalytically active layers. The embedding of micro-packed bulk goods is described in the work of Jensen/MIT (M. W. Losey, M. A. Schmidt, K. F. Jensen: A micro-packed bed reactor for chemical synthesis, in: W. Ehrfeld (Ed.): Microreaction Technology: Industrial Prospects, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, Springer, 2000, 277-286), albeit without taking parallel coupling into account.
A glass reactor is described in: J. Antes, T. Tuercke, E. Marioth, K. Schmid, H. Krause, S. Loebbecke: Use of microreactors for nitration processes, 4th International Conference on Microreaction Technology, Topical Conference Proceedings, Atlanta/Ga., March 2000, 194-200. Here, product analysis is performed using IR transmission. This technique can also be applied for screening. Furthermore, the following studies are known with respect to combining microreactors and IR analysis: T. M. Floyd, K. F. Jensen, M. A. Schmidt: Towards integration of chemical detection for liquid phase microchannel reactors, 4th International Conference on Microreaction Technology, Topical Conference Proceedings, Atlanta/Ga., March 2000, 461-466 as well as A. E. Guber, W. Bier, K. Schubert: IR spectroscopic studies of a chemical reaction in various micromixer designs, 2nd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, Topical Conference Preprints, New Orleans/La., March 1998, 284-289. However, these studies describe the evaluation of reaction progress only.
It is also known that membranes prepared by microtechniques can be partially employed as functional elements in microreactors. However, these membranes are merely used for the separation of different phases within a reactor.
The reference WO 00/32512 describes Pd-based membranes for separating materials (e.g. H2 and CO in fuel cells) prepared by microtechniques, as well as the permeation of H2 through the membrane into a liquid phase on the other side of the membrane for the purpose of hydrogenation. Parallel coupling is described only in the context of enhancing the throughput, i.e., parallel coupling of identical reactors with identical catalysts.
Microstructured membranes for extraction as used in microreactors are described in W. E. Grotenhuis, R. J. Cameron, M. G. Butcher, P. M. Martin, R. S. Wegeng: Microchannel devices for efficient contacting of liquids in solvent extraction, 2nd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, Topical Conference Preprints, New Orleans/La., Mar. 1998, 329-334. Here, two different liquid phases can be brought into contact at these membranes to enable the exchange of materials without mixing of the two phases. Due to the different wetting behavior of the pores with respect to the liquid phases, each liquid phase remains at the side of the membrane it is intended to be.
In combinatorial chemistry, only micro- and nano-titration plates are known as "devices" for holding biological, biochemical or chemical samples. In addition, it is known that materials can be immobilized on a solid support and be screened at the same time, e.g., on large-scale sheets of specifically prepared filter paper (see C. E. Mallouk et al., Science 280 (1998), 1735ff). Nothing is known about such "devices" in the field of combinatorial materials research.

Device for archiving and analyzing of materials

hte Aktiengesellschaft the high throughput experimentation company


A bridge apparatus is disclosed, the bridge apparatus being connected between a first network and a second network and achieving a communication between equipment connected to the first network and equipment connected to the second network. This apparatus accepts communication from the equipment over the first network to equipment disconnected from the second network, and then, preserves contents of the communication even in the case where the equipment over the second network has been disconnected from the second network for reasons such as electric power cut. In the case where the disconnected equipment has been connected to the second network again, this apparatus transmits the accepted contents of the communication to the reconnected equipment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bridge apparatus and a bridge system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Home networking at general home has been progressed with rapid prevalence of personal computers and broadband systems. Up to now, a primary object of a home network has been limited to connection between a personal computer and peripheral devices such as a broadband router or a printer. In recent years, white goods and AV equipment as well as a personal computer have been equipped with network connection functions, and become constituent elements of a home network. Digital home electronics having this communication function, called information home electronics, provide a new function to a user by making connection to the Internet or providing an access to another equipment.
However, at present, transparent interconnection between these items of equipment (a personal computer and its peripheral devices, white goods, or AV equipment) configuring a home network is not achieved. This problem is caused by the fact that a control protocol for interconnecting personal computers and information home electronics with each other is not commonly shared. Currently, a plurality of control protocols coexist over a home network. The control protocols targeted for use in a home network can include AV/C utilized on a high speed IEEE1394 serial bus and ECHONET (registered trademark) available over a variety of communication networks.
UPnP is provided as an internationally standardized protocol whose main purpose is to interconnect personal computers and their peripheral devices or network devices such as routers, and utilizes a TCP/IP network constructed over Institute of Electrical and Electronics (IEEE) network 802. At present, its target is extended to AV equipment, and its standardization is in progress.
The high speed IEEE1394 bus network is targeted for use in AV equipment, and AV/C utilized over this network is a protocol standard for transmitting and receiving control commands of the AV equipment.
ECHONET is provided as a Japanese standard for control protocols targeted for use in white goods, sensors, and facilities. ECHONET is assumed to be used over a variety of communication networks such as IEEE802, Bluetooth (registered trademark), an infrared system, an electric line, and low power radio.
The UPnP, AV/C, and ECHONET are provided as incompatible, independent protocol standards, and an available communication network is different for each standard except that both UPnP and ECHONET operate over the IEEE802 network. Therefore, equipment conforming to one control protocol cannot control equipment conforming to another protocol. For example, a personal computer conforming to UPnP cannot control an air conditioner conforming to ECHONET or a video recorder conforming to an AV/C protocol.
A bridge apparatus solves this problem and enables equipment conforming to one protocol to control equipment conforming to another protocol. The bridge apparatus is interposed in a network used by both protocols, and converts one protocol to another protocol. At this time, in the case where one protocol has a mechanism for searching and disclosing equipment information and information on functions provided in the equipment, it is a problem how items of information of equipment belonging to another protocol are disclosed to the former protocol. A variety of solutions to this problem have been proposed. For example, in JP-A 2003-8610 (KOKAI), there is described a technique of making IEEE1394 equipment operable using an UPnP protocol by converting an AV/C command utilized over an IEEE1394 packet or the IEEE1394 network into a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message. In this document, there has been proposed a solution as to how functions provided in the IEEE1394 equipment are expressed as the UPnP equipment functions. Basically, this solution is featured in that the IEEE1394 equipment is virtually seen as UPnP equipment (hereinafter, referred to as a virtual UPnP) on a bridge apparatus.
However, this document fails to mention a problem occurring in the case where the IEEE1394 equipment targeted for use in bridging (hereinafter, referred to as a "source device") is powered OFF or in the case where an IEEE1394 cable is disconnected and no access can be provided to the source device via the IEEE1394 network. In the case where a bridge apparatus cannot access the source device via the IEEE1394 network, an UPnP control point over the UPnP network to which a bridge has been connected cannot access the source device, either. Current home electronics equipment with advanced low power consumption automatically moves to a suspended state if a user does not operate for a predetermined period of time. Thus, an access through a network via the bridge apparatus is limited to a limited period after the user has physically operated the source device.
This feature is particularly significant in white goods. In washing machines or microwaves, when washing or cooking is completed by a user's operation, power is usually turned off immediately. Although an advantage of operating home electronics equipment by utilizing a network is that an access can be provided anytime and anywhere, this advantage cannot be utilized by an energy saving mechanism of the source device.
In addition, a general problem occurring regardless of whether or not a gateway is interposed is that an UPnP control point cannot send a control command unless an UPnP device targeted for control is communicable. Thus, the UPnP control point needs to take an implementation mode for sending a control command after it has been determined whether communication with the target is enabled or disabled. As described previously, in the case where home electronics equipment frequently moves to a power saving mode, disabling communication, there is a possibility that an amount of time during which control can be achieved from the UPnP control point via a network is very small.
The bridge apparatus disclosed in the above document does not consider support for home electronics equipment with a power saving mode that frequently moves to a suspended state, and thus, an access can be provided via the bridge apparatus, namely, via a network for only a predetermined period limited after the user has operated the source device via a physical interface. Essentially, the bridge apparatus disclosed in the above document is targeted for use in AV equipment based on the IEEE1394, not for white goods (ECHONET compatible equipment) that often automatically move to such a suspended state.

Bridge apparatus and bridge system with a virtual device for protocol conversion


A method is provided for managing water infiltrating a building at a window opening. The method includes, from an inside of the building, accessing a gap formed at a base of the window opening between a window sill and a horizontal window framing member. A flash pan is then installed within the gap to collect water entering the gap.

This invention relates to a method and system for managing water infiltration into buildings, and more specifically, infiltration between exterior cladding and windows. The present system is especially applicable for retrofit installation in residential homes and other light-frame structures. Generally, these buildings have increased potential for moisture problems due to energy-efficient construction techniques which emphasize a low level of air leakage. The problems are especially prevalent in colder climates. For these structures, the most effective way to control excessive moisture is to maintain a reasonable level of indoor humidity. In warmer southern climates, problems more often result from moisture coming in from the outside rather than the indoor humidity being too high. This moisture often becomes trapped within the wall cavities. Excessive moisture can decay wood if the moisture remains for extended periods at temperatures greater than approximately 50 degrees F.
According to the National Home Builders Association, the most frequent source of water intrusion is windows. Water frequently enters window locations in two ways—either at the joint around the perimeter of the window, or through seams and joints in the window construction itself. As a first line of defense, builders caulk joints in and around the windows, and install flashing intended to divert water flow away from these interstices. Homeowners are then advised to frequently and thoroughly inspect the windows, flashing, and sealant/caulk. Any damaged flashing should be repaired or replaced immediately. Any cracked or deteriorated sealants should be immediately repaired or removed and replaced. It is also recommended that periodic moisture testing be done to check for any potential problem areas.
The reality for most homeowners is a general failure to consistently inspect and properly maintain windows. Moreover, because the location of water entry is often difficult to see, any damage occurring behind the exterior cladding frequently cannot be detected by visual inspection. If undetected or ignored, continued water intrusion will ultimately damage building sheathing and wood structural members. In addition to this physical damage, moisture problems in the home are being linked to personal injury based on the severe allergic reactions some people have to molds that grow in moistened areas inside the walls.

Method and system for managing water infiltration at window openings


A three-dimensional interconnect system is disclosed. The interconnect system electrically connects electrical devices that are disposed on different physical planes. The interconnect system includes a plurality of contiguously interconnected electrically conductive droplets such as solder ball droplets produced by a print-on-demand solder jet system. An interconnect is formed by repeatedly ejecting the conductive droplets along a predetermined path between components to be connected. Each ejected droplet is disposed adjacent to another ejected droplet to form a contiguously linked chain of droplets that bridge a physical gap between the components. A non-conductive coating can be deposited on the interconnect to protect the interconnect from damage and to encase the interconnect. The electrical resistance of the interconnect can be reduced by reflowing the droplets that form the interconnect, whereby the coating that encses the interconnect is operative to maintain the shape of the interconnect after reflow.

The present invention relates generally to a three-dimensional interconnect system for electrically interconnecting a plurality of electronic devices that are disposed on different physical planes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional interconnect system that includes a plurality of contiguously interconnected electrically conductive droplets that form an interconnect. The interconnect electrically connects electronic devices that are disposed on different physical planes.
Articles and publications set forth herein are presented for the information contained therein: none of the information is admitted to be statutory xe2x80x9cprior artxe2x80x9d and we reserve the right to establish prior inventorship with respect to any such information.
Modern electronic systems typically include a printed circuit board (PC board) or some other substrate upon which are mounted one or more integrated circuits (IC""s). Generally, the IC""s are electrically connected to the PC board by solder, for example. The solder is operative to electrically communicate the. IC""s with conductive traces on the PC board and to physically attach the IC""s to the PC board. In some applications the IC""s may also be attached to the PC board by an adhesive. As the physical geometries of semiconductor elements contained in an IC continue to shrink, it is possible to integrate several electronic functions onto a single IC. Resulting is an increase in the number of input and output connections (IO""s) that are required to communicate electrical signals to and from the IC.
One approach to increasing the number of available connections between an IC die and electronics external to the die is to connect the die to a PC board using solder balls. Typically, the IC die includes an array of bonding pads disposed on a surface of the IC die. The bonding pads are spaced apart by a predetermined pitch that matches the pitch of corresponding contact pads on the PC board or substrate. For example, the above mentioned approach is used in a flip-chip on PC board process to mount one or more IC die to a PC board. The solder bumps are operative to electrically connect the IC with conductive traces. Typically, a network of conductive traces and conductive vias disposed on the PC board are operative to electrically connect the IC to the other components.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art flip-chip assembly 1. The assembly 1 includes a substrate 3 and a semiconductor die 5. The substrate 3 includes contact pads 7 disposed on a surface of the substrate 3. For instance, the substrate 3 can be a PC board or a ceramic material used for multi-chip modules. The semiconductor die 5 includes bonding pads 9 disposed on a surface of the die 5. The die 5 and the substrate 3 are physically and electrically connected by solder balls 11 that are operative to electrically communicate the bonding pads 9 with the contact pads 7.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of another type of prior art flip-chip assembly 21. The assembly 21 includes a substrate 23 and a semiconductor die 25. The substrate 23 includes contact pads pads 27 disposed on a surface of the substrate 23. The semiconductor die 25 includes bonding pads 29 disposed on a surface of the die 25. The semiconductor die 25 includes columns 33 disposed on the bonding pads 29. The columns 33 are formed by depositing a conductive material on the bonding pads 29 to form the columns 33. A dielectric 35 is deposited on the semiconductor die 5 and surrounds the columns 33 thereby electrically insulating the columns 3 from one another. A portion of the dielectric 35 is removed so that the solder balls 31 can be deposited on the columns 33. The die 25 and the substrate 23 are physically and electrically connected by the solder balls 31 that are operative to electrically connect the bonding pads 29 with the contact pads 27.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of a prior art chip-scale assembly 41. The assembly 41 includes a substrate 43 and a semiconductor die 45. The substrate 43 includes contact pads pads 47 disposed on a surface of the substrate 43 and the semiconductor die 45 includes bonding pads 49 disposed on a surface of the die 45. The die 45 and the substrate 43 are physically and electrically connected by solder balls 51 that are operative to electrically communicate the bonding pads 49 with the contact pads 47. The bonding pads 49 are electrically connected to the solder balls 51 by vertical segments 63 and 67, and horizontal segments 75 and 77. In a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 2, dielectric layers 53, 55, and 57 are deposited on the die 5 to insulate the segments from one another. The solder balls, the vertical segments, and the horizontal segments of FIGS. 1 through 3 can be deposited using solder deposition techniques such as a demand mode solder jet droplet system. Other prior art methods for depositing solder balls include: physically placing prefabricated solder balls on the bonding pads; vapor phase deposition on a shadow mask to deposit solder on the bonding pads followed by reflowing the solder to form solder balls; and screen printing solder paste onto the bonding pads.
Due to the small size of an IC die and the large number of IO""s required for complex IC""s, the bonding pads and their corresponding contact pads as discussed above in reference to prior art FIGS. 1 through 3 can have a width in the range of about 50 xcexcm to about 100 xcexcm, and the pitch between pads can be in the range of about 100 xcexcm to about 250 xcexcm. As the number of IO""s continues to increase the pad width and the pitch will decrease to accommodate additional bonding pads.
There are several disadvantages to the Prior art assemblies of FIGS. 1 through 3. First, the solder bumping process used can include sputtering, vapor deposition, photolithography, photoresist, reflowing, and etching steps. Those steps are complicated, time consuming, and expensive. Moreover, those steps are susceptible to micro contamination and other yield reducing defects.
Second, to reduce the surface tension of the solder so that the solder will bond to the contact pad, a wetting metal such as nickel (Ni) is deposited on the contact pad using vacuum sputtering. After the sputtering step, another sputtering step is used to deposit a thin film of an anti-oxidation metal such as gold (Au) on the nickel to protect the nickel from being oxidized. Depending on the size of the PC board, the amount of gold required can be very expensive.
Third, the cost, complexity, and number of steps required in PC board manufacturing result in economies of scale that can only be realized over large production runs. Consequently, small production runs, custom production runs, and one-of-a-kind production runs are economically unpractical with current PC board manufacturing processes. For example, due to the small xcexcm spacings between bonding pads, the process for depositing the dielectric layers shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 requires precise manufacturing steps that are neither amendable to nor economically feasible for small production runs.
Fourth, CAD tools are used to lay out the pattern of conductive traces and vias on the PC board. Once the layout pattern is frozen and production of the PC board has begun, any design changes or errors in the layout can be costly and time consuming to implement. For example, in FIG. 3, a change in the layout positions of the contact pads 49 would require a new layout for the layers 53, 55, and 57, as well as a new layout for the vertical segments 63 and 67, and the horizontal segments 75 and 77.
Finally, the assemblies of FIGS. 1 through 3 do not allow for a direct connection between components disposed on a different physical planes. Instead, the substrate/PC board serves as an intermediate conductor between components to be connected. For example, when the components are mounted on opposing sides of a PC board, the conductive traces and vias of the PC board are operative to electrically communicate a component mounted on one side of the PC board with a component mounted on the opposite side of the PC board. On the other hand, even if components are mounted on the same side of the PC board a connection between the components is accomplished by the traces and vias. Since the PC board is fabricated prior to mounting the components, defects in the traces or vias can result in short circuits or open circuits that are difficult if not impossible to repair or rework.
Therefore, there is a need for an interconnect system that connects electronic devices that are disposed on different physical planes without using a PC board or the like, reduces the cost and complexity associated with PC board manufacturing, makes a direct connection between components, and can be used for to both large and small production runs.
The present invention provides a three-dimensional interconnect system that is operative to electrically connect electrical devices that are disposed on different physical planes. The present invention further provides a method for making a three-dimensional interconnect system in which conductive droplets are deposited to form an electrical connection between electrical devices that are disposed on different physical planes. Additionally, the present invention provides a system for making a three-dimensional interconnect system that includes a droplet ejector for ejecting the conductive droplets.
According to the system and method disclosed herein, at least two electronic devices can be electrically connected by an interconnect. The interconnect of the present invention can reduce the expense, complexity, time, and the number of steps required in conventional PC board, flip-chip, and multichip module (MCM) manufacturing processes. Additionally, interconnect of the present invention provides the advantage of reduced signal propagation delays by making a short and direct connection between electrical devices. Moreover, the method disclosed herein can be used for both small and large scale production runs. Furthermore, the method of the present invention provides the advantage of quick and low cost post-layout design changes. For example, a CAD program used for designing the layout pattern can be edited to change the layout.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a three-dimensional interconnect system includes a first electrical device disposed on a first physical plane and a second electrical device disposed on a second physical plane. An interconnect is disposed on a portion of the first and second electrical devices and the interconnect electrically connects the first electrical device with the second electrical device. The interconnect includes a plurality of contiguously interconnected electrically conductive droplets. Each droplet is in physical and electrical contact with an adjacent droplet so that the droplets form a single interconnect that can be disposed in three-dimensions. In essence, the droplets form a linked chain (a connecting line without any gap) that bridges a physical gap between the first and second electrical devices.
In a method according to the present invention, the three-dimensional interconnect system is formed by repeatedly ejecting successively contiguous electrically conductive drops along a path between first and second electrical devices to form an interconnect that bridges a physical gap between the first and second electrical devices, the interconnect is operative to electrically connect the first and second devices.
In a system according to the present invention, an ejector is used to eject electrically conductive droplets. The droplets impact a workpiece to form a contiguous interconnect. The interconnect is operative to electrically connect electrical devices that are disposed on the workpiece.
The above and additional advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.


An electronic device comprising: a communication interface; a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and the communication interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: detect a change of state of the electronic device; transmit to a secondary electronic device a first information item associated with the change of state of the electronic device; receive a second information item from the secondary electronic device in response to the first information item; and perform an operation based on the secondary information item.

Electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet PCs, may be excellent educational electronic devices in that they can execute games or various mobile applications for educational purposes as well as animations for children or educational video content. Such electronic devices may mostly provide specialized functions (e.g., videos, games, or educational applications) for children or widget forms of functions that children like.

Method and apparatus for operating an electronic device


When the hydrogen separating membrane is in a low temperature condition, a lean bus operation is carried out in a reformer in order to conduct warm-up while suppressing generation of hydrogen. At the timing t1 where the temperature of the hydrogen separator membrane has reached a temperature at which hydrogen embrittlement does not occur, reforming is initiated. In such a condition, oxygen is supplied to hydrogen which is permeated through the hydrogen separator membrane for burning the hydrogen, so as to further facilitate the warm-up. At the timing t2 where the temperature has reached an operation temperature, the supply of oxygen in a purge side is stopped so as to stop the burning of hydrogen, and an operation mode is shifted to a normal operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydrogen generating device and a control method therefor for generating a hydrogen-rich gas by separating hydrogen from a reformed gas, which is obtained by reforming a predetermined raw material, using a hydrogen separator membrane.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell, which generates electric power by electro-chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, has recently been gaining attention as an energy source. The fuel cell generates an electromotive force by the electro-chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen to be supplied to the fiel cell is generated by a hydrogen generating device by reforming a raw material, such as hydrocarbon system and the like. In order to improve the purity of hydrogen in the reforms gas obtained by reforming the raw material, a hydrogen separator membrane may be used. The hydrogen separator membrane is a membrane having a permeable property for selectively permeating the hydrogen, and a thin film of palladium or palladium alloy is adopted as such hydrogen separator membrane. When the reformed gas is supplied to one surface of the hydrogen separator membrane, the hydrogen is extracted from the other surface based on a difference of a hydrogen partial pressure, thereby improving the hydrogen purity.
The hydrogen separator membrane has a tendency of becoming fragile or brittle (hydrogen embrittlement) by absorbing hydrogen in a low temperature condition where a proper operation temperature level is not reached. In a conventional hydrogen generating device, such hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon had not been considered. Accordingly, there has been a possibility that the hydrogen embrittlement may occur with the hydrogen separator membrane upon starting operation at which the temperature of the hydrogen generating device is in a relatively low temperature condition. The hydrogen embrittlement may cause cracks or damages on the hydrogen separator membrane.
Further, conventionally when the operation of the hydrogen generating device is initiated in a low temperature condition such as at the time of starting, during a so-called warm-up operation, an uneven temperature rise has occurred within the device and no little thermal stress has been generated in the device. Accordingly, if the hydrogen separator membrane is in a hydrogen-embrittled state, there has been a possibility that such thermal stress may cause cracks or damages on the membrane.

Hydrogen generating device having hydrogen separator membrane and control method therefor


A zoom lens of the rear focus type is disclosed, comprising, in the order from the object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens unit having a negative refractive power, wherein zooming is performed by moving the second and fourth lens units, and focusing is performed by moving the fourth lens unit.

1. Field of he Invention
This invention relates to zoom lenses of the rear focus type and, more particularly, zoom lenses of the rear focus type for use in photographic cameras or video cameras. Still more particularly, it relates to zoom lenses of the rear focus type having a high range of about 8 to 10 and a large aperture ratio of about F2 in F-number at full open aperture, while nevertheless maintaining a minimization of the bulk and size to be achieved.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of cameras for photography and video cameras, a wide variety of zoom lenses having the focusing provision made in other than the first lens unit when counted from the object side, i.e., the so-called rear focus type, have been proposed.
The zoom lenses of the rear focus type have generally advantages over the type of zoom lenses having the focusing provision at the first lens unit, in that the effective diameter of the first lens unit gets smaller, that it becomes easier to minimize the size of the entirety, also that close-up photography, particularly photomacrography, becomes easy to perform, and further that, since the lens unit to be moved is of relatively small size and light weight, because a small power for driving that lens unit is sufficient, rapid focusing can be performed.
A zoom lens of the rear focus type having such advantages is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 62-247316, where a positive first lens unit, a negative second lens unit, a positive third lens unit and a positive fourth lens unit are arranged on a common optical axis in this order from the object side, the second lens unit being moved to vary the focal length, while the fourth lens unit is moved to compensate for the image shift with zooming and to perform focusing.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 58-160913, a zoom lens has four lens units, of which the first is of positive refractive power, the second is of negative refractive power, the third is of positive refractive power and the fourth is of positive refractive power, the first and second lens units being moved to vary the focal length, while the fourth lens unit is moved to compensate for the image shift with zooming. Among these lens units, one or two or more lens units are moved to perform focusing.
Yet another Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications Nos. Sho 58-129404 and Sho 61-258217 disclose zoom lenses comprising, from the object side, a positive first lens unit, a negative second lens unit, a positive third lens unit, a positive fourth lens unit and a negative fifth lens unit, wherein the fifth lens unit or a plurality of lens units including the fifth lens unit is or are moved to effect focusing. Another Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 60-6914 discloses a zoom lens of a similar refractive power arrangement to that described above, wherein for a specific infinite object distance, the focusing lens unit takes a constant position on the optical axis independently of zooming.
The use of the rear focusing method in the zoom lens produces, in general case, advantages of getting a lens system of minimized size as a whole and of making it possible to increase the focusing speed, and further of making it easy to extend the focusing range toward the shorter object distances, as have been described before.
On the other hand, however, the range of variation of aberrations with focusing expands, giving rise to a very difficult problem of obtaining a high optical performance throughout a focusing range from infinity to the minimum object distance, while still permitting the bulk and size of the entire lens system to be minimized.
Particularly with the large relative aperture ratio and the high zoom ratio, the problem of obtaining the high optical performance throughout the entire zooming range as well as the entire focusing range becomes very serious.


An electrical fault detection device for use in a branch of a power circuit that utilizes signals from an AC line current sensor coupled to an electrical distribution line having a primary and neutral lines, a line high-frequency sensor coupled to the electrical distribution line, a differential current sensor coupled to the primary and neutral lines, and a ground fault current sensor coupled to the primary and neutral lines. A signal conditioner receives the signals outputted by AC current line current sensor, the line high frequency sensor, the differential current sensor and the ground fault current sensor and generates a signal indicative of the load current associated with a branch of the power circuit. Output of the signal conditioner is sampled and processed by a processing resource. The processing resource has stored therein data representing a plurality of time-versus-current curves that define a plurality of regions in which tripping may or may not occur. One region has time data and current data that define a time-duration for a particular current magnitude for which no tripping will occur. Another region has time data and current data that define a time-duration of a particular current magnitude for which tripping will occur. Processing resource processes sampled signal to determine the region to which the processed time data and current data correspond, and generates a signal to initiate tripping if the sampled signal yields a time duration for a particular current magnitude that corresponds to a region for which tripping must occur.

Electrical arcs can develop temperatures well above the ignition level of most common flammable materials and, therefore, pose a significant fire hazard. For example, worn power cords in the home may arc sufficiently to start a fire. Fortunately, low-voltage arcing is an inherently unstable phenomenon and does not usually persist long enough to start a fire. Under certain conditions, reflected in particular characteristics of the electrical disturbance produced, the likelihood of the arc persisting and starting a fire is much higher.
Two types of dangerous arcing that are likely to occur in the home are momentary, high-energy arcs caused by high-current faults and persistent, low-current "contact" arcing. A high-current fault, caused by an inadvertent direct connection between line and neutral or line and ground, will generally draw current up to or beyond the rated capacity of the circuit, arc explosively as the contacts are physically made and broken, dim lights and other loads indicating an excessive load is being drawn, and/or (assuming the circuit is properly protected by a circuit breaker) trip the breaker, thereby interrupting the current to the arc. Because such "line faults" are short-lived, the temperature rise in the feed conductors is limited and the fire danger results primarily from the explosive expulsion of minute glowing globules of copper from the contact area which may ignite nearby flammable materials. Even if a fire begins, however, the high visibility of the fault and the likely presence of someone nearby (who provided the physical impetus to bring the conductors together) sharply mitigates the potential for an uncontrolled fire.
Contact arcing on the other hand, is arcing that occurs at connections in series with a load. As such, the maximum current in the arc is limited to the load current and, therefore, may be substantially below the overcurrent or "trip" rating of an associated circuit breaker. Contact arcing is a complex physical phenomenon that may be induced by loose connections, oxidized contacts, foreign non-conducting material interfering with the conduction path, differences in contact materials, contact shapes, and other factors. Under certain conditions, such arcing may become persistent and present a substantial fire hazard.
One example of a condition that may cause contact arcing is a well-used wall outlet wherein the spring pressure provided by the contacts has been reduced through age and use, so that insufficient pressure is applied to the inserted plug contacts to ensure low-resistance connection.
Contact arcing is also commonly caused by use of extension cords of insufficient current-carrying capacity. For example, the plug may be heated by resistance heating, gradually decomposing elastomeric insulating material around the contacts until the material partially flows into the contact area, preventing proper contact from being made. This process may become regenerative as the initial arcing produces more heat, carbonizing the insulation and producing a thin insulating layer on the contact surface. A third cause of contact arcing often observed in aluminum wiring involves the oxidation of contacts. In this case a chemical process, principally oxidation, builds up a semi-conductive or non-conductive layer on the surface of the contacts. Preferably, when the contact material is susceptible to oxidation, the connection is made gas-tight to prevent oxygen from entering and promoting oxidation. However, if the connections become loose over time, oxidation begins and arcing can result. Contact arcing is also common when the springs that snap switches on or off become worn, increasing the time to closure and reducing the force that holds the contacts together.
A fifth example of contact arcing that is found to readily occur in residences is at the center contact of conventional light bulbs. Because the center contact is subjected to high temperatures and repeated use, it often becomes loose and oxidizes, thereby increasing the likelihood of arcing. When arcing occurs, the lamp contact, usually made of a low-melting-point solder, melts and reforms, either breaking the contact or establishing a new one. A common result in very old lamp fixtures is that arcing at the center contact or around the aluminum threads causes the lamp to become welded into the socket and therefore very difficult to remove.
Finally, high-resistance faults across the line are, in the present context, also considered contact arcing. Inadvertent "shorts" that exhibit enough resistance to prevent tripping of the circuit breaker may nonetheless produce arcing at the contact points, and are considered contact arcs. Frayed conductors that come into light or intermittent contact, or staples that inadvertently pierce wire insulation, can produce resistive shorts through contamination and oxide layers, particularly if moisture is present.
Most instances of contact arcing result from the gradual degeneration of current-carrying contacts. Dangerous arcs may begin as small and occasional arcing, gradually building up over time until the arcing becomes persistent enough to start a fire. Also, in sharp contrast to the visible nature of arcing produced by line faults, such as "hard" or "bolted" shorts, incipient contact arcing is often hidden from view, providing little or no indication of the impending danger. For this reason, it would be highly advantageous if contact arcing conditions could be detected early, and a warning provided before the danger due to the fault reaches a dangerous level.
It will thus be appreciated that there are fundamental differences between "hard shorts" and contact arcing. "Hard shorts" will generally involve high currents (>50 A) and will be explosive at the fault point contact, so that the fault will either burn itself out or trip a circuit breaker. Conventional circuit protection devices are normally adequate to guard against line fault arcing. By comparison, the average current drawn in contact arcing is no more than the current drawn by the load itself. Nevertheless, even low-current contact arcing, for example, a 60 watt light bulb on the end of a faulty extension cord, or a set of Christmas tree lights with faulty contacts, may release sufficient heat to cause a fire. Accordingly, conventional circuit breakers are inadequate to prevent dangerous conditions due to contact arcing.
A need also exists for a circuit breaker that, in addition to detecting arcing that may result in a fire, removes power from the load when hazardous arcing is present. Such a device could be conveniently packaged in much the same style as a conventional circuit breaker, or could be installed in an outlet similar to the currently available ground fault interrupters Because the load current flows through the circuit breaker, it is convenient in this application to monitor load current.
A need also exists for an arc detector that is immune to noise commonly present on household power lines, e.g., due to lamp dimmers, brush motors, carrier-current communications systems, switching transients, broadcast radio signals, and other types of noise signals that may have similar electrical characteristics as arc-faults. If not properly identified and rejected, these types of signals, which may be easily confused with arc-fault signals, may cause "nuisance" tripping of certain arc-fault circuit detectors. Accordingly, in an effort to reduce the negative effects of nuisance tripping and accurately respond to arc fault signals, systems and methods for identifying arc-faults in power systems may be required.
Current AFCI/GFCI breakers may only display the last trip condition after a fault event has occurred through the use visual indicators (i.e. flags). The indication is retained until the device is reset and turned back on. After the indication is cleared, however, there is no record of the event until another occurrence has been detected.
It may be advantageous to incorporate arc-fault detection and ground fault detection capabilities into a single, integrated module, thereby reducing consumer costs associated with installing, maintaining, and servicing multiple circuit interrupting devices on a single branch. Furthermore, by combining arc-fault and ground-fault detection functions within a single module, many of the processing functions associated with arc-fault detection such as, for example, electronic fault monitoring, self-test functionality, and fault event data recording, may also be implemented in ground fault detection processes to enhance existing ground fault detection capabilities.

Multifunctional residential circuit breaker