An integrated circuit is configured as a selected one of a terminated and a non-terminated bus agent for terminating a bus signal line. Reference level selection logic selects one of a first and a distinct second reference level as a selected level. The integrated circuit compares the bus signal line with the selected level to determine the state of the bus signal line.

Computer systems use one or more busses for communicating information between computer components. A processor, for example, communicates with memory, input/output devices, etc. through one or more busses that may comprise a bus hierarchy. The choice of bus architecture is determined by a number of considerations including active/inactive power consumption, ability to reconfigure components (e.g., add, move, remove components), support for multiple voltages, and signal termination.
These busses permit communication of data, address, and control signals between various bus agents. The bus architecture typically includes some feature to permit maintaining or transitioning individual lines to a pre-determined state so that the bus signal lines do not float to indeterminate levels. Floating bus lines can undesirably introduce noise onto the bus communications. In addition, floating bus lines can result in excessive or even destructive power consumption levels for some architectures.
Terminators are used to couple the bus line to a termination supply level. The terminator permits maintaining or moving the bus lines to determinate levels instead of floating. The terminator also serves to diminish reflections at the ends of the bus.
The bus agents should have the same "trip point" such that they identically interpret the state associated with a given bus level. Preferably the trip point is located at the center of the possible bus signal swing for integrity of the signal detection process. The trip point for each bus agent is typically set by voltage dividers or junction voltage drops relative to another supply level on that bus agent.
Although the bus is expected to be driven to one of the same two levels regardless of whether the bus agent is terminated or non-terminated, terminated and non-terminated bus agents experience different voltage drops which shifts the trip point for terminated bus agents relative to the trip point for non-terminated bus agents. The effective window of signal swing for which terminated and non-terminated bus agents properly interpret the bus state is thus narrowed as a result of the variation in trip points.

Bus agent having multiple reference levels

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A high-frequency inductor comprising an insulating substrate; and a conductive land formed on the insulating substrate, the conductive land comprising at least two thin films formed of different compositions of metals, each of the metals is to be etched by such an etching agent that substantially never removes the other metals, the thin films being accumulated vertically.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a high-frequency inductor comprising a conductive land formed on an insulating substrate, especially an inductor realizing a high value of the Q factor, and to a manufacturing method of such an inductor.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows a conventional high-frequency inductor used for a microwave circuit or the like; and FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof.
A high-frequency inductor 20 comprises an insulating substrate 21, a spiral conductive land 22 formed on a surface of the substrate 21, and terminal electrodes 23a and 23b along opposed side ends of the substrate 21. An outer end 22a of the spiral conductive land 22 is connected with the terminal electrode 23a, and an inner end 22b is connected with the terminal electrode 23b. The conductive land 22 and the terminal electrodes 23a and 23b are covered with an insulating film 24, which has a connecting electrode 25 formed thereon. An end of the connecting electrode 25 is connected to the inner end 22b through a through-hole electrode 26, and the other end of the connecting electrode 25 is connected to the terminal electrode 23b, whereby the inner end 22b and the terminal electrode 23b are connected to each other.
The inductor 20 having the above construction is manufactured in the following way. The insulating substrate 21 is coated with a metal film by sputtering, evaporation or the like. Then, the metal film is photo-etched, whereby the spiral conductive land 22 and the terminal electrodes 23a and 23b are formed. The terminal electrode 23a and the outer end 22a are connected to each other. The insulating substrate 21 having the spiral conductive land 22 and the terminal electrodes 23a and 23b is coated with polyimide to form the insulating film 24. A portion of the film 24 corresponding to the inner end 22b is hollowed to make a through hole; and portions of the film 24 corresponding to the terminal electrodes 23a and 23b are removed. The insulating film 24 is coated with a metal film, which is then photo-etched to form the connecting electrode 25 and the through-hole electrode 26.
The above conventional inductor has a problem of having a low value of the Q factor due to a large resistance value. This occurs because the conductive land and the terminal electrodes are manufactured by the thin film technologies such as sputtering and evaporation.
This problem can be solved by increasing the thickness of the conductive land and the terminal electrodes. However, a thicker metal film takes longer to etch. If the etching lasts a long time, the metal film is etched not only vertically but horizontally. As a result, even a portion 30 (FIG. 3) which should be left to be the conductive land or the terminal electrode is etched, despite being the portion 30 covered with a mask 28. Consequently, the value of the Q factor is decreased, or the formation of the spiral conductive land cannot be realized.

High-frequency inductor and manufacturing method thereof


A fluid-level sensing device that uses the interaction of a first magnet attached to the distal end of an external micro switch arm and a second magnet positioned within the distal end of a pivoting float body to close a circuit within the micro switch and create a shut-off signal to stop fluid production. A single housing holds the micro switch and float body, wherein magnetic forces acting through the housing wall between them and other magnet-positioning materials that separate the two magnets cause signal production. After float body deployment, manual reset of the float body is accomplished via its lever-like distal end. The main body of the micro switch, which it is snap-fit into a fixed position within the upper housing chamber for use, is entirely encapsulated in waterproof material to protect it from corrosion. Alternative ways for quick mounting of the housing to a fluid-collecting pan are contemplated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluid-level sensing devices used to shut off a fluid-producing system in response to rising fluid levels caused by the system that result in a risk of fluid overflow and/or damage to surroundings, specifically to a fluid-level sensing device that is typically connected to the perimeter wall of a fluid collection pan or tray associated with a fluid-producing unit, such as an air conditioning or furnace unit, and is often mounted to, with, or near a drain line connection or drain line connection assembly where it is positioned for float body deployment when rising fluid exceeds a threshold level considered safe. Hereinafter, for simplicity of description alone, the word "pan" will be used to identify a fluid-collecting device used in association with the present invention, without any intent of limitation. The present invention employs the interaction of two magnets to close a circuit in a micro switch and thereby send a shut-off signal to the fluid-producing system to stop its fluid production so that accumulated fluid in the pan monitored by the present invention fluid-level sensing device does not exceed a pre-determined level considered safe. The first magnet is attached to the distal end of an external micro switch arm and the second magnet is positioned within the distal end of a pivoting float body that vertically deploys in response to rising fluid. A single housing with two separate vertically stacked chambers (hereinafter identified as the "upper chamber" and the "lower chamber") is used to isolate the encapsulated switch in a position directly above the float body, with the magnetic forces between the upper and lower magnets interacting through the central housing wall between them, as well as through the float body's upper surface, the bottom of any magnet-holding cup attached to micro switch external arm, and any other materials used to position and/or retain the two magnets in their usable positions. After float body deployment, manual reset of the float body to its pre-deployment position is accomplished via its lever-like distal end that extends beyond the vertically-extending outer wall of the float/switch housing. Attraction or repulsion forces between the two magnets can be the triggering factor for circuit closure, but repulsion is preferred. The lower open-bottomed chamber in the housing below the micro switch is substantially filled by the buoyant float body. There is no opening through the housing's central wall to allow for communication between the lower open-bottomed float body chamber and the upper open-topped micro switch chamber. Further, the main body of the micro switch is completely encapsulated in waterproof material to protect it from corrosion and ensure reliable and long-term repeat performance. Electrical wiring extending in an upwardly direction from the micro switch connects it to the fluid-producing system for which monitoring is required, so that when the fluid level in a pan to which the present invention is attached exceeds a pre-determined threshold level considered safe, the rising fluid causes the distal end of the float body to pivot in an upwardly direction and increase magnetic interaction between the magnet it supports and the second magnet associated with the distal end of the micro switch arm, which when the threshold level is reached causes a circuit to be closed and results in an electric signal being sent to the fluid-producing system to shut it off and prevent overflow damage to the system, surrounding equipment, nearby objects, and/or adjacent materials. It is also preferred for the lower chamber of the float/switch housing to have one or more air vents that prevent airlock malfunction of the float body. However, in combination or in the alternative, the slot used to guide the lever-like distal end of the float body during its vertical deployment can be configured to serve as an effective air vent. It can also be narrow to avoid the entrance of debris and other non-fluid materials (such as algae or mold) that could interfere with effective and reliable float body performance.
Alternative ways for quick mounting of the present invention housing to a fluid-collecting pan are contemplated, including the use of a quick-mounting shelf area pre-molded into the pan that is configured to facilitate and expedite a drain line connection and placement of the float switch into a level orientation for most reliable long-term operation. Thus, when the present invention float/switch housing is permanently or temporarily associated with a mounting plate having a configuration complementary to that of a shelf area pre-molded into the pan, the act of drain line connection using the shelf-area provides immediate leveling of the float switch body relative to the pan, so that once leveling of the pan is achieved the resulting float deployment trouble-free, reliable, and reproducible without malfunction for long-term use. The lever-like distal end of the float body provides an easy test point for an installer to be certain that float body deployment occurs at the proper fluid level, typically in as little water accumulation as possible. At least one example of the manner in which threshold fluid level adjustment can be accomplished is presented later in this invention disclosure. Applications of the present invention include, but are not limited to, use in air conditioning and furnace condensate collection/overflow prevention applications for shutting off an air conditioning or furnace system when condensate collected in a pan beneath the portion of the system creates a water damage risk by exceeding a pre-established threshold amount, as well as other applications including where rising condensate/fluid beyond a safe threshold limit is undesirable and automated shut-off of the condensate/fluid source is needed or desired to eliminate back-up damage to the condensate producing system or the risk of damage to surrounding objects and structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
When condensates from air conditioning and furnace systems, as well as other condensates, are collected in a pan or tray to avoid contact with surrounding objects and structure, a risk of overflow and/or back-up into the system producing it remains. As a result, fluid-level sensing devices have been employed with collection pans and trays to shut-off the source of condensate flow when the amount of condensate collected exceeds a predetermined threshold level considered safe. However, prior art float switches have many disadvantages, including insubstantial float body shape or construction that reduces buoyancy, switching components having materials or construction with insufficient corrosion resistance, float body positioning that presents a risk of debris interference, float body positioning that presents substantial exposure to collected fluid and a risk of interference from mold and algae growth, float bodies subject to airlock malfunction, float bodies that require the collection of a substantial amount of fluid before their deployment occurs, and/or float bodies not substantially filling the associated float housing wherein prompt float body deployment is sometimes delayed or prevented by its tendency to wobble. Further, installation time of prior art devices can be lengthy when there is guess-work needed by an installer for selecting, mounting, leveling, and otherwise adjusting an appropriately matching and adjusting a float switch and condensate collection pan for correct operation in an intended application, particularly when a hole needs to be drilled in a pan. In addition, maintenance is often required after installation of prior art fluid-level sensing devices to ensure continued stable, reliable, and reproducible float body deployment for electrical shut-off of a fluid-producing unit or system when the accumulated fluid being monitored by the float switch rises beyond a threshold level considered safe. Further, air conditioning condensate collection pans are typically installed in hot attics, and other places where significant temperature fluctuations can occur, and many prior art plastic condensate collection pans have insufficient construction whereby a float switch mounted on the upper edge of the pan's perimeter wall will lean in over a period of time and no longer be maintained in the needed vertical orientation for a prompt and reliable deployment in response to excessive condensate collection in the pan.
The present invention's use of a pivoting buoyant float body in combination with two magnets overcomes deficiencies in the prior art. First, the pivoting float body of the present invention does not have a tendency to wobble, as does a freely-floating body whose vertical movement is guided by a concentric tube or rod inserted centrally through it. Second, the present invention magnets provide rapid circuit closure once the float body begins to deploy, so that a shut-off signal to halt fluid production can be sent with less collected fluid. Third, venting of the present invention float housing substantially reduces airlock formation and since its float body substantially fills the float housing chamber within which it is positioned, interference from debris is minimal. In addition, when the present invention fluid-level sensing device is in fixed association with a drain line connection having a mounting plate, mating it with a complementary configured quick-mounting shelf area in a fluid-collecting pan creates a fast and easy drain line connection, wherein switch installation is accomplished simply as a consequence of the drain line connection being made and the act of drain line connection provides immediate leveling of the float switch relative to the pan, so that once the relatively easy step of leveling the pan is achieved the resulting vertical float body deployment trouble-free, reliable, and reproducible without malfunction during long-term use. Another advantage provided by the present invention fluid-level sensing device over the known prior art is the lever-like distal end of its float body which provides an easily manipulated finger latch to allow post-installation testing by the installer to be certain the present invention fluid-level sensing device is operational and functioning according to need. When a pan with a quick-mounting shelf area is used (particularly one generally trapezoidal in configuration), attachment of the mounting plate to the shelf area also provides a substantial connection that is sturdy and not subject to changes in orientation over time that often occur as a result of sagging or lean in of prior art condensate tray or pan walls. In addition, the present invention sensing device has a sturdy/rugged design and sturdy corrosion-resistant construction. Also, since the lower chamber of the present invention float/switch housing has an open bottom configured to allow condensate collected therein to easily drain once fluid levels subside, its float body is not routinely in contact with collected condensate. Thus, the float body is less likely to become clogged with mold, algae, and/or debris, further protecting it from malfunction.
The closest inventions to the present invention appear to be those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,925 to Lee (2000) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,985 to Whitney (2002). The Whitney invention discloses a coffee maker having closure between two chambers achieved by magnetic action, with one of its magnets on the distal end of a pivoting arm. In contrast, the Lee invention discloses a magnetically operated float switch having a float body that is vertically deployable on a central rod, with the rod having a top magnet positioned below a micro switch. However, neither the Lee nor the Whitney inventions disclose a unitary housing with separate isolated vertically-stacked chambers with an open-topped upper chamber configured for holding a corrosion-resistant encapsulated micro switch above a pivoting float body in the open-bottomed lower chamber. Also, the provisions for post-installation testing, quick mounting to a condensate pan, and reducing interference to the float body by mold, algae, and/or debris, which are important to the present invention, are not discussed in the Lee and Whitney disclosures. No other apparatus is known that has the same structure, functions in the same manner, or provides all of the advantages of the present invention.

Fluid-level sensing device with encapsulated micro switch


In one embodiment, an edge compute node comprises processing circuitry to: receive an incoming video stream captured by a camera, wherein the incoming video stream comprises a plurality of video segments; store the plurality of video segments in a receive buffer in a memory; perform a visual computing task on a first video segment in the receive buffer; detect a resource overload on the edge compute node; receive load information corresponding to a plurality of peer compute nodes; select a peer compute node to perform the visual computing task on a second video segment in the receive buffer; replicate the second video segment from the edge compute node to the peer compute node; and receive a compute result from the peer compute node, wherein the compute result is based on the peer compute node performing the visual computing task on the second video segment.

In many video streaming architectures, a collection of cameras captures and streams video to dedicated servers, which are each responsible for processing the video streams from a predefined number or subset of the cameras. However, the bandwidth and computation requirements for each server can vary dramatically based on various factors, such as the technical characteristics and/or configurations of the corresponding cameras, the underlying video content captured by those cameras, and so forth. As a result, it is common for some servers to become computationally overloaded while others are underutilized, which inevitably leads to dropped video frames and poor quality of service (QoS).

Dynamic rebalancing of edge resources for multi-camera video streaming


An electrical device such as, for example, an electrical switch is disclosed. The switch being arranged and configured to prevent ingress or intrusion of water, dust, or the like from the external environment thus making the switch particularly suitable for use outdoors or indoors where water and dust are expected. In one embodiment, the switch includes a base or housing, an internal actuator positioned within an internal cavity of the base, an external actuator accessible by a user, a barrier layer positioned between the internal actuator and the external actuator, the barrier layer arranged and configured to seal the internal cavity and the internal actuator, and a magnetic coupling arranged and configured to transfer movement of the external actuator to the internal actuator through the barrier layer.

Generally speaking, electrical devices such as, for example, electrical switches, dimmers, etc. are well known in the industry. Electrical switches may include a housing for enclosing electrical and/or energized circuitry/components and an actuator accessible by a user for controlling an associated electrical load such as, for example, an actuator for turning a lighting load ON, OFF, etc. As will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, movement of the actuator is generally transmitted to a switching mechanism positioned within the housing for controlling the associated electrical load. For example, moving the actuator from a first or OFF position to a second or ON position may turn the associated electrical load ON. Generally speaking, the actuator is coupled to the switching mechanism through interacting components extending through an opening formed in a front surface of the housing, which allows for water, dust, etc. to enter the housing of the electrical switch and to potentially contact the internal components of the switch including, for example, the energized components, the switching mechanism, etc. potentially rendering the electrical switch inoperative and/or unsafe.
Thus, it would be beneficial to incorporate a mechanism or barrier that completely inhibits any moisture, dust, etc. from the external environment from entering into the housing of the electrical switch. Thus arranged, the electrical switch is ideally suited for use outdoors or indoor environments (e.g., clean rooms, food industry, etc.) where moisture, dust, or the like is expected.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements may be useful.


A pacing system for pacing an activity receives a desired pace that includes a timing interval and generates a first pace signal based on the desired pace and corresponding to the timing interval. The system receives feedback on an actual pace of the activity and determines if the actual pace is different than the desired pace. When the actual pace is different, the system generates a second pace signal having a timing that is different than the timing interval. When the actual pace is not different, the system generates the second pace signal in accordance with the timing interval.

It is well known that good pacing is critical to athletic performance. A key objective in most endurance sports is to ensure that energy output is spread as best as possible during a race and is maximal at the end so that an athlete can finish as fast as possible. An ideal pace strategy involves the perceptive process of proportioning energy use such that the athlete is never working at too high a level, so as to tire quickly, or at too low a level so as to not reach potential.
It is often difficult for an endurance athlete to judge accurately the pace at which he or she should work to spend the available energy in such a way that the body's resources are almost exhausted when he or she crosses the finish line. To aid in pacing, pacing systems or devices such as a "metronome" are used to transmit a pace to the athlete. A metronome is a periodic signal that provides absolute timing. For example, 60 beats per second ("bps") is typically transmitted to someone as a once per second signal (a short audio beep or click, for example). Regardless of the actual pace of the activity, the pace signal, if it is provided to a user, is unwavering and constant.
However, when trying to perform any number of physical activities at a given pace with the help of a metronome, including for example practicing a short piano composition, it can be difficult to keep right on pace. Since the metronome is not listening or paying attention to the activity in any way, it is completely up to user to integrate the pace suggestion and "play along".
This works well when the user is proficient and the pace of activity is well within their ability. Typically, though, the metronome is a training device that is meant to help a user move beyond their current level of ability. Therefore, the user is typically performing at the very edge of their ability, which can lead to the pace of the activity naturally faltering.

Pacing system with feedback based adjustments


An ALU is capable of generating a multiply accumulation by compressing like-magnitude partial products. Given N pairs of multiplier and multiplicand, Booth encoding is used to encode the multipliers into M digits, and M partial products are produced for each pair of with each partial product in a smaller precision than a final product. The partial products resulting from the same encoded multiplier digit position, are summed across all the multiplies to produce a summed partial product. In this manner, the partial product summation operations can be advantageously performed in the smaller precision. The M summed partial products are then summed together with an aggregated fixup vector for sign extension. If the N multipliers equal to a constant, a preliminary fixup vector can be generated based on a predetermined value with adjustment on particular bits, where the predetermined value is determined by the signs of the encoded multiplier digits.

Matrix multiplication has numerous applications in applied mathematics, physics, engineering, etc. Particularly, an important primitive of machine learning is matrix multiplication. In computing systems, matrix multiplication or a matrix product can be achieved by binary operations that produce a matrix from multiplying two matrices. In hardware, this can be accelerated by having hundreds or thousands or even more multiply accumulators. For example, the multiplication accumulation operation can be represented as:A(1)×B(1)+A(2)×B(2)+ . . . +A(N)×B(N).
Booth's algorithm is a prevalent computer arithmetic algorithm for multiplication. Conventionally, each single multiply of a pair of operands (e.g., A(1)×B(1)) is first computed, which includes computing partial products (denoted as "pp") and then summing all these partial products to get a product of this pair. For example, using the Radix-8 Booth encoding, an 8-bit by 8-bit multiply has three partial products, as the multiplier is reduced into three digits through encoding. Any negative partial products for a single multiply are typically 1's complements and not sign extended. For example, the partial products are 10 bits each, namely pp0[9:0], pp1[12:3], pp2[15:6]. A 16-bit fixup vector (fixup[15:0]) is also computed for adding the "+1" needed to convert 1's complements to 2's complement as well as for correcting for the deficiency that the partial products were not sign extended. The product of this single multiply is then obtained by adding the fixup value to the partial products after shift and this has at least 16 bits in precision, represented as:pp0[9:0]<<0+pp1[12:3]<<3+pp2[15:6]<<6+fixup[15:0].
The final product of the N pairs of multiplies is then obtained by summing all the individual products of all the pairs. The adders used for summation of all the products need to have at least the precision of the product, which is 16 bits in this example.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compressing like-magnitude partial products in multiply accumulation


Frozen and lyophilized compositions for a metalloproteinase fibrinolytic agent (fibrolase or NAT), a method for preparing the lyophilized composition, and a kit and method for reconstituting the lyophilized composition are described herein.

In general, polypeptides are marginally stable in the aqueous state and undergo chemical and physical degradation resulting in a loss of biological activity during processing and storage. Another problem encountered in aqueous solution in particular is hydrolysis, such as deamidation and peptide bond cleavage. These effects represent a serious problem for therapeutically active polypeptides which are intended to be administered to humans within a defined dosage range based on biological activity.
To reduce the degradation of polypeptides, water-based pharmaceutical compositions are generally kept refrigerated or frozen until ready for use. As an alternative, the process of freeze-drying is often employed to stabilize polypeptides for long-term storage, particularly when the polypeptide is relatively unstable in liquid compositions. A lyophilization cycle is usually composed of three steps: freezing, primary drying, and secondary drying; Williams and Polli, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, Volume 38, Number 2, pages 48–59 (1984). In the freezing step, the solution is cooled until it is adequately frozen. Bulk water in the solution forms ice at this stage. The ice sublimes in the primary drying stage, which is conducted by reducing chamber pressure below the vapor pressure of the ice, using a vacuum. Finally, sorbed or bound water is removed at the secondary drying stage under reduced chamber pressure and an elevated shelf temperature. The process produces a material known as a lyophilized cake. Thereafter the cake can be reconstituted prior to use.
The standard reconstitution practice for lyophilized material is to add back a volume of pure water (typically equivalent to the volume removed during lyophilization), although dilute solutions of antibacterial agents are sometimes used in the production of pharmaceuticals for parenteral administration; Chen, Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, Volume 18, Numbers 11 and 12, pages 1311–1354 (1992).
Lyophilization is considered one of the best ways to remove excess water from polypeptide solutions. The freeze-drying process may yield products that are stable and amenable to handling for long-term storage. Lyophilized products can be stored at room temperature and are therefore easier to handle and distribute to a wider geographic market, such as foreign markets where refrigeration may not be available.
Excipients have been noted in some cases to act as stabilizers for freeze-dried products; Carpenter et al., Developments in Biological Standardization, Volume 74, pages 225–239 (1991). For example, known excipients include polyols (including mannitol, sorbitol and glycerol); sugars (including glucose and sucrose); and amino acids (including alanine, glycine and glutamic acid).
In addition, polyols and sugars are also often used to protect polypeptides from freezing and drying-induced damage and to enhance the stability during storage in the dried state. In general, sugars, in particular disaccharides, are effective in both the freeze-drying process and during storage. Other classes of molecules, including mono- and di-saccharides and polymers such as PVP, have also been reported as stabilizers of lyophilized products.

Pharmaceutical compositions of fibrinolytic agent


An electronic packaging system includes an electronic device. The electronic packaging system also includes a flexible material located adjacent a plurality of sides of the electronic device. The electronic device is located in a cavity in the flexible material. The flexible material has a first height and a first width. The electronic device has a second height. The first height is greater than the second height and the first width is greater than the first height so the flexible material protects the electronic device from loading.

RFID tags and other electronic devices, such as those for stimulating or sensing, may be located on substrates, such as pipes, girders, I-beams, vehicles, bridges, buildings, machinery, and other structures, to provide identification or to check for cracks, delamination, corrosion, or other degradation or damage.
No satisfactory scheme has been implemented to provide adequate protection for the electronic devices when mounted on structures subject to mechanical stress, such as from the load experienced when pipes bang together on the electronic device. Hard surfaced packages can be crushed or sheared off the pipe. Adding to expense, different hard surfaced packages may be needed for mounting to pipes or other surfaces that have different curvatures. Without adequate protection, RFID tags and other electronic devices can be damaged and rendered inoperable while attached to the structure. Thus a better scheme is needed to reduce or eliminate the loading on electronic devices, while providing sufficient flexibility for mounting to surfaces of different shape, and this scheme is provided by this patent application.


A thermoplastic molding composition is disclosed comprising. (i) a thermoplastic resin PA1 (ii) a low molecular weight additive, and PA1 (iii) a specially prepared carrier material magnesium-aluminum-silicate.. The carrier material which is characterized by its particle size and low bulk density was found to be effective in minimizing the thermal processing-related evaporation of the low molecular additive.

Thermoplastic polymers and mixtures of different thermoplastic polymers play an important part as engineering plastics. Most of these polymers and compositions contain, in addition to residual monomers, residual solvents and oligomeric additives of low molecular weight imparting to them certain properties, e.g. stabilizers, pigments, mold release agents, flame-proofing agents and antistatic agents.
Owing to their volatility at the conventional processing temperatures (generally 200.degree. to 350.degree. C.) such additives of low molecular weight partly segregate from the thermoplastic compositions loss their effectiveness and impair quality, i.e. cause surface faults on the shaped articles, deposits on injection molding tools and unpleasant odors.
It has now been discovered that specially prepared magnesium aluminum silicates are capable of binding additives of low molecular weight in polymers to such an extent as to ensure that the latter do not evaporate during processing. These carrier materials do not impair the characteristics of thermoplastic polymers so that e.g. their toughness decreases slightly, the surface is preserved, resistance to chemicals and heat distortion temperature are improved. Also flame-proofing agents, of which in general major quantities are required, remain at processing temperatures in the polymer and can be fully effective in case of fire.


An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of devices driven by power and configured to be operated in: 1) a standby mode in which the image forming apparatus stands by a start of an image formation; or 2) a power saving mode in which power supply to a part of the plurality of devices is stopped so that the power consumption of the image forming apparatus in the power saving mode is reduced compared with that of the image forming apparatus in the standby mode. The image forming apparatus further including a door which is opened when consumable material is supplied, and a door opened/closed sensor configured to detect the door opening or door closing.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control technology adapted when consumable material such as a toner is exchanged when an image forming apparatus is in a power saving mode
Description of the Related Art
Recently, an image forming apparatus comprising a power saving mode, which reduces standby power when the image forming device is deactivated, is being established (For example, United States Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0080605). Such image forming apparatus needs to respond to a facsimile reception and a print job reception while reducing power when the image forming apparatus is in the power saving mode. Therefore, the image forming apparatus stops power supply to an engine controller when it is in the power saving mode while supplying power to an image controller communicating with outside.
Also, it is highly desired to achieve power saving in the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is therefore controlled to shift from a standby mode, during which the image forming apparatus stands by a start of an image formation, to the power saving mode after the image formation. This increases a time-period during which the image forming apparatus stands by in the power saving mode.
Further, recently, consumable material such as recovery toner container, which is used to recover toner or transfer residual toner as removed, is often exchanged by a user. For example, some image forming apparatus display an exchange procedure on an operation unit. In the exchange procedure, the user depresses a power saving mode release button and the like mounted on the operation unit of the image forming apparatus. This returns the image forming apparatus from the power saving mode to the standby mode. In response to this, the exchange procedure is displayed on the operation unit.
However, when the consumable material such as the toner or the recovery toner container is exchanged while the image apparatus is in the power saving mode, a circuit for detecting the exchange of the consumable material is not powered on. Therefore, there remains a problem that it is not possible to detect whether or not the consumable material is exchanged by the user.
If it is configured such that information on residual amount of the consumable material such as toner is not held by the consumable material itself, the residual amount of the consumable material is managed by the image forming apparatus. Therefore, when the consumable material is exchanged in such a configuration, there causes a mismatch between the residual amounts of the consumable material such as toner recorded on the image forming apparatus and the actual residual amount of the consumable material (actual residual amount) mounted on the image forming apparatus. This may cause a situation in which a sign such as "Prepare toner bottle", "Exchange recover toner bottle" and the like does not disappear so that the image forming apparatus cannot shift to the power saving mode.
Also, in this state, if the image forming apparatus is caused to be shifted to the power saving mode, as long as the image forming apparatus is returned from the power saving mode to the standby mode by the user's depression of the power saving mode release button mounted on the operation unit, the information to guide the exchange procedure may not be displayed on a display screen.

Image forming apparatus including a plurality of devices driven by power


A piezoelectric microcantilever for sensing compounds or molecules. The piezoelectric microcantilever, may include at least one electrode, an insulation layer, a receptor, an immobilization layer, a non-piezoelectric layer and a piezoelectric layer The sensor is capable of self actuation and detection. The piezoelectric layer may be constructed from a highly piezoelectric thin lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate film, a highly piezoelectric thin zirconate titanate film, a highly piezoelectric lead-free film. Methods of using the sensors and flow cells and arrays including the sensors are also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to piezoelectric microcantilever sensors for biosensing. More specifically, the invention relates to highly sensitive piezoelectric microcantilevers capable of determining the presence and/or mass of organic compounds. Applicable fields of use may include biodefense, food safety and pathogen detection.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Current biosensing technologies utilize quartz crystal microbalances (QCM), silicon microcantilevers, electrochemical enzyme immunoassays, fluorescence, laser-based or fiber-optics-based methods, amplification schemes such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or bound metal particles to determine the presence and/or mass of organic compounds. These techniques, however, fail to provide quantitative, efficient or highly sensitive detection. In addition to lacking sensitivity, they are also incapable, in some cases, of simultaneously monitoring multiple compounds or being used in high throughput array applications.
TABLE 1Comparison of PEMS with Other BiosensorsDetectionLabel-Direct,High-Detector TypesensitivityfreeIn-situRapidthroughputMultiplexingPEMS10−15-10−18gyesyesyesyesyesQCM10−9gyesyesYesNonoSilicon10−12gyesnoNoNonomicrocantileverOptical fibernonoNoYesyesfluorescenceELISA2610−10gnonoNoYesyesSPR310−12gyesyesYesNono
Of these technologies, QCM, which utilizes thickness-mode resonance sensing, is one of the most common commercially available biosensing technologies. Detection sensitivity of a QCM is related to the resonance frequency and the thickness of the quartz membrane. A resonance frequency of about 5 MHz, corresponding to a quartz membrane thickness of 330 μm, enables a minimum detectable mass density of about 10−9 g/cm2. Sensitivity is therefore generally limited to a range of about 10−8 g/Hz.
To increase sensitivity, some biosensors utilize silicon-based microcantilevers, which offer a sensitivity of approximately 10−12 g/Hz, about three orders of magnitude higher than QCMs. Advantageously, silicon microcantilevers are also widely available and may be easily integrated with existing silicon fabrication methodologies. Most silicon microcantilevers, however, rely on complex external optical components for deflection detection, an external driving mechanism for actuation and also require laser alignment. Moreover, because they are not piezoelectric, silicon microcantilevers are inferior for in-solution sensing, yielding low resonance peaks upon immersion in a solution.
Piezoelectric cantilevers, in comparison, use electrical means for detection and are not encumbered by the complexity and mass of the silicon-based sensors. Constructed from lead zirconate titanate (PZT), they are capable of electrical self-excitation and self-sensing for in-situ electrical detection. Currently, piezoelectric biosensors are millimeter-size cantilevers made by bonding commercial PZT to non-piezoelectric substrates such as stainless steel, titanium or glass. Although capable of in-situ biosensing, these millimeter-size cantilevers lack the desired sensitivity for such applications.
Thin-film-based PZT microcantilevers, such as those disclosed in JP-07027559 A2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,554, are highly sensitive instruments. U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,554, in particular, discloses a thin piezoelectric film biomorph capable of being formed as a cantilever. The biomorph may be composed of a piezoelectric thin PZT film of about 1-10 μm in thickness for the purpose of increasing the working frequency range of micro-electro-mechanical dimensioned (MEMS) systems. The patent further teaches that the piezoelectric thin film may be fabricated by thin film fabrication methods such as a sol-gel method, sputtering, hydrothermal methods, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or another thin film fabrication method, followed by low temperature annealing and dry etching, plasma etching or patterning by wet chemical etching (See col. 5, lines 55-64 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,554). These piezoelectric microcantilevers, however, are incapable of in-situ electrical detection due to degradation of resonance peaks in solution.
Recent advances in thin-film PZT microcantilevers incorporate an electrical insulation layer that prevents liquid damping. U.S. Patent Publication no. 2005/0112621 discloses an insulation layer surrounding a PZT microcantilever having a thin piezoelectric film in order to prevent conduction in liquid media (See e.g. col. 4, lines 28-36).
However, there remains a need for a piezoelectric microcantilever device capable of in-solution biologic detection having a femtogram or higher sensitivity. In addition, there remains a need for a device consisting of array piezoelectric microcantilevers that is capable of simultaneous detection of multiple compounds.
Advancement in the sensitivity, accuracy and efficiency of electrical biosensing is essential to the developing field of bioterrorism defense. During the fall of 2001, for example, bacillus Anthracis spores, a bioterrorism agent, were responsible for the deaths of 5 individuals and infection of 17 others. As bioterrorism threats become more prevalent, there is a growing need for reliable in-situ detectors capable of efficiently detecting multiple biological agents in real time.
Advancements in biosensing accuracy, sensitivity, multi compound detection are also potentially useful in the health sciences for early detection and prevention of diseases. Breast cancer, for example, is the second leading cause of death for women. Although a number of potential breast cancer markers, such as HER2 (HER2/neu, c-erbB-2), EGFR, CA-15-3, CA27.29, urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), α-fetoprotein (AFP), and cytokeratins, are known, no blood test or method for detecting these markers currently exists. Mammography is frequently inadequate and often produces false positives leading to unnecessary biopsies. Therefore early detection methods for various cancers and other diseases lacking adequate diagnostic means, like breast cancer, that are capable of accurately, effectively and non-invasively identifying and quantifying pathogens and other disease markers are also needed.

Piezoelectric microcantilever sensors for biosensing


An X-ray image sensing device is manufactured to prevent an open of a ground line. The, X-ray image sensing device has a plurality of pixels in a matrix configuration. A pixel includes: a photoelectric conversion part to receive X-rays and generate electric charges; a charge storage part to accumulate the electric charges produced in the photoelectric conversion part, having a capacitor electrode, a pixel electrode and a dielectric layer located between the pixel electrode and the capacitor electrode, a ground line for discharging residual charges in the charge storage part, positioned on the capacitor electrode to electrically contact the capacitor electrode, and extending to the adjacent pixel; and a switching part to control release of the charges stored in the charge storage part. In one case, the capacitor electrode extends to an adjacent pixel. Alternatively, the capacitor electrode has an end contact line, contacting the ground line, with a length greater than the width of the ground line.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 1999-10398, filed on Mar. 25, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray image sensing device, and more particularly to an X-ray image sensing device fabricated utilizing a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) array process.
2. Description of Related Art
An X-ray detection method for medical diagnosis which has been widely used is such that an X-ray detecting film is used to produce a photograph and some predetermined printing procedure is required to obtain the result.
However, digital X-ray sensing devices (referred to hereinafter as X-ray sensing devices) employing a TFT have been developed recently due to the development of semiconductor technology. This X-ray sensing device has an advantage that a real time diagnosis can be obtained immediately after photographing because it uses a TFT as a switching element.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the structure and operation of an X-ray image sensing device 100 which comprises a lower substrate 1, a thin film transistor 3, a storage capacitor 10, a pixel electrode 12, a photoconductive film 2, a protection film 20, a conductive electrode 24 and a high voltage direct current (DC) power supply 26.
Photoconductive film 2 produces internal electric signals, i.e. electron-hole pairs in proportion to the strength of external signals, such as incident electromagnetic waves or magnetic waves. That is, the photoconductive film 2 serves as a converter to detect external signals, particularly X-rays, and convert them into electric signals. Either the electrons or holes are gathered at pixel electrode 12 located beneath the photoconductive film 2, depending on a voltage (E,) applied to the conductive electrode 24 by the high voltage DC power supply 26, and then are stored in storage capacitor 10 formed in connection with a ground line grounded externally. Charges stored in the storage capacitor 10 are transferred to the TFT 3, controlled externally, to an external image display device to form X-ray images.
In an X-ray image sensing device, to detect and convert even the weakest X-ray signal into an electric charge, it is required to decrease the trap state density for the electric charge in the photoconductive film 2 and to decrease the amount of current in non-vertical directions by applying a relatively high voltage (more than 10 V/xcexcm) in the vertical direction between the conductive electrode 24 and the pixel electrode 12.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a conventional X-ray image sensing device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,880 discloses an example of this kind of structure, wherein the pixel electrode 12 extends over the upper part of TFT 3 to prevent the trapping of electric charges at the upper part of TFT 3, induced from the electric charges produced in photoconductive film 2 by X-ray energy.
A capacitor electrode 40 made of transparent conducting material is formed on the gate insulating layer 34a on the substrate 1. A dielectric layer 34b is formed on the capacitor electrode 40 and patterned to form the ground line 42, which should extend to the adjacent pixel. The ground line 42 is formed on the exposed portion of the capacitor electrode 40. A protection layer 46 is formed on the TFT 3 to protect it from external impacts or humidity. A pixel electrode 12 is formed on the protection layer 46 contacting the dielectric layer 60 through a contact hole formed in the dielectric layer 34b. The pixel electrode 12 and the capacitor electrode 40 are the two electrodes of the storage capacitor.
The ground line 42 contacting the capacitor electrode 40 discharges the residual charges remaining in the storage capacitor.
FIG. 3a is a plan view illustrating a section of the conventional X-ray sensing device and shows a gate line 50 disposed crosswise and a data line 52 disposed lengthwise. A TFT 3 is formed as a switching element in the region where the gate line 50 and data line 52 cross and a ground line 42 is disposed parallel to the data line 52. The ground line 42 and the dielectric layers 34b are positioned on the capacitor electrode 40. The pixel electrode 12 covers the ground line 42 and the dielectric layers 34 to form the storage capacitor. The ground line 42 extends to the adjacent pixel (not shown) and contacts the capacitor electrode of the adjacent pixel.
FIG. 3b is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 3a, showing an electrical line short that often occurs in the conventional X-ray image sensing device. In the figure, line short portions Axe2x80x2 are seen in the ground line 42 at the boundary with the capacitor electrode 40. This occurs because a metal used for the ground line 42 is not adhered well on the capacitor electrode 40 made of transparent conducting material and the etching solution invades from both ends to inside the step difference region during the wet etching of the ground line 42.
The defect can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3c that is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIxe2x80x94III of FIG. 3b, showing the Axe2x80x2 part where the ground line 42 has an open portion in the step difference region of the capacitor electrode 40 and ground line 42.
The open in the ground line may cause the problem that the residual charges can not be removed efficiently, which deteriorates the quality of X-ray images.
This invention has been developed in order to address the above-described problem.
An object of this invention is to provide an X-ray image sensing device wherein the ground line open is not caused.
Another object of this invention is to provide an X-ray image sensing device having a ground line with reduced resistance.
In order to accomplish the above objects, this invention provides in one aspect, an X-ray image sensing device having a plurality of pixels in a matrix configuration, a pixel including a photoelectric conversion part to receive X-rays and generate electric charges from the X-rays; a charge storage part to accumulate the electric charges produced in the photoelectric conversion part, having a capacitor electrode, a pixel electrode and a dielectric layer located between the pixel electrode and the capacitor electrode, which extends to an adjacent pixel; a ground line for discharging residual charges in the charge storage part, positioned on the capacitor electrode to electrically contact the capacitor electrode, and extending to the adjacent pixel; and a switching part to control release of the charges stored in the charge storage part.
This invention also provides in another aspect, an X-ray image sensing device having a plurality of pixels in a matrix configuration, a pixel including a photoelectric conversion part to receive X-rays and generate electric charges from the X-rays; a charge storage part to accumulate the electric charges produced in the photoelectric conversion part, having a capacitor electrode, a pixel electrode and a dielectric layer located between the pixel electrode and the capacitor electrode; a ground line for discharging residual charges in the charge storage part, positioned on the capacitor electrode to electrically contact the capacitor electrode, and extending to an adjacent pixel; and a switching part to control release of the charges stored in the charge storage part, wherein the capacitor electrode is shaped so that an end contact line of the capacitor electrode with the ground has a length greater than a width of the ground line.
Preferably, the photoelectric conversion part is comprised of a photoconductive film and conductive electrode.
Preferably, the conductive film is preferably manufactured of a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous selenium, HgI2, PbO, CdSe, thallium bromide and cadmium sulfide.
Preferably, the ground line is preferably made of Chrome.
Preferably, the capacitor electrode is preferably made of transparent conducting material.


A system for the authorization of wireless telephone communications establishes two sets of authorized telephone numbers. A first set of authorized telephone numbers are supplied by the customer, and the second set of authorized numbers are derived from customer bills paid by the customer. The system analyzes transmission characteristics from an unauthenticated cellular telephone and attempts to verify its authenticity based on the transmission characteristic by analyzing the transmission characteristic with respect to stored reference waveforms for the authentic wireless telephone. However, the results of this signature analysis if negative may be overridden if the telephone number dialed by the unauthenticated cellular telephone matches a telephone number in either the first or second sets of authorized telephone numbers. The system also includes a technique for modifying the reference waveforms to compensate for changes in the transmission characteristic. The system will only consider the inclusion of transmission characteristics from the present communication if the dialed digits for the present communication match one of the telephone numbers in either the first or second sets of authorized telephone numbers.

In a communications network, it is often desirable to identify and distinguish one transmitter from other transmitters operating within the network. For example, in the radio telephone industry, a cellular telephone system utilizes an electronic serial number (ESN) and a mobile telephone identification number (MIN) to provide a unique identification for each transmitter. When an individual subscriber or other authorized user of a particular cellular telephone wishes to place a phone call, he dials in a telephone number and presses the "Send" button. In response, his cellular telephone transmits its ESN and MIN to the cellular network so that the individual subscriber can be charged for the telephone call.
Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals illegally operate cellular telephones by counterfeiting the ESN and MIN of a valid subscriber's telephone in order to obtain illegal access to the cellular network without paying for the service. The ESN and MIN of a cellular telephone can be obtained by a counterfeiter electronically monitoring the initial transmission of the user's telephone, and then programming the detected ESN and MIN into another telephone for illegal use. Thus, the mere transmission of the authentic ESN and MIN is by itself inadequate to protect a cellular telephone system from misuse by counterfeiters.
While the cellular telephone is identified by its ESN and MIN, it cannot be considered as an authorized cellular telephone because it is not known whether the ESN and MIN have been transmitted by the authorized cellular telephone or a fraudulent cellular telephone. For purposes of the present description, a cellular telephone identified on the basis of the transmitted ESN and MIN is designated as an unauthenticated cellular telephone until it is determined to be an authorized cellular telephone or a fraudulent cellular telephone. The designation of the unauthenticated cellular telephone as authorized or fraudulent must be made on the basis of some form of analysis beyond a simple check of the ESN and MIN to see that these are valid numbers.
In an effort to provide additional security, some cellular systems and other wireless services, authenticate cellular telephones based on the radio frequency (RF) transmission of data by the cellular telephones during a call set-up process. Rather than identify the cellular telephone by its ESN and MIN alone, the system identifies the cellular telephone by its transmission characteristics. In this manner, the cellular system operator can reject calls from fraudulent cellular telephones even when those cellular telephones transmit valid ESN and MIN numbers. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,210 issued to Ferrell on Apr. 2, 1991 ("the Ferrell patent"), a system is described that analyzes certain transmitter characteristics in an effort to identify the transmitter type. The system in the Ferrell patent analyzes the manner in which the modulator makes a transition to the designated carrier frequency. This transient response is used to identify the type of transmitter.
While the Ferrell patent describes one class of transmission characteristics that can be used as a fingerprint, other transmission characteristics are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,910 issued to Rudokas et al. on May 30, 1995 ("the Rudokas patent"), describes an identifier, such as a radio frequency signature, that can be used to positively identify an authorized cellular telephone or a fraudulent cellular telephone. Other types of signature authentication systems are also known in the art and need not be described herein. These transmission characteristics, from whatever source they are derived, can be processed in different manners to create a "fingerprint" of the individual transmitter. The analogy with fingerprints is used herein because each transmitter transmission characteristics are believed to be completely unique. The transmitter fingerprint can be used to determine whether the transmission characteristics of the unauthenticated transmitter match the stored fingerprint of the authorized transmitter corresponding to the transmitted ESN and MIN. In such manner, the fingerprint is used with cellular telephone calls to authenticate a cellular telephone.
While the transmitter fingerprint is believed to be unique, it is not static. The transmission characteristics can change over time as the transmitter ages or is exposed to other extreme environmental conditions, such as dropping the cellular telephone. Under these circumstances, the stored fingerprint may no longer provide an accurate measure of the transmission characteristics. The stored fingerprint must be periodically revised to compensate for changes in the transmission characteristics.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for a system and method to permit the alteration of a transmitter fingerprint in a manner that assures satisfactory security of the cellular telephone system. The present invention provides this and other advantages as will be illustrated by the following description and accompanying figures.

System and method for the verification of authentic telephone numbers in a wireless telephone system

Cellular Technical Services Company, Inc.


Accordingly, a hand truck for musical drums of the invention facilitates storage, transport, protection, and control of drums and drum accessories. The hand truck for musical drums of the invention has a frame and a plurality of drum compartments within the frame. Each compartment has an arcuate inner wall that corresponds to a preselected drum, which is protectively releasably received in the corresponding compartment. A wheel assembly and a handle are connected with the frame and facilitate cart transport of a drum set in the compartments. Further compartments may also be provided for accessories.

Not Applicable.
The invention relates to carts and the like for musical drums. More particularly, the invention relates to an integrated drum case and transport cart or dolly.
A drummer, being one who plays drums, will commonly use a number of drums in the performance of music and the like. The drums used may be said to comprise a drum set. Each drum in a drum set may be an expensive instrument individually. Thus, the set may be all the more expensive. Accordingly, one will prefer to care for the drums and will commonly transport and store the drums in protective cases, which may each include a body and a lid. Further, stands and other accessories are typically employed with a drum set to facilitate the playing of the drums. One may readily see, then that a large and unwieldy number of case components and accessories accompanies a drum set. One may further appreciate a great desire to control and simplify the handling and use of the drums, cases, and accessories.
Generally, hand trucks are comprised of an open framework configuration with side rails along with opposing receiving structural adjoining braces which are spaced vertically along the frame in addition to forwardly disposed adjacent nose portions supported by wheels, generally adapted for use in transporting various objects such as boxes, cartons, and cylinders with the load being supported by the vertically inclined framework and the forwardly disposed nose portion. There are also other types of hand trucks with an open framework configuration along with various assemblies and compartments to accommodate specific applications such as transporting laundry, garbage cans, and welding equipment. Hand trucks intended for curvilinear loads are normally provided with arcuate structural adjoining braces, and usually without any type of outer protection for fragile loads. Generally, owners of these hand trucks use them for industrial purposes such as transporting heavy barrels, kegs, or cylinders, and curvilinear loads of an industrial nature usually are not fragile, and do not require any type of protection for the load surface, and since musical drums and related equipment are fragile in design, typical industrial hand trucks with standard arcuate structural adjoining braces are not suitable for transporting musical drums and related equipment due to the overall dimensions of the hand truck, and also due to movement of the musical drums against the structural adjoining braces during use which would cause surface damage to the musical drums and related equipment.
In regard to standard musical drum cases, typically they consist of a simplified cylinder and handle, with a dimensionally uniform terminus on the lower half, while the upper half embodies an aperture portion which inwardly accepts a certain musical drum of a corresponding smaller diameter and in some instances, optional drum support foam pieces, and outwardly receives a provided lid of a corresponding larger diameter along with some type of latching device for temporary closure which when assembled, forms a completed apparatus and provides adequate protection during transport for a certain musical drum, wherein the load is supported by the upper and lower half of the case, or by optional upper and lower inner drum support foam pieces. Typically these types of cases are cumbersome to assemble and disassemble, and are difficult to store when not in use, and in addition, are usually transported in pairs. Therefore it is not possible to transport an entire musical drum set configuration in one movement.
Accordingly, a hand truck for musical drums of the invention facilitates storage, transport, protection, and control of drums and drum accessories. The hand truck for musical drums of the invention has a frame and a plurality of drum compartments within the frame. Each compartment has an arcuate inner wall that corresponds to a preselected drum, which is protectively releasably received in the corresponding compartment. A wheel assembly and a handle are connected with the frame and facilitate cart transport of a drum set in the compartments. Further compartments may also be provided for accessories.
The invention (which is PTO Disclosure Document Number 420748, dated Jun. 11, 1997) is a new and useful design of a hand truck and case for musical drums that provides for movement and storage of musical drums and related equipment. Load-supporting removable drum support foam pieces and other U-shaped storage compartments are secured and nested inside a protective arcuate shell supported by a U-shaped framework configuration that includes support wheels. The invention is generally adapted for use in either a vertical movement position, or a horizontal load/unload position. A first handle is provided to propel and maneuver the hand truck, while a second handle is provided to aid in the stability of the hand truck or to aid in maneuvering the hand truck with the handle.
A new and useful design of a hand truck and case for musical drums that forms a vehicle for movement and storage of musical drums and related equipment that incorporates a tubular frame with an upper propelling handle, and a lower handle supported by wheels, with U-shaped structural adjoining braces, that further support a hook and loop fastener lined arcuate protective shell with upper and lower stationary end panels in which are nested cymbal and bass drum pedal storage compartments, as well as U-shaped drum support foam pieces, that are also lined with hook and loop fastener material, can be secured inside the protective shell into a configuration relative to a given drum set whose quantity of drums are relative to the number of drum support foam pieces with one piece per drum. Each drum is placed inside a drum support foam piece securing the musical drum around the lower half independently. Also incorporated in to the protective shell are the cymbal and bass drum pedal storage compartments, which are both stationary, and are located toward the upper half for convenience purposes.
Inside the cymbal storage compartment is a cymbal support foam piece in which are a series of U-shaped protective slots circularly cut into a configuration relative to the number of cymbals within a drum set configuration with one slot per cymbal. Each cymbal is placed into a slot that corresponds dimensionally to each particular cymbal with the inner dimensions of the foam slots securing the cymbal along its outer edges and surface.
Inside the bass drum pedal storage compartment are foam bass drum pedal cushioning pieces. These foam pieces cover all four sides of the compartment as well as under the lid. The bass drum pedal is simply placed into the drum pedal compartment with the bottom foam supporting the drum pedal independently and the foam side pieces cushioning the drum pedal.
And finally, the vehicle is covered with a protective lid. This lid which is square in shape and spans the entire length and width of the shell, is flat on one side while having a series of lid foam pieces on the other, which support the musical drums from the top and are secured into a configuration relative to the dimensions of a given drum set configuration where the quantity of foam pieces are relative to number of drums with one foam piece per drum.
These and other features, objects, and benefits of the invention will be recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art and by those who practice the invention, from the specification, the claims, and the drawing figures.


A molding compound consisting of the nickel superalloy Hastelloy X is used to form net-shape or near net-shape articles. The compound, containing atomized Hastelloy X powder having an average particle size less than about 20 .mu.m, is mixed with a liquid carrier, a gel forming binder and processing additives and molded at relatively low pressures in a conventional injection molding machine. A critical air debinding step prior to sintering results in high densification of the article, which has mechanical properties comparable to cast or wrought processed material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Hastelloy X is a nickel-chromium-iron-molybdenum alloy that possesses an exceptional combination of oxidation resistance and high temperature strength. It has wide use in gas turbine engines for combustion zone components such as transition ducts, combustor cans, spray bars and flame holders as well as in afterburners, tailpipes and cabin heaters. It is also used in industrial furnace applications because it has unusual resistance to oxidizing, reducing and neutral atmospheres.
Hastelloy X is typically available in cast or wrought forms but is also available as a powder metallurgy (PM) product. Conventional PM processing of Hastelloy X includes press and sinter, which results in compacts limited to simple geometric shapes such as cylinders that are not fully dense. Additional processing, such as hot isostatic pressing (HIP), can bring densities to near 100% of theoretical density.
Metal-injection-molding(MIM) is recognized as a premier forming method for complex, shapes. It affords significant advantages over other forming methods due to its capability of rapidly producing net shape, complex parts in high volume. Initially, MIM comprised the step of mixing metal powder with a dispersant and a thermoplastic organic binder of variable composition. The molten powder/binder mixture was heated during the injection molding process and injected into a relatively cold mold. After solidification, the part was ejected in a manner similar to injection molded plastic parts. Subsequently, the binder was removed and the part was densified by a high temperature heat treatment. There were a number of critical stages in this process, which included the initial mixing of the powder and binder, the injection of the mixture into the mold, and the removal of the organic matrix material used as the binder. One of the main disadvantages of the initial MIM process is the removal of the organic vehicle. Currently, with organic binder MIM processes, the cross section limit of a part for fine particle sizes is typically less than 1/4 inch. If the cross section of the part exceeds that limit, the binder removal process will lead to defects, pinholes, cracks, blisters, etc. Binder removal takes place by slow heat treatments that can take up to several weeks. During debinding at elevated temperatures, the binder becomes a liquid, which can result in distortion of the green part due to capillary forces. Another disadvantage of the initial MIM process is the tendency for the relatively high molecular weight organic to decompose throughout the green body, causing internal or external defects. The use of solvent extraction, wherein a portion of the organic is removed using an organic or supercritical liquid, sometimes minimizes defect formation. Solvent extraction causes difficulties because the remainder still needs to be removed at elevated temperatures, resulting in the formation of porosity throughout the part, which facilitates removal of the remaining organic material. During binder removal, part slumping can pose problems, especially for the larger particle sizes if the green density/strength is not high enough.
MIM offers certain advantages for high volume automation of net shape, complex parts. However, the limitation of part size and the excessive binder removal times, along with a negative environmental impact resulting from the debinding process have inhibited the expected growth of the use of this technique.
Some improvements, such as the use of water based binder systems, have been made to the initial MIM process. Hens et al. developed a water leachable binder system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,537. The injection molding feedstock is made with a tailored particle size distribution (to control the rheology), a PVA-based majority binder, and a coating on each of the binder particles. During molding, these coatings form necks which give the part rigidity. After injection molding, there is a water debind that lasts several hours. After the remaining binder is cross-linked by either UV or chemical methods, the part undergoes a thermal debind, which takes 8-12 hours for a part such as a golf club head. Other aqueous-based binders contain either polyethylene glycols, PVA copolymers, or COOH-containing polymers. BASF has developed a polyacetal-based system that is molded at moderately high temperatures after which the binder is removed by a heat treatment with gaseous formic or nitric acid. The acid treatment keeps the debind temperature low to exclude the formation of a liquid phase and thus distortion of the green part due to viscous flow. The gaseous catalyst does not penetrate the polymer, and the decomposition takes place only at the interface of the gas and binder, thereby preventing the formation of internal defects. These improvements are limited by the requirement for separate binder removal furnaces and times, depending on the part size. There are environmental issues as well with removal of the large amount of wax/polymer in the form of fire hazards and volatile organic compound discharge.
An injection molding process using agar as an aqueous binder has been developed by Fanelli et al, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,237. This binder system applies to both ceramic and metal powders. It also includes the use of agarose or derivatives of polysaccharide aqueous gels. The advantage over state-of-the-art wax-based binder technology is the use of water as the fluid medium versus wax. In feedstocks prepared according to this technology, water serves the role of the fluid medium in the aqueous injection molding process, comprising roughly 50 volume % of the composition, and agar provides the "setting" function for the molded part. The agar sets up a gel network with open channels in the part, allowing easy removal of the water by evaporation. By contrast the Hens et al system requires a solvent debind to attain similar open channels in the part. The agar is eventually removed thermally; however, it comprises less than 5 volume fraction of the total formation, and debind times are rapid compared to wax/polymeric debind systems. This is an advantage over the Hens et al system.
This agar based aqueous binder is especially applicable for the production of stainless steel components using MIM. Due to the easy removal of the aqueous based binder and its relatively low level of carbon, as compared to wax or polymeric binder systems, debinding and sintering schedules have been developed by Zedalis et. al (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/141,444) which impart little or no additional carbon to stainless steel alloys such as 316L, 410 and 17-4PH. Moreover, the agar based binder and its associated carbon are removed in a simple one step, air debind consisting of relatively short debind times of approximately 1/2 to 2 hours. In contrast, wax or polymer based binders require several step debinding processes in which each debind step often takes many more hours. Accordingly, the short air debind times of the agar-based feedstocks are economically advantageous.
Nickel based alloys have not traditionally been exploited using MIM processing. Valencia et al ("Superalloys 718, 625, 706 And Various Derivatives"; E. A. Loria; Minerals, Metals And Materials Society, 1994; page 935) have applied the wax/polymer binder systems to MIM of the nickel superalloys 625 and 718 and have reported acceptable mechanical properties. However, production of those components suffered from the limitations of the wax/polymer debind system, i.e. long debind times resulting in uneconomical processing and part size limitations.

Net shape hastelloy X made by metal injection molding using an aqueous binder


Apparatus and methods for ultrasonic inspection of elongated composite members in a single scan pass using pulse echo phased arrays operating in a bubbler method. The system concept is fully automated by integrating an inspection NDI probe assembly to a robot and using the robot to move the inspection NDI probe assembly along the part (i.e., outside of an inspection tank); and by integrating tooling fixtures that move out of the way as the inspection NDI probe assembly travels along the length of the part during the inspection. In addition, the system allows for generally elongated composite members having lengthwise variation in shape, curvature and dimensions.

This disclosure generally relates to non-destructive inspection equipment and methods, and relates more particularly to methods and apparatus for inspecting elongated members, such as stiffeners, made of composite material.
Non-destructive inspection of structures involves thoroughly examining a structure without harming the structure or requiring its significant disassembly. Non-destructive inspection is commonly used in the aircraft industry to inspect aircraft structures for any type of anomaly in the structure. Non-destructive inspection is also used in the initial fabrication of the aircraft's structural components. It is used to assure that a part was fabricated correctly and to ensure that no foreign material was embedded within the part. Inspection may be performed during manufacturing of a structure and/or after a structure has been put in service
Non-destructive inspection (NDI) may be performed on stiffened composite parts of an aircraft. Composite parts such as fuselages and wings are frequently stiffened using elongated composite members called "stiffeners" or "stringers" (hereinafter "stiffeners"). These stiffeners may be made of a composite material such as carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). As used herein, the term "elongated composite members" includes but is not limited to composite stiffeners used in the construction of fuselages and wings of aircraft, such as wing blade stiffeners and wing vent stiffeners.
More specifically, the quality of a stiffener can be determined non-destructively by ultrasonic testing. A stiffener can be inspected ultrasonically by a probe, including one or more shoes that hold respective ultrasonic transducer arrays, that is moved incrementally along the length of the stiffener. As the probe is being moved, the transducer arrays may operate in pulse/echo mode to generate pulsed ultrasonic waves, which propagate into the stiffener. Reflected ultrasonic waves are returned to and detected by the ultrasonic transducer arrays to provide data indicative of the presence of anomalies in the stiffener. Data acquired by the ultrasonic transducer arrays is typically processed by a computer system.
Automated inspection systems typically employ a manipulator (e.g., overhead gantry, multi-axis scanner, or robot) that scans an NDI end effector along the part being inspected. For single-sided inspection methods, such as pulse echo ultrasonic inspection, a single-arm robotic device having multiple degrees of freedom may be used to position and move an NDI end effector, such as a pulse echo ultrasonic inspection device, attached to the end of the robot arm.
An automated single-pass automated non-destructive inspection (NDI) system having flange, radius and web NDI probe assemblies is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,933,396. The design of that system allows for elongated composite members having lengthwise variation in shape, curvature and dimensions. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus herein has enough degrees of freedom to allow for local part movements in the roll, pitch, yaw, lateral and elevation directions while still maintaining proper probe alignment to the part. However, manufactured blade stiffeners may have twist that varies from one blade stiffener to another by an amount which exceeds the capability of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus to adjust, thereby necessitating that the inspector modify the robot programs for every part number in order to maintain proper ultrasonic coupling into the part.

Automated ultrasonic inspection of elongated composite members using single-pass robotic system


An apparatus includes a central processing unit and a parallel processing unit. The parallel processing unit generally includes an array of software-configurable general purpose processors, a globally shared memory, and a shared memory. Each of the software-configurable general purpose processors in the array of software-configurable general purpose processors generally has access to the globally shared memory to execute one or more portions of a decoding program. The shared memory is accessible by the central processing unit to program the shared memory with a schedule describing which of the one or more portions of the decoding program are to be executed by each of the software-configurable general purpose processors.

A basic flow of video decoding using graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration involves (i) decoding syntax, (ii) transferring data to the GPU, (iii) assigning GPU blocks, and (iv) running the GPU blocks. Syntax decoding produces uncompressed data (such as transform coefficients, prediction modes, motion vectors, etc.) for each picture making up a video sequence. Syntax decoding can be done on a central processing unit (CPU) or some other serial processor. The uncompressed data is transferred to the GPU. GPU blocks are assigned to decode specific portions of a picture and the GPU blocks are run to decode the picture. The GPU runs multiple blocks at once. Each GPU block determines whether to wait for any neighbor pixels to be decoded. When a GPU block has to wait for neighbor pixels to be decoded, the GPU block waits on synchronization primitives to make sure the neighbor is complete before it can decode its portion of the picture.
It would be desirable to implement sweep dependency based graphics processing unit (GPU) block scheduling.

Sweep dependency based graphics processing unit block scheduling


A label generating technique and apparatus allows for the generation of an array of labels for attachment to a assemblage of file folders without the implementation of a confining template. A library of alpha-numeric color coded graphics is available for application to each label as a sheet of pressure sensitive adhesive paper is introduced to a printer. An operator enters the data respecting various labels from a mass data bank. The data entry includes both typed information and color-coded graphics from the library. The final label may be viewed upon a monitor. Upon completion of the labels, they are printed upon a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet, laminated with a clear cover sheet, die cut, and removed and applied to the edge of a file folder. The technique of the invention basically employs clip art or cut and paste techniques for generating a label having printed information and an array of color coded graphics.

It is often required to generate a file system from a large database of random data. Such massive data banks and file systems occur at many facilities, such as hospitals, health medical organizations, car dealerships, government agencies, and the like. When a file system is being developed, or when the system is being converted from one format to another, the database is often not ordered. Moreover, the data available for each label is often not consistent from label to label. Some labels will necessarily display more data than others. For example, where a label might be intended to include a patient's name, case number, birth date, social security number, insurance provider, diagnosis code and bar code associated with that data, it is not unusual for some of the data to be absent. Many individuals do not know their social security number, and a surprising number of elderly people do not recall their birth date. As a consequence, those data entries on the label may be absent--as may be the bar code if it is intended to include information respecting the missing data. In the past, it has been known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,674 to generate an array of labels from a database in which a template is developed for the labels and imprinted upon them. The data is then entered into associated areas on the label within the template. According to this prior art teaching, a specific label format is defined with discrete regions on the label for each of the various data entries. Those discrete regions are specifically defined and always present on the label within the template, whether the data associated with the specific region is entered or not. Notably, the template is first printed upon the label and the data entered thereafter.
The prior art techniques and apparatus for developing labels from large databases has typically been quite rigid as to format. The prior art has not been easily tailored to accomodate variations in the nature of the available data from label to label.
There is a need in the art for a technique and apparatus for generating an array of labels from a mass data bank of random data for ultimate attachment to an assemblage of file folders, and in which the technique and apparatus is flexible to accomodate variations in the data available for each of the various labels. Moreover, there is a need in the art for such a technique and apparatus which forgoes the use of a template, generating each label individually from a library of graphics, employing clip art techniques, such that each label is complete with the data available, with no defined regions having data absent, and which accommodates a wide variation in label format to accomodate the generation of arrays of labels for a wide range of applications.

Label generating techniques and apparatus


Provided is a method for determining whether an agent is an agonist of the neuron-specific calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1), for consideration of an agonist of NCS-1 as a drug candidate for therapy of a behavioral disorder or for improving learning and/or memory of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:    (a) contacting a cell, tissue or non-human animal with an agent to be screened under conditions to permit neuron-specific calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) activity; and    (b) determining NCS-1 activity of said treated cell, tissue or non-human animal, wherein an increase in NCS-1 activity compared with a corresponding control cell, tissue or animal is indicative of an agent which is an agonist of NCS-1.

The neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) is an intracellular calcium sensor of the EF-hand calcium-binding proteins family that is neuron-specific and highly conserved throughout evolution with 100% identity at the amino acid level among vertebrates, and 75% between vertebrates and C. elegans (Braunewell and Gundelfinger, 1999; De Castro et al., 1995). NCS-1 binds 3 calcium ions with a high affinity of ˜300 nM that is within the range of intracellular Ca2+i fluctuations known to regulate key neuronal functions such as neurotransmitter release, receptor phosphorylation, ion channel activities, or transcription (Bourne et al., 2001; Burgoyne and Weiss, 2001; Cox et al., 1994; Fontana and Blaustein, 1993; Martone et al., 1999; Paterlini et al., 2000; Yazejian et al., 2000). In a calcium-dependent manner, the recombinant vertebrate NCS-1 can activate, in vitro, the G-protein receptor kinase 1 (De Castro et al., 1995; lacovelli et al., 1999), substitute for calmodulin (CaM) and directly activate CaM-dependent targets such as 3′:5′-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, calcineurin, and nitric oxide synthase enzymes (Schaad et al., 1996). NCS-1 has also been reported to regulate evoked exocytosis in neuroendocrine cells (McFerran et al., 1998). Phenotypic analyses addressing the functional role of NCS-1 in vivo have been performed with yeast, Paramecium, C. elegans, and Drosophila. In S. cerevisiae, the frq1 gene encodes NCS-1 which is essential for vegetative growth, and which has been shown, following genetic studies, to interact with the yeast phosphatidylinositol 4-OH kinase Pik1 (Hendricks et al., 1999). The vertebrate NCS-1 directly substitutes for a mutated form of CaM in Paramecium and can restore normal wild-type (WT) behavioral responses (avoiding reaction) of live Paramecium mutants most likely via the re-activation of a CaM-dependent potassium channel (Schaad et al., 1996). A shaker-like phenotype in Drosophila caused by the overexpression of frequenin (Pongs et al., 1993), the Drosophila orthologue of NCS-1, seems to involve an increase of evoked neurotransmitter release at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of flies via unknown mechanisms that could possibly involve the NCS-1-dependent regulation of a K+ channel (Poulain et al., 1994) or of a Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (Rivosecchi et al., 1994). However, the function of NCS-1, if any, in terms of particular phenotypic characteristics responsive to NCS-1 activity remained unknown.

Method for identifying an agonist of neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1), for therapy of CNS disorders