The disclosure relates to turbomachine components which include one or more coating-capturing features for thermal insulation. A turbomachine component may include: a body having an exterior surface positioned within a hot gas path (HGP) section of a turbomachine; and a coating-capturing feature mounted on the exterior surface of the body and in thermal communication with the HGP section of the turbomachine, wherein the coating-capturing feature comprises: a first member positioned on the exterior surface of the body, the first member having at least one outer sidewall defining a first perimeter of the coating-capturing feature, a second member positioned on the first member and having at least one outer sidewall defining a second perimeter of the coating-capturing feature, wherein the first member separates the second member from the exterior surface of the body, and an indentation positioned between the first and second members.

The disclosure relates generally to turbomachine components with coating-capturing features, and additionally, to methods of forming and applying coatings a turbomachine component with coating-capturing features for thermal insulation.
Conventional manufacture of metal components generally includes milling or cutting away regions from a slab of material before treating and modifying the cut material to yield a part, which may have been simulated using computer models, e.g., in drafting software. Manufactured components which may be formed from metal can include, e.g., airfoil components for installation in a turbomachine such as an aircraft engine or power generation system. Additive manufacturing (AM) includes a wide variety of processes of producing a component through the successive layering of material rather than the removal of material. As such, additive manufacturing can create complex geometries without the use of any sort of tools, molds or fixtures, and with little or no waste material. Instead of machining components from solid billets of material, much of which is cut away and discarded, the only material used in additive manufacturing is what is required to shape the component. Additive manufacturing techniques typically include taking a three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) file of the component to be formed, electronically slicing the component into layers, e.g., 18-102 micrometers thick, and creating a file with a two-dimensional image of each layer, including vectors, images or coordinates. The file may then be loaded into a preparation software system that interprets the file such that the component can be built by different types of additive manufacturing systems. In 3D printing, rapid prototyping (RP), and direct digital manufacturing (DDM) forms of additive manufacturing, material layers are selectively dispensed, sintered, formed, deposited, etc., to create the component.
In metal powder additive manufacturing techniques, such as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) (also referred to as selective laser melting (SLM)), metal powder layers are sequentially melted together to form the component. More specifically, fine metal powder layers are sequentially melted after being uniformly distributed using an applicator on a metal powder bed. Each applicator includes an applicator element in the form of a lip, brush, blade or roller made of metal, plastic, ceramic, carbon fibers or rubber that spreads the metal powder evenly over the build platform. The metal powder bed can be moved in a vertical axis. The process takes place in a processing chamber having a precisely controlled atmosphere. Once each layer is created, each two dimensional slice of the component geometry can be fused by selectively melting the metal powder. The melting may be performed by a high power melting beam, such as a 100 Watt ytterbium laser, to fully weld (melt) the metal powder to form a solid metal. The melting beam is moved or deflected in the X-Y direction, and has an intensity sufficient to fully weld (melt) the metal powder to form a solid metal. The metal powder bed may be lowered for each subsequent two dimensional layer, and the process repeats until the component is completely formed.
Various stationary and rotating components of a turbomachine, however manufactured, may be coated with temperature-resistant materials before being deployed within a turbomachine. Conventionally-designed components and coating materials are associated with technical risks, which may reduce the component's resistance to high temperatures during operation. One such risk is the occurrence of spalling of thermally-resistant coatings on the exterior surface of a component. Spalling refers to an undesirable breaking off of thermally resistant coatings from portions of a component. The risk of spalling is greatest at end-regions of a component with the most exposure to high-temperature fluids. Past attempts to prevent spalling have included, e.g., forming pins or other fixtures on a component's surface to anchor portions of a surface coating. These attempts, however, have exhibited a limited ability to transfer heat from exterior portions of the component into the component's base material, particularly after spalling occurs.

Turbomachine component with coating-capturing feature for thermal insulation


There is described an apparatus and method for acquiring a video image from a film transparency, the apparatus having an optical axis O and a source of light for illuminating the transparency, comprising a first diffuser on the optical axis positioned adjacent the source of light, at least one fresnel lens positioned on the optical axis and having a focal length f, the fresnel lens being spaced from the first diffuser by a predetermined distance d where d<f, a second diffuser positioned on the optical axis adjacent the fresnel lens, a transparent plate for supporting the transparency on the optical axis and positioned adjacent the second diffuser, and a video recorder positioned on the optical axis for acquiring a video image of the transparency.

Certain prior art apparati have been developed to produce an electronically generated picture from a transparent film image. More specifically, certain apparati have been developed to reproduce an electronically generated image of those found in x-ray film transparencies with the capability of handling original film sizes up to 14".times.17" typically found in full size radiographs. However, many of these apparati are based upon the slow and cumbersome process of line by line scanning of the film by various electronic means to digitize the image being scanned for subsequent electronic reproduction. These methods typically result in acquisition of a substantially degraded image with the length of time required for digitization making them impractical for commercial use. Examples of this approach will be apparent from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,651,226, 4,943,689, 5,028,744, 4,958,241, 5,282,064 and 5,337,164.
Further, the technology has not previously existed which would provide for the ability to electronically acquire an acceptable quality analogue image from x-ray films utilizing high speed full frame capture video input devices. Previous efforts utilizing standard radiograph backlit viewing panels have resulted in the acquisition of images of insufficient quality for use by medical clinicians. The natural occurring optical phenomena referred to as "light scatter" resulting in the acquisition of an image of poor contrast quality has most normally been attributed to this difficulty. Examples of an analogue approach to the conversion of film images into electronic format are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,321,681, 5,177,777, 4,035,067, 4,757,374, 4,387,985 and 5,276,534. Typically, these approaches require the use of complicated optics including large plano-convex ground lenses that add bulk and expense.

Apparatus and method for computerized acquisition of x-ray images


The present disclosure discloses device and method for detecting objects placed at multiple ranges from vehicle. Images of the objects may be captured by an image capturing unit housed in the vehicle. The image may be splitted into plurality of sub-images. Further, one or more features may be extracted from the plurality of sub-images. Further, each of the plurality of sub-images may be simultaneously processed for computing gradients associated with the plurality of sub-images. Further, a cell histogram may be created by casting weighted vote for an orientation based histogram channel based on values associated with the gradient. The gradients computed may be normalized by grouping the cells in spatial blocks. Further, a Support vector Machine (SVM) linear classifier may be applied on the plurality of sub-images in order to classify the near object and the far object in a category of a pedestrian or a vehicle.

In transportation systems, the issue of ensuring driving safety and driver assistance is an important requirement. One of the factors which are responsible for the road accidents is either driver's ignorance or reduced range of vision. Conventional safety features like seat belts, airbags, Anti-lock braking system (ABS) are available for reducing severity of the accidents. Further, other safety features available today include driver-assistance systems helping the driver to avoid accidents by providing early alerts to the driver and if required taking over the control of a vehicle from the driver.
One of such driver-assistance systems may include collision avoidance system enabled for detecting objects in the path of the vehicle and alerting the driver. For detecting the objects, images may be captured and further processed for detecting an actual position of the objects from the vehicle. However, present techniques available for providing the collision avoidance system are capable of detecting the objects, one at a time, either placed at a far range or at a near range from the vehicle. Thus, the present driver-collision avoidance system face technical challenge of detecting the objects placed at the far range and the near range from the vehicle simultaneously. Additionally, the computation of objects, by the existing systems, at different ranges (far and near) requires more computational time which may further lead in delaying the response provided in form of notification alerts to the driver.

Multi range object detection device and method


In a thin-film resistor stack (e.g. A ReRAM embedded resistor), a metallic barrier layer 1-5 nm thick protects an underlying or overlying ternary metal nitride layer from unwanted oxidation while having negligible effect on the resistance or height of the stack. For devices subjected to temperatures over 650 C after forming the stack, the metallic barrier layer may be iridium or ruthenium. For devices with temperatures kept below 650 C after forming the stack, the metallic barrier layer may be Al. The metallic barrier layer(s) and the ternary nitride layer may be formed in situ, for example by sputtering or atomic layer deposition.

Related fields include semiconductor devices and their fabrication; in particular, thin-film components included in individual cells of non-volatile memory based on resistive switching (ReRAM).
Nonvolatile memory elements are used in computers and other devices requiring persistent data storage (e.g., cameras, music players). Some traditional nonvolatile memory technologies (e.g., EEPROM, NAND flash) have proven difficult to scale down to smaller or higher-density configurations. Therefore, a need has developed for alternative nonvolatile memory technologies that can be scaled down successfully in terms of performance, reliability, and cost.
In resistive-switching-based nonvolatile memory, each individual cell includes a resistor that is bistable; it can be put into either of two states (a low-resistance state LRS or a high-resistance state HRS), and will stay in that state until receiving the input that changes it to the other state. The state of the bistable memory cell represents a bit value (e.g., the LRS may represent "1" and the HRS may represent "0"). The cell is thus "written" to by changing its resistance value. The cell is "read" by measuring its resistance in a way that does not change it. Ideally, write and read operations should require as little power as possible, both to conserve energy and to avoid generating unwanted heat.
Repeatability of the resistance values of "0" and "1" from cycle to cycle, as well as consistency of these values from cell to cell, can affect the power required to operate the cell. The larger the "error bars" around the LRS and HRS, the more different they need to be in order to be reliably read even in the worst case of expected error, which can often mean more power used for writing the cell.

Conductive barriers for ternary nitride thin-film resistors


Contents of one or more received messages can be analyzed to determine whether a transceiver device generating the inductive field has already been programmed with a unique communication code. If not, bidirectional communications can be established to program the transceiver device with a unique communication code over an inductive link. Orientation or position of a transceiver device can be used to initiate a process for programming a communication code. Generally, the communication code can define a unique relationship between two or more transceiver devices.

Transducers have been incorporated in transceivers to transmit and receive inductive fields. In a typical application, each of two transceiver devices supporting bi-directional communication includes two specifically tuned transducers, one of which is tuned for transmitting while the other is tuned for receiving.
Interference can occur among transceiver devices when a common carrier frequency is used by the transceivers to simultaneously transmit data information. In this instance, it is likely that an additional transceiver device within communication range can Aeavesdrop@ and receive information originally intended for another transceiver. This can be annoying or even detrimental if the communication was intended to be confidential.
Unlike RF (Radio Frequency) antennas, inductive transducers couple to each other via magnetic flux. Thus, unique problems arise when multiple transceiver devices attempt to share an available bandwidth to communicate with each other.

Techniques for inductive communication systems


A processing apparatus capable of connecting to an external apparatus includes a reception unit that receives an instruction to the processing apparatus regarding a process from the external apparatus, an instruction unit that instructs the processing apparatus to execute a process, and a setting unit that sets a type of process to be executed when the instruction unit has made an instruction. In a first mode, the process based on the instruction from the instruction unit is executed and in a second mode, the process based on the instruction from the instruction unit and the process based on the instruction received by the reception unit are executed. After the second mode is cancelled and the first mode is established, the setting unit sets a predetermined type of process as the type of process to be executed when the instruction unit has made an instruction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus capable of connecting to an external apparatus, a method for processing an image, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that, in an image processing apparatus capable of connecting to an external apparatus such as a personal computer (PC) or a server, data is communicated between the apparatuses by directly operating the image processing apparatus and operating the image processing apparatus using the external apparatus in order to execute processes. For example, a method for processing information has been proposed in which an external apparatus including a web browser obtains an operation screen from an image forming apparatus including a web server and displays data regarding the operation screen in order to operate the image forming apparatus (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-086642). In the method for processing information disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-086642, a user may operate the image forming apparatus using a terminal apparatus including a web browser owned thereby and the image forming apparatus itself.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-086642, however, when the image forming apparatus is operated using the external apparatus, the operability is not satisfactory and therefore it is inconvenient since the operation is performed using only the external apparatus. For example, when an image processing apparatus having a scanning function is to execute scanning, the user sets a document on the image processing apparatus after selecting and setting the function using the external apparatus, and then needs to make an instruction to begin execution of the scanning using the external apparatus again, which is cumbersome.

Image processing apparatus and method for processing an image which utilizes a first mode for instructions from the image processing apparatus and a second mode for instructions received from an external apparatus and for instructions from the image processing apparatus


Methods of incorporating a chemical breaker onto a proppant that will permit release of the breaker after the proppant has been placed in a hydraulic fracture are provided. The methods utilize a chemical breaker coated on the surface of a non-porous proppant grain or placed in the pore space of a porous proppant grain and secondarily coated with an outer layer which can be tailored to delay the release of the breaker.

Oil and natural gas are produced from wells having porous and permeable subterranean formations. The porosity of the formation permits the formation to store oil and gas, and the permeability of the formation permits the oil or gas fluid to move through the formation. Permeability of the formation is essential to permit oil and gas to flow to a location where it can be pumped or flowed from the well. In many cases the permeability of the formation holding the gas or oil is insufficient for economic recovery of oil and gas. In other cases, during operation of the well, the productivity of the formation drops to the extent that further recovery becomes uneconomical. In such cases, it is necessary to hydraulically fracture the formation and prop the fracture in an open condition by means of a proppant material or propping agent. Such fracturing is usually accomplished by hydraulic pressure, and the proppant material or propping agent is a particulate material, such as sand, resin coated sand or ceramic particles (all of which can be referred to as "proppant"), which are carried into the fracture by means of a fracturing fluid, typically containing high molecular weight polymers, such as guar gum, guar gum derivatives such as hydroxypropyl guar (HPG), carboxymethyl HPG (CMHPG), cellulose, cellulose derivatives such as hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), biopolymers, such as xanthan gum and polyvinyl alcohol, which increase the viscosity of the fracturing fluid.
Crosslinking agents can also be added to the fracturing fluid to generate cross-linked gelled fluids so as provide even higher viscosities, better proppant transport properties and to create fracture geometries not possible with other types of fluids. These cross-linked gelled fluids are highly viscous but non-Newtonian and shear thinning permitting them to be easy placed. While the viscous nature of the fluids is important for proppant transport, once the proppant is placed in the fracture it is not desirable for such fluids to remain in the proppant pack as the fluids can significantly hinder the flow of oil or gas in the propped fracture. In recognition of this, the fracturing fluids include "breakers" of various types that are designed to break the cross-linking bonds and reduce the molecular weight of the polymeric materials in such fracturing fluids after the proppant is placed thus dramatically reducing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid and allowing it to be easily flowed back to the surface from the proppant pack. Such chemical breakers are typically added directly to the fluid. While the breakers are designed to break the cross-linking bonds and reduce the molecular weight of the polymeric materials in such fluids and significantly lower the viscosity of the fluids, it is important the breakers not reduce the fluid viscosity and transport capability prematurely while the fluid is being pumped. If a premature "break" of the fluid occurs during the fracturing operation, the loss of viscosity will dramatically limit the transport characteristics of the fracturing fluid. If this occurs while pumping, proppant can accumulate near the well bore rather than being carried into the created fracture. Such near well bore accumulation of proppant can lead to an early termination of a fracturing job due to excessive pumping pressure. This early termination is often referred to as a "screen out". Conventional techniques for attempting to avoid an early breaking of the fluid viscosity have included limiting the amount of breaker added to the fracturing fluid and/or encapsulating the breaker with a material that will limit the contact of the breaker with the high molecular weight and/or cross-linked polymers in the fracturing fluid during pumping.
Encapsulated breakers are simple pellets consisting entirely of breaker with a permeable coating. Such pellets are incorporated in a fracturing fluid along with the proppant in the anticipation that the breaker will be released and effectively break the surrounding gel. However, laboratory and field testing suggests that the "encapsulated breaker" pellets incorporated into a fracturing fluid are ineffective at contacting all the fracturing fluid, either due to physical separation/segregation of the proppant and encapsulated breaker pellets, or due to inadequate concentrations.
Other laboratory testing of conventional breaker systems demonstrates that such systems are often ineffective at removing the gel. The breakers are particularly poor at breaking and cleaning up the gel filter cake. A gel filter cake is often formed on the created fracture face during the hydraulic fracturing operation. The filter cake forms as hydraulic pressure in the fracture causes the liquid phase of the fracturing fluid to "leak off" into the permeable formation. The high molecular weight and/or cross linked gel particles are too large to enter the pores of the formation and consequently are filtered out at the fracture face creating a thin layer of highly concentrated gel referred to as a filter cake. This layer of filter cake is very resilient and can sometimes completely occlude the entire width of the created fracture upon closure.


In a semiconductor manufacturing process or a liquid crystal board manufacturing process, a resist stripping solution blending an organic alkali and an organic solvent is used for stripping the resist completely from the board. An apparatus for controlling this resist stripping solution comprises a resist stripping solution discharge device for discharging the resist stripping solution by detecting the dissolved resist concentration in the resist stripping solution by using an absorption photometer, a source solution and water replenishing device for replenishing the resist stripping source solution and pure water by detecting the liquid level of the resist stripping solution by a liquid level gauge, and a source solution and/or water replenishing device for replenishing at least one of the resist stripping source solution pure water by detecting the water concentration of the resist stripping solution by using an another absorption photometer. As a result, in an apparatus for controlling a resist stripping solution used in resist stripping in a semiconductor manufacturing process or a liquid crystal board manufacturing process, the quality of the resist stripping solution is controlled constantly, the solution consumption is saved, the operation down time is reduced, and the cost is lowered.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling resist stripping solution used in stripping resist in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a liquid crystal board manufacturing process or the like, and more particularly to an apparatus combining a continuous automatic replenishing mechanism of resist stripping solution in cyclic use, a water concentration regulating mechanism, and a resist stripping solution automatic discharge mechanism for arresting deterioration of resist stripping performance due to enrichment of dissolved resist.
The resist material used for a photolithography in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a liquid crystal manufacturing process or the like, is divided into a positive type which has solubility by exposure and a negative type which has insolubility by exposure. The positive type resist is used mainly.
As a typical example of the positive type resist, a resist mainly comprises a naphthoquinone-diazido photosensitive agent and an alkali soluble resin (novolak resin).
At the final stage of a photolithography process, a process for completely removing the resist from the board must be installed.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-235487 discloses an apparatus for controlling a resist stripping solution comprising resist stripping solution discharge means for discharging resist stripping solution by detecting the dissolved resist concentration in the resist stripping solution by means of an absorption photometer, first replenishing means for replenishing organic solvent and alkanolamine, or a fresh resist stripping solution preliminaly blending organic solvent and alkanolamine by detecting the liquid level of the resist stripping solution by means of a liquid level gauge, and second replenishing means for replenishing at least one of organic solvent and alkanolamine by detecting the alkanolamine concentration of the resist stripping solution by means of an absorption photometer.
In the resist stripping process of a liquid crystal board, as mentioned above, a blending solution of organic alkali and organic solvent is mainly used as a resist stripping solution, and it is found that a superior effect is obtained by using a resist stripping solution further adding an appropriate amount of water.
That is, by employing a resist stripping solution containing an appropriate amount of water, the board processing temperature may be lowered to about 40.degree. C. from about 80.degree. C. in the case of a resist stripping solution not containing water, and therefore damage to the foundation metal for forming a board or a semiconductor circuit can be decreased. The resist stripping solution can be handled as nonflammable matter and safety is high, the evaporation loss is mainly water which is inexpensive, and the stripping speed is high.
For example, a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide source solution and pure water, a solution of N-methylpyrrolidone source solution and pure water, a solution of alkanolamine, glycolether and pure water or the like is used in a spray method or a dip method.
In the conventional method, starting by filling a resist stripping processing tank with the specified volume of a fresh resist stripping solution at the specified concentration, when the resist stripping solution is consumed and reaches a specified deterioration concentration region, on the basis of an empirical index such as the number of boards processed, the entire volume is exchanged with a prepared fresh solution in the batch operation system. This solution exchanging frequency varies with the tank volume, the type of boards and number of the boards, etc., but it is generally done about every four days.
When the resist stripping solution is deteriorated, the stripping speed is not constant, the remainder of the resist stripping is broken out, and decline in yield occurs. The amount of loss is significant when defectives occur in the resist stripping process which is the final stage in a photolithography process.
A resist stripping solution containing water is usually used in the temperature range of 30 to 60.degree. C.
With regard to the boiling point of the components used for a resist stripping solution, organic alkali or organic solvent is about 160 to 250.degree. C., and water is 100.degree. C.
Accordingly, the water concentration is lowered as the water of a lower boiling point vaporizes preferentially with a purge nitrogen gas for air seal to the resist stripping solution tank during operation, and then the concentration variation of the resist stripping solution occurs. As a result, the resist stripping performance declines, but conventionally the water concentration was not measured in real time and not controlled at a specified concentration.
When the water concentration is further lowered, it may come to have a flash point, which leads to the risk of an explosion.
Besides, the resist dissolved in the resist stripping solution in the resist stripping process is gradually enriched, and it is a dominant cause of resist stripping performance deterioration such as a decline in stripping speed and occurrence of the remainder of the resist stripping, but conventionally the dissolved resist concentration was not measured in real time and not controlled at a specified concentration.
Therefore, in this period, the water concentration and the dissolved resist concentration vary with the passing of time and are not constant, and the remainder of the resist stripping is broken out. It was hence difficult to control the delicate dimensional precision in the liquid crystal boards, the product quality was unstable, and the yield was lowered.
Besides, due to stopping (down time) for exchanging solution, the operation rate was significantly lowered, and the exchange work of the resist stripping solution required extra labor cost.

Apparatus for controlling resist stripping solution


An air vent that automatically opens and closes in response to changes in the ambient air temperature. The air vent includes a housing, a louver frame mounted to the housing and a series of vent louvers pivotally mounted to the frame. The louver frame includes a cam member for automatically pivoting the louvers between an open position and a closed position in response to ambient air temperature changes. The cam member includes a spring fixedly mounted at one end to the housing and mounted at the other end to a camming bar, which is mounted to the louvers. This spring is formed of two different types of metals which react to changes in the ambient air temperature. More specifically, the metals are chosen so that the spring expands as the temperature increases to rotate the cam bar in one direction and incrementally open the louvers, and contracts as the temperature decreases to rotate the cam bar in the reverse direction and incrementally close the louvers. The camming bar is mounted to end bars which are pivotally attached along opposing ends of the louvers.

Power exhausters or vents are typically mounted to building roofs either vertically or in line with the slope of the roof. These exhausts and vents are usually in a normally closed position and do not open until a powered exhaust fan is activated or hot air increases the atmospheric pressure to the point that the dampers or louvers open. Upon a drop in the pressure torsional springs urge the open louvers to a closed position. Such devices require expensive motors and/or fans and normally move the louvers only between discrete closed end fully opened positions.


Systems and methods for producing a product gas are provided. In one embodiment, a plurality of gas separation assemblies separate adsorbable components from a gas source using a plurality of micro-pumps to create gas flow through the gas separation assemblies. Various embodiments include implementation of various pressure swing adsorbtion (PSA), vacuum swing adsorbtion (VSA), and vacuum pressure swing adsorbtion (VPSA) systems utilizing the gas separation assemblies with micro-pumps. In other embodiments, micro-pumps and micro-pump assemblies are arranged in various configurations capable of providing a range of pressures and flow rates.

Various applications exist for the separation of gaseous mixtures. For example, the separation of nitrogen from atmospheric air can provide a highly concentrated source of oxygen. These various applications include the provision of elevated concentrations of oxygen for medical patients and flight personnel. Hence, it is desirable to provide systems that separate gaseous mixtures to provide a concentrated product gas, such as a breathing gas with a concentration of oxygen.
Several existing product gas or oxygen concentrating systems and methods, for example, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,990, 5,906,672, 5,917,135, 5,988,165, 7,294,170, 7,455,717, 7,722,700, 7,875,105, 8,062,003, 8,070,853 and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/106,861, 61/750,517, and 61/608,874, which are commonly assigned to Invacare Corporation of Elyria, Ohio and fully incorporated herein by reference.


The present invention relates to creep-resistant magnesium-based alloys with low susceptibility to hot tearing, and with improved ductility, impact strength and fracture toughness, and corrosion resistance. The alloys contain at least 96 wt % magnesium, 1.5 to 1.9 wt % neodymium, 0.10 to 0.30 wt % yttrium, 0.35 to 0.70 wt % zirconium, 0.05 to 0.35 wt % zinc, 0.01 to 0.10 wt % calcium, 0.01 to 0.15 wt % strontium, and 0.0000 to 0.0005 wt % beryllium, and they are suitable for low pressure and gravity castings. Articles, that are castings of the alloys, are suitable for applications at temperatures as high as 175-250° C.

Magnesium alloys have the lowest density of common engineering metals and therefore they are becoming more and more attractive for various automotive applications. The use of magnesium alloys for power train applications not only significantly reduces the overall vehicle weight, but it also contributes to desired rebalancing of the weight distribution by reducing the weight at the front of the car. This results in improving vehicle dynamics and in creating a commercially attractive product. The manufacturers, therefore, strive to introduce magnesium alloys into power train components, such as gearbox housing, oil pan, transfer case, crankcase, oil pump housing, transmission stator, intake manifold, and others. In addition there are some power train components, e.g. engine cradle and control arm, that require, in addition to good creep behavior, also good properties associated with energy absorption, such as impact strength and fracture toughness, and further also good ductility. A new, cost effective, magnesium alloy with such properties would resolve several critical issues that limit the large-scale application of magnesium castings in the automotive industry. Existing creep resistant alloys, used in high-pressure die casting, are not suitable for large and heavy components, such as engine blocks, which should rather be produced by gravity casting (sand or permanent mold), or by low-pressure casting (sand or permanent mold). Furthermore, there are several power train components, like engine cradle, lower control arm, etc., requiring materials having not only good creep resistance, but also improved energy-absorption properties and ductility.
The strategy of developing gravity casting alloys differs significantly from that for high-pressure die casting alloys. The major mechanisms underlying the properties of high-pressure die casting alloys, comprise strengthening solid solutions due to specific alloying elements, and strengthening grain boundaries due to the rapid cooling under solidification. The stable intermetallics, precipitating during the solidification process, have a eutectic nature and are relatively coarse. On the other hand, the major mechanisms that affect properties of creep resistant gravity casting alloys comprise hardening during the precipitation, and grain boundary strengthening. Thus, when developing creep resistant magnesium alloys for gravity casting, several principles should be taken into consideration. The solid solubility in magnesium of the main alloying elements should be good, and should sharply decrease as the temperature decreases down to ambient temperature. This will enable a marked response to aging. Solubility limits for binary magnesium alloys can be found in "Phase Diagrams of Binary Magnesium Alloy" (eds. A. A. Nayeb-Hashemi and J. B. Klark, Metals Park, Ohio, 1988). Solute atoms should have a low diffusion coefficient in the matrix, to provide strong interatomic bonds and to form the solid solution, which has no response to aging under the working conditions. Good properties at elevated temperatures require thermal stability of the intermetallic compounds, which should have good coherency with the matrix, thus strengthening grain boundaries and effectively forming obstacles against the deformation. The melting point of the precipitate is a good indication of its thermal stability. The first precipitates to nucleate are very often metastable and coherent with the matrix, providing excellent precipitation hardening. As aging progresses, metastable precipitates are transformed into stable equilibrium phases. The morphology of the precipitates is the major factor which affects both ambient strength and creep resistance.
Heat treatment is a very important factor for achieving a required combination of service properties, and should be employed. Solid solution treatment should be performed at the highest practicable temperature to dissolve coarse eutectic intermetallic phases formed during casting process. Selecting the precise temperature and time of aging is an important task because these parameters significantly affect the final properties. In addition to their influence on mechanical properties and creep behavior, alloying elements should provide good castability (increased fluidity, low susceptibility to hot cracking, reduced porosity and greater casting integrity), further in combination with improved corrosion resistance and affordable cost. The development of new alloys usually requires to take into consideration both the desired performance and the affordable cost.
The gravity casting magnesium alloy ML11, developed in the former USSR, has been used for many years for applications at temperatures up to 200° C. This alloy contains 0.2-0.7 wt % Zn, 0.4-1.0 wt % Zr, 2.5-4.0 wt % RE, Ce-based mishmetal (typically containing 50 wt % Ce, 25 wt % La, 20 wt % Nd, 5 wt % Pr) with maximal impurity levels of (in wt %): Fe-0.01, Ni-0.005, Cu-0.03, Si-0.03, and Al-0.02. ML11 has relatively good creep resistance but exhibits very low ductility and impact strength as well as only moderate corrosion resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,817 discloses magnesium-based alloy containing 0.1-2.0 wt % Zn, 2.1-5.0 wt % RE other than Y, up to 0.4 wt % of a combination of at least two elements chosen from the group consisting of Zr, Hf and Ti, and optionally up to 0.5 wt % Mn and up to 0.5 wt % Ca. This alloy has properties and disadvantages similar to those of ML11, with rather improved corrosion behavior.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,812 describes magnesium-based casting alloys containing 0.4-0.7 wt % Zn, 0.3-1.0 wt % Zr, 0.8-1.2 wt % RE (Ce based mishmetal), 1.4-1.9 wt % Nd. In fact this alloy is very similar to ML11 and the alloys of U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,817.
All these materials exhibit adequate creep behavior but have very low ductility, and energy-absorption properties. In addition, the above alloys are prone to hot tearing in the case of permanent mold casting technology.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,731 describes heat treated and aged magnesium based alloy containing 0.8-6.0 wt % Y, 0.5-4.0 wt % Nd, 0.1-2.2 wt % Zn, 0.3-1.1 wt % Zr, up to 0.05% Cu, and up to 0.2% Mn. Due to relatively wide concentration ranges claimed by the above patent, the alloys exhibit very diverse properties. However, all of them are prone to hot tearing under permanent mold casting, and exhibit poor corrosion behavior, low ductility and fracture toughness.
EP 1,329,530 discloses magnesium-based casting alloys containing 0.2-0.8 wt % Zn, 0.2-0.8 wt % Zr, 2.7-3.3 wt % Nd, 0.0-2.6 wt % Y, and 0.03-0.25% Ca. The alloys exhibit high strength and high creep resistance, but their ductility, and energy-absorption properties are not sufficient for engine cradle applications; furthermore, the alloys are relatively expensive and require high mold temperatures in order to avoid hot tearing formation under casting, especially when casting items having complicated geometries.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide magnesium alloys suitable for permanent mold casting application, and to enable crack-free, not expensive, casting at mold temperatures as low as 300-320° C.
It is an object of this invention to provide magnesium-based alloys having high ductility and fracture toughness, as well as capability to operate at 200° C. for a long time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide alloys, which exhibit excellent combination of ductility, impact strength and fracture toughness, creep resistance, and corrosion resistance.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide alloys which exhibit the aforesaid behavior and properties, and have a relatively low cost.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Creep resistant magnesium alloy with improved ductility and fracture toughness for gravity casting applications


The present invention concerns a system comprising at least one power module comprising at least one power die that is cooled by a liquid cooled system, the liquid cooled system is arranged to provide at least one electric potential to each power dies of the power module, characterized in that the liquid cooled system is composed of a first and a second current-carrying bars connected together by an electrically non-conductive pipe, the first bar is placed on the top of the power module and provides a first electric potential to the power die and the second bar is placed on the bottom of the power module and provides a second electric potential to the power dies and the liquid coolant is electrically conductive and the channels surfaces are covered by an electrical insulation layer.

Traditional power converters include power semiconductors which are attached from the bottom side to a substrate, for example, a direct copper bonding (DCB) and are connected by wire bonding on the top side of the dies. This assembly is placed on a metallic base plate in order to spread the heat and then boxed into thermoplastic materials to protect from environmental stress. The obtained power module is attached on a bulky heat sink and the electrical connections are made thanks to a busbar.

System comprising at least one power module comprising at least one power die that is cooled by liquid cooled system


A receiving circuit and method for receiving an amplitude shift keying signal is provided. At least one exponent signal, an exponent-removed in-phase signal, and an exponent-removed quadrature-phase signal are generated from an in-phase input signal and a quadrature-phase input signal. An amplitude is determined as a sum of several summands, whereby the summands are determined from the exponent signal and/or from the exponent-removed in-phase signal and/or from the exponent-removed quadrature-phase signal (Q′), and wherein the amplitude (A) is demodulated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiving circuit and a method for receiving an amplitude shift keying signal and to a use.
2. Description of the Background Art
Amplitude shift keying (ASK) is also called ASK modulation. It is a type of digital modulation. Here, the amplitude of the carrier signal is changed to transmit different values, for example, a zero and a one or a word with several bits.
German Patent Application No. DE 10 2006 005 032 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Publication No. 20070194959, discloses a receiving method with digital level adjustment by a first correction factor in the analog section and an incremental level change in the digital section.
German Patent No. DE 692 24 925 T2, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,099, shows a system for controlling phase and gain errors in a direct conversion I/Q receiver. In this case, I and Q baseband signal components, which are in quadrature, are generated. These signals are then independently filtered and amplified at a low frequencies on separate signal channels. The I and Q components formed as a result of the mixing process allow the signal to be conveniently demodulated. The system operates by generating new I′ and Q′ signals on the basis of the I and Q baseband components. The I′ and Q′ signals are formed so that the cos(2 phi) and sin(2 phi) correspond, where phi represents the phase angle of which the original I and Q components are a function. The I′ and Q′ signals are then normalized with respect to signal amplitude to produce I″ and Q″ signals, which are independent of amplitude effects. The thus resulting I″ and Q″ signals are then filtered to generate DCI and DCQ signals which correspond to their DC components. The DC components DCI and DCQ correlate with the gain and phase errors in the receiver, so that gain and phase error correction is possible. A plurality of multipliers and adders are provided for forming the correction function.

Receiving circuit and method for receiving an amplitude shift keying signal


An image processing device includes a processor and a memory storing instructions causing the processor to: generate a first intermediate image by applying, to an input image, inverse conversion being inverse of conversion corresponding to degrading process of imaging the input image; generating a second intermediate image by adding a frequency component to the input image; generate a weighting factor so that a second residual error between a second image and the input image becomes smaller than a first residual error between a first image and the input image, the first image being obtained by applying the conversion to the second intermediate image, and the second image being obtained by applying the conversion to a composite image obtained by the weighted addition of the first and second intermediate images; and generate the composite image by performing the weighted addition of the first and second intermediate images using the weighting factor.

There are various factors in the blur of an image obtained by imaging. For example, there are focus blur which is caused by the deviation of a focusing position during imaging and motion blur which occurs by a camera or a subject moving while a shutter of the camera is opening. Further, when an image is scaled up with pixel interpolation, frequency components higher than the Nyquist frequency disappear, and the blur of the image thereby occurs.
In the present specification, the blur of an image is one aspect of image degradation (the degradation from an original image representing an image that should be obtained by imaging) generated in the process of obtaining the image by imaging (hereinbelow, may also be referred to as "imaging process"), and indicates a phenomenon generated by spread of a group of light beams on an image surface, which should focus (be condensed) on one point.
Conventionally, various techniques have been known as a technique for sharpening a blurred image. For example, there is known a technique in which restoration processing for an attenuated frequency components and generation processing for disappeared frequency components are performed at the same time, and an image obtained by the restoration processing and an image obtained by the generation processing are added.
However, in the generation processing of the above conventional technique, the imaging process (degradation process) is not considered at all. Therefore, the conventional technique does not ensure that an image generated by the generation processing is close to the original image. Therefore, an artifact generated in the generation processing may be mixed into a final result of the addition, and, disadvantageously, an image having an appropriate quality cannot be obtained.

Image processing device and method for sharpening a blurred image


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for assigning operations of a computational graph to a plurality of computing devices are disclosed. Data characterizing a computational graph is obtained. Context information for a computational environment in which to perform the operations of the computational graph is received. A model input is generated, which includes at least the context information and the data characterizing the computational graph. The model input is processed using the machine learning model to generate an output defining placement assignments of the operations of the computational graph to the plurality of computing devices. The operations of the computational graph are assigned to the plurality of computing device according to the defined placement assignments.

This specification relates to integrating machine learning into placement of computational graph operations for execution across computing devices in a computational environment.
A computational environment can have multiple computing devices in communication with one another (e.g., connected by a network). One device may receive a computationally intensive task, in the form of a computational graph, that can be challenging for the device to execute given the computational resource and energy impact to the device.
A machine learning model receives input and generates output based on its received input and on values of model parameters.

Dynamic placement of computation sub-graphs


L2TP packet forwarding apparatus to be connected to at least two LACs (L2TP Access Concentrators) via L2TP sessions to receive packets transmitted from a gateway, which accommodates user terminals, in the form of a L2TP packet encapsulated in Bridge over PPP, has a lookup table indicating the correspondence of tunnel ID/session ID pairs to an identifier (VPN-IDs) of a wide area network to which a plurality of user terminals belong. The packet forwarding apparatus specifies an VPN-ID from the lookup table based on the tunnel ID and the session ID of a received packet and forwards, if it is confirmed that another tunnel ID/session ID pair associated with the same VPN-ID exists in the lookup table, the received packet to another L2TP session identified by the another tunnel ID/session ID pair in the form of a L2TP packet.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packet forwarding apparatus and a communication network and, more particularly, to a packet forwarding apparatus and a communication network for Internet access suitable for wide area Ethernet service.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, dedicated lines have been used to ensure layer 2 connectivity for communications between remote cites. However, since dedicated lines solely provide point-to-point connections, if the number of communication bases is great, the need for full-mesh connections between the communication bases has posed problems in network management and cost.
Recently, attention has focused on wide area Ethernet services to connect a plurality of communication bases through Ethernet and communicate Ether frames among these communication bases. Because this network scheme looks to users like as if a plurality of communication bases were directly connected via a switching hub, interconnecting the bases can be done as easily as constructing a LAN. It is advantageous in that communication cost can be reduced as compared with subscribing to a plurality of dedicated lines.
Wide area Ethernet implementation is roughly classified into three methods below:
A first method is to actually configure a huge bridge-connected Ethernet network by using switching hubs and optical interfaces. This method allows for multiplexing a plurality of connections on the network by using VLAN tags, for example, compliant with IEEE 802.1Q.
A second method is to configure a virtually bridge-connected Ethernet network on MPLS routers by applying Ethernet over Multi Protocol Label Switching (EoMPLS) technology. This method allows for multiplexing a plurality of connections on the network, using, for example, SHIM headers and VLAN tags.
A third method is to configure a virtually bridge-connected Ethernet network by setting up virtual tunnels on an IP network and connecting these tunnels to a server functioning as a virtual switching hub. This method allows for multiplexing many connections on the network by deploying many switching hubs (routers).
Communications service by the above wide area Ethernet is usually provided, oriented to middle-scale or larger corporate users. However, the wide area Ethernet is expected to be a communications service useful for home and SOHO users as well.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a typical architecture for Internet connection service that an access service provider provides to home and SOHO users. This network architecture is described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-354054 (patent document 1).
In FIG. 2, networks 1 and 2 are ISP networks belonging to different Internet Service Providers (ISPs). A network 3 is the Internet network and a network 4 is an access network formed by an IP network. The access network 4 and each of the ISP networks 1 and 2 are connected by Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) network servers (LNSs) 20-1 and 20-2, respectively, and LNS management servers 21-1 and 21-2 are connected to the ISP networks 1 and 2, respectively. On the access network 4, a plurality of L2TP Access Concentrators (LACs) 10 (10-1 and 10-2) and an LAC management server 11 are located. L2TP is prescribed by RFC2661 (layer Two Tunneling Protocol "L2TP").
In-home LANs L1 to L4 installed in homes are connected to the LAC 10-1 or LAC 10-2 via in-home gateways Ri-1 to Ri-4. Thus, the LACs 10-1 and 10-2 serve as ingress nodes from the gateways to the access network 4 and the LNSs 20-1 and 20-2 serve as ingress nodes from the access network 4 to the ISP networks 1 and 2.
Between the gateways Ri-1 to Ri-4 and the LACs 10 which are the ingresses to the access network, PPP sessions ip1 to ip4 are set up by PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) prior to communication and encapsulated IP packets pass over these sessions during communication. PPP is prescribed by RFC 1661 (The Point-to-Point Protocol: PPP) and PPPoE is prescribed by RFC 2516 (A Method for Transmitting PPP over Ethernet: PPPoE). The access network 4 is normally independent of the Internet network 3 and L2TP tunnels Tn-1 to Tn-4 are formed in advance between the LACs 10 and the LNSs 20. Within the access network 4, user traffic only passes across these tunnels, and each user cannot have direct access to a communication node in the access network 4.
Upon receiving a request for connection to the Internet from a user terminal TE (TE-1, TE-2, . . . ) connected to a LAN, each LAC 10 communicates with the LAC management server 11 and sends a query asking for an identifier of LNS which is the egress of the L2TP tunnel corresponding to the user ID. The LAC management server 11 identifies the LNS located at the egress of that tunnel from the domain name that forms a part of the user ID and notifies the LAC of the LNS identifier. The LAC 10 sets up an L2TP session iL (iL1 to iL4) over a tunnel Tn-j toward the LNS notified from the LAC management server 11 and transits a PPP packet received from the PPPoE session between the LAC and the gateway Ri to the L2TP session over the L2TP tunnel during packet communication.
Meanwhile, when receiving the connection request from the user, the LNS 20 (20-1, 20-2) communicates with its affiliated LNS management server 21 (21-1, 21-2) in order to carry out user authentication by the LNS management server. The LNS management server 21 notifies the LNS 20 of a result of the user authentication. During packet communication, the LNS 20 decapsulates a PPP packet received over the L2TP tunnel and L2TP session and routes the IP packet extracted from the received PPP packet onto the ISP network 1 or 2. The above PPPoE session (ip1 to ip4), L2TP session (iL1 to iL4), L2TP tunnel (TE-1 to TE-4) are respectively assigned identifiers (IDs) and the LNS 20 can identify the user by the combination of a L2TP tunnel ID and a L2TP session ID.

Packet forwarding apparatus and communication network suitable for wide area Ethernet service

Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd.


A sensor comprising a support and a flexible structure arranged on the support is provided. The flexible structure comprises a frustum-shaped portion having a wider end and a narrower end, wherein the wider end of the frustum-shaped portion is arranged proximal to the support, and an elongated portion extending from the narrower end of the frustum-shaped portion, wherein the flexible structure further comprises a stretchable conducting film arranged on the frustum-shaped portion. A method of preparing such a sensor is also provided.

Sensors for detecting in-plane forces have been developed based on various materials, such as metal/carbon nanomaterials, conductive polymers, liquid metal, microfludics, etc. The in-plane forces refer to forces that are applied in the plane of where the sensor is disposed, and include tensile forces that stretch the sensor. To illustrate, a flat film sensor as shown in FIG. 1A may be referred to. This flat film sensor may be used to detect the amount of force that is applied to stretch the flat film, and such forces (i.e. in-plane forces) that stretch the film are in the plane of the film. Another illustration of in-plane forces is depicted in FIG. 1B.
In contrast to flat film stretchable sensors, animals and plants in nature possess sensors with 3D structures for detecting subtle strains that arise from interactions with the environment, such as fluid flow and/or the direction of fluid flow. The interactions may exert minute forces on the animals and plants. Such forces may be termed out-of-plane forces as they result from interactions outside the plane of where the sensor is disposed, for example, see FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. To further illustrate, various eukaryotic species, including spiders, bats, zebrafishes and even venus flytraps, have fine tactile hairs that extend from a skin surface for detecting forces and the orientation of air or water flow, and detection of such out-of-plane forces significantly enhances capability of the organisms for sensing the environment.
In another example, the human skin contains hairs that can detect someone blowing over the hairs. The 3D architecture of the hairs renders it effective for strain detection, and the body of the hair acts as a stress amplifier that transfers the external force acting on the tip of the hair to the root of the hair, where the sensing unit is safely protected beneath the skin (FIG. 1C). Such hairs also possess stretchability, which can be lifted to as high as 5 mm with a peak force of about 0.2 N (FIG. 8A). The stretchability can be vital for real applications because the hair has to accommodate large deformations induced by the sudden pulling or stretching forces.
In light of the tactile hairs in animals and plants, several sensors with electronic whiskers or cilia derived from composite materials have been developed to mimic the strain-detection function. Such sensors may be referred to as 3D strain sensors due to presence of the whiskers/cilia (i.e. electronic hairs (e-hairs)) instead of just having a flat film sensor. These sensors, however, are non-stretchable and rigid, and despite the development of such sensors, it remains a challenge to produce 3D strain sensors having enhanced sensitivity, stretchability, detection for multiple strains, and strain-direction recognition, especially for out-of-plane forces.
There is thus a need to provide for a sensor that addresses or at least alleviates one or more of the limitations mentioned above. The sensor may have one flexible structure for addressing or alleviating the one or more limitations mentioned above. There is also a need for a method of preparing such a sensor.

3D-structured sensors having stretchable multi-functional tactile electronic hairs


A scroll compressor has an economizer injection line communicating into the scroll compressor chambers. An unloader valve selectively communicates the economizer injection line back to suction. In this arrangement, the fluid ports and passages necessary to achieve the economizer injection are also utilized to achieve suction bypass unloading, and thus the compressor and system design and construction are simplified.

This invention relates to a unique placement for an unloader valve, that is particularly beneficial in a scroll compressor.
Scroll compressors are becoming widely utilized in compression applications. However, scroll compressors present several design challenges. One particular design challenge is achieving reduced capacity levels when full capacity operation of the compressor is not desired. In many situations, it may not be desirable to have full capacity of the compressor. In particular, in many refrigeration or refrigerant compression applications, there are times when it would be more desirable to have the ability to achieve reduced capacity.
Thus, scroll compressors have been provided with unloader bypass valves which divert a portion of the compressed refrigerant back to a suction port for the compressor. In this way, the mass of refrigerant being compressed is reduced.
On the other hand, in many refrigeration or refrigerant compression applications, there are other times when it would be more desirable to have the ability to also achieve increased capacity. One way of achieving increased capacity is the inclusion of an economizer circuit into the refrigerant system. An economizer circuit essentially provides heat transfer between a main refrigerant flow downstream of the condenser, and a second refrigerant flow which is also tapped downstream of the condenser and passed through an expansion valve. The main flow is cooled in a heat exchanger by the second flow. In this way, the main flow from the condenser is cooled before passing through its own expansion valve and entering the evaporator. Since the main flow enters the expansion valve at a cooler temperature, it has greater capacity to absorb heat which results in increased system cooling capacity, which was the original objective. The refrigerant in the second flow enters the compression chambers at a point slightly downstream of suction at an intermediate compression point. Typically, the economizer fluid is injected at a point after the compression chambers have been closed.
It would be desirable to combine the features of selectively reduced capacity and increased capacity within the same compressor and system. Conventional practices would dictate independent sets of ports, passages, valves, and controls for the dual capability. Such proliferation of features also dictates increased complexity and cost to manufacture.

Scroll compressor with unloader valve between economizer and suction


Chain linked capsules comprising multiple capsules interconnected in a chain by chain links. The capsules comprise a sleeve and a piston whereby a powder product can be sealed within the capsule. The capsules are for use in inhalation devices, for example for entraining a dose of an inhalable pharmaceutical powder product to a patient's respiratory tract.

DPIs are well established for use in treating respiratory diseases. As an example, there is the DISKUS® device of GlaxoSmithKline. In general, the pharmaceutical composition is formulated as a respirable powder product and the powder product is divided into a plurality of unit doses, each dose contained in its own sealed enclosure, for example in blisters on a dosing strip. When using prior art inhalation devices, an enclosure on a dosing strip in the inhalation device is opened by an opening mechanism of the inhalation device and the powder dose in the enclosure can then be entrained into a patient's respiratory tract by an airflow generated through the device by the patient inhaling at a mouthpiece of the device.
Some sealed enclosures used in DPIs are difficult to fill with a unit dose of the pharmaceutical powder product. Therefore there has been a tendency to make the enclosures bigger than they need to be, and adding a filler to the pure drug powder, such as lactose powder, to bulk out the powder product. The filling of larger enclosures is easier. However, GB0227128.6, filed 20 Nov. 2002, and PCT/EP03/13074 claiming priority therefrom, provides a capsule for holding a powder product which has a mechanism for facilitating the filling of it with the powder product.
The capsule disclosed in GB0227128.6 and PCT/EP03/13074 will generally be small enough to dispense active ingredients without the need to bulk out the powder with a lactose or other filler as much as before or even at all. Due to its small size, the capsule is referred to as a "microcapsule".
The handling of the capsule, however, can be difficult or fiddly. The present invention facilitates the handling of the capsule, in particular once filled, for example to make it easier to manipulate a number of them when loaded in a DPI.


Ultrasonic apparatus that automatically adjusts the focus of ultrasonic waves to a desired depth within an object includes an ultrasonic probe which irradiates a focused ultrasonic beam onto an object to be inspected and a receiver which receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the object. A desired focusing depth is set and the inherent focal length of the probe and the velocity of sound within the object are detected to evaluate a distance between the probe and the object at which the focus of the probe coincides with the desired depth. The distance between the probe and the object is adjusted to coincide with the evaluated distance.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ultrasonic apparatus provided with an autofocusing function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, in defect inspection of electronic components and the like by ultrasonic waves, one practical system uses a so-called pulse-echo method in which, for the purpose of increasing the resolution, ultrasonic pulses are emitted toward an object to be inspected in water using a focusing-type probe which focuses an ultrasonic beam into a narrow beam, and nondestructive inspection of the object is performed by analyzing signals reflected from the object. This method is described in detail in, for example, Japanese Patent Public Disclosure (Kokai) No. 63-47658 (1988).
In this method, the focus of the ultrasonic beam must exactly coincide with a desired depth to be inspected. The focal length of the probe is usually fixed, and focusing is performed by changing the distance between the probe and the object to be inspected. If the depth to be inspected within the object from the surface of the object is represented by d, the velocity of sound in water by V.sub.w, the velocity of sound within the object to be inspected by V.sub.s, and the focal length of the ultrasonic beam in water by F, then the target distance W.sub.p in water from the probe to the object to be inspected is expressed by EQU W.sub.p =F-d.multidot.V.sub.s /V.sub.w.
Hence, it can be understood that the probe should be disposed at a position which is at a distance equal to the target distance W.sub.p in water from the surface of the object to be inspected.
In general, however, the velocity of sound V.sub.s within the object to be inspected is unknown, and the velocity of sound V.sub.w in water and the focal length F in water change mainly due to changes in water temperature. Moreover, there exists an inherent deviation from a nominal value in the focal length F in water for every probe.
Accordingly, in the conventional method, it is necessary to separately measure or estimate the above-described values before starting inspection. Furthermore, since there exists no means for automatically adjusting the position of the probe to the target length W.sub.p in water, the operator himself must perform any adjusting operation while measuring the distance in water. Consequently, this inspection method is troublesome, causes many misoperations, and is not an efficient method.


An application and infusion system for applying a resin to one or more fiber tows and for infusing the fiber tows with the resin, wherein each of the fiber tows is moving at a respective fiber speed. The application and infusion system includes a deposition and infusion system comprising one or more nozzles configured to deposit the resin on a respective one of the fiber tows. The system further includes a controller configured to control a flow rate of the resin through each of the nozzles relative to the fiber speed of the respective ones of the fiber tows. Other aspects of the application and infusion system are also provided.

The invention relates generally to systems for applying and infusing resins for composite materials and, more particularly, to systems for controllably applying and infusing resins onto individual fiber tows.
Resin infused fiber composite materials are being used increasingly in a variety of diverse industries, such as automotive, aircraft, and wind-energy, in part, because of their low weight and high strength properties. It would be desirable to form complex composite components and/or fiber patterns. However, current manufacturing processes typically involve the use of fiber pre-forms with subsequent resin infusion, or preimpregnated fiber tows called "prepreg". Both of these methods have drawbacks.
Currently, efforts are underway to provide infusion of an array of fiber tows using systems including rollers with resin flowing through holes in the rollers from the bore to the outside surface. However, these systems do not permit control of the infusion of individual tows.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved system that permits control of the resin infusion of individual tows. In addition, it would be desirable for the system to facilitate real time in-line infusion for an array of dry fiber tows for formation of complex composite components.


A teething ring, for use by a child, comprising an outer ring, an inner hub, and spokes radially connecting the outer ring and inner hub. The outer ring is made of a material suitable for aiding a teething child such as a semi-hard rubber or plastic, and is selectively dipped in a material most suitable for allowing the child to chew upon. The outer ring is sized so that the child cannot place more than a minor arc thereof in his or her mouth. The inner hub has a vibration mechanism which includes a motor that drives an eccentric weight for generating a vibration sensation. The vibration sensation is transmitted to the outer ring through the spokes. The vibration mechanism, and all electro-mechanical components associated therewith are fully contained within the inner hub and are thereby safely protected from the child.

The invention relates to a vibrating teething ring. More particularly, the invention relates to a teething ring having a centrally located vibration generation device which transmits a vibrating sensation to an outer ring which a teething child holds within this or her mouth.
As a child's baby teeth begin to erupt through the gum-line, the child enters a painful period in his or her development, known as "teething". Since the only way that a young child knows how to communicate is to cry, the child continuously cries in response to his or her pain. It can be quite heartbreaking for a parent to listen to a child cry and know that the child is in pain. Thus, parents go to great lengths to help soothe the child's pain from teething.
An instinctual panacea for teething pain is to chew on small items. Typically young children attempt to chew on anything in sight in response to this urge, and to reduce the pain. Doing so actually enhances the natural eruption of the teeth. However, in an attempt at ensuring the child's safety, parents usually supply the child with so-called teething rings, and other semi-hard plastic and rubber toys designed for this purpose.
In a further attempt to soothe the teething child, some have proposed vibrating teething rings. U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,952 to Falgout discloses a teething ring having a teething member which the child places in their mouth, and provides adjustable vibrations emanating from a vibration mechanism contained therein. However, Falgout raises serious safety concerns, since the vibration unit, the switch, and the battery are all physically located so that they are within the child's mouth during use of the teething ring. If structural integrity of the teething ring were to be compromised during use, the child could be seriously injured. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,421 to Guarini et al. discloses a teething device in which the child might either place the battery compartment or the vibration motor in their mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,964 to Berman et al. discloses a vibrating teething ring which includes a handle tube rotatably mounted at the center thereof. The handle tube is induced to rotate by the vibrating mechanism. The teething ring has several radial extension members which project from the teething ring and may be separately placed in the child's mouth. It should be apparent to any parent that several aspects of this device seem inherently unsafe for children.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system to facilitate global timeout in a distributed computing environment. The system operates by receiving an access request from a user at an application within the distributed computing environment. The system determines if the distributed computing environment has issued an authentication to a user device through which the user accesses the application and also determines if the authentication has expired because of non-use for a specified period. This authentication is stored within a time-stamped token on the user-device. If the authentication has not been received or has expired, the system redirects the access request to a single sign-on server for the distributed computing environment requiring the user to reauthenticate with the distributed computing environment, otherwise the system grants the user access to the application.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to distributed computing environments. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus that facilitate a global timeout in a distributed computing environment.
2. Related Art
Computer applications within modem Enterprise computing systems are typically distributed across many application servers within the Enterprise with individual application servers hosting one or more applications. A user can access these applications across a network such as the Internet.
System designers have implemented many enhancements to these distributed computing environments to create a seamless integration of the various applications such as e-mail, task-lists, calendars, and the like. One such enhancement is a single sign-on for the distributed computing environment.
A single sign-on environment allows a user access to 'partner' applications across the distributed computing environment after authenticating once with a single sign-on server. These partner applications are ordinary computer applications, which have been grouped together by administrators of the distributed computing environment for the purpose of allowing the user to access them through the single sign-on server.
One problem in using a single sign-on server is that the individual applications implement their own application inactivity timers. This can lead to an application "timing-out" even though the user is active in another partner application. If the user subsequently wants to switch to the "timed-out" application, the user is redirected to the single sign-on server to be reauthenticated. Redirecting the user to the single sign-on server when the user has been active in a partner application creates a poor user experience because the partner applications do not exhibit a cohesive view to the user. If the user is currently accessing any of the partner applications, the user should have current access to all of the partner applications.
What is needed is a method and an apparatus that facilitates a single sign-on environment for partner applications in a distributed computing environment, which does not exhibit the drawbacks described above.

Method and apparatus to facilitate a global timeout in a distributed computing environment


A process for the pyrolysis of carbonation materials such as wood which comprises directly or indirectly heating the carbonaceous material with flue gases. When carbonization commences the direct heating is stopped while indirect heating continues until carbonization is complete. There is also described an application for effecting the process.

This invention relates to the pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials and, in particular, to a method for improving the energy efficiency of such processes.
Pyrolysis processes are common in industry and a typical example is charcoal production from wood. Because of the widespread location of most wood resources it is uneconomic to operate large continuous retorts for charcoal production due to high wood transport and capital costs. Kilns, which burn part of the charge to provide heat for the process are commonly used but the yield is low as wood is wasted and cycle times extend to some weeks.
Batch retorts are sometimes employed and obviously such retorts must be operated as efficiently as possible as the capital cost is higher than kilns of equal capacity. This requires efficiency in fuel usage as the costs of fuels sourced externally to the wood resource are a major factor in plant economics.
Another serious problem that arises with conventional kilns and retorts is that volatile components evolved in the flue gases from the carbonaceous feedstock contain a wide range of chemical compounds. Such evolution is environmentally undesirable when released to the atmosphere and may be detrimental to health as some volatile components have been identified as carcinogens. Moreover, the unregulated emission of such volatile components represents a waste of a potential fuel because the components if combusted can readily be employed as a fuel resource thus enhancing the economics of the pyrolysis process. Emissions from all kilns and retorts are so heavily laden with moisture that they will not burn without assistance from external fuel.

Process and apparatus for the pyrolysis of carbonaceous material


A wireless position sensing device is provided for monitoring railyard equipment status. The device comprises a gravity sensing mechanism for sensing an angular displacement with respect to a substantially vertical line, and for generating a displacement signal upon sensing a change in angular displacement exceeding approximately 40 degrees. A processing mechanism, operatively coupled to the gravity sensing mechanism, receives the displacement signal. A radio frequency transmitter, responsive to the processing mechanism, transmits a data signal indicative of the angular displacement. The processing mechanism is programmed to activate the radio frequency transmitter upon receipt of the displacement signal. The gravity sensing mechanism is affixed, attached, or mechanically coupled to railyard equipment comprising at least one of a manually operated rail switch or a safety indicator.

This invention relates generally to railyard equipment and, more particularly, to monitoring the status of railyard equipment from a remote location.
Railyards are the hubs of railroad transportation systems. Therefore, a broad spectrum of services are provided at railyards, including freight origination, interchange and termination, locomotive storage and maintenance, assembly and inspection of new trains, servicing of trains running through the facility, inspection and maintenance of railcars, and railcar storage. The various services in a railyard compete for resources such as personnel, equipment, and space in various facilities so that managing the entire railyard efficiently is a complex operation.
In order to improve the efficiency of railyard operations, it would be useful to monitor railyard equipment, such as blue flag indicators, rail switches, signaling equipment, and the like, from a remote location. A typical railyard may include hundreds of manually controlled switches that can be placed in either of two positions. Accordingly, the switch has a status that may be specified in terms of whether the switch is in a first position or a second position. Blue flag indicators are employed by railyard personnel to show that a track segment is locked out for safety purposes. In practice, blue flag indicators may take the form of signs, flags, or flashing lights. Blue flag indicators occupy one of two states: a "set" status and a "removed" status. When a blue flag indicator is in the "set" status, the track segment associated with the indicator is off limits to locomotives, and any railcars on the segment are not to be moved. On the other hand, when a blue flag indicator is in the "removed" status, the track segment is no longer off limits to locomotives, and any railcars on the segment may be moved.
An exemplary application of blue flag indicators is to protect workers during manual inspection of railcars. A block of railcars is moved onto a track segment for inspection. The track segment is formed by a section of two or more substantially parallel rails. Blue flag indicators are placed upright between the two parallel rails of the track segment at both ends of the track segment where the inspection is to take place, beyond each end of the block of railcars. The blue flag indicator provides an indication that the railcars are not to be moved and that no locomotive shall enter this track segment during the inspection process. One purpose of the blue flag indicator is to protect railcar inspectors. During railcar inspection, the blue flag indicators have a "set" status. After railcar inspection has been completed, the inspectors remove the blue flag indicators.
No presently existing technique provides inexpensive automated communication of blue flag indicator status or switch position status to a remote monitoring location. The status of a blue flag indicator can be communicated by voice over a radio link by the person setting or removing the blue flag indicator. Switch position status is not communicated to a centralized monitoring location unless that switch is a remotely controlled switch, whereas many presently existing railyard switches are not equipped for remote control.
It is possible to remotely sense the status of a switch thorough the use of wired sensors. A sensor is applied to a switch, with communication and power cables conveyed below ground in trenched conduit running from the sensor to the centralized monitoring location. However, digging a conduit trench in a rail yard is complicated by the constant movement of railcars, as well as by the hard-packed earth and track beds. Trenching of cables in a rail yard is an expensive and time consuming activity which adversely impacts railyard operations and the free movement of railcars. Although a limited number of specially configured railyard switches use wireless communication for remotely controlling the position of the switch, a relatively large number of existing conventional railyard switches do not have wireless sensing capability, and cannot be easily modified to include this capability. Rather, if wireless sensing capability is required, the conventional railyard switch must be removed and replaced with a new, specially configured wireless switch. This switch replacement process is tedious, labor intensive, and expensive.
In view of the foregoing considerations, what is needed is an improved technique for remotely monitoring the status of railyard equipment such as blue flag indicators and rail switches. Such monitoring should not require installation of underground cables throughout the railyard.

Monitoring status of railyard equipment using wireless sensing devices


Thermal control for a controller in a data processing environment is described. In one embodiment, the invention includes detecting a temperature of a semiconductor device at a thermal sensor on the semiconductor device, comparing the detected temperature to a threshold, and generating a high interrupt if the temperature is above the threshold and a low interrupt if the temperature is below the threshold.

1. Field
The present description relates to thermal management of semiconductor devices and in particular to sensing temperature on a memory or I/O (Input/Output) interface chip and generating interrupts to a thermal management system.
2. Related Art
Semiconductor devices generate heat internally that, if left uncontrolled, can destroy the device. The heat generated by a device is related to its operating speed, its operating voltage and its level of activity. To dissipate extra heat, a device may be equipped with a large cooling surface, heat fins, fans or a more complex liquid cooling system. The cooling system allows the device to operate at some level of activity without overheating.
Semiconductor devices are normally designed to operate at a fixed speed and voltage based on a prediction of normal activity levels and cooling systems. As a result, when the device has less activity or is provided with better cooling, the device operates at a lower bandwidth than its cooling system would allow. In other words the device handles less data more slowly than it could. Even at expected activity and cooling levels, many devices run at a lower rated bandwidth in order to accommodate a sudden increase in activity.
In the event of an extended increase in activity or a failure of the cooling system, some semiconductor devices use some type of thermal management system that can protect the device from overheating before a crisis occurs. In a memory controller hub (MCH) or host controller, the thermal management system may analyze the level of I/O activity being processed or waiting to be processed and then reduce the rate of data processing if there is too much activity. This approach cannot compensate for a failed fan or overheated room.
An MCH may be used to interface one or more CPUs (central processing units) with memory and I/O (input/output) devices commonly used in desktop, notebook, workstation and server-based computer systems including web servers, transaction based servers, database management servers, file servers, and blade/network servers. These systems can experience situations that cause unforeseen surges in the chipset activity. Some such situations include a power virus caused by hacker activity or an unusually loaded system with very high utilization. The MCH and the rest of the chipset then are forced to supply a high request rate across the chipset interfaces causing high power demands and generating more heat. If the high request rate lasts for too long, then the chip may be permanently damaged by the heat that it generates.

On-die temperature monitoring in semiconductor devices to limit activity overload


Variable swirl for internal combustion engines. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a first intake valve controlling air flow from a first intake port to a piston cylinder of the internal combustion engine, where the first intake valve has a first lift profile. A second intake valve controls air flow from a second intake port to the piston cylinder, where the second intake valve has a second lift profile different than the first lift profile. The combination of first and second lift profiles causes a variable swirl of air in the cylinder as a function of engine speed.

Internal combustion piston engines include a piston connected to a crankshaft, where the piston is made to move in a cylinder by the timed expansion of gases in the cylinder. Two or more valves are provided for the cylinder to allow the intake and exhaust of gases, where these valves are opened and closed for appropriate times and durations to achieve the desired engine performance. For example, piston engines can use valves for intake and exhaust which are driven by rotating cams on a camshaft. The cams open the valves (lift) for a certain amount of time (duration) during each intake and exhaust cycle. The timing of the valve opening and closing is also important. The camshaft can be driven by the crankshaft through timing belts, gears or chains.
Swirl or tumble is the rotational flow of induced air inside the combustion cylinder of the engine which enhances the mixing of fuel and air and combustion products. The swirl can be generated, for example, by providing an intake port in a cylinder head in the tangential direction with respect to the corresponding cylinder to cause swirl in the cylinder, or by providing a shape of intake port that induces swirl in the port, such as a helical shape. A mixture of fuel can be input into the swirled air and ignited to achieve combustion in the cylinder. Different swirl characteristics can lead to different engine performance, such that different desired operation speeds of the engine may require different swirl characteristics. For example, in different circumstances or physical characteristics, swirl can affect detonation, emissions, fuel efficiency, and/or other engine performance.
Beneficial swirl tends to be a function of engine speed and other operating conditions. Thus, it is often desirable to have a controllable variable swirl in engine cylinders to tune the performance of the engine. For example, high speed diesel engines can benefit from having variable swirl ratios that depend on engine operating conditions.
Swirl can be controlled using the intake valves to the cylinders. Engines having two intake valves and two exhaust valves per cylinder can generate swirl by controlling the flow rate to one of the intake valves differently than to the other. The flow through one port can be changed, which tends to change the swirl in the cylinder. In previous designs, a separate solenoid and appropriate electronics, extra butterfly valve, or other mechanism, is provided in one of the intake ports and is used to reduce or modulate air flow through that port based on engine speed or other criteria, thus modifying the swirl based on those criteria. However, such additional required electronics and mechanisms add to the expense of manufacturing an engine.
Accordingly, a system and method for providing variable swirl at different engine speeds with reduced expense would be desirable in many applications.


A chain tensioner for tensioning a chain in a drive of an internal combustion engine comprises a piston displaceable within a chamber. The piston is biased by a compression spring so that it protrudes from the housing towards the chain to provide the tension. The chamber has an inlet connected to a supply of oil from the engine. The oil acts on each side of the piston with substantially the same pressure such that the piston is damped in both directions when moving in the chamber. The surface areas of the piston on which the oil acts may be substantially equal so that no tensioning force is supplied by the oil.

The present invention relates to a chain tensioner particularly, but not exclusively, of the kind for maintaining tension in a transmission chain of an internal combustion engine.
In an internal combustion engine in which a chain is used to transmit driving power from the crankshaft to the camshaft, tension is conventionally imparted to the chain by means of a tensioner that comprises a piston that is biased out of a cylinder by means of hydraulic pressure, spring force or a combination thereof. A tensioning shoe is connected to the end of the piston and bears against the chain.
In known tensioner designs the chain is over-tensioned in order to ensure that it is sufficiently tensioned when the engine is inoperative and the chain is therefore relatively slack. Over-tensioning increases chain wear and vibration the latter of which increases with engine speed.
The problems of over-tensioning are exacerbated in the case of chain transmissions for driving balance shaft drives or auxiliary chain drives such as those used to drive a water or oil pump or an ignition distributor. In such circumstances the chain may be driven at a speed higher than that driving the camshaft but, as the reverse torque of the driven sprocket is low, the tension imparted to the chain is only required to be relatively low.

Chain tensioner with a spring and hydraulic fluid acting on both sides of a piston


A shim for rigidly attaching an electrical device, such as a receptacle or switch, to an electrical box is described. The shim has means for frictionally engaging the attachment screw preventing it from falling off before the screw is attached to the box. The shim is made in varying thickness with each thickness of shim made from a different color for ease of identification.

The present invention relates to electrical boxes used in residential, commercial and industrial wiring. More particularly, the invention provides a shim or spacer between the electrical box and devices mounted within the box.
When an electrical device, such as a switch or receptacle, is mounted in an electrical box, the box is not always mounted flush with the wall surface. This leaves a gap between the device and the box, preventing a rigid attachment to the box. While most electrical devices today have ears or tabs to engage the wall surface providing a rigid attachment to the wall, the wall surface can erode over time resulting in a loose fit of the electrical device to the wall and box. One previous attempt at bridging the gap between the device and box has included the use of metal washers. However, these metal washers are awkward to keep on the screw while attaching the device and are usually not the correct thickness to bridge the gap. Other devices have been tried such as cardboard shims, but these also tend to wear and loosen with time.
One object of the present invention is to provide a shim for electrical devices within an electrical box that is easy to install. Another object of the present invention is to provide a shim for electrical devices with varying thickness allowing for shimming different size gaps.
The shim of the present invention is a plastic, cylindrical shaped device of varied thickness. A hole extends through the shim to allow the passing of the screw which holds the electrical device to the electrical box. This hole is sized to allow screws of common sizes, such as a number 6 or number 8, to pass. Means are provided within the hole to frictionally engage the screw thus preventing the shim from falling off once it has been placed onto the screw. The shims can be made with different thickness to bridge different size gaps, and each different thickness can be color coded to allow easy identification of the various thickness. If the correct thickness of shim is not available, multiple shims can be used in combination to provide the proper thickness needed.