The invention relates to a pipetting device having an exchangeable pipette tip for suctioning and discharging fluid volumes for use in automated laboratory systems. The invention relates to a pipetting device having a pipette tip detection unit and for detecting a pipette tip on a pipette device of this type. A detection unit detects whether a pipette tip is connected to the pipette tube or determines a characteristic feature of the connected pipette tip. The pipette tip forms at least one portion of a first electrode when the pipette tip is in electrical operative contact with the pipette tube and, e.g., a pipette tip holder, a contact for setting down the pipette tip holder or a working table over which the pipette tube can be moved forms at least one portion of a second electrode.

When large quantities of samples have to be examined in medical, chemical, analytical or pharmaceutical laboratories, automated laboratory systems or rather installations are usually used today to enable rapid and reliable processing of each individual sample. Such laboratory systems are often designed as liquid processing systems for handling liquid volumes, and are suitable for performing certain operations with these samples, such as optical measurements, pipetting, washing, centrifuging, incubating, and filtering. In this case, one or more robot (arms) are typically used for the fully automatic operation of such laboratory systems. These robots are specialized in particular in dealing with liquid containers, for example, sample tubes or microplates, in which the liquid samples are located. Such liquid processing systems comprise in particular pipettors both for aspirating and dispensing liquids or dispensers for dispensing liquids.
In many applications, a fresh pipette tip is used for handling each new sample. Such pipette tips are therefore designed for one-time use and are usually referred to as "disposable pipette tips" or as "disposable tips". Depending on the application, greatly differing liquid volumes are handled during the pipetting. For this purpose, pipette tips of different sizes or rather having different capacity volumes are usually used. Depending on which liquids/samples are handled, different requirements exist, for example, with respect to the size of the opening through which the liquid/sample is aspirated or dispensed, and on the degree of purity (for example, sterility) of the pipette tips used. Moreover, it has to be ensured in many applications that the individual samples do not contaminate the pipetting device. For this purpose, a filter is installed or rather integrated in the upper part of the pipette tip, which is connected to the pipette tube, which filter prevents the sample from penetrating into the pipette tube and thereupon being dispensed therefrom into subsequent samples. Different filters are used for this purpose depending on the type of the sample. It is important that an automated pipetting device is capable of detecting whether a pipette tip is connected to the pipette tube at all, and in particular whether the correct pipette tip is connected to the pipette tube. To solve the last-mentioned problem, either the pipette tips or the pipette tip holders, in which the pipette tips are provided, have been provided with a code or an identification which is optically read. Alternatively, the various pipette tips have been differentiated on the basis of a special geometric feature, for example, fittings of different lengths on the upper part of the pipette tip for the connection to the pipette tube.
The demand therefore exists for means which enable a simple and therefore cost-effective and also reliable detection of various pipette tips. The pipette tip detection is moreover not to obstruct the trend toward greater spatial compaction of the individual components in the pipetting device and a temporal shortening of the pipetting processes.

Pipetting device having a pipette tip detection unit and method for detecting a pipette tip on a pipetting device


A compound of the formula (1) wherein R1 is a group removable by hydrogenolysis, and wherein R2 is OH or R2 is —NHR3 wherein R3 is a group removable by hydrogenolysis. The compound can be made from fructose by a Heyns-rearrangement. The compound can be used then to make free D-mannosamine or its salts, D-mannosamine building blocks and mannosamine containing oligo- or polysaccharides, N-acetyl-D-mannosamine and its hydrates and solvates, neuraminic acid derivatives, and viral neuraminidase inhibitors.

2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-mannose (D-mannosamine) mainly in its N-acetylated form (ManNAc) can be found as a building unit of some bacterial capsular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides. In addition, N-acetyl-D-mannosamine is the biosynthetic precursor of sialic acid, a unique nine-carbon ketoaldonic acid having many major biological roles.
One can obtain D-mannosamine or N-acetyl-D-mannosamine by means of chemical or enzymatic transformations. N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine can be converted into N-acetyl-D-mannosamine via 2-epimerization which can be initiated with bases (organic or inorganic bases as well as basic ion exchange resins are suitable) or epimerase enzymes [1-3]. In these methodologies an equilibrium between N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-mannosamine is formed wherein the gluco compound is favoured, thus sophisticated and/or complicated separation techniques are needed to isolate this minor product from the starting material remaining, reagent and/or enzymes and other undesired by-products. The isolation difficulties, the moderate chemical yield and the relative expense of the starting compound all prevent this procedure being scaled-up in a cost-effective way. In classical synthetic methods, cheap and easily available simple monosaccharides can be transformed into the D-mannosamine framework like D-arabinose (stereoselective aminohomologation of D-arabinose chain via thiazole addition to nitrone [4,5], addition of ammonia to D-arabo-tetraacetoxy-1-nitro-1-hexene [6]), D-glucose (nucleophilic displacement of good leaving groups in C-2 with N-nucleophiles [7], stereoselective reduction of 2-gluculose oximes [8,9]) or D-glucal (intermolecular addition of nitrosyl chloride to the double bond [10], azidonitration of the double bond [11], intramolecular rhodium(II)-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of glucal-3-carbamates [12,13], [3,3]sigmatropic rearrangement of 4-O-trichloroacetimidyl-hex-2-enopyranosides derived from glucal [14]). These chemical pathways always stand in need of extensive use of protecting groups in order to mask functional groups that would be affected by the key transformational step(s), thus they consist of many elementary chemical steps. Such multistep sequences restrict usefulness and are not attractive for large scale developments because of the long technological time and the use of high number of reagents (which in fact, not uncommonly, can be toxic, of low availability and/or expensive) and/or require lengthy or cumbersome isolation/separation procedures.
Reaction of a ketose with an amine giving a ketosyl amine and the subsequent rearrangement of the latter into 2-amino-2-deoxy-aldose is known as Heyns-rearrangement [15]. Theoretically both 2-epimers can be formed, nevertheless the formation of one of the epimers is favoured, presumably because of steric factors. In the Heyns-rearrangement of D-fructose with a primary amine the exclusive formation of the corresponding gluco derivative is observed. Particularly, crystalline fructosyl benzyl amine, obtained as an intermediate by reacting D-fructose with benzyl amine, rearranges exclusively to 2-benzylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucose upon treatment with glacial acetic acid in methanol [16]. On the other hand, the formation of N-benzyl-2-benzylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosylamine was reported in the reaction of D-fructose with benzyl amine (the latter serves as reactant and solvent also) upon heating [17] or in the presence of a catalytic amount of benzyl ammonium chloride or ZnCl2[18,19].
The synthesis of N-alkyl- or N-(substituted alkyl)-mannosamine glycosides is possible in a tandem reduction-reductive alkylation reaction of 2-azido-2-deoxy-mannose derivatives in the presence of an alkanal or substituted alkanal [20].
The biological significance of mannosamine derivatives always provides an incentive for developing new, short and simple synthetic routes towards them that can be easily scaled-up. It is an aim of the present invention to provide such a method.

N-substituted mannosamine derivatives, process for their preparation and their use


A memory device includes: a memory including a first port and a second port that are accessible; an error check and correct encoding circuit that applies an error check and correct code to data and writes them into the first port of the memory; an error check and correct decoding circuit that receives input of the data and the error check and correct code read from the first port of the memory, and corrects the inputted data in case of an error in the inputted data is detected based on the inputted error check and correct code; and a control circuit that writes the corrected data and the error check and correct code into the second port of the memory in case of the error is detected and a current access address and a previous access address to the first port of the memory are different.

There is a known storage device capable of updating data stored therein on the basis of an address and data inputted from the outside (refer to, for example, Patent Document 1). A memory has a first port for reading data and a second port for writing data. A first data holding unit holds the data read from the memory via the first port on the basis of the address inputted from the outside. The address holding unit holds the address inputted from the outside as an address for writing data via the second port. A second data holding unit holds the data inputted from the outside. A data generation unit generates data to be written into the memory via the second port on the basis of the data held in the first and second data holding units.
There is a known semiconductor integrated circuit device that has a data bit storage memory that stores data bits and a code bit storage memory that stores code bits (refer to, for example, Patent Document 2). An error check and correct (ECC) circuit uses the data bit and the code bit and performs error correction on at least one bit in the data bit or the code bit. The data bit storage memory and the code bit storage memory can be independently controlled. When a data write instruction is received, at least one cycle after the data bit is written into the data bit storage memory, the code bit corresponding to the data bit is written into the code bit storage memory.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-54221
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-222618
An error may occur in the data stored in the memory. The ECC circuit can correct an error of one bit in the data. However, if an error further occurs thereafter and an error of two or more bits exists, the ECC circuit cannot correct the error, resulting in a decrease in reliability of the data.

Memory device and control method of memory device


A smart phone including a computer readable storage medium to store a hearing aid locator application and a processor coupled to the computer readable storage medium to execute the hearing aid locator application to track a last known location of a hearing aid.

Hearing deficiencies can range from partial to complete hearing loss. Often, an individual's hearing ability varies across the range of audible sound frequencies, and many individuals have hearing impairment with respect to only select acoustic frequencies. For example, an individual's hearing loss may be greater at higher frequencies than at lower frequencies.
Hearing aids have been developed to alleviate the effects of hearing losses in individuals. In instances where the individual's hearing loss varies across frequencies. Conventionally, hearing aids range from ear pieces configured to amplify sounds to more sophisticated hearing aid devices that are configurable by a hearing health professional.
While hearing aids are often effective at compensating for the effects of hearing loss, hearing aids are expensive, small, and easy to lose. Unfortunately, lost hearing aids are often not covered by insurance. Thus the loss of a hearing aid can severely impact the quality of life of the individual, especially if they are unable to replace it.
Replacing a hearing aid can often cost the user thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, losing a hearing aid is a common occurrence. It is possible to purchase replacement plans, however, the replacement plans; while not as expensive as a new hearing aid, often cost hundreds of dollars, charge a replacement fee in addition to the plan fees, and require the user to go a period of time without the use of the lost hearing aid.
In the following description, the use of the same reference numerals in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

System and method for locating a hearing aid


A semiconductor device includes a plurality of lower electrodes having a vertical length greater than a horizontal width on a substrate, a supporter disposed between the lower electrodes, an upper electrode disposed on the lower electrodes, and a capacitor dielectric layer disposed between the lower electrodes and the upper electrode. The supporter includes a first element, a second element, and oxygen, an oxide of the second element has a higher band gap energy than an oxide of the first element, and the content of the second element in the supporter is from about 10 at % to 90 at %.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a semiconductor device having one or more supporters, and methods of forming the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor devices may include electrodes variously disposed on a substrate. During fabrication of a semiconductor device, certain elements of the device may be deposited, and subsequently removed (e.g., by etching).


A pipelined datapath with dynamically reconfigurable pipeline stages is provided, having a pipeline controller which generates clock signals and selects signals based on a system clock and a valid data signal to control each of the registers and each of the multiplexers in the pipeline circuit. In other words, when a valid datum is being processed, the pipeline register is activated to latch the output of the combinational logic circuit; otherwise, when an invalid datum is received, the register is not activated and the datum bypasses the register through a multiplexer. Therefore, the pipeline stages of the pipelined datapath are dynamically reconfigured to save the power dissipation effectively.

This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) on Patent Application No. 94115696 filed in Taiwan on May 13, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a pipelined datapath and, in particular, to a pipelined datapath with dynamically reconfigurable pipeline stages.
2. Related Art
Portable electronic devices become popular in recent years. Since the portable electronic devices often rely on batteries, how to lower the power consumption is an important issue in the circuit designs. Increasing the efficiency of battery uses will also increase the competitive power of the portable devices.
Traditionally, most of the low power circuits are designed by optimizing their static conditions. That is, the circuit design consideration is based on the worst operating environment. However, such design logic cannot fully satisfy the consumer's needs as the portable electronic devices are demanded to have higher efficiencies and lower power dissipation. Therefore, structure designers propose to dynamically reduce the power consumption according to the operating environment using a power-aware system. In other words, the conventional lower-power designs focus on reducing the work voltage, minimizing logic switching, and simplifying the circuit complexity. Even lower power consumption can be achieved by further using a power-aware datapath (e.g. dynamically reconfiguring the datapath imposed with the work voltage according to the currently processing task).
Take the pipeline structure as an example, the conventional low-power design can increase the throughput of the datapath and reduce the required work voltage. Pipeline registers are added to effectively avoid extra or unnecessary logic switching, i.e. short-time pulse glitches. However, the price one has to pay is to waste some power on such registers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a good method to reduce the power consumption on the registers.
Various methods have been proposed to reduce the power consumption in the registers. One method is to utilize clock gating in the pipeline structure, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,134 B1 and the articles by Xanthopoulos et. al. (see Thucydides Xanthopoulos and Anantha P. Chandrakasan, "A Low-Power IDCT Macrocell for MPEG-2 MP@ML Exploiting Data Distribution Properties for Minimal Activity," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 34, No. 5, P693-P703, May, 1999). With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in a three-stage pipeline structure each stage is a combinational logic circuit 111, 112, 113 linking to a register 121, 122, 123. The input terminal of the pipeline circuit is provided with a register 120. Each register 120 to 123 is controlled by a clock signal CK0 CK1, CK2, CK3 generated by a clock generator 130 according to the input data DATA. That is, when the input datum is valid (non-zero datum), then the registers 120 to 123 move the datum from left to right in a lock-step way. In each clock cycle, the registers 121 to 123 latch the output of the combinational logic circuits 111 to 113 according to the received clock signals CK1 to CK3 for processing the datum. When an invalid datum is received (e.g. the datum in a multiplier datapath with a vanishing coefficient), the registers hold the output of the combinational logic circuits to avoid power consumption. In other words, the pulse of each clock signal is transmitted stage by stage with the valid data. When invalid data enter, the registers are not activated to achieve the power-saving effect. In such clock gating method, each valid datum has to pass the register in each stage of pipeline in order to go from the input terminal to the output terminal. However, in the applications that do not require high throughput, there is still unnecessary waste due to extra clock pulses. This is because no fast yield is required and the design considers the worst operating conditions.
Another method utilizes a reconfigurable pipeline structure, which reconfigures the stages of pipeline structure according to the yield requirement. That is, when the dynamical yield requirement is low, the pipeline stages can be reduced; otherwise, the pipeline stages are increased in advance. Such an example is given in Kim et. al. (Suhwan Kim and Marios C. Papaefthymiou, "Reconfigurable Low Energy Multiplier for Multimedia System Design," Proceedings of the IEEE Computer Society Annual Workshop on VLSI (WVLSI'00), p. 129, Apr. 27-28, 2000). With reference to FIG. 3, when the yield requirement is low, the clock gates 1300, 1301 to 130N−1, 130N turn off some registers and skip them using multiplexers 141 to 14N−1. Therefore, the number of registers can be reduced to save power needed for data access. In fact, the registers 120 to 12N are still controlled synchronously by the system clock CK and move data from left to right in the lock-step way. In each clock cycle, the registers 121 to 12N latch the output of the combinational logic circuits according to the valid data signals DATA_VALID for performing data processing. When the datum passes a register that is turned off by the clock gate, a select signal SEL controls the multiplexer for the datum to bypass the register. Here the clock gates 1300 to 130N control the use of the system clock CK to determine the on and off of the registers 120 to 12N. Although this structure can make adjustments according to different applications, the adjustments require the knowledge of the valid data ratio at the input terminal for determining the pipeline stages. Therefore, the design is very complicated. To reconfigure the stages, one has to be sure that all data existing in the pipeline registers have to be finished before switching to another stage state, ensuring the data accuracy.
Since the conventional methods of reducing the power consumption of the registers have some problems, how to reduce the power consumption of the registers is thus an important study subject.

Dynamically reconfigurable stages pipelined datapath with data valid signal controlled multiplexer

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A skate (10) including a plurality of quick release axle assemblies (26) for securing in-line skate wheels (44) to a skate boot (16). The skate includes a frame (12) having right and left side walls (18) and (20) that extend downwardly from a boot mounting platform (14), and having substantially aligned apertures 22 for receiving the quick release axle assemblies, which in turn secure the skate wheels. Each axle assembly contains a single spring-loaded plunger member (28), an axle housing (30) for receiving the plunger member, and at least one detent ball (32) which is held in a detent aperture (34) of the axle housing. When the axle is in the closed position for use, the detent ball projects from the aperture of the axle housing. The detent extends beyond the axle outer surface (38) and locates into a detent ball receiving groove (48) defined in the detent spacer (46) of the wheel to secure the axle. Selective release of the axle from the wheel is enabled by depressing the plunger member, which allows the detent ball to load inwardly into a detent ball receiving groove (40) in the plunger member.

In-line roller skates include multiple wheels all rotating in a common plane and secured to a frame beneath each foot of the skater. The construction provides a skater with much of the same feeling experienced on an ice skate, while the in-line skate may be used on a much wider variety of terrain.
Typical in-line skates include four or five wheels of the same size having parallel axes of rotation generally within the same horizontal plane, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame. All of the wheels are carried and rotatably supported by the frame. The frame itself is then attached to the base of a shoe or boot.
Rapid wear of the wheels and associated bearings during use requires their frequent rotation and/or replacement. Traditionally, skate axles have been secured by screws or other similar components which require some type of wrench for removal. Thus, not only are specific tools required which may not be readily available, this type of removal and replacement process is also unnecessarily time consuming. Further, with this type of device, the various axle components, particularly the attachment components like nuts or screws, are not secured against misplacement, and may be easily lost.
Various attempts have been made to overcome these drawbacks by implementing devices that were designed to allow the quick disengagement and reengagement of the wheels without requiring the owner to use particular tools. These arrangements however, have not been met with wide acceptance. This is likely because these devices still required multiple components to secure the axle assembly and/or the devices had additional associated drawbacks. One common drawback of these conventional arrangements is that the axle locking components are located outside of the frame, extending substantially outward from the frame side wall. This makes these types of devices potentially susceptible to damage or unintentional release from the axle due to aggressive skating activities which cause substantial contact with the frame side walls.
Thus, conventional axle assemblies and recent alternative arrangements have proved unsuccessful in producing a satisfactory quick release axle. There still exists a need for an in-line roller skate with quickly removable wheels and self-contained, quick-release axles that can be easily removed without the assistance of specialized tooling.


A fence module is adapted for installation without required anchoring buy providing a base frame and a plurality of upright supporting posts extending from the base frame. At least three fence sections extend between the supporting posts. A first fence section at a first extreme end of the fence module, a second fence section at a second extreme end of the fence module, and a third fence section angularly positioned between the first and second fence sections. A pair of vibration sensing modules are used to detect intruders, one applied to the first fence section and a second applied to the third fence section, with the first fence section positioned on the secure end of the protected zone.

Physical barriers in the form of fences are used to surround various facilities ranging from private homes to government installations. One type of fence provides a physical barrier, or delay mechanism, which inhibits a potential intruder from gaining access to a protected zone. Such fences include chain link fences, and razor coil fences. Another type of fence provides both a physical barrier and an alarm, or detection, functionality. Such fences include pressure sensor taut wire fences and rigid fences in combination with vibration sensing modules. This latter type is generally referred to as part of a delay-and-detect type system since the fence provides both a delay and a detect function.
An inherent difficulty with delay-and-detect fences is the need to balance the quality of detection with adequate delay. An extreme example is a brick wall employed as a high quality delay mechanism with a vibration sensor fitted onto the wall. As may be appreciated, it would require substantial interference with the wall to trigger an alarm in such a system thus providing low detection quality. The opposite is also a problem, for example in a system which combines a flexible chain link fence with a vibrations sensor where sensitivity is increased but physical delay properties are reduced. Accordingly, present delay-and-detect systems employ reliable sensing element in a first system and then set the required delay quality by providing a physical barrier placed inward of the detection system. This allows for mounting additional fences, digging trenches, and placing other barriers which do not interfere with the detection functionality and increase delay quality. However, at times, geographic and aesthetic considerations do not allow for extending the width of the perimeter fence as far into the protected zone as is desirable for placing sufficient obstacles for a required delay. Other times, physical soil properties may inhibit the construction of separate supporting structures for a detect system and a delay system. For example, digging may be difficult by way of utility lines running under the fence perimeter. In those instances, it is very difficult to provide a delay element without compromising the sensing capability of the combined system. Accordingly, there is a need for a compact delay-and-detect system which can be deployed over restricted terrain while providing for reliable delay and detect functionality.


An automatic vent valve and method for use is provided equalizing the pressure in at least two lines. A housing has a first piston that compresses a bias device when the second pressure source supplies sufficient pressure. Upon a sufficient reduction in pressure the first piston releases a second internally held coaxial piston to allow fluid to flow from a first pressure source towards a second pressure source, thereby equalizing the pressure between the two pressure sources.

Completion systems are well known in the art of well production, and can take many varied forms. Well completions typically have as common elements: a casing cemented in the well extending from a surface wellhead to the producing formation; a production tubing located concentrically inside the casing; and one or more well known devices, such as packers, that block, pack off, and seal the annulus formed between the casing and the production tubing, generally by means of a resilient sealing element.
Placement of the packer in this way directs the hydrocarbons from the producing formation into the production tubing and to the earth's surface. It is not uncommon, during the process of producing the hydrocarbons, for gas or other production fluids to accumulate in the annulus below the packer. If the amount of gas or other production fluids accumulated in the annulus below the packer becomes too excessive, the gas or other fluids can interfere with the production process. Accordingly, in those situations, it becomes desirable to be able to seal the wellbore so that fluids from the wellbore cannot pass through the wellbore to the surface.
To seal the wellbore against unwanted pressurized fluids from reaching the surface. Typically a safety valve is placed in the wellbore at some point where the operator desires to block unwanted pressurized fluid flow from reaching the surface. Typically the safety valve is a spring operated valve that is held open by a control line that provides hydraulic pressure from the surface. In the event of an emergency or other well condition where the safety valve must be actuated the control line pressure is removed and the spring will close the safety valve.
There has been a recent trend in the oil and gas industry whereby companies have extended their exploration efforts into greater and greater depths. This is especially true as it relates to exploration companies venturing into water depths greater than approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet to drill for oil and gas, such as in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result of this trend, a problem has arisen with the operation of the safety valves of the type described above. The problem relates to the means by which the safety valve is actuated, namely, by connecting a control conduit from the earth's surface to the annulus vent valve, and then applying hydraulic fluid through the control conduit to a piston within the safety valve to overcome the force of a return spring and move a flow tube to open and close a closure member, such as a flapper, which blocks or permits fluid flow from the secondary packer bore into the annulus above the packer. More particularly, the problem relates to the column of hydraulic fluid in the control conduit extending between the earth's surface and the safety valve; this is sometimes referred to as the "hydrostatic head". Previously, it has been feasible to design a safety valve with a return spring capable of generating sufficient force to maintain the flapper in a closed position and overcome the force of the hydrostatic head. However, as wells are drilled to deeper and deeper depths, and as packers and safety valves are set at deeper and deeper depths, the length of the hydraulic control line necessarily increases, as does the force of the hydrostatic head. This requires the use of a larger and larger spring to overcome the increase in the hydrostatic head. It has been determined that, when a safety valve is set below certain depths, which is believed to be in the range of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet, it is no longer feasible to design a safety valve with a power spring large enough to overcome the hydrostatic head and close the safety valve in the case of an emergency.
Beyond this depth it has been preferred to use a balance line in conjunction with a spring in order to overcome the hydrostatic head in the control line and close the safety valve. However, typically a balance line may be run on the outside of the casing or other tubular and as such is susceptible to damage. In order to increase the operator's confidence that the safety valve has the capability to fail safely it is the object of this invention to provide a device that will allow the control line to automatically vent in the event of a balance line pressure failure.


A dynamoelectric machine comprises: a stator that comprises a plurality of stator poles arranged around a stator surface of revolution with a stator axis for the stator surface of revolution; at least one rotor that comprises a plurality of permanent rotor magnets arranged around a rotor surface of revolution with a rotor axis for the rotor surface of revolution that is coincident with the stator axis and with the rotor surface of revolution adjacent the stator surface of revolution; a drive shaft with a drive shaft axis of rotation that is substantially coincident with the stator axis coupled to the rotor for rotating the rotor relative to the stator about the drive shaft axis of rotation; and a at least one actuator for axially displacing the rotor surface of revolution along the drive shaft relative to the stator surface of revolution to change magnetic flux interaction between the stator poles and the rotor magnets; wherein at least one of the surfaces of revolution tilts with respect to the drive shaft axis of rotation.

Dynamoelectric machines of the permanent magnet type have a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of permanent rotor magnets arranged radially around a drive shaft that rotate with the drive shaft about a stator assembly that comprises a plurality of stator poles and a stator winding. The rotor magnets have a fixed axial alignment that generally coincides with the axial position of the stator poles. The rotor magnets have a fixed radial alignment that is inside the radial position of the stator poles for machines of the conventional type or outside the radial position of the stator poles for machines of the "inside out" type.
Since the rotor magnets have a fixed radial and axial alignment with respect to the stator poles, when used as a generator the electrical potential that the dynamoelectric machine generates is primarily proportional to the rotational speed of the rotor assembly and the power consumed by an electrical load. As a generator, a primary problem with this class of machines is that there is no convenient way to regulate the generated electrical potential that may vary with rotational speed and load variations, unlike dynamoelectric machines with a rotor winding that may control rotor winding current from an exciter for regulation.
Similarly, when used as a motor driven by source of electric power, the back electromotive force (EMF) that the dynamoelectric machine generates subtracts from the electrical potential of the power source. The power source must supply increasing electrical potential for increasing speed at constant torque. Eventually, the power source cannot supply additional potential and then the output torque of the dynamoelectric machine falls with increasing speed until no further torque is achievable. As a motor, a primary problem with this class of machines is that there is no convenient way to regulate the generated back EMF that increases with rotational speed, unlike dynamoelectric machines with a rotor winding that may control rotor winding current from an exciter to reduce back EMF at high speeds and thereby achieve high speed output torque.
Consequently, dynamoelectric machines of the permanent magnet type used as a generator may produce a lower electrical potential than required when operated at a slower rotational speed than a desired operational speed and produce too much potential when operated at a faster rotational speed than the desired operational speed. Such variations in potential can cause hazardous conditions or damage to electrical components that comprise the electrical load. Dynamoelectric machines of the permanent magnet type used as a motor have poor torque characteristics at high speeds when they have a design that requires high torque at low speeds.
Various schemes are used to electrically or mechanically compensate for the limitations of this class of machine in the generator and motor modes of operation. However, to date they all add significant weight, cost and complexity to the dynamoelectric machine or its control system.

Permanent magnet dynamoelectric machine with axially displaceable permanent magnet rotor assembly


Disclosed are mechanisms to support integrating network semantics into communications between processor cores operating on the same server hardware. A network communications unit is implemented in a coherent domain with the processor cores. The network communications unit may be implemented on the CPU package, in one or more of the processor cores, and/or coupled via the coherent fabric. The processor cores and/or associated virtual entities communicate by transmitting packet headers via the network communications unit. When communicating locally compressed headers may be employed. The headers may omit specified fields and employ simplified addressing schemes for increased communication speed. When communicating locally, data can be moved between memory locations and/or pointers can be communicated to reduce bandwidth needed to transfer data. The network communications unit may maintain/access a local policy table containing rules governing communications between entities and enforce such rules accordingly.

Cloud computing technology supports on-demand elastic provisioning of resources for data center tenants. Virtualization techniques used for cloud computing also allow for resource sharing. For example, Software Defined Infrastructure (SDI) allows for complete programmatic control of computing infrastructure hardware and Software Defined Networking (SDN) allows for separate control of the networking control plane from the networking data plane. Such technological paradigms allow for many combinations of hardware and software resources. Various communication protocols support data exchanges between virtualized network resources. Such communication protocols require significant operational overhead in terms of software control resources. Accordingly, significant networking hardware resources are dedicated to implement the software resources to support such communications exchanges between the virtualized network resources.

Network semantics integrated into central processing unit (CPU) chipset


Disclosed herein is an ejector for an injection molding machine used to extract a molded product formed inside a die, the ejector including: a first ejector plate which is movably installed in a moving plate for fixing the die; a second ejector plate which is separably connected to the first ejector plate; and an ejector pin which is installed in at least one of the first and second ejector plates so as to push outward the molded product.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to an ejector for an injection molding machine, and more particularly, to an ejector for an injection molding machine which is installed in a moving plate so as to extract a molded product formed inside a die, and a moving plate including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An injection molding machine mainly includes an injection device and a clamping device, where the clamping device is used to carry out an operation of opening or closing a die, that is, a die opening operation and a die closing operation. When the die closing operation is completed by the clamping device, a molten material is injected into the die. At this time, the die is required to be strongly fastened so that the die is not opened by the high-pressure molten material.
Hereinafter, the structure of a known clamping device will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the known clamping device has a structure in which a fixed plate 110 and a moving plate 120 are disposed so as to face each other and a first die 111 and a second die 121 are respectively installed on facing surfaces of the fixed plate 110 and the moving plate 120. The fixed plate 110 and the moving plate 120 are connected to each other via a tie bar 101.
One end of the moving plate 120 is connected to a toggle link 140. In detail, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper and lower ends of the rear surface of the moving plate 120 are provided with ribs 122, and the upper end of each rib 122 is provided with a link hole 123. A link pin 141 is attached into the link hole 123, thereby connecting one end of the toggle link 140 to the link pin 141. By means of a driving force of the toggle link 140, the moving plate 120 moves forward or backward and the die fastening operation is carried out.
In addition, an extraction hole 124 is formed at the center portion of the moving plate 120, and connection holes 125 are respectively formed at four corners thereof so as to allow the tie bar 101 to be inserted thereinto. An ejector 130 is installed in the extraction hole 124 so as to extract a molded product formed inside the die.
In the known clamping device having the above-described configuration, the moving plate 120 is configured to be movable forward and backward by the toggle link 140. However, since the ribs 122 serving as portions used to be connected to the toggle link 140 are respectively provided in the upper and lower ends of the moving plate 120, a problem arises in that a clamping force transmitted from the toggle link 140 is not uniformly transmitted to the whole surface of the moving plate 120 but is concentrated on the upper and lower ends of the moving plate 120.
In order to solve the structural problem of the moving plate 120, the structure of the moving plate may be modified into various forms. However, when the structure of the moving plate is modified, a problem arises in that the ejector installed in the known moving plate is not applied to the moving plate having a different structure.
This disclosure is contrived to solve the above-described problems, and is directed to providing a separable ejector for an injection molding machine which is applicable to even a moving plate having a modified structure and is easily assembled to the moving plate.

Ejector for injection molding machine and moving plate including the same


A mobile robot and method for interactively providing waypoints to a mobile robot for use in the marking of a geometric figure on a ground surface including the steps of: i) Selecting a control function accepting manual positioning of a mobile robot at two or more target locations on a ground surface; ii) Positioning the mobile robot in proximity to a first target location to be marked on a surface, and directing a position determining device of the mobile device to said first target location to be marked; iii) Instructing the mobile robot to store the first target location as a first waypoint; iv) Repeating steps ii)-iii) to obtain at least a second waypoint; v) Selecting a control function accepting manual selection of a geometric figure for being marked on said ground surface; vi) Instructing the mobile robot to compute the best fit for the selected geometric figure on the surface based on the two or more waypoints; vii) Instructing the mobile robot to compute waypoint coordinates of the geometric figure for being marked from the fitted position of said geometric figure; and viii.a) Instructing the mobile robot to store the computed waypoint coordinates of the geometric figure; or viii.b) Instructing the mobile robot to mark the geometric figure on the surface.

Painting temporary and permanent lines are a major task in roadwork and sports areas around the world.
For road work, premarking, marking and remarking center lines, side lines, parking lots, and other road markings on streets and roads and parking areas is important for guiding motorists and to reduce the possibility of accidents both by head on collisions and by vehicles colliding with vehicles, persons or other objects.
In the athletic area premarking, marking and remarking of athletics fields for soccer, football, lacrosse, rugby, ultimate Frisbee and many other types of sport is an important and necessary requirement.
A major part of the striping operation is called "pre-marking", which today often are done with manual tools like robe, strings, measuring tapes, sticks and spraying tools. For example, measurements are taken with a tape or string from the edge of the roadway, and paint spots are made on the street using a spray can or similar painting device. The result is very time-consuming. In the roadwork it can even be dangerous as the work is done near on-going traffic. Due to the risk involved, the workers must be on constant alert to ongoing vehicle traffic while trying to make the appropriate measurements.
In most cases, markings are done based on previous markings that are remarked using the still visible residues from the old markings. If no residue is visible or a completely new marking is taking place, premarking is often needed to ensure that the marking will be correctly done.
In some cases, it is possible to go directly to marking without premarking. This is the case if sufficient information is available to control a marking machine to do the marking directly. This invention supports both premarking followed by marking and marking directly without a premarking process.

Method for interactively providing waypoints to a mobile robot for use in the marking of a geometric figure on a ground surface


Data is written on a plurality of data tracks on an optical disk by a plurality of laser beams. The spots illuminated by the beams are spaced apart to prevent thermal interference. The spots are aligned along a line at an angle to the tangent of the data tracks. The angle of the line of spots is determined by an equation using variables that include the track pitch, the minimum distance between spots and the difference in track numbers between tracks being written.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical disk drives which can read and write optical disks. More specifically, the present invention provides a multi-beam optical system for simultaneously writing multiple tracks of an optical disk.
2. Background of the Invention
Current writable optical disk technologies include several write-once technologies, such as CD-Recordable (CD-R) and DVD-Recordable (DVD-R), as well as re-writeable technologies, such as CD-Re-writeable (CD-RW), DVD Re-writeable (DVD-RW), and DVD-RAM.
Data is typically recorded on writeable optical disks by using a writing beam having a higher power than is used for reading. The media for use with optical disk writers typically includes a recording layer, made of a material which changes its optical characteristics in response to the presence of the beam from the high power laser. The high power laser is used to create "pits" in the recording layer which have a different reflectivity than surrounding areas of the disk, and which can be read using a lower power reading beam.
Because in most previously known optical disk systems the data are read from or written to the disk serially, i.e., one bit at a time, the maximum data transfer rate for an optical disk reader is determined by the rate at which the pits pass by the pickup assembly. Because the linear density of the bits and the track pitch are fixed by the specification of the particular optical disk format, the data transfer rate of optical disk readers is limited by the rotational speed of the disk itself. However, high disk rotational speeds place increased demands on the optical and mechanical subsystems within the optical disk player, create greater vibration, and may make such players more difficult and expensive to design and manufacture.
Furthermore, in recording systems, the minimum energy required to form a mark of a given length is determined by the chemical and thermal properties of the recording disk medium. The laser energy impinging on the mark area is proportional to laser power and inversely proportional to disk rotational speed. Thus, for a given laser power, there is a practical upper limit to the disk rotational speed during recording.
A cost effective alternative to increasing the disk rotational speed to provide faster optical disk drives is to read or write multiple data tracks simultaneously, as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,623 to Alon et al. In accordance with the methods and apparatus provided therein, for example, ten adjacent data tracks may be read simultaneously. Thus, even if the disk is rotated at only 8× the standard speed, the capability to read ten tracks simultaneously provides the equivalent of an 80× drive.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an optical drive that achieves improved writing speeds by writing data to multiple tracks of an optical disk simultaneously.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for writing on an optical disk with beam spots aligned at an angle to data tracks


A system and method for recognizing markers on, e.g., a PCB (printed circuit board). In one aspect, a system for recognizing a marker in an image comprises an image capture module (14) for extracting image features associated with an input image of a ROI (region of interest) captured through a lens 15, an image processor (16) comprising a first marker recognition processor (17) for recognizing a marker in the input image based on a normalized correlation and a second marker recognition processor (18) for recognizing a marker in the input image based on gray value histograms; a training module 19 for building template images and histograms that are used by the image processor (16) to detect a marker in the input image and a database (20) for indexing and storing trained template images and trained histograms.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is generally related to a system and method for detecting markers on a PCB (printed circuit board) and, in particular, to a system and method for detecting markers on a PCB using an image processing technique based on histogram and template features.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, electronic manufacturing is one of the major application fields of machine vision systems. In particular, before electrical components are placed on a PCB, the board and the components are inspected thoroughly in order to achieve high yield and to reduce repair costs. After inspection, defective circuits are marked so that they can be sorted from non-defective circuits and terminated from further processing.
Various types of markers are implemented by manufacturers in their manufacturing processes. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1a, one type of marker that is used to mark a defective circuit is a laser graving (i.e., a cross). In addition, FIGS. 2a and 3a illustrate a small ink spot and a large ink spot marker, respectively. FIG. 3a illustrates a large ink spot marker that covers the entire field of view. Further, FIG. 4a illustrates a circuit that is marked by a drill hole. FIGS. 1b, 2b,3b, and 4b are images of corresponding circuits that are not marked, thus, indicating non-defective ("good") circuits. The availability and use of such varying marker types can render a marker recognition process inefficient if the type of marker used is not particularly compatible with the recognition software.
Furthermore, there are several types of manufacturing processes that are implemented in electronic manufacture, which can limit the type of marker recognition process used. For instance, with one type of manufacturing process, the board is first calibrated (i.e., the exact position is detected and corrected for) before the marker is recognized. In another process, the marker is detected prior to calibration. Without prior calibration, the position variation can be large, which requires that the recognition algorithm used be robust with respect to shifts and small rotations. In this case, the use of large markers that cover the whole field of view (either ink spots or adhesive patches) is typically required.
Accordingly, a system and method for recognizing markers, which is robust and operatively compatible with a broad range of marker types, is highly desirable.

System and method for recognizing markers on printed circuit boards


A container has a lid that can be opened only by lifting and pulling a pull tab, with lifting of the pull tab resulting in an evident change. The pull tab is held down by attachment (interference fit, weld, glue) to a lid surface by a hold-down that is joined to the pull tab by a pair of bridges. When the pull tab is lifted, the bridges are broken. Thereafter, the pull tab springs up slightly from the lid plane, under the force of one or more spring walls and a hinge, which makes it evident that the container has been opened.

Consumer products and especially food, such as salads or grapes, is often sold in plastic containers, wherein a clerk at a store (who observes cleanliness standards) loads fresh food into a container and then closes it. Some customers are concerned that a person might have secretly opened the container to see if he/she likes the food, and then closed the container, leaving germs behind. Customers are assured of the integrity of the packaged food by constructing the container so if the container has been opened after the clerk loaded food into it, this fact will be evident. A container that was easy to open and reclose, and that indicated if it had been opened after the first time that it had been closed, and which could be constructed at low cost to produce a sturdy container, would be of value.


Monoclonal antibodies, in particular 33.28 and 31.1, and chimeric antibodies, in particular mouse/humans chimeric Chi #1 specific for glycoprotein antigens of colon carcinoma-associated antigens which are immunogenic in humans, are disclosed. Such antibodies, and fragments and derivatives thereof, are useful in immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy of human colon, breast, and ovarian cancer, and for purification of antigens which can serve as immunotherapeutic agents. Methods of detecting the colon carcinoma-associated antigen in a sample, and methods for treating subjects having colon, breast, and ovarian carcinomas are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention, in the field of immunology and medicine, relates to new hybridoma lines and the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) they secrete which are specific for clinically defined colon carcinoma-associated antigens. The mAbs are useful in vivo for immunodetection and immunotherapy of colon carcinoma as well as for the detection and purification of colon carcinoma-associated antigens.
2. Description of the Background Art
During the process of oncogenesis, a number of cell-surface molecules or markers appear on cells. Such tumor-related markers include oncofetoproteins, neoglycoproteins, sphignolipids, and modifications of existing surface proteins. Such new or altered structures are often shed from the tumor cell surface and appear in the serum or in other biological fluids. The detection of any of these substances or "tumor markers" serves as the basis for diagnosing or monitoring the progress of neoplastic disease.
Early animal studies demonstrated that, among these tumor markers, a subset of tumor membrane protein or glycoprotein antigens were immunogenic. Upon appropriate reintroduction into the tumor-bearing host, typically after surgical removal of the primary tumor, such antigens could effectively block the establishment of new tumor growth.
An attempt to use similarly derived tumor-associated antigens in humans was made by Hollinshead and Stewart using a relatively purified membrane preparation in patients with lung cancer (Stewart, T. H. M. et al., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 277:436 (1976)). These studies were later expanded to include patients with melanoma and colon carcinoma, wherein different pooled allogeneic tumor preparations were administered in combination with complete Freund's adjuvant (Hollinshead, A. C. et al., Cancer 4:9:1387 (1982); Hollinshead, A. C. et al., Cancer 56:480 (1985)).
The use of Freund's adjuvant was based on observations that normal tissue antigens with this adjuvant produced severe autoimmune responses in animal recipients, whereas in the absence of this adjuvant, no adverse reactions were seen. The adjuvant was thought to promote antigen processing by host macrophages as well as prolong the stimulatory action of the antigen at the site of its deposition (see, for example, Roitt, L. Essential Immunology, 6th Ed., Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1988)).
The above observations served as the basis for early clinical trials using specific human tumor membrane proteins and glycoproteins as tumor "vaccines." Various of the tumor-associated antigens which had been isolated and characterized could prolong survival and, in some cases, produce regression of metastatic disease.
With the advent of monoclonal antibody (mAb) technology, it has become possible to obtain pure antibody populations which permit better purification and characterization of the various tumor markers and tumor-associated antigens that are useful for immunodiagnosis or immunotherapy. Many mAbs have been described that have varying degrees of selectivity for tumor antigens (versus normal cell surface markers); some of these tumor antigens are broadly represented across several or many tumor types, whereas others appear to be truly tumor-specific. A number of these mAb-tumor antigen systems are described below.
Herlyn et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76:1438 (1979), discloses two mAbs obtained by immunizing mice with human colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells. The mAbs have selective reactivity with human CRC cells. One mAb, 1083-17 (the forerunner of 17-1A), is now known to react with a 41 kDa glycoprotein (see below).
Herlyn et al., J. Clin. Immunol. 2:135 (1982), described the detection of a circulating colorectal carcinoma (CRC)-associated antigen by a mAb developed against a membrane antigen of the SW116 cell line. MAbs 19-9 and 52a, which recognize a monosialoganglioside antigen (Magnani, J. L. et al., Science 212:55 (1981)), reacted with cells of 8 of 12 CRC lines as well as with the cells of one gastric carcinoma and one pancreatic carcinoma. MAb C414 reacted with four of six CRC cultures and with gastric tumor cells. The binding of mAbs 19-9 and 52a to tumor cells were inhibited by a CRC patient's serum. However, CRC sera inhibited binding less frequently than did sera from patients with pancreatic or gastric tumors.
Girardet et al., J. Immunol. 136:1497-1503 (1986), disclosed mAbs against human colon carcinomas. The L-D1 mAb reacted with a 41 kDa glycoprotein, believed to be the same antigen as that defined by mAb 1083-17-1A (Herlyn et al., 1979, supra). The L-C5 mAb precipitated proteins having molecular weights of 43, 45, 47 and 53 kDa from LoVo colon carcinoma cells. L-D1 did react with cervical carcinoma lines, while L-C5 reacted with breast carcinoma lines. Their binding to pancreatic carcinomas was not examined.
Greiner et al., Science 235:895-898 (1987), discloses mAb 06.2 which reacts with a 90 kDa glycoprotein allegedly found in 75-80% of breast carcinomas and more than 90% of colon carcinomas.
Sakamoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,827 (Apr. 1, 1986), discloses a number of mAbs said to be useful for diagnosing or treating human colon cancer by a number of different approaches. None of these mAbs is shown to react with a human colon carcinoma-associated antigen that is a protein of either  61 or 72 kDa molecular weight, distinguishing these antibodies from the antibodies  33.28 antibody of the present invention (described below). Furthermore, none of the Sakamoto mAbs have the degree of colon tumor specificity of the mAbs disclosed in the present application.
Delaloye et. al., J. Clin. Invest. 77:301 (1986), discloses the use of a mAb specific for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) to detect colorectal carcinoma in vivo using 123I-labelled fragments and emission computerized tomography. The mAb described bears no relation to the mAbs of the present invention.
Douillard et al., Hybridoma 5, Suppl. 1:S139 (1986), describes mAb 17-1A and its cytotoxic properties to gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas in vitro. 17-1A was used with some degree of success in immunotherapy trials. This mAb is said to recognize a 38-41 kDa protein and has a broad range of reactivity and lack of colon tumor specificity, clearly distinguishing it from the antibodies of the present invention.
Scannon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,071 (May 20, 1986), discloses mAbs specific for melanoma antigens conjugated to toxic proteins such as ricin A chain and the use of these compositions to treat melanoma. There is no disclosure directed to colon tumor antigens or antibodies and their uses.
The relatively pure antigen preparation containing the immunogenic colon carcinoma membrane antigens to which the mAbs of the present invention are directed was originally described by Hollinshead et al., Science 177:887-889 (1972).
The clinical evaluation of the above antigen preparation, including a description of its immunogenicity and potential for enhancing patient survival through stimulation of specific active immunity, was described by Hollinshead et al., 1985, supra.
The work of the present inventors leading to the present invention is briefly described in an abstract by Tsang et al., "Monoclonal Antibodies to Human Colon Carcinoma Associated Antigens," Intl. Symp. Biotech. in Clin. Med., Rome, Italy, Apr. 13-15, 1987. This reference was made available to the public less than one year before the filing of the ultimate parent application (U.S. Ser. No. 07/176,337) for the present application.

Monoclonal antibodies against human colon carcinoma-associated antigens and uses therefor


Disclosed is a method for preparing a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon-conjugated diene block copolymer using a coupling reaction with improved ion stability. The method comprises (a) polymerizing a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer in a hydrocarbon solvent with an organic lithium compound as a polymerization initiator to prepare a first mix solution comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block; and (b) adding a conjugated diene monomer to the first mix solution of step (a) to form a conjugated diene block on an end of the vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block and to thereby prepare a second mix solution comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block-conjugated diene block, wherein the method further comprises (c) adding a Lewis acid to the first mix solution before, during or after polymerization of the vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer of step (a).

A styrene-butadiene-styrene triple block copolymer composed of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block and a conjugated diene block is prepared by a solution polymerization using an anion initiator. Due to excessive exothermic reaction, a maximum polymerization temperature reaches 100° C. or higher.
During anion polymerization, the styrene-butadiene-styrene triple block copolymer is stabilized over a considerably long time, in particular, one week, at room temperature in the form of an anion on polymer chain ends immediately before the terminal reaction after growth reaction, but hydrogen anion separation reaction is caused by heat at a high temperature of 100° C. or higher and side reaction in which the terminal anions form unsaturated double bonds thus occurs. These side reactions are inevitable, although the time at which immediately before terminal reaction after growth reaction is taken is within several minutes.
Such side reactions cause deterioration in activity of an end of polymer chain and thus deterioration in coupling efficiency during coupling polymerization, cause reactions between anion ends of living polymers and polymers produced by side reactions, thus producing polymers with a doubled molecular weight. At this time, 10 to 15% by weight of the obtained polymer is generally produced. Furthermore, even during identical polymerization, since the content of polymers with a high molecular weight is not uniform, process control is not easy in products requiring accurate control of molecular weight and product defect rates thus increase.
In terms of physical properties, these side products improve physical properties of obtained products, but solution polymerization should be performed at low temperatures and at a low solid content due to deterioration in processability and limited control in the polymerization process, thus causing a deterioration in commercial applicability of products. Accordingly, there is a need for a method that can stabilize anion ends although polymerization is performed at a high temperature in order to secure commercial potential and maximize coupling efficiency through inhibition of production of side reactions and accurately control molecular weight.

Preparation method of vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon-conjugated diene block copolymer using coupling reaction with improved ion stability


An implantable device is configured for placement in the eardrum to transmit an audio signal to a user. The device may be configured to improve transmission of an electromagnetic signal from an input assembly on a lateral side of an eardrum to an output assembly positioned on a medial side of the eardrum, for example, at least partially in the middle ear of the user. The output assembly may comprise a transducer or at least two electrodes configured to stimulate the cochlea, for example. The device may include an opening to transmit the light signal or an optic to transmit the light signal. Alternatively, the device may be configured to support a transducer of the output assembly with the eardrum when the device is implanted in the eardrum, such that the eardrum vibrates in response to the electromagnetic signal. The electromagnetic signal may include light energy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to hearing systems, devices and methods. Although specific reference is made to hearing aid systems, embodiments of the present invention can be used in many applications in which a signal is used to stimulate the ear.
People like to hear. Hearing allows people to listen to and understand others. Natural hearing can include spatial cues that allow a user to hear a speaker, even when background noise is present. People also like to communicate with those who are far away, such as with cellular phones.
Hearing devices can be used with communication systems to help the hearing impaired and to help people communicate with others who are far away. Hearing impaired subjects need hearing aids to verbally communicate with those around them. Open canal hearing aids have proven to be successful in the marketplace because of increased comfort and an improved cosmetic appearance. Another reason why open canal hearing aides can be popular is reduced occlusion of the ear canal. Occlusion can result in an unnatural, tunnel-like hearing effect which can be caused by large hearing aids which block the ear canal. In at least some instances, occlusion can be noticed by the user when he or she speaks and the occlusion results in an unnatural sound during speech. However, a problem that may occur with open canal hearing aids is feedback. The feedback may result from placement of the microphone in too close proximity with the speaker or the amplified sound being too great. Thus, feedback can limit the degree of sound amplification that a hearing aid can provide. Although feedback can be minimized by placing the microphone outside the ear canal, this placement can result in the device providing an unnatural sound that is devoid of the spatial location information cues present with natural hearing.
In some instances, feedback may be decreased by using non-acoustic means of stimulating the natural hearing transduction pathway, for example stimulating the tympanic membrane, bones of the ossicular chain and/or the cochlea. An output transducer may be placed on the eardrum, the ossicles in the middle ear, or the cochlea to stimulate the hearing pathway. However, surgery may be needed to place a hearing device on the ossicles or cochlea, and such surgery can involve delicate and complex movements to position the implant and can be somewhat invasive, for example with the cutting and drilling of bone, in at least some instances. The cutting and/or drilling of bone can delay healing and recovery time, such that implantation of at least some of the prior devices in the middle ear may not be well suited for at least some patients in at least some instances. At least some of the prior implants located on the ossicles or the cochlea can result in occlusion in at least some instances, and distortion of the sound can be perceptible in at least some instances.
One promising approach has been to place a magnet on the eardrum and drive the magnet with a coil positioned away from the eardrum. The magnet can be electromagnetically driven with a coil to cause motion in the hearing transduction pathway thereby causing neural impulses leading to the sensation of hearing. A permanent magnet may be coupled to the ear drum through the use of a fluid and surface tension, for example as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,032 and 6,084,975. Although this approach can result in decreased feedback and shows promise, there is still room for improvement. The magnet may be positioned on the eardrum with a support and a coupling liquid such as an oil, and work in relation to embodiments of the present invention suggests that in at least some instances the user may need to place drops in the ear for the magnet and support to remain coupled to the eardrum, such that in at least some instances the support can decouple from the eardrum. Also, in at least some instances, a magnet positioned on the ear may be sensitive to external electromagnetic fields that can result in a perceptible noise, for example a humming sound in at least some instances.
Another promising approach has been to optically couple a hearing device, such that noise from electromagnetic interference can be decreased. However, in at least some instances the prior systems that transmit light to a transducer can result in perceptible noise and distortion in the optically transmitted signal, such that the sound quality of such devices can be less than ideal in at least some instances. For example, at least some optical systems may comprise non-linearity that can distort the signal and may result in user-perceptible distortion in at least some instances. Work in relation to embodiments of the present invention also suggests that light transmission through the eardrum to the photodetector may contribute to distortion in at least some instances.
For the above reasons, it would be desirable to provide hearing systems which at least decrease, or even avoid, at least some of the above mentioned limitations of the prior hearing devices. For example, there is a need to provide a comfortable hearing device which provides hearing with natural qualities, for example with spatial information cues, and which allow the user to hear with less occlusion, distortion and feedback than prior devices.

Eardrum implantable devices for hearing systems and methods


A hydraulic system for an aircraft includes a brake operation device, a pressure supply, a reservoir, a shut-off valve, and a wheel brake. The shut-off valve is in fluid communication with and is disposed between the pressure supply and the brake valve. The shut-off valve can include a poppet, a first valve seat and a second valve seat. Movement of the poppet is controlled by operation of the brake operation device. The poppet is movable between a first position where the poppet acts against the first valve seat and a second position where the poppet acts against the second valve seat. In the first position, fluid flow is blocked between the pressure supply and the brake valve through the shut-off valve. In the second position, fluid flow is allowed between the pressure supply and the brake valve through the shut-off valve. The wheel brake is in fluid communication with and downstream from the shut-off valve.

This disclosure is related to a brake system of an aircraft.
Hydraulic systems in mid and large size aircrafts are used in primary systems such as flight control systems. In the mid and large size aircrafts, engine driven hydraulic pumps and the like are used as a hydraulic pressure source, because double or more hydraulic systems are needed to be used with the primary systems and the hydraulic systems are used at all flight times in mid and large size aircrafts. In these aircrafts, a quantity of fluid leakage in the hydraulic system is not controversial, because the hydraulic pumps are activated at all times in the aircrafts and the hydraulic pressure does not decrease because of the leak.
On the other hand, hydraulic systems in small business jet aircrafts are used with secondary systems like landing gear control, brake, steering, speed brake and the like in general. Therefore, in the small business jet aircrafts, hydraulic pressure source is only used in a short amount time during a flight. Especially, the hydraulic pressure source is not necessary at all during cruise, though cruise time is a large share of flight time. That is, hydraulic systems driven by electrical pumps are often employed to produce hydraulic pressure at the time of need only.
Typically, small business jet aircraft have also a pressure accumulator as a system redundancy device in preparation for failure of the hydraulic pressure pumps and the like. In the event of a pump and/or electrical system failure, accumulators hold hydraulic fluid volume enough to stop the aircraft on the ground. In this instance, the quantity of internal leakage in the hydraulic system is very important, because the volume size of the accumulator is decided with consideration of the internal leakage. Furthermore, a large amount of leakage can require the electrical motor driven pump to turn off and on frequently. Turning the electrical pump on and off frequently reduces the life of several components including the electrical motor, the hydraulic pump, hydraulic system parts, as well as electrical power generator system.
Recently, the number of small business jet aircrafts that are provided with power brake systems including a metering-pin valve and provided with anti-skid brake systems are increasing. Usually, a servo-valve is used in the anti-skid brake system, because anti-skid brake system should release brake pressure at once to realize the anti-skid function, and servo-valve is suitable for this performance. Typically, a combination of jet-nozzle and flapper-valve is used in the servo-valve. However, the quantity of internal leakage from the metering-pin valve and the servo-valve is not negligible due to the characteristic features of these valves.
There can be found infrequently that small business jet aircrafts having an electromotive drive shut-off valve which is upstream of the brake metering valve and the anti-skid valve. Electronic solenoids can be used to drive the shut-off valve. The quantity of internal leakage from that kind of shut-off valve is not negligible too. In addition, when electrical power is not provided to that kind of shut-off valve, the brake system goes out of control. Furthermore, hydraulic pressure spikes are created by the electromotive drive shut-off valve, because conditions of on and off of the electromotive drive shut-off valve are always switched immediately. The hydraulic pressure spikes, which are provided to the hydraulic system, brake system and landing gear system of the aircraft, cause large acoustic noise and affect lifespan of the hydraulic system and the like.

Honda Patents & Technologies North America, LLC


The present invention provides reaction mixtures that include blocked oligonucleotides comprising 2′-terminator nucleotides. The blocked oligonucleotides are rendered extendible when the 2′-terminator nucleotides are removed from the oligonucleotides, e.g., via pyrophosphorolysis. The reaction mixtures can be used in various nucleic acid polymerization and/or amplification assays, among many other applications. In addition to reaction mixtures, the invention also provides related methods and reaction mixtures.

Pyrophosphorolysis activated polymerization (PAP) is a process involving pyrophosphorolysis-mediated activation of pyrophosphorolysis-activatable primers hybridized with target or template nucleic acids followed by extension of the activated primers. Pyrophosphorolysis-activatable primers typically include terminator nucleotides, such as dideoxynucleotides (ddNMPs) at their 3′-termini. These terminator nucleotides must generally be enzymatically removed from such hybridized, blocked primers via pyrophosphorolysis reactions that consume pyrophosphate to produce the activated primers in order for primer extension to proceed. Since primer activation typically requires perfectly matched primers and target nucleic acids, these reactions generally produce limited, if any, non-specific products due, for example, to primer-dimer formation or other false priming artifacts. Exemplary applications of PAP include providing alternative methods for amplifying nucleic acids (e.g., as part of a rare allele detection process, a somatic mutation detection assay, etc.), among other applications.
As referred to above, certain pre-existing PAP-related approaches use ddNMP-terminated primers and efficient ddNMP-incorporating thermostable DNA polymerases (e.g., mutant enzymes that contain an "F to Y" mutation in "Helix O") to effect pyrophosphorolysis of primers with a 3-terminal ddNMP moiety in the presence of pyrophosphate (PPi) after primer binding/annealing to template. These approaches generally have various disadvantages. For example, these techniques typically use very low, limiting concentrations of dNTPs, which reduces (slows down) the extension rate (number of nucleotides polymerized per second). More specifically, when a 3′-terminal ddNMP is released as a ddNTP in these reactions, the very low concentration of dNTPs (i.e., the "pool size") increases the likelihood of reincorporating the ever-increasing concentration of ddNTPs (resulting from successive rounds of PAP) prior to full-length primer extension (required for efficient PCR). This reincorporation is generally undesired, requiring additional PAP to remove the incorporated ddNMP and further contributes to incomplete primer extension and compromises the efficiency of full-length primer extension products in each cycle. Moreover, many of these pre-existing PAP approaches are capable of generating only very short amplicons, e.g., in some cases even shorter than primer dimers. Thus, the PCR cycle efficiency of these previous approaches is generally impaired, typically requiring many cycles to detect low abundance targets.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that additional PAP-related methods are desirable. The present invention provides PAP-related methods that utilize 2′-terminator nucleotides, as well as a variety of additional features that will be apparent upon a complete review of the following disclosure.

2′-terminator related pyrophosphorolysis activated polymerization


Systems and methods for accepting payments for goods and services provided by a consumer provider. The methods can include associating consumers and consumer providers with a payment provider. The payment provider can receive payments destined for the consumer provider, associate the payments with one or more identifiers, and transfer at least portions of the receive payments to the consumer provider. The systems can include a point-of-sale device configured to accept payments from consumers on behalf of consumer providers. In some cases, the systems include a plurality of such point-of-sale devices in communication with a payment provider control. The payment provider control can be in communication with one or more consumer provider controls.

The present invention relates generally to financial transaction systems and methodologies, and in particular to methods and systems for making payments based on a consumer identification.
A wide variety of payment methods are available to consumers of goods and services. In addition to currency, consumers are often able to use their credit in making purchases. A common system for making credit purchases involves the use of a credit card provided by a credit card issuer, such as a commercial bank or other financial institution. Non-credit transactions can be handled by debit cards, which utilize funds already deposited by the consumer for payment purposes.
Many types of payment methodologies are dependent upon consumers having relationships with financial institutions such as banks, credit unions, etc. However, a substantial percentage of consumers do not use such conventional financial institutions. These consumers are often referred to as "unbanked" because they do not maintain accounts with such institutions. Unbanked consumers are often inconvenienced in making financial transactions. For example, without bank accounts, they experience difficulty and inconvenience in obtaining negotiable instruments, making purchases on credit, etc.
Recently there have been a variety of new products which provide at least partial solutions to the problems of the unbanked and other consumers. For example, "prepay" cards allow consumers to pre-purchase various goods and services. An important example relates to the use of telecommunications services, which are available through prepaid "calling cards". Many consumers prepay on a monthly basis for "dial tone" service. Prepaid cards can also be reloadable whereby additional value can be added by consumers for using their cards indefinitely. Another system involves the use of a service provider making payments on behalf of consumers over the Internet global computer network or by negotiable instrument. While these solutions address some of the needs of the unbanked, there remain other needs that have not been addressed.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for solutions to address problems incurred by the unbanked and other consumers. Hence, among a number of other advantages apparent from the following description, the present invention provides systems and methods for addressing such problems.

Electronic identifier payment systems and methods


A tool is used to elevate and hold a garbage disposer against a sink fixture during removal and/or installation of a garbage disposer. The tool includes a flat base including a notch opening through a corner of a rectilinear base to allow an electric cord to pass around the tool. A flat load supporting platform includes a similar notch. A screw jack force applying mechanism allows the platform to be raised relative to the base. The tool works equally well with the base down or with the platform down so the user doesn't have to turn the tool over for it to work.

One of the ubiquitous appliances in modern American homes is known as a disposer which is mounted under a kitchen sink to grind foods put down the sink into pieces which can be handled by conventional municipal sewers and/or septic tanks. Disposers are suspended from a drain fixture extending downwardly from the sink. Installation and removal of disposers have their problems because of the weight of the disposers and because they are suspended from the drain fixture, meaning the disposer must be lifted during installation or lowered during removal. Current model disposers weigh from 13-20 pounds. Installation technicians have some difficulty holding the disposer off the floor of the underlying sink cabinet while attempting to either attach or detach the disposer from the sink fixture. Complicating the removal and/or installation of disposers is the cramped cabinet where the disposer is located. The installation technician ends up lying on his back where his shoulders are inside the cabinet with his lower back at a lower elevation on the kitchen floor.
It is accordingly not surprising that devices have been proposed in the prior art to assist in removing and/or installing garbage disposers as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,142,460; 7,024,743 and 7,140,086 and Printed Patent Application 2006/0065881. Other disclosures of interest relative to this invention are found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,030 and Statutory Invention Registration H1823.


In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a belt to which a toner image formed with toner added with lubricant is transferred; a blade configured to be arranged in a belt width direction of the belt to scrape against the belt surface; a case configured to include room for housing waste toner scraped off by the blade; a conveyance section configured to convey the waste toner towards two end parts in the belt width direction in the room of the case; and an elastic section configured to flick the waste toner conveyed to the two end parts by the conveyance section towards the blade through elastic force.

A cleaning mechanism which scrapes toner on a transfer belt with a cleaning blade is arranged in an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus. Frictional force occurs between the belt surface and the blade when the transfer belt is rotated, thus, it is necessary to prevent the blade from being curved and curled. Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-330216) which coats solid lubricant on the belt surface using a coating brush to prevent the blade-curling and a cleaning mechanism (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-163956) which scrapes the solid lubricant with a brush roller to coat the lubricant on the cleaned surface. There is also known an image forming apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-113235) which flicks toner serving as the lubricant towards the contact part of the blade and the belt with a brush to supply the toner to the contact part.

Cleaning mechanism, transfer belt, and image forming apparatus comprising the same


A procedure is utilized for forming the transmission and reception frequencies required for the operation of a digital radio telephone based on time division multiplex access, in particular, in a radio telephone for the GSM system. According to the procedure, the mixer frequencies used in the transmitter and the receiver of the radio telephone are formed by a synthesizer and a basic oscillator commmon to both the receiver and transmitter. The clock frequency for the logic of the radio telephone and the RF reference frequency to the synthesizer are produced by dividing the output frequency of the common basic oscillator.

The present invention relates to a procedure by which the transmission and reception frequencies required in a digital radio telephone based on time division multiplex access (TDMA), in particular, in a radio telephone for the Group Special Mobile (GSM) system can be formed.
As is known in the art, generally at least two frequency synthesizers are used to generate the frequencies required by the transmitter and the receiver of a radio telephone. These synthesizers generate stable local oscillator frequencies for the modulators of the transmitter and for the demodulators of the receiver. In these known radio telephones different oscillators are also used for forming the clock frequencies for the logic of the telephone and the reference frequency for the radio frequency signal. This arrangement is appropriate for use also in TDMA systems, for instance in the completely digital GSM system covering all Europe and scheduled to be adopted into use in the middle of the year 1991.
In analog radio telephones, e.g. in 900 MHz systems, it is well known in the art to use one synthesizer to form a mixer frequency, for transferring a received RF signal received thereby being transmitted to an intermediate frequency, and a mixer frequency, whereby the intermediate frequency of the transmitter is raised to the transmission frequency.
The frequencies of the above systems are e.g. as follows.
______________________________________ Receiver: receiving frequency 935 to 960 MHz intermediate frequency 50 MHz mixer frequency 985 to 1010 MHz (local oscillator) Transmitter: transmission frequency 890 to 915 MHz intermediate frequency 95 MHz mixer frequency 985 to 1010 MHz (local oscillator) ______________________________________
As is noted, the difference between the intermediate frequencies, i.e. 45 MHz, is the same as the duplex interval of the system. Therefore, it is feasible to use only one synthesizer, whereby the mixer frequency generated is the same both for the transmitter and for the receiver. If the difference between the mixer frequencies were different from the duplex intervals, at least two synthesizers should be used. In a digital radio telephone in which the difference between the intermediate frequencies differs from the duplex interval, e.g. by 52 MHz, at least two synthesizers should be used for forming intermediate frequencies.
Using several synthesizers and oscillators in a digital radio telephone no doubt raises the manufacturing costs, requires more space on circuit boards, and increases the failure occurrence rate of the telephone.

Procedure for forming frequencies of a digital radio telephone


A multi-laser system including a first laser oscillator for emitting a first laser beam, a second laser oscillator for emitting a second laser beam, a first scanner pair for receiving the first laser beam emitted by the first laser oscillator and deflecting the incident first laser beam to a desired location on a substrate to be processed, a second scanner pair for receiving the second laser beam emitted by the second laser oscillator and deflecting the incident second laser beam to a desired location on the substrate to be processed, and a scan lens for receiving laser beams that have been deflected from the first and second scanner pairs, focusing the received laser beams to spots having predetermined diameters so as to radiate the spots on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-laser system, and more particularly, to a multi-laser system capable of selecting a laser beam, from among various kinds of laser beams emitted from a pair of laser oscillators, most suitable for each of the materials of a substrate to be processed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, laser systems transmit a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator by using a laser beam transport means (for example, a reflection mirror, a beam expander, a scanner pair, a scan lens, etc.) and then perform an operation, such as drilling, marking, or cutting, by projecting the laser beam onto a substrate that is to be processed.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional laser system, and FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-section of a substrate 2 processed using the conventional laser system illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the conventional laser system, 50% of a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator 10 and incident upon a beam splitter 20 passes through the beam splitter 20, and the other 50% thereof is reflected by the beam splitter 20. The laser beam reflected by the beam splitter 20 passes through a scanner pair 41 and a scan lens 50 along a first path 1a and is radiated on a substrate 2, and the laser beam that penetrated the beam splitter 20 is incident on a reflection mirror 30, passes through a scanner pair 42, and the scan lens 50 along a second path 1b and is radiated on the substrate 2.
During a processing operation based on such a conventional laser system, absorptance, which depends on wavelength of the laser beam, of the materials of a substrate to be processed should be first considered. The substrate, formed of different materials, shows different reactions in view of a photo-thermal effect, a photo-chemical effect, and a photo-mechanical effect according to the wavelength of projected laser beams. Accordingly, a selection of laser beams that allow for a most suitable processing according to the materials of the substrate is important in performing a good-quality process.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the substrate 2, which is a stack of a SiO2 layer 2a on a Si layer 2b, is processed using a laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator 10 and having a wavelength in an ultraviolet (UV) ray band, the quality of the process may not be good because the SiO2 layer 2a and the Si layer 2b have different optical characteristics with respect to the wavelength of the laser beam. In other words, since the SiO2 layer 2a transmits most of incident UV light and the Si layer 2b absorbs a high portion of the UV light, the laser beam in the UV ray band and incident upon a top surface of the substrate 2, passes through the SiO2 layer 2a and is absorbed by a top surface of the Si layer 2b. In this way, the substrate 2 is processed. Accordingly, heat and gas generated due to processing are accumulated at a boundary between the SiO2 layer 2a and the Si layer 2b, and an explosion occurs due to the accumulated heat and gas. This leads to a phenomenon where the quality of a processing operation using laser degrades.
With recent trends toward a rapid development in the semiconductor industry and an increase in the demand of a new field, a case where a substrate formed of a new material not used before needs to be processed or a substrate formed by stacking materials used before needs to be processed is increasing. However, as described above, when two or more materials needs to be processed using a laser having a single characteristic, such as, a fixed wavelength, good-quality processing is not guaranteed due to a difference between the optical characteristics of the two or more materials.