An image processing system detects a moving person or other object of interest. The system generates a thresholded difference image by processing a video signal or other type of image signal received from a camera. The difference image is then segmented into regions bounded by vertical lines passing through the image, and silhouette candidates are identified in one or more of the regions. Tensor voting is used to determine saliency values and corresponding tangents for each of the silhouette candidates, and the resulting values and tangents are used to detect the object of interest. In an embodiment in which the object of interest is a moving person, a neck position of the moving person may be detected by analyzing a sum of x-components of tangents along a corresponding silhouette. The detected neck position may then be utilized to determine a head position and a head size for the moving person.

Detection and tracking of a person or other object of interest is an important aspect of video-camera-based systems such as video conferencing systems, video surveillance and monitoring systems, and human-machine interfaces. For example, in a video conferencing system, it is often desirable to frame the head and shoulders of a particular conference participant in the resultant output video signal, while in a video surveillance system, it may be desirable to frame the entire body of, e.g., a person entering or leaving a restricted area monitored by the system.
Conventional techniques for detecting persons in the above-noted applications include background subtraction, face detection and skin tone detection. A significant problem with these and other conventional detection techniques is that many of them use general models or scene assumptions that make the techniques difficult to adapt for use with typical home or office scenes. For example, since moving persons in such home or office scenes often interact with objects such as chairs, sofas, and items on tables, a background subtraction technique would need to either keep track of a large number of foreground objects or update the background model frequently. In addition, face detection and skin tone detection techniques usually only handle only a limited number of head poses, e.g., faces close to the camera. Another problem with these techniques is that the models used may be unable to accurately account for varying lighting conditions. Moreover, given the degree of clutter in typical home or office scenes, these and other conventional techniques that make use of edge detection are generally not suitable for real-time implementation.
Other detection techniques make use of motion as a visual cue for scene analysis. Motion-based detection is particularly useful for cluttered scenes in which frequent movements of people and objects are common, such as the above-noted typical home or office environments. One known motion-based detection technique uses optical flow fields to group together as an object connected pixels undergoing similar motion. Image differencing techniques utilize the differences between consecutive frames to locate moving objects in a scene.
Such techniques are generally well suited for use in applications in which the number of moving objects in the scene is small and the interactions between them are limited. Although image differencing techniques can in some cases be adaptive to dynamic environments, such techniques nonetheless generally do a poor job of extracting all relevant feature pixels. Another significant problem with image differencing and other conventional motion-based detection techniques is that it can be hard to separate multiple moving objects occupying the same image region.
An example of a conventional motion-based detection technique is described in European Patent Application No. 635983 A2, entitled "Method and Means for Detecting People in Image Sequences." This technique starts with analyzing a difference image, obtained by subtracting a current frame from a previous frame, and tries to locate the head positions of people in the image. However, this technique relies on the computation of continuous curve and curvature extrema, and is therefore sensitive to noise and is computationally expensive.
As is apparent from the above, a need exists for improved techniques for detecting persons in image processing systems such as video conferencing systems, video surveillance and monitoring systems, and human-machine interfaces.

Method and apparatus for detecting moving objects in video conferencing and other applications


An exercise device for improving physical fitness, includes a base body having several modules for supporting an exercising person. At least one of these modules can be displaced by the exercising person, by means of his/her feet, hands, or other body parts. The exercise device is equipped, in addition to its device-specific function, with an additional vibration function in which the vibration can be regulated in terms of frequency and amplitude, and is effective only on those components on which the exercising person is supporting himself/herself. Each module for supporting the exercising person has a separate component that is effectively connected with the body part of the exercising person assigned to it. This component is connected with the other components of this module by way of at least one damping element, and can have a vibration movement applied to it.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise device for improving physical fitness, including a base body having several modules for supporting an exercising person. At least one of these modules can be displaced by the exercising person, by means of his/her feet, hands or other body parts. The exercise device is equipped, in addition to its device-specific function, with an additional vibration function.
2. The Prior Art
From medicine, numerous applications are known in which the human organism is stimulated by means of mechanical vibrations. Since various types of studies have shown that targeted vibration of the human body can bring about positive effects with regard to mobility and level of strength, such stimulation is increasingly targeted for sports applications, as well.
Thus, the vibration exercise device according to DE 201 15 605 U1 has a foot platform, an abdominal support, and a handlebar, each of which vibrates. Accordingly, several body parts can have vibration applied to them at the same time. However, it is a disadvantage that the exercising person must remain in a static body position, so that his/her body rests against the vibrating components, which are in a fixed position.
The muscle exerciser according to DE 200 10 140 U1 has several handles or surfaces on which the body of the exercising person is supported and that have a vibration movement applied to them. At least one of these vibrating modules can be displaced, so that the exercising person can perform pressing movements with his/her feet, for example. These additional movements by the exercising person improve the exercise effect.
DE 32 29 152 C 2 describes a bicycle-like exercise device for improving physical fitness. Here, a polygon-shaped plate is moved by activating the pedals, which plate causes a shaking movement of the components in which the exercising person is supporting himself/herself with the hands, abdomen and back, by way of several connecting elements. A positive exercise effect is achieved by means of the combination of bicycling exercise and vibration. Consequently, equipping conventional exercise devices with an additional vibration function can be fundamentally assessed as being positive. However, the vibration parameters are dependent on the intensity by which the pedals of the pedal crank are being activated by the exercising person. Targeted adaptation to individual body parts or user-dependent exercise goals is not possible. Furthermore, the vibration cannot be limited to the components on which the exercising person is supporting himself/herself. Instead, the entire exercise device starts vibrating if the pedals are activated intensively. This vibration impairs the stability of the device and causes great mechanical stress on all of the components.

Exercise device for improving physical fitness


A method of effecting high temperature vacuum heating and cooling suitable for conducting heat treatment to be performed on components used in a display apparatus. The heating/cooling method includes the steps of: heating a plate-like member placed in a reduced pressure atmosphere in a chamber by heating means opposed to the plate-like member; and cooling the plate-like member by a cooling plate which is opposed to the plate-like member, with the heating means therebetween, the cooling plate having a heat reflecting function. The cooling plate has an emissivity of not less than 0.50 but not more than 0.80 so as to minimize a sum of a requisite time for the heating step and a requisite time for the cooling step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of effecting high temperature vacuum heating and cooling suitable for conducting heat treatment such as baking to be performed on components used in a display apparatus or the like.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, apart from a liquid crystal display and a plasma display, an image display apparatus is available in which an electron beam is applied to a phosphor to display an image. The image display apparatus using an electron beam has a substrate face plate on which a phosphor is formed, a substrate rear plate on which there is formed, as an electron source for emitting an electron beam, a cold cathode device, such as a surface conduction type electron emission element, and an external frame for maintaining a reduced pressure atmosphere between the two substrates. In such an image display apparatus using an electron beam, an accelerated electron beam is applied from a surface conduction type electron emission element in a reduced pressure atmosphere to a phosphor, which is caused to emit light, thereby forming an image. In some of such devices, a thin plate-like spacer is provided between the substrates so that the two substrates may not be distorted when pressure reduction is effected in a space defined by the face plate, the rear plate, and the external frame.
The process for manufacturing such an image display apparatus using an electron beam involves heat treatments, which include the processing of firmly attaching the face plate and the rear plate to each other through the intermediation of the external frame, and a baking processing for removing from the substrate surfaces a chemical adsorption water in which water molecules are firmly bonded together through polarization. If an attempt is made to assemble the face plate and the rear plate under reduced pressure without performing this baking processing, a reduction in pressure is not easily achieved due to degassing attributable to chemical adsorption water, and it takes a rather long time to achieve the target vacuum degree for assembly.
When performing baking processing on a rear plate on which an electron source, wiring, etc. have been formed and on a face plate on which wiring and a phosphor have been formed, it is desirable for the processing time to be short from the viewpoint of mitigating the load of the heat treatment on the devices and wiring formed. Further, this baking processing is to be conducted a plurality of times in the production process, so that it is desirable for the time for each baking processing to be short from the viewpoint of reducing the requisite production time. Regarding the shortening of the requisite processing time of a baking processing to be performed on a component used in a vacuum processing apparatus, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-124955 discloses a technique, according to which a reflector for heat reflection is provided around a workpiece (a component used in a vacuum processing apparatus) and heating means, and the temperature of a space surrounded by the reflector is raised to thereby effect a heating processing; when the workpiece is to be cooled, a cooling gas is circulated through a cooling jacket provided between the heating means and the reflector inside the vacuum chamber.
However, in the above prior-art technique, while consideration is given to a well-balanced cooling in a short time through a combination of natural cooling and a cooling gas flow, no measures are taken to effect both heating and cooling efficiently, and there has been a demand for an improvement in this regard. Further, in the above-described display apparatus, which has structures, such as a rear plate, a face plate, and a spacer, it is necessary to perform baking on each structure; however, performing baking on these structures individually results in an increase in processing time, which is undesirable. Further, in performing baking in a vacuum, heat distribution may be generated in the rear plate, face plate, spacer, etc., depending on their configuration, which means there is a danger of distortion or cracking being generated in these components.

Method of effecting heating and cooling in reduced pressure atmosphere


An image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a registration roller and a control portion. The registration roller is disposed on an upstream side of an image forming portion in a sheet conveying direction to convey a sheet to the image forming portion. The control portion controls to convey the sheet toward the registration roller at predetermined timing after temporarily stopping the sheet at a plurality of stop positions. The plurality of stop positions is set on an upstream side of the registration roller in the sheet conveying direction. The control portion conveys the sheet at predetermined timing from one of the plurality of stop positions when the plurality of sheets is continuously conveyed to the image forming portion. One of the plurality of stop positions does not become continuously identical.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that can improve throughput of a sheet without enlarging a driving source when images are formed while the sheets are continuously conveyed.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a multi function peripheral thereof, sometimes a sheet feeding apparatus that stacks many sheets to separate and feed the sheet one by one can be attached as an option.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the sheet feeding apparatus, many sheets are stacked on a sheet stacking portion, and a feeding roller 100 and a separation roller 101 feed and separate the sheet one by one from the topmost sheet. The fed sheet is delivered to an image forming apparatus main body by pairs of conveying rollers 102, 103, 104, and 105, and an image forming portion 106 forms an image.
At this point, in the image forming apparatus main body, after the continuously-conveyed sheet is temporarily stopped, and the sheet is conveyed toward the image forming portion at predetermined timing, thereby performing an operation (hereinafter referred to as "pre-registration operation") for adjusting an interval between sheets. Therefore, rotation of the conveying roller 105 is temporarily stopped based on a time a sheet passing sensor 107 detects a leading end of the sheet.
Accordingly, the leading end of the sheet that is being nipped and conveyed by the conveying rollers 105 is stopped at a predetermined position on a conveying path, and the control is perform to start the rotation of the conveying roller 105 again after a predetermined time elapses.
In the sheet feeding apparatus that stacks a large number of sheets, the sheet leading end is not always located at the normal stack position. That is, the sheet that is returned to a large-capacity deck by the separation roller 101 and the sheet leading end is located near the feeding roller 100, and the sheet that is located near the feeding roller 100 are also fed. Therefore, a position of the sheet leading end is varied in starting the sheet feeding, and it is necessary to eliminate the variation in front of a registration roller 108 located immediately before the image forming portion (maximum assumed time variation TT).
Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, after the sheet leading end is detected by the sheet passing sensor 107, the conveying roller 105 is temporarily stopped to fix a stop position of the sheet leading end at a time the sheet leading end reaches a predetermined position A on the conveying path. Then a time B (B=(distance C to registration roller 108)/(sheet conveying speed β of conveying roller 105 until sheet reaches registration roller 108)) at which the sheet leading end is expected to reach the registration roller 108 is computed. Therefore, the control is performed to restart the conveying roller 105.
At this point, the variation is canceled because the control is performed to restart the conveying roller 105 after a predetermined time TR (TT<TR) the maximum assumed time variation TT can sufficiently be absorbed.
Then the sheet reaches the registration roller 108 in the stopped state through a pre-registration roller 109, and the rotation of the registration roller 108 is started at a constant process speed α in synchronization with image formation timing, thereby delivering the sheet to the image forming portion to transfer toner image to the sheet.
When a plurality of sheets is continuously conveyed, the feeding of the sheets subsequent to the first sheet is started after a predetermined time elapses since the previous sheet is restarted from the conveying roller 105. This is because the collision of the leading end of the next sheet with a rear end of the previous sheet is prevented at a position (hereinafter referred to as "pre-registration position") A where the conveyed sheet is temporarily stopped when the sheet is conveyed to the image forming portion at predetermined timing.
Thus, in the conventional copying machine, the variation in sheet leading end position in the sheet feeding portion is removed by performing the pre-registration operation, and the sheet leading end position is fixed to stably deliver the sheet to the registration roller 108.
In cases where the sheet on the conveying path is temporarily stopped by the pre-registration operation, it is necessary that the next sheet catch up with the previous sheet. Therefore, the conveying speed β in the conveying path from the sheet feeding portion to the registration roller 108 is set faster than the sheet conveying speed (process speed α of registration roller 108) in the image forming portion (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-29649).
However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, when productivity of the image formation is improved, the interval between the sheets becomes the narrowest at the pre-registration position. In order to avoid the narrowest interval at the pre-registration position, it is necessary to enhance the sheet conveying speed β as illustrated in a sheet conveyance diagram of FIG. 7.
Therefore, it is necessary to enlarge a driving motor for driving each conveying roller, and it is necessary that a sliding portion for supporting each conveying roller withstand high rotation, which results in cost increase.


According to some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for performing sparse matrix dense matrix (SpMM) multiplication on a single field programmable gate array (FPGA) module comprising a k-stage pipeline is described. The method may include interleaving k-stage threads on the k-stage pipeline comprising a plurality of threads t0 to tk-1, wherein a first result of thread t0 is ready one cycle after the first input of thread tk-1 is fed into the pipeline, and outputting a result matrix Y.

The present disclosure relates to sparse matrix multiplication, and more specifically, to sparse matrix multiplication using a single field programmable gate array.
The aim for energy-efficient computer systems has spurred the trend towards heterogeneous computing and massively parallel architectures. Heterogeneous systems use graphics processing units (GPUs) and other types of co-processors to accelerate application hotspots.
One application hotspot includes sparse matrix-dense-matrix multiplication (SpMM), which is an arithmetic operation common to many computing applications and algorithms. SpMMs are used in stochastic matrix estimator (SME) algorithms that are applied in a diverse set of problems, such as, for example, material science problems concerned with finding the electronic density in Density Functional Theory (DFT), or in cognitive computing problems concerned with finding the importance of a node in a knowledge graph.
In conventional modern data centers systems, the SpMM operation may not perform optimally on current state-of-the-art hardware due in part to the speed of floating point operations per second. For example, floating point operations may be performed at a low single-digit percentage of peak-performance of a computing device in state of the art computing. Meanwhile, the energy consumption of the device is typically around 50-75% of its peak consumption. Consequently the SpMM operation may be extremely energy inefficient, and thus, may pose a significant financial challenge for large data-centers solving a large number of cognitive problems on expansive graphs.

Sparse matrix multiplication using a single field programmable gate array module

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A vehicle on-board unit is configured and arranged to report an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for an estimated time of arrival from historical estimated time of arrival information. The vehicle on-board unit basically has a destination input section, a historical data input section and an estimated time of arrival reporting section. The destination input section is used to enter a destination point. The historical data input section provides historical estimated time of arrival information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to the destination point. The estimated time of arrival reporting section reports to a user an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for the estimated time of arrival from the historical estimated time of arrival information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle on-board unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle on-board unit that is configured and arranged to report an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for the estimated time of arrival from historical estimated time of arrival information.
2. Background Information
Recently, vehicles are being equipped with a variety of informational systems such as navigation systems, Sirius and XM satellite radio systems, two-way satellite services, built-in cell phones, DVD players and the like. These systems are sometimes interconnected for increased functionality. Various informational systems have been proposed that use wireless communications between vehicles and between infrastructures, such as roadside units. These wireless communications have a wide range of applications ranging from crash avoidance to entertainment systems. The type of wireless communications to be used depends on the particular application. Some examples of wireless technologies that are currently available include digital cellular systems, Bluetooth systems, wireless LAN systems and dedicated short range communications (DSRC) systems.
Dedicated short range communications (DSRC) is an emerging technology that has been recently investigated for suitability in vehicles for a wide range of applications. DSRC technology will allow vehicles to communicate directly with other vehicles and with roadside units to exchange a wide range of information. In the United States, DSRC technology will use a high frequency radio transmission (5.9 GHz) that offers the potential to effectively support wireless data communications between vehicles, and between vehicles, roadside units and other infrastructure. The important feature of DSRC technology is that the latency time between communications is very low compared to most other technologies that are currently available. Another important feature of DSRC technology is the capability of conducting both point-to-point wireless communications and broadcast wireless messages in a limited broadcast area.
One example of an application of wireless communications in a vehicle informational system is an off-board dynamic navigation system. In the off-board dynamic navigation system, a desired destination is entered by a user through HMI (human-machine interface) of a vehicle on-board unit. Then this desired destination is transmitted to an external navigation server through wireless communications. The navigation guidance service is derived from an external navigation server, which functions as a driving route assistance service information center. The wireless system of the vehicle on-board unit receives route information from the navigation service of the external service server. The route information is communicated to the driver through the HMI of the vehicle on-board unit such as a display or audio. In particular, in such off-board dynamic navigation system, the external service server receives the destination (e.g., address, point of interest) from the vehicle on-board unit via some mode of wireless communication (e.g., cellular, WiMax, WiFi, DSRC) and provides an initial heading. As the vehicle passes a roadside unit, the vehicle on-board unit receives updated route instructions based upon the latest external data (e.g., traffic, construction) transmitted from the external service server. Thus, the off-board dynamic navigation system makes it possible to always have the latest map information and the most suitable route guidance information. Moreover, the large-capacity storage device required for conventional on-board navigation is not needed when the external service server is used for providing the navigation service.
These external navigation servers sometimes provides an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the selected route. Typically, the estimated time of arrival (ETA) is calculated using an algorithm that takes into account various road characteristics such as distance, road speed limits, traffic lights etc. While an estimated time of arrival calculated by this method can be quite helpful, the estimated time of arrival is often inaccurate because it does not consider other factors such as time of day (rush hour or non-rush hour), traffic congestion, road construction, etc.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved vehicle on-board unit. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.


The invention proposes an automatic driving “machine consciousness” model, which is composed by the human's safety driving rules. Establish the dynamic fuzzy event probability measure relation, or fuzzy relation, or probability relation of the automatic driving vehicle and the surrounding passing vehicle. The decision result of “machine consciousness” of automatic driving vehicle is realized by complicated logic operation and using the antagonistic result of logic operation in both positive and negative directions. The implementation result is that it can make the decision-making result of automatic driving vehicle close to the result of human's biological consciousness, which can improve the safety of automatic driving vehicle, reduce the development cost and reduce the distance of road test.

Automatic drive car is the main battlefield of artificial intelligence, but it is regrettable that the research results of special machine learning for the control problem of automatic drive car are very few and hasn't attracted widespread attention so far.
Japan's famous Toyota Company has released a patent for "Driving Direction Presumption Device" (Patent Literature 1), proposing that, according to the sudden situation during the automatic drive process, through the machine learning algorithm of the inverse transfer neural network of artificial intelligence, even if the driver does not response to the situation, the vehicle is capable of choosing the driving state automatically in order to avoid traffic accidents and so on.
On Oct. 9, 2016, in terms of the topic of "How to cross the barrier of automatic drive" explained by a commentator named Muroyama Tetsuya from NHK, Japan, he also raised a few issues that are currently unsolvable in the automatic drive system:
Conflict and difficulty of man-machine judgment: In the automatic drive experiment carried out in Google in February of this year, when the Google car turned right, there was a sand pile of obstacle in front of it, the Google car flashed to the right lane, just then a bus from right lane came behind, and the bus driver thought the Google car would brake quickly, but never thought it dodged to the right lane, so a serious traffic collision accident occurred.
The difficulty of man-machine sensory fusion for vehicle distance selection: According to a company's survey, 41% of drivers who encountered an automatic drive car on the road thought it was better to be farther away from it, but some drivers thought it was better to follow it with a fixed distance, or to be closer to it, and the others wanted to catch up with the automatic drive car in front of them with the curiosity. This refers to how to solve the problem of man-machine sensory fusion and how to choose driving nearest to human as an automatic drive car, which becomes a difficult problem of automatic control.
The transfer problem of man-machine rights: In the transformation stage of man-machine operation, the consciousness between human and machine cannot be delivered. For example, in case of an emergency, in the moment necessary to switch from automatic drive to manual drive, the emergency plan selected by the automatic drive is different from that of manual drive, which is likely to cause an accident or miss the opportunity.
Trolley problem: How is the number of victims minimized in an emergency? This is the famous Trolley problem and involves both complex ethical and technical difficulties. In the automatic drive theory of machine learning, no valuable solutions have been proposed so far.
In March 2018, Uber's automatic drive car pumped into people, which exposed the contradiction of how to solve the problem of safety driving and comfortable driving in the development of automatic drive cars, and the setting problem of threshold value for determining obstacles. (Non-Patent Literature 2)
Drive test mileage have circled the earth and is expected to subvert the world, the Google automatic drive car that is about to be put into commercial operation now (August 2018) is exposed to exist the problem of turning in the doorway again. (Non-Patent Literature 3)
A thesis on "Automatic Drive Train by Fuzzy Predictive Control" published by Oshima Hiroyasu from HITACHI (Non-Patent Literature 4) proposes that automatic driving of train is capable of being achieved through the rule base of fuzzy inference.
"Automatic Train Driving System by Using Predictive Fuzzy Control" (Non-Patent Literature 5) published by Yasunobu Seiji of University of Tsukuba proposes that the traditional PID regulation is capable of accurately controlling the operation of automatic driving of train, but the smooth walking is not only the key of automatic driving, but also the key to make passengers comfortable. And the core problem of automatic driving is a multi-purpose control problem that should pay attention to safety, running speed, travel time between stations, comfort, power consumption, and stop accuracy.

Composition method of automatic driving machine consciousness model


An attenuating structure composed of an epoxy resin which cationically cures with UV initiation is proposed for a surface wave component. The solvent-free epoxy resin is based on a cycloaliphatic epoxide and is applied to the wafer by screen printing. When the wafers are sawn up, sawing through can be carried out without detaching or splintering off the attenuating material. Attenuation and corrosion behavior of the attenuating structures fulfill the requirements for surface wave filters.

Surface wave components, such as, for example, surface wave filters, are electronic components which are used for the signal processing of electromagnetic waves having an information content. In the case of the components used, for example, in radar systems, television sets and video recorders, the electrical pulse or current carrying the signal or the information is converted into mechanical vibrations, so-called surface waves. The acoustic properties of the transducer are influenced by a suitable construction of said transducer, especially by a particular geometrical configuration of the sound-generating transducer surface. As a result, it is possible to modify the acoustic signal in a desired way. For example, the intermediate frequency of approximately 38 MHz is filtered out of the total spectrum of a television or video signal in this way. Surface waves which are not completely converted back into electrical signals again disturb the operation of a surface wave component, as do reflections at component edges or other structures. To attenuate such undesirable surface waves and to reduce edge reflections and echo effects, the surface of the transducer element is predominantly provided in the region of the component edges with an attenuating mass which absorbs the energy of the diverging waves and reduces reflections and echo effects.
Organic materials having a very particular dynamic and mechanical property profile are required to produce such attenuating structures. European reference EP 0 360 037 proposes for this purpose, for example, to use two-component resins which have an epoxide base and which are crosslinkable by base catalysis with carbonic acids and acidic esters. Said two-component resins can be acoustically matched in a desired way and result in the required attenuation, but on the other hand, they present problems in processing. The mixing of the two resin components results in an increased expenditure in the manufacture, resins with limited pot life being obtained. The solvent content of the reactive resins requires a prolonged evaporation and curing procedure in which there is, in addition, the risk that the attenuating structures printed on in a special three-dimensional geometry flow and then no longer have the desired attenuating properties.
European reference EP 0 098 599 A2 proposes using UV-curing acrylic resin mixtures for the attenuating structures of surface wave components and optimizing said mixtures for a high modulus of elasticity and a high density. However, attenuating structures produced and cured in this way exhibit in practice an unduly high brittleness and an unduly low bonding to chip material and transducer material. The structures are produced on a wafer and then separated by sawing. The sawing of attenuating structures required in this process may result in their peeling off and detachment and, consequently, in damage to the entire component.

Method of producing an attenuating structure on a surface wave component


A window blind, which includes a track; a blind suspended from the track; a plurality of blind take-up mechanisms respectively mounted inside the track, each blind take-up mechanism including a spool holder securely mounted inside the track, a spool revolvably supported on the spool holder, at least one positioning element detachably fastened to the spool, and a lift cord having a top end fastened to one positioning element at the spool and a bottom end fastened to the blind for enabling the blind to be taken up/let off upon rotary motion of the spool; and a control unit securely mounted on the track at one end for operation by hand to rotate the spools of the blind take-up mechanisms through a transmission rod thereof, for enabling the blind to be lifted or lowered.

The present invention relates to a window blind, and more particularly to such a window blind in which the blind can easily be detached from the track for washing.
A regular window blind, as shown in FIG. 1, is generally comprised of a track 12, a blind 13 suspended from the track 12, a plurality of blind take-up mechanisms 14 respectively mounted inside the track 12, a control unit 15 provided at one end of the track 12 and operated to drive the blind take-up mechanisms 14, causing the blind take-up mechanisms 14 to take up/let off the blind 13. The blind take-up mechanisms 14 each comprise a lift cord 16 fastened to a respective retaining ring 17 at the bottom end of the blind 13. Because the top end of each lift cord 16 is fastened to the respective blind take-up mechanism 14, each lift cord 16 must be unfastened from the respective blind take-up mechanism 14 before removing the blind 13 from the track 13 for washing. On the contrary, after installation of the blind 13, the top end of each cord 16 must be fastened to the respective blind take-up mechanism 14. This installation procedure is complicated. Furthermore, because the cords 16 are respectively tied to the blind take-up mechanisms 14, they may be loosened from the blind take-up mechanisms 14. In case the cords 16 are not fastened to the blind take-up mechanisms 14 at equal length, the bottom end of the blind 13 will be tilted in one direction.


A sintered ceramic material for high speed machining of heat resistant alloys is provided comprising SiAION grains and 0.2-20 v/o intergranular phase. At least 80 v/o of said SiAION phase is beta SiAION having a z-value greater than 1.0, but less than 1.5. The ceramic material has a Vickers Hardness HV1 of more than 1530 and it is produced by gas pressure sintering.

The present invention relates to SiAION material compositions particularly useful for machining of heat resistant alloys.
Heat resistant alloys are generally machined at very low cutting speeds when using cemented carbide tools due to the very low machinability of heat resistant alloys in comparison to cast iron and steel. More recently developed ceramic cutting tool materials like SiAION (U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,644, U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,635 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,716) or silicon carbide whisker reinforced alumina tools (U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,277 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,757) have significantly increased the productivity by permitting much higher cutting speeds than can be utilized when using cemented carbide tools. Silicon carbide whisker reinforced alumina tools can normally be used at higher cutting speeds than SiAION tools due to a better chemical stability whereas SiAION tools can be used at higher feed rates due to a better toughness behavior. Commercial SiAION ceramic cutting tools either are pure beta SiAION (Si.sub.6 --.sub.z Al.sub.z O.sub.z N.sub.8-Z) where O<z<3 and intergranular phases, or beta plus alpha SiAION [(Si,Al).sub.12 M.sub.x (O,N).sub.16 where x is between 0.1 and 2 and M can be Li, Ca, Mg, Hf, Zr, Ce, Y, Sc or other lanthanides] and intergranular phases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,635 discloses a SiAION material, where the presence of polytype of SiAION together with beta and/or alpha SiAION constitutes the main components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,716 claims a ceramic metal cutting material consisting of SiAION grains and an intergranular phase. Preferably 70% of the SiAION grains consist of beta SiAION, Si.sub.6 --.sub.z Al.sub.z O.sub.z N.sub.8-z, with z values between 1.5 and 3.

Wear and thermal shock resistant SiAION cutting tool material


An on/off reversible adhesive mechanism, and method for fabricating same. The adhesive mechanism is a hierarchical system comprised of a micro-scale compliant surface having one or more nano-structures thereon, wherein the compliant surface is moved by applying a magnetic field either to engage the nano-structures with an adhering surface or to remove the nano-structures from the adhering surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to an on/off reversible adhesive and a method for fabricating same.
2. Description of the Related Art
(Note: This application references a number of different publications as indicated throughout the specification by one or more reference numbers within parentheses, e.g., (x). A list of these different publications ordered according to these reference numbers can be found below in the section entitled "References." Each of these publications is incorporated by reference herein.)
The mechanism of adhesion in the gecko has been of scientific interest since Aristotle observed a gecko running up and down a tree (1). Recently there has been an intensifying scientific investigation into the fundamental physics of the adhesive, isolating van der Waals as the primary interaction (2, 3), with additional evidence that humidity contributes substantially to the adhesion (4, 5). Regardless of the fundamental interactions at the atomic scale, there is clearly a great deal of function contained in the hierarchical structure of the gecko's tarsus (6-12). The structure consists of 200 nm wide spatular termini at the ends of ˜100 μm long, ˜5 μm diameter setae, which extend from a compliant tarsal pad cushioned by blood sinuses (10-13). This fine splitting of the contacts into sub-micron elements on slender setae increases the van der Waals interaction with the surface, and allows easy deformation of the attachment system to accommodate rough surfaces (15). In addition, the gecko can increase the adhesion strength by prestressing (squeezing) opposite toes through muscular activation; this transforms some component of the normal force into a shear force, thus enhancing adhesion. There is evidence that the hierarchical structure may serve another purpose—to reduce adhesion, when needed (2, 14, 15).
Just as interesting as the gecko adhesion mechanism is the mechanism by which the gecko is able to release a surface. The specialized shape of the gecko's setae and spatulae allow the gecko to control adhesion through macroscopic movements of its toes. By hyperextension of its toe, the gecko peels its adhesive pads off the surface. This, in itself, aids in the detachment of the foot, just as peeling a piece of tape off of a surface is easier than trying to pull it off all at once. It has been shown theoretically (16) and experimentally (3) that the magnitude of setal adhesion is greatly dependent on the angle of applied pull-off force. Thus, when the gecko switches from a squeezing (adhesive) state to a peeling state, the adhesive force goes from a maximum to a minimum. This can also be seen at the nanoscale, as the applied force on the spatulae changes the interactions from a frictional regime to a peeling regime, greatly reducing the adhesion (6). Therefore, the design of its hierarchical attachment structure allows the gecko to control the adhesion from the macro-scale to nano-scale through macroscopic muscle movements.
Previously, a bio-inspired synthetic system enhancing adhesion utilizing a hierarchical structure was fabricated and tested (17). Prior work has focused on mimicking the terminal bristle component of the adhesive, by fabricating arrays of polymeric nanorods on a solid substrate (3, 20, 21). While individual nanorods demonstrated expected amounts of adhesion, larger arrays failed to produce larger amounts of adhesion, unless removed from the substrate and placed on a compliant backing (20), showing the need for multiscale compliance. In addition, unlike the gecko, the system did not provide a mechanism for decreasing adhesion. This attribute is critical to any application of such a biomimetic system.

The Regents of the University of California


In the switchable magnet system disclosed herein, a central pole piece is backed by at least two permanent magnets having substantially different energies (H.sub.c) so that one of the magnets is relatively switchable or reversible and the other is not. A magnetically permeable frame provides a peripheral pole face at least on either side of the central pole face and a backing plate bridging the central pole piece over the permanent magnets. A coil surrounds the first and second permanent magnets inside of the peripheral pole face. According, energization of the coil in one direction can reverse the polarization of the first magnet, thereby effectively short circuiting flux produced by the second magnet and terminating holding, while energization of the coil in the opposite direction can polarize the first magnet in parallel with the second magnet, thereby to effect holding.

The present invention relates to a switchable holding magnet system and more particularly to a system which employs permanent magnets but can be switched from a holding state from a non-holding state.
While various systems have been proposed in which a holding magnet system powered by permanent magnets can be switched from a holding to a non-holding state, these prior art systems have been relatively complex and difficult to assemble and or energized. Typically, these prior art systems have involved magnets of different types with coils around only the magnets of one type.
Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of a novel holding magnetic system which is switchable between holding and non-holding states; the provision of such a system which can be electrically switched between the holding and non-holding states; the provision of such a system which is simple to construct and to energize; the provision of such a system which is easy to assemble; the provision of such a system which is highly reliable and which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.


An improved method is described for the fusing, joining or seaming of cellulosic materials. The method utilizes a solution of selected organometallic compounds or metal oxides to rapidly crosslink opposing, overlapping cellulosic surfaces to provide secure seams. Enhanced seam strength is achieved by a subsequent moisture treatment. The tubular cellulosic casings are well-suited for the manufacture of sausages and sausage-like products. The seams according to this invention have exceptionally high shear strength and wet strength.

This invention is directed to seamed cellulosic materials and a method for fusing, joining or seaming same to exhibit enhanced seam strength. While the invention has broad application for bonding, fusing, joining or seaming various types of items such as tubes, sheets, irregularly shaped pieces and other structural forms, the invention is particularly applicable to the manufacturing of artificial tubular sausage casings from cellulosic materials for use by the food industry in the preparation of sausages and sausage-like products.
The manufacture of artificial tubular casings from cellulosic materials has been practiced for many years, particularly for use in the processing of frankfurters and other sausage-shaped products; for example, salami and bologna. There are two general methods for preparing such artificial tubular cellulosic casings. In the first method the artificial casings are formed from a plastic-state cellulosic material which is extruded into tubular form. The extruded tubular casings, which are seamless, are then washed, dried and otherwise processed according to methods known to those skilled in the art prior to using such casings in the production of sausages. In the second method the artificial tubular casings are formed and seamed from a rollstock cellulosic film of definable width and thickness by passing the rollstock film over forming collars and mandrels of various geometries familiar to those skilled in the art. The longitudinal edges of the rollstock film, which edges can be oriented longitudinally or helically, are overlapped for a distance and joined to form a seam. The casings manufactured by this second method can be made on-line, just prior to stuffing with the desired sausage product, or off-line. When manufactured off-line, the finished, seamed tubular casing is typically wound in layflat form before shirring, usually with accordion-like folds, into a hollow stick, or onto a rod or tube, for end use on the sausage manufacturing equipment. When the tubular casings are manufactured, especially when made off-line and shirred, it has been found that certain prior art proposals such as seams which are mechanically formed, formed dry or water-wetted, with or without thermal treatment, do not have sufficient strength to withstand the forces encountered during the shirring and/or sausage manufacturing steps.
The term "cellulosic material(s)" as used herein means a material which is based on cellulose and is to be understood to include all suitable forms of such cellulose based material including cellophane, regenerated cellulose, cellulose hydrate and cellulose derivatives such as, for example, cellulose ethers and cellulose esters. In addition, the term cellulosic material(s) includes proteins, collagens, alginates, starches and other naturally occurring polymeric materials which are suitable for and may be used in the manufacturing of tubular casings sausages and sausage-like products.
The term "rollstock film(s)" as used herein means a cellulosic rollstock film that is either uncoated or coated. A coated rollstock film is thus a composite material in which one or more functional coatings have been applied to either or both sides of a cellulosic film. Herein, the word "coated" and "composite" may be used interchangeably. The functional coating may be either continuous or discontinuous on either side of the rollstock film and is typically a composition which acts to modify the mechanical, biological or chemical characteristics of the cellulosic material. For example, the coating may increase the tear strength or decrease permeability of the cellulosic film or it may render the cellulosic material waterproof. A discontinuous coating may cover only that part of the film which will not be overlapped. In connection with the present invention, highly successful results are obtained with uncoated cellulosic materials. Coatings or composites as discussed can be used provided the bonding process and permeability are not seriously hindered.
A wide variety of substances have been used to bond the overlapping edges of the tubular casings formed, either on-line or off-line, from the cellulosic or composite cellulosic rollstock films described above. U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,696 to Kunz describes sealing or joining together a hydrophilic sheet material (e.g., a cellulosic material such as regenerated cellulose rollstock film) by the use of acidified solutions of water-soluble, partially polymerized, heat-hardening resins such as an urea-formaldehyde resin or a melamine-formaldehyde resin. U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,667 to Turbak et al. describes sealing or joining sheets or films of regenerated cellulose or fiber-reinforced regenerated cellulose using a mixture of a polymeric polyisocyanate and an activator such as a polyol. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,399,839 and 4,528,225 to Hutschenreuter et al. describe sealing or joining the longitudinal edges of a cellulose material by the use of a substantially water-soluble cationic resin which is a condensation product selected from the group consisting of a polyamide-polyamine including an aliphatic polyamine or polyamide with bifunctional halohydrins or derivatives thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,135 to Bridgeford describes the use of an aqueous zinc chloride, together with heat and pressure, to seal or join the overlapping edges of a cellulosic material.
Additional disclosure of methods for sealing or joining the overlapping edges of cellulosic materials or synthetic polymer materials, alone or in combination with cellulosic materials, may be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,575,467, to Reichel et al., which describes helical windings of strip material in forming stuffing casings with an overlap to form a joint which may be sealed with a sealing liquid that can include a basic solvent for the strip material; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,770, to Conti, which describes seamed casing formed by folding about a stuffing horn a flexible sheet of alkali-sensitive material such as regenerated cellulose to define overlapped edges which are sealed by an adhesive which may be an alkaline solution; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,773, to Harder et al., which describes the application of a solvent to thermoplastic, thermosetting or cellulosic materials, or to filaments applied to such materials, to promote sealing or joining of overlapping edges of such materials; examples in the case of cellulosic materials being a regenerated cellulose solvent adhesive such as tribenzylmethylammonium hydroxide, an alkali soluble cellulose ether or sodium hydroxide; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,734, to Oppenheimer et al., which describes the use of polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl ester copolymer films for forming tubular casings and the use of adhesives such as plasticized polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl ester copolymers, solutions of polyvinyl alcohol copolymers in volatile organic solvents, or reactive adhesives such as isocyanates and epoxies; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,041, to Bailey et al., which describes the use of synthetic rubber, epoxy resins, acrylic compounds, and unsaturated compounds having vinyl groups as adhesives for bonding thermoplastic materials to a fibrous material made from synthetic plastics materials (for example, polyolefins, polyamides, polyacrylates or polyesters), or plant materials such as jute or cotton, or cellulose derivatives such as rayon; PA1 U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,397,337 and 4,401,136, to Porrmann et al., which describe the use of thermoplastic or thermosetting synthetic resins as adhesives for seaming regenerated cellulose materials; examples of such adhesives being ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers, low molecular weight polyethylene, atactic polypropylene, styrene/isoprene copolymers, copolymers containing carboxyl groups, fusible polyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides and polyaminoamides; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,839, to Hutschenreuter et al., which describes the use of an adhesive selected from the group consisting of polyamide-polyamine, an aliphatic polyamine or a polyamide with bifunctional halohydrins; PA1 U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,011 and 4,401,135, to Andra et al., which describe adhesive materials including water soluble proteins (gelatin, egg albumin and glutenin) and cationic, thermosetting resins such as those described by Porrmann et al. in the patents cited above; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,254, to Grapentin et al., which describes activating a polyimide film to break .dbd.N--C(O)-- imide bonds, reacting the broken bonds with a polyamine to provide terminal amino groups and binding metal ions such as copper or nickel ions to such amine groups; PA1 U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,709,447, 4,727,625, 4,944,069, 4,965,910, 4,972,547, 4,972,548 and 5,019,012, to Townsend et al., which describe helically formed, elongated casing having overlapping side edges sealed by frictional cohesiveness, which cohesiveness typically is enhanced by application of moisture (i.e., water) to the casing material; PA1 U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,736,775 and 4,879,123, to Oxley, which describe the use of pressure sensitive adhesive tape(s) to seal the opposing lateral, overlapping edges of a casing material formed into tubular shape; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,395, to Walsh, which describes treating polyimide films with alkali and an amine to open the polyimide ring system and provide a means whereby metal ions can be coordinated to the polyimide for the purpose of initiating electroless plating; and PA1 U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,123, to Siebrecht, and 4,940,614, to Kastl et al., which describe the use of an adhesive tape to seal opposing, overlapping edges of a film material formed into a tubular shape.
Certain prior art discuss the so-called humidification of synthetic sausage casings by adding water and the like to cellulosic tubes that had been extruded or otherwise directly formed into a cellulosic tube. These include Ziolko U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,398, Arnold et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,192 and Martinek U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,769. In approaches of this type, the moisture is added to facilitate shirring and subsequent deployment of shirred casings by adding moisture just prior to the shirring head. In addition, the cellulosic tube is inflated during such moisture application prior to shirring.
Each of the various United States patents referred to herein is incorporated by reference hereinto.
While the art of longitudinally or helically seaming or joining cellulosic materials has thus been the subject of many patents and other publications, no seaming approach has been described which is satisfactory in all aspects for the manufacturing of tubular cellulosic casings from rollstock cellulosic film. Inevitably, each of the prior art methods of seaming or joining has resulted in one or more problems. For example, in some cases the cellulosic material at the seam is either weakened by application of the functional adhesive coating or the cellulosic material is distorted during the seaming process. In other cases, the bond between the cellulose and the adhesive is too weak for consistent and reliable performance. The seaming process sometimes requires duplication of processing steps which adds to the expense of manufacturing the final sausage or sausage-like product. Also, adhesive materials used in the joining or seaming process typically must be applied at a width and/or thickness which results in a final product that has a seam area band of different color or shade of intensity than the bulk of the final product. While the band may not affect cooking or taste, it detracts from visual appeal, a very important aspect of all food products. Since the prior art approaches of seaming or joining cellulosic films typically results in such defects, a real need exists for an inexpensive approach for seaming or joining cellulosic materials that provides final products which will ultimately not have this objectionable visual band.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method or process for producing, either on-line or off-line, a seamed, tubular casing by forming rollstock cellulosic film into a tube and longitudinally fusing, that is, bonding, seaming or joining, the edges of the film using the novel fusing agents disclosed herein. The novel fusing agents used in the invention are generically termed "organometallic solvents".
It is another object of the invention to provide casings using the novel fusing agents which allow the agent-fused, -seamed, -bonded or -joined region of the cellulosic film to maintain its integrity throughout the entire forming, moisture conditioning, shirring (when formed off-line) and food processing steps used in the manufacturing of a finished sausage or sausage-like product.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a fusing agent which produces a seamed or joined region of sufficient strength to withstand the mechanical or other stresses placed upon the seam during the manufacture of a final sausage or sausage-like product.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fusing agent which will rapidly provide a seamed or joined region of the tubular casing produced from rollstock film so that when the casing is made either on-line for immediate sausage-making use or off-line for future use after shirring and other processing, the fused, seamed or joined casing may be put to such uses within the minimum possible time.
Another object of the invention is to provide casing having enhanced seam bond strength by adding moisture rapidly after fusing agent application.
Other objects and advantages to using the invention will become evident to those skilled in the art upon reading the details of the description of the invention.

Organometallic solvent seaming of cellulosic materials


The present invention provides novel condensed azo compounds using bisamide compounds of 2-hydroxynaphthalene-3,6-dicarboxylic acid, amide, or ester as the couplers, which have excellent properties such as excellent water resistance, chemical resistance, solvent resistance, and heat resistance.

In recent years, novel pigments, dyes and the like have been actively developed in order to improve, for example, paints, inks, photosensitive materials by providing them with high added values or superior properties, in particular superior light resistance, solvent resistance, water resistance, and/or chemical resistance. As exempla of such compounds, condensed azo compounds prepared from bisamides of 2-hydroxynaphthalene-3-carboxylic acid (e.g., Chromophthal Scarlet RN or BRN, The Japanese Patent Publication No. S48-11205 B (1973)), and condensed azo compounds prepared from bisamides of 2-hydroxynaphthalene-6-carboxylic acid (e.g., The Japanese Patent Publication No. H7-238231 A (1995)) are already known.

Condensed azo compounds and process for preparing the same

Kabushiki Kaisha Ueno Seiyaku Oyo Kenkyujo


Water-desalination and/or water purification devices. Alternatively, devices that are implantable in animal bodies, possibly configured as self-inflating spinal disc prostheses. The devices include specified types of water-absorbing solute encapsulated by non-porous, water-permeable polymer membranes having specified properties. Also, methods of using the devices in biomedical applications or water treatment.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,085 discloses a surgically implantable device for expanding skin and mucous tissue. The device comprises a partially collapsed sealed envelope formed from a material that is permeable to extracellular body fluids, and a material which establishes an osmotic potential across the envelope wall. As bodily fluid crosses the membrane to fill the envelope, the envelope expands, thereby expanding the adjacent tissue. The envelope material, which ranges from 0.001 to 0.020 inches in thickness, can be formed from such polymers as cellulose acetate, crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol, polyurethane, nylon, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, and silicone rubber. The material used to establish the osmotic potential can be, for instance, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium sulphate, sodium acetate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium succinate, glucose, alanine, vinyl pyrrolidone, carboxymethylcellulose, urea, "blood by-products", proteins, and/or dextran. The amount of expansion material used is selected depending on the desired speed of expansion of the envelope and the desired final volume thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,591 points out that the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,085 has problems. One problem is in the use of silicone as the envelope material. In thicknesses that are adequate for product safety, silicone is relatively impermeable to extracellular water. In order to compensate for the required silicone thickness and allow for timely inflation of the tissue, the implant must contain an inordinately high amount of solute. Another, related problem is that rupture of the implanted envelope results in dispersion of highly concentrated solute into the surrounding tissues.
EP 0 784 987 discloses an inflatable prosthesis that contains a dehydrated substance which forms a gel when mixed with an aqueous solution. The dehydrated substance is a polyacrylamide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, hydroxypropyl methyl-cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, polylactic acid polyglycolic acid, hydrogel polyurethane, chrondotoin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, alginate, etc. The dehydrated substance is placed within an outer shell constructed from a polydimethyl siloxane, a polyurethane, a polyurethane/polyester copolymer, or another similar viscoelastic material. As shown in FIG. 3 of the publication, after the prosthesis is implanted into the body, an aqueous solution is added to the inner cavity thereof by a syringe. The addition of the aqueous solution combines with the dehydrated substance in the cavity to form a gel within the implant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,632 claims an article comprising a hydrophilic gel with a water content of at least about 35% substantially enclosed within a membrane comprising a biocompatible, hydrophilic, segmented block polyurethane copolymer. The block copolymer comprises about 5 to 45 weight-% of at least one hard segment and about 95 to 55 weight-% of at least one soft segment. The soft segment of the block copolymer comprises at least one hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or amphipathic oligomer selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyols, aliphatic polyamines, aromatic polyamines, and mixtures thereof. This patent also claims a method of permeating molecules—such as glucose, angiotensin I, glucagon, insulin, aprotinin, albumin, IgG, and oxygen—while substantially preventing the passage of cells and particulate matter between two fluids, using a biocompatible, hydrophilic, segmented block polyurethane copolymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,695 discloses a spinal nucleus implant for replacement of a portion of nucleus pulposus tissue removed from a spinal disc. The implant is an anisotropically swellable, biomimetic xerogel plastic, having a negatively charged lubricious surface and having a two phase structure with a hydrophobic phase having high crystallinity and low water content and a hydrophilic phase having low crystallinity and high water content. The xerogel plastic is capable of rehydration and of osmotic movement of liquid therethrough in response to osmotic pressure change to thereby increase and decrease liquid content in its hydrated state. Example 1 of the patent molds an acrylonitrile/acrylic acid block copolymer into the shape of a nucleus pulposus, and indicates that when the molded article is implanted into a vertebrate spine, it will be partially hydrated by body fluids, swelling to the shape and tension required for its long-term function. The patent also discloses surgical implant procedures utilizing the disclosed spinal nucleus implant.

The Polymer Technology Group, Incorporated


The invention provides a composition comprising at least the following:    A) interpolymer comprising, in polymerized form, ethylene, an α-olefin and a nonconjugated polyene;    B) sulfur;    C) at least one phase transfer catalyst (PTC) selected from the group consisting of the following:

Curing rate is an important vulcanization parameter, since it, in part, determines the time needed for the compound to cure (for example, t90). In the manufacture of vulcanized rubber articles, significant cost saving can be realized through a reduction of cure time. By using secondary accelerator (ultra accelerator), the rate of cure increased, the cure time required to meet minimum states of cure can be reduced. However, the loading of secondary accelerator lead to premature crosslinking (low ts2) during the compounding or processing stage of the rubber formulation. The ethylene/propylene/diene (EPDM) polymers that contain low levels of diene, usually require very active cure compositions to reach high curing rates in certain applications, such as sponge weather strip. An active curing composition usually includes primary and secondary accelerators, which can lead to premature crosslinking during polymer compounding and processing.
It is desired that a rubber formulation maintain chemical stability during processing of the formulation, such that minimal vulcanization occurs prior to formation of the finished cured article. Theses compositions are especially needed in applications that require high cure rates, such for use in sponge weather strips.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,239 is directed to a sulfur vulcanizable rubber composition comprising an elastomer containing olefinic unsaturation, a vulcanizing agent, an accelerator, and from about 0.05 phr to about 5.0 phr of a methyl trialkyl ammonium salt. However, the shorter alky group, such as methyl group, in the ammonium salt decrease its acceleration on the curing rate, due to its relative lower transferability of curing agent into the rubber. Furthermore, the use of both primary and secondary accelerators to accelerate the curing rate results in poor anti-scorch property during compounding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,842 is directed to a cure system for a sulfur vulcanizable rubber. The cure system comprises the following: a sulfenamide accelerator, a guanidine accelerator, a thiuram accelerator, a mercapto benzothiazyl disulfide, a sulfur vulcanizing agent, an N-cyclohexylthio-phthalimide, a zinc compound, and a methyltrialkyl ammonium salt. Again, the shorter alky group, such as methyl group, in the ammonium salt decreases its acceleration on the curing rate, due to its relative lower transferability of curing agent into the rubber. Furthermore, the use of both primary and secondary accelerators to accelerate the curing rate results in poor anti-scorch property during compounding.
U.S. Publication No. 2002/0180078 is directed to a rubber composition, which is free of precursor of at least one carcinogenic nitrosamine, and which contains at least one rubber selected from natural rubber, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene, styrene-isoprene and butadiene-isoprene copolymers, or styrene-butadiene-isoprene terpolymers. The composition comprises a vulcanization system containing the following: a) sulfur, b) at least one accelerator compound selected from the group consisting of benzothiazyl disulfide and mercaptobenzothiazole, c) at least one ultra-accelerator compound selected from the group consisting of tetrabenzylthiuram disulfide and zinc dibenzyldithiocarbamate; d) at least one vulcanization amine activator selected from the group consisting of amines, guanidines, aldehyde and amine condensates, and quaternary ammonium salts. Furthermore, the use of both primary and secondary accelerators to accelerate the curing rate results in poor anti-scorch property during compounding.
European Patent Application No. 0982355A1 is directed to rubber formulations containing an accelerator compound, comprised of an organic-based quaternary ammonium salt. Preferably, the accelerator compound is a quaternary ammonium salt selected from the group consisting of trimethylbetahydroxyethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMBHEAH), carboxymethyltrimethyl ammonium hydroxide (CMTAH), methylallylbenzylphenol ammonium iodide, benzyltriethyl ammonium chloride, hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride imidazolium compounds. More preferred accelerators are comprised of a choline based compound, comprised of trimethylbetahydroxyethyl ammonium hydroxide and/or of a betaine compound, comprised of carboxymethyltrimethyl ammonium hydroxide.
Quaternary ammonium salts have been used as additives for rubber composites. For example, as a dispersing agent for fillers, such as silica, and as modifiers for nano clay.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,428 is directed to a method of compounding silica in a tire tread composition, comprising the following steps: (a) mechanically mixing, in a plurality of mixing stages the following: a rubber comprising a conjugated diene, a silica dispersing agent for enhancing the distribution of the silica in the rubber, and a coupling agent for chemical bonding of the rubber to the silica; and (b) mixing the rubber and the silica with the coupling agent, prior to, or contemporaneously with, mixing the dispersing agent the rubber. The dispersing agent comprising a quaternary ammonium compound.
Japanese Patent Application No. P2005-247962A is directed to a silica-compounded rubber formulation comprising at least one diene rubber, silica, and an organic ammonium compound containing at least one allyl or benzyl group.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-290940 is directed to a tread rubber composition, comprising a rubber component, a filler, and an onium salt. The invention is disclosed as providing a tire tread rubber composition for reduced fuel consumption, which lowers the tan δ at 60° C., without substantial detriment to other properties.
Japanese Patent Application No. H9-316238 is directed to a composition for compounding a rubber, comprising an organic phosphonium salt or an organic ammonium salt, and one or more fillers. The salt can be easily, uniformly kneaded when it is added into the rubber.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,531,396 is directed to a reinforced elastomer, comprising, an elastomer base, selected from a group consisting of natural rubber, butadiene rubber copolymers and polychloroprene rubbers; and a modified clay, originally exhibiting a base-exchange capacity from 10 to 100, in which the inorganic cation has been replaced by a substituted organic onium base to the extent of at least 15 me/100 g of the clay, or replaced by a substituted organic ammonium base to the extent of at least 15 me/100 g. of clay.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,858,665 is directed to a process of preparing a rubber composition, which contains a dispersion of intercalated and at least partially an exfoliated smectite clay. The smectite clay is intercalated and exfoliated, in situ, within an elastomer host. The process comprises blending the following at least one hydrocarbon diene-based elastomer; a smectite clay selected from at least one of montmorillonite clay and hectorite clay and mixtures thereof; a quaternary ammonium salt selected from methyl trialkyl ammonium chloride, trimethyl alkyl ammonium chloride, dimethyl dialkyl ammonium chloride, dimethyl alkyl allyl ammonium chloride and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride; and at least one additional reinforcing filler comprised of at least one of carbon black, synthetic amorphous silica or silica treated carbon black and mixtures thereof. A coupling agent is mixed, therewith, subsequent to said intercalation of the smectite clay, and after at least a partial exfoliation of the intercalated clay to form exfoliated clay platelets.
Additional rubber formulations are disclosed in International Publication No. WO 2004/052983.
As discussed above, there remains a need for improved rubber formulations which have enhanced cure rates at specified cure temperatures, and maintain stability (scorch resistance) at processing temperatures. There is a need for cure compositions that provide high cure rates, while minimizing premature crosslinking under standard processing temperatures, and which can be used in applications that require high cure rates. These needs and others have been met by the following invention.

Anti-scorch compositions, methods of making the same, and articles prepared from the same

Abstract: as described herein;

Abstract: as described herein;

Abstract: as described herein; and    D) at least one primary accelerator selected from the group consisting of the following:

Abstract: as described herein;

Abstract: as described herein;

Abstract: as described herein;

Abstract: as described herein; and combinations thereof.


A chuck for clamping workpieces or tools in a clamping space with a clamping force (F). The chuck includes at least two chuck jaws movable in translation along one clamping plane (E) in the direction of one center Z of the clamping space and a gear train located at least largely within the chuck for transfer of a driving torque of a drive motor, which can be coupled to the gear train by coupling means of the gear train, to the chuck jaws for movement of the chuck jaws. The coupling means able to be coupled to a corresponding coupling connection of the drive motor. The movement from the maximum size of the clamping space to the minimum size of the clamping space is executed via the gear train from the drive motor.

Chucks are used in tool technology, especially in turning and milling for holding various workpieces or tools in the clamping space which is formed by the jaws of the chuck. Tools can be for example milling heads or drills which are stored in magazines and removed from the respective magazine by automation and clamped in the chuck in a computer controlled manner in order for example to be able to carry out different process steps on the same component.
In particular for chucks which are not hydraulically or pneumatically driven it is necessary at regular intervals to replace the chuck, for example when the chuck is no longer working with the necessary precision or the dimension of the chuck is not suitable for use. In the chuck, tools or machine components or the workpiece to be machined are clamped in the center of the lathe chuck in a clamping space which is formed by the faces of the chuck jaws.
For example, hydraulic and pneumatic chucks have the advantage that they can be automatically and quickly switched. The chucking travels of the chuck jaws which can be achieved with hydraulic and pneumatic chucks are comparatively small, for example only +1-10 mm so that the smallest and largest diameter of the clamping space which stands for the variability of the chuck is limited. In any case, the chuck can accommodate large tools or workpieces by re-arranging or replacing the chuck jaws.
For this reason the attainable clamping force for these chucks is very great. In order to therefore be able to accommodate tools or workpieces with different dimensions, especially a different diameter, either the chuck must be replaced or the chuck jaws must be shifted.
Chucks are for example head chucks, drill chucks, lathe chucks or shrink chucks.
Moreover the replacement of chucks generally takes place manually, a specialist stopping the machine tool, opening it and opening the jaws of the chuck, removing the workpiece and then replacing the chuck by a new chuck.
Therefore the object of this invention is to provide a chuck which can be used more efficiently, in particular which reaches high clamping force, and which has wide chuck travels and at the same time a construction as compact as possible.


An automotive internal combustion engine demagnetizer that can improve engine performance by reducing the magnetic drag associated with the operation of the engine. By demagnetizing the engine block while the engine is running contributes to improved efficiency and performance. The demagnetizer is designed to be retrofitted onto a standard automobile having a conventional engine. A high current short duration repetitive rectangular pulse passing through the engine block serves to demagnetize it. It also allows metal particles both large and micro in size to stick to the engine block and other moving parts. This collection of particles contributes to engine failure and to the ultimate life of the engine. When the engine is not running, the present invention eliminates or reduces all magnetism in the engine block, causing almost all metal particles to fall into the crankcase that contains the oil. When the oil is drained, these particles are removed and discarded with the oil.

The process of removing the permanent magnetization of a ferromagnetic object, so that the residual flux density is zero, under conditions of a zero H field is called demagnetization or deperming.
There are two principle methods that may be used in demagnetizing ferromagnetic objects. They are: (1) the application of a negative coercive force to the object being demagnetized and (2) demagnetization by reversals.
In the first method, the magnetic flux density B can be reduced to zero by the application a coercive force H.sub.c. However, upon removing this field, the residual flux density will rise to some value greater than zero. Although it may be possible to completely demagnetize the object by increasing H slightly more than the coercive force, this process requires an accurate determination of B and H and the hysteresis loop.
The second and more popular method of demagnetizing is called demagnetization or deperming by reversals. In this method, on each reversal, H is brought to a smaller maximum amplitude, so that the object is eventually left in a state of complete demagnetization.
Although such a demagnetization procedure can be completely carried out in a matter of seconds with small objects, several minutes may be required for each reversal for large objects because of the slow decay of the induced eddy currents and the reluctance of the domains to change polarity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,108, granted Sep. 19, 1989, to L. L. Forde, et al, teaches of an electrostatic power system for increasing the performance of an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,482, granted Aug. 15, 1989, to E. Linder, et al, discloses a method of controlling the demagnetizing phase of electromagnetic devices, particularly of electromagnetic valves in internal combustion engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,666, granted Jun. 14, 1983, to A. Kuno, et al, discloses a demagnetizer for removing the residual magnetism in an entire stationary automotive vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,581, granted Mar. 29, 1983, to A. Kuno, discloses demagnetizing apparatus for removing the residual magnetism in the body of an automobile. Its purpose is to remove the magnetic field distortion in a bearing indicator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,428, granted Jul. 22, 1980, to P. Bradley, discloses electromagnetic augmentation for an internal combustion engine to increase the engine efficiency by magnetically guiding the piston. Magnetic forces are used to attract and repel the piston in synchronization with its normal motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,346, granted Jun. 19, 1979, to C. G. Roberts, et al, teaches of an apparatus to improve the automotive efficiency of an internal combustion engine by using a set of inductive coils connected to the battery terminal of the vehicle
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,670, granted Feb. 21, 1978, to C. G. Roberts, et al, discloses apparatus for improving the efficiency of an automotive vehicle by using a pair of closely adjacent electrically conductive coils.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,424,140, granted Jul. 25, 1922, to J. B. Replogle, discloses a magnetic throttle positioner that minimizes the effect of hysteresis to maintain accurate throttle positioning.
Several of the referenced prior art disclose methods and apparatus for demagnetizing an entire vehicle, while others disclose demagnetization of various components within the structure of an automotive vehicle. Also, some of the above referenced prior art disclose methods of demagnetizing automotive accessories to improve engine performance.
Therefore, there is a particular need for a demagnetization system as applied to an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle to reduce or minimize engine drag, which when implemented, can result in improved engine efficiency and performance.

Demagnetizing apparatus for an automotive engine


The disclosure is directed to techniques for a thermostat to determine the air temperature of a room based on measurements of temperatures sensors located inside a housing of the thermostat. Because the thermostat for an evaporative cooler operates at line voltage and controls current flowing to the evaporative cooler, the magnitude of current flowing through the thermostat may vary from nearly zero, when the thermostat is in the powered-off state, to a current on the order of several amps. The variation in current causes a variation in temperature inside the housing of the thermostat. The techniques of this disclosure compensate for changes the internal housing temperature caused by changes in operating mode. The compensation allows the temperature sensors inside the thermostat housing to determine the air temperature of the room in which the thermostat is located, without regard for the operating mode of the evaporative cooler system.

An evaporative cooler may be used to increase the humidity and reduce the temperature of the air inside a space in building. Evaporative coolers may be advantageous in arid regions where the air outside the building has low humidity. Some examples of evaporative coolers may include a thermostat as part of a cooler system. The thermostat may control various operational states of an evaporative cooler, including whether the evaporative cooler is turned on or off.

Dynamic temperature compensation of a thermostat for an evaporative cooler system


The invention describes a system for or recording the usage of a firearm and helping a user during usage of the firearm using multiple sensors to gather various information. The system includes a plurality of sensors to record various usage and status data of the firearm. The system further includes a communication module communicatively coupled to the sensors. The communication module is further connected to a processor. The system further includes a memory, a clock chip and an information disseminating device that includes a communication port. The plurality of sensors are configured to gather various information about a firearm device that may be a pistol, a revolver, a gun, etc. after being attached to the firearm device. In addition to the operational information, some of the sensors out of the plurality of sensors may gather information about surrounding environment of the firearm like lighting conditions, wind flow etc. to help a user of the firearm device to use it efficiently.

In today's world firearms are prevalent in every part of the world. They are also widely used for non-military and military purposes. In both cases there is a need to establish and completely document the usage of a firearm both during handling of the firearm, as well as pre and post firing of the weapon. The information that can be collected and securely stored is vital for analysis for both the individual user and law enforcement as well as legal and societal usage. Storing this information in a secure and encrypted (optional) form is also imperative.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An elongated flattened tube (10) includes a pair of dimples (30) spaced from an end (32) of the tube (10) to limit an insertion depth of the end (32) of the tube (10) into a tube slot (14) of a header (12) in a heat exchanger.

Heat exchangers utilizing flattened tubes having ends that are received in conforming tube slots of a header are well known. One concern with such heat exchanger constructions during assembly is the location of the end of the tube relative to the tube slot and associated header. If the tube is inserted too far into the tube slot, it can potentially interfere with the fluid flow through the header, or conversely, if the tube is not inserted far enough, it may fail to form an appropriate bond joint, such as when the construction is brazed or soldered to form a sealed joint between the tube and header.
It is known to modify the end of a tube by material removal and/or substantial deformation or resizing of the ends of the tubes. Examples of such approaches are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,101,887; 5,052,479; 5,048,602; and 4,825,941. While such approaches may be acceptable, they can require relative elaborate equipment, tooling, and the use of extruded tubes, and do not appear to be applicable to thin walled, welded or roll formed tubes. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improvement in this area.

Tube feature for limiting insertion depth into header slot


A semiconductor device includes a bonding pad that includes a base portion having a base layer. A bond wire or clip is bonded to a bonding region of a main surface of the bonding pad. A supplemental structure is in direct contact with the base portion next to the bonding region. A specific heat capacity of the supplemental structure is higher than a specific heat capacity of the base layer.

Semiconductor packages of power semiconductor devices such as power semiconductor diodes, IGFETs (insulated gate field effect transistors) and IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors) typically have metal leads that allow connection of the power semiconductor device to a circuit board or to another electronic device. Bond wires electrically connect the metal leads with contact pads formed directly on the semiconductor die and bridge the difference in scale between on-chip wiring and external wiring of the power semiconductor device. For wire bonding, typically a bond wire is positioned over a bonding pad and a tip or wedge forces the wire onto the bonding pad. Contemporaneously, heat, ultrasonic energy or another type of radiation is applied to the bonding pad and the piece of wire on the bonding pad to form a metallurgic bond between the bond wire and the bonding pad. The bonding pad must be sufficiently rugged to accommodate the mechanical strain exerted onto the semiconductor chip during the bonding process. In addition, a high thermal capacity and/or ruggedness of the bonding pad and the bond is desirable to improve short-circuit and avalanche ruggedness of the semiconductor device.
There is a need for reliable semiconductor devices with high thermal and mechanical ruggedness.

Semiconductor device including bonding pad and bond wire or clip


A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging system includes a NMR logging tool adapted to be disposed in a borehole and a processing system adapted to be disposed on the surface of the borehole, the logging tool including a microcomputer, the processing system including a computer; and a signal processing system in accordance with the present invention having a first part stored in the downhole microcomputer of the logging tool and a second part stored in the surface oriented computer of the processing system. In the downhole microcomputer, using the first part of the signal processing system, a plurality of signal plus noise amplitudes are produced from a set of measured spin echo data, and a plurality N.sub.w of the window sums I.sub.m,m+1 are produced from the signal plus noise ampltudes, the window sums being transmitted uphole to the processing system. By producing the window sums, the first part of the signal processing system compresses and eliminates redundant information from the measured spin echo data. In the surface oriented processing system, using the second part of the signal processing system, the plurality N.sub.w of the window sums I.sub.m,m+1 are used to generate new data which is ultimately recorded on a new output record medium. Spectral amplitudes {a.sub.l }, determined from the window sums, are used by the processing system to compute three log outputs and signal distributions presented as color maps. Three standard deviations are also computed. Log quality curves including signal phase and RMS noise are also computed.

The subject matter of the present invention relates to a new method and apparatus for processing a signal which is output from a pulsed nuclear magnetism tool disposed in a wellbore thereby producing new output data representative of the formation traversed by the wellbore and for recording the new output data on an output record medium.
Repeated attempts have been made to use the principles of nuclear magnetic resonance by means of logging tools lowered through wellbores in oil exploration over the past several decades. It is recognized that particles of a formation having magnetic spin, for example atomic nuclei, protons, or electrons, have tendencies to align with a magnetic field which is imposed on the formation. Such a magnetic field may be naturally generated, as is the case with the earth's magnetic field (B.sub.E) which has an intensity of approximately 0.5 gauss in areas of the globe where boreholes are typically drilled. Any given particle in a formation is additionally influenced by localized magnetic fields associated with nearby magnetic particles, other paramagnetic materials, and the layer of ions which typically line pore walls of certain types of formations such as shales. These localized fields tend to be inhomogeneous, while the earth's magnetic field is relatively homogeneous.
A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging tool apparatus, adapted to be disposed in a borehole, produces a static and a substantially homogeneous magnetic field focussed into a formation on one side of the logging tool. By directing and configuring the combined magnetic fields of a plurality of magnets, a region, remote from the plurality of magnets, is introduced wherein the special field gradient substantially vanishes, thereby insuring that the field is highly homogeneous throughout that region. In a preferred form, the magnets are mounted within a metallic skid or logging pad, the static magnetic field is directed through the face of the pad into an adjacent formation, and the region of substantially homogeneous field is situated in a volume of formation behind the mudcake layer which typically lines borehole walls. A homogeneous magnetic field, several hundred times stronger than the earth's magnetic field, can be thus imposed, or "focused", on a volume of formation in situ.
Reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,638 issued Jun. 12, 1990 to Kenyon et al (hereinafter termed, the "Kenyon et al patent" or "Kenyon et al") for details of such a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging tool apparatus, which patent is incorporated herein by reference. In the Kenyon et al patent, an RF antenna is mounted on the outside of the structure of the pad so that the pad serves as a natural shield against any signals which may be generated by resonant conditions behind the pad, particularly those potentially strong resonance signals from borehole fluid. In the preferred form, the antenna is configured to focus its signals radially outwardly from the pad face, into the volume of formation having the homogeneous field, thereby additionally reducing the distortion of measured signals from borehole effects.
All such nuclear magnetic resonance logging tool apparatus, when disposed in a borehole, are electrically connected to a computing apparatus disposed at the surface of the borehole. The computing apparatus stores a signal processing software therein, the software in conjunction with the hardware of the computing apparatus producing a plurality output data representative of the characteristics of the formation traversed by the borehole when the software is executed by the hardware while utilizing a set of input data which was developed by the logging tool disposed in the borehole.
While the prior art nuclear magnetic resonance logging tool of Kenyon et al, and its associated signal processing software, is capable of determining formation characteristics with sufficient accuracy and dependability, it has been found useful to improve the performance and accuracy of such logging tool, especially in view of the inherent difficulties of making nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements in boreholes.
One very important improvement in the performance of the Kenyon et al logging tool can be made to the signal processing software used by Kenyon et al. Several approaches to spectral decomposition or signal processing of NMR data have been reported. Spectral decomposition is a signal processing method that determines from NMR spin-echo signals in rocks, the individual amplitude components of the multi-exponential signal. These individual components correspond to different pore sizes in the rock.
A first approach is reported by Kenyon, W. E., Howard, J. J., Sezginer, A. Straley, C., Matteson, A., Horkowitz, R., and Erlich, R., in an article entitled "Poresize Distribution and NMR in Microporous Cherty Sandstones", Trans of the SPWLA of the 30th Ann. Logging Symp., Paper LL, Jun. 11-14, 1989, this first approach being further set forth in an article entitled "A NMR Technique for the Analysis of Pore Structure: Determination of Continuous Pore Size Distributions"; Gallegos, D. P. and Smith, D. M.; J. of Colloid and Interface Science, V. 122, No. 1, pp. 143-153, Mar. 1988, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference into this specification.
A second approach is set forth in an article entitled "Problems in Identifying Multimodal Distributions of Relaxation Times for NMR in Porous Media", Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Vol 9, pp. 687-693 (1991), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference into this specification.
The aforementioned approaches are computationally too intensive to be done in real time by a logging truck computer. They also do not compress the data which is needed to limit the telemetry requirements for sending data uphole. In addition, the NMR logging tool should first acquire downhole spin-echo measurements in earth formations penetrated by a borehole and then, secondly, generate a set of detailed formation evaluation information. However, this type of detailed formation evaluation information was previously obtainable only from costly laboratory analysis of conventional core data. Therefore, a signal processing method and apparatus is needed which is adapted to extract this formation evaluation information from the measured spin-echos. This signal processing method and apparatus must be capable of providing a spectral decomposition of the measured data, and it must be efficient and robust for real time processing of measured data during the acquisition of the data by an NMR logging tool moving in the borehole. Moreover, it is desirable to compress the data by elimination of redundant information. This reduces the telemetry requirements of the NMR tool, which is important if the tool is run in combination with other logging tools.

Processing method and apparatus for processing spin echo in-phase and quadrature amplitudes from a pulsed nuclear magnetism tool and producing new output data to be recorded on an output record