Disclosed is a method and circuit for variably controlling a delay line for a read data capture timing window. In one embodiment, the circuit includes a variably controlled delay circuit coupled to a FIFO. The variably controlled delay circuit receives an input strobe signal. The variably controlled delay circuit also receives a multibit control code. The variably controlled delay circuit transmits the input strobe signal after a time delay, wherein the time delay varies according to the multibit control code. The FIFO is coupled to the variably controlled delay circuit and receives the time delayed strobe signal therefrom. The FIFO receives an input data bit signal. The FIFO stores the input data bit signal in response to receiving the time delayed strobe signal.

FIG. 1 illustrates a microprocessor 10 coupled to a memory device 12 via data bus 14. Data bus 14 includes a plurality of conductive lines (not shown) for transmitting data bit signals and a strobe signal in parallel between memory device 12 and microprocessor 10. As used herein, a memory device may include SRAMs, DRAMs, or other memory capable of storing digital data.
Microprocessor 10 includes a plurality of input/output ("I/O") devices (not shown in FIG. 1) coupled to respective conductive lines of data bus 14. These I/O devices are capable of transmitting or receiving data bit signals. FIG. 2 shows relevant components of I/O devices of microprocessor 10. More particularly, FIG. 2 shows a plurality of FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) each one of which is contained in a respective I/O device. FIG. 2 also shows a strobe buffer 22. Lastly, FIG. 2 shows a plurality of data buffers 24(0) through 24(n) each one of which is contained in a respective I/O device.
Data buffers 24(0) through 24(n) are coupled between respective data inputs of FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) and respective conductive lines of data bus 14. The output of strobe buffer 22 is coupled between a conductive line of data bus 14 and FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n). For purposes of definition, two devices (e.g., a buffer and a FIFO) may be coupled together directly by a conductor or data link, or indirectly via a third device. For example, FIG. 2 show data buffers 24(0) through 24(n) coupled directly to data inputs of FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n), respectively. Further, although not shown, buffers 24(0) through 24(n) are coupled indirectly to respective data bus lines via output bumps of microprocessor 10 and conductive traces of a semiconductor packaging in which microprocessor is contained.
Data bus 14 transmits the strobe signal in parallel with data bit signals. The strobe signal is essentially a clock having a 50% duty cycle. Memory 12 transmits data at a double data rate (DDR). More particularly, I/O devices of memory 12 transmit a set of data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) with each transition edge (i.e., a rising edge and falling edge) of the strobe signal.
Data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) are received by data buffers 24(0) through 24(n) around the same time strobe buffer 22 receives the transition edges of the strobe signal. Buffers 22 and 24(0) through 24(n), when the enable signal provided thereto are asserted, transmit the strobe signal and data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) to FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n).
FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) capture or store data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n), respectively, upon the transition edges of the strobe signal provided thereto by strobe buffer 22. FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) store data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n), respectively, for subsequent processing by the core of microprocessor 10. It is essential that that FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) receive the transition edges of the strobe signal during a read data capture timing window. The read data capture timing window is a period of time when: (1) all data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) are present at the inputs of FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) with sufficient set-up time before FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) receive transition edges of the strobe signal from buffer 22, and; (2) all data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) are present at the inputs of FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) with sufficient hold time after FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) receive the transition edges of the strobe signal from buffer 22. If the transition edges of the strobe signal do not arrive at FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) during the read capture timing window, false data will be stored in FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n).
Transmission of the strobe signal and data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) between memory device 12 and FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n), are subject to unexpected delays. Because of relative delays in the transmission of the data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) to the inputs of FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n), the read capture timing window may be substantially small. Additionally, because of unexpected delays, the transition edges of the strobe signal may arrive at FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) with an unexpected delay relative to the read capture timing window.
A variety of factors induce transmission delay in the data bit and strobe signals. For example, the conductive line of bus 14 that transmits the strobe signal may be shorter or longer in length than one or more of the conductive lines of bus 14 that transmit the data bit signals. Another source of relative signal delay relates to variations in the process used to manufacture microprocessor 10. Microprocessors are manufactured using complex equipment and processes. Variations in the equipment and processes may result in unexpected physical variations of the structure of, for example, the transistors in strobe buffer 22. These physical variations in transistor structure may introduce unexpected delays in the strobe signal transmitted through strobe buffer 22.
The unexpected delays described above are fixed. Delays in the strobe and data bit signals may vary. For example, delays in the strobe signal may vary during operation of the microprocessor due to changes in temperature of strobe buffer 22 or changes in the power supply voltage provided to strobe buffer 22. Increases in operating temperature of strobe buffer 22 will typically increase delay in strobe signal transmission therethrough, and vice versa. An increase power supply voltage provided to strobe buffer 22 will typically decrease delay in strobe signal transmission therethrough, and vice versa.
As noted above, the transition edges of strobe signal and the data bit signals Din(0) through Din(n) are received by buffers of microprocessor 12 around the same point in time. FIG. 3 is a timing diagram illustrating the data bit signal Din(0) and the strobe signal provided to inputs of FIFO 20(0). Except for relative delays between data signals, inputs to the remaining FIFOs 20(1) through 20(n) are identical. Strobe buffer 22 is designed to delay transmission of the strobe signal by a fixed amount of time (e.g., 25% of the strobe signal's duty cycle) so that FIFOs 20(0) through 20(n) receive the transition edges (e.g., rising edge at time=t1) within a read capture timing window thereof.
FIG. 3 illustrates the relative effects of unexpected delays on the strobe signal. In FIG. 3, unexpected delays may cause the transition edges of the strobe signal to move in time relative to data bit signal Din(0) in either the Dpositive or Dnegative directions by an undetermined magnitude. Unfortunately, if the magnitude of Dpositive or Dnegative is great enough, the transition edges of the strobe signal may fall outside the read capture timing window.

Variably controlled delay line for read data capture timing window


Disclosed are golf balls comprising cores or intermediate layers prepared from thermoplastic compositions having coefficients of restitution equal to or greater than 0.83 and PGA compressions greater than 100. Also disclosed is a composition comprising or prepared from (a) at least one aliphatic, mono-functional organic acid having from 16 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein the organic acid is unsaturated and linear; (b) an ethylene acid copolymer consisting essentially of copolymerized comonomers of ethylene and from 18 to 24 weight % of copolymerized comonomers of at least one C3 to C8 α,β ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, based on the total weight of the ethylene acid copolymer, having a melt index from about 200 to about 600 g/10 minutes; wherein the combined acid moieties of (a) and (b) are nominally neutralized to a level from about 120% to about 200%; and optionally (c) filler.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to golf balls with cores or intermediate layers prepared from melt-processible thermoplastic compositions comprising organic acids or salts of organic acids and neutralized copolymers of ethylene and C3 to C8 α,β ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids.
2. Description of Related Art
Several patents and publications are cited in this description in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. The entire disclosure of each of these patents and publications is incorporated by reference herein.
Premium golf balls include wound balls, two-piece balls and multilayered balls. Wound balls may have a spherical molded center, elastomeric thread-like material wound around the center, and either a thermoplastic or thermoset cover. Two-piece balls have a spherical molded core covered with a thin layer of thermoplastic or thermoset material. Multilayered balls have a spherical molded core, a cover, and one or more intermediate layers between the core and the cover.
Centers for wound balls and cores for two-piece and multi-layer balls have been made using a thermoset rubber such as polybutadiene rubber. With thermoset rubber, complex multi-step processes are needed to make cores and centers. These processes result in scrap that is difficult to recycle. Attempts to solve these difficulties by substituting a thermoplastic for the thermoset rubber have had limited success.
Thermoplastic ionomers of copolymers of alpha olefins, particularly ethylene, and C3-8 α,β ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids have found utility in golf ball components such as covers, and other applications. U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,272 teaches methods for making such ionomers. The acid copolymers on which the ionomers are based may be prepared as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,931.
Some ionomer compositions, and golf ball covers comprising these compositions, are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,688,869; 6,150,470; 6,277,921; 6,433,094; 6,451,923; 6,573,335 and 6,800,695. The ionomer compositions comprise metal cation neutralized high acid ionomer resins comprising copolymers of greater than 16% by weight of an alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and the balance an alpha-olefin, of which about 10 to about 90% of the acid groups of the copolymer are neutralized with metal cations.
Ionomers have also been modified with fatty acids. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,472 describes a thermoplastic composition that is melt-processible consisting essentially of (a) from 20 to 45 weight % aliphatic, mono-functional organic acid(s) having fewer than 36 carbon atoms or salt(s) thereof; and (b) ethylene, C3 to C8 alpha,beta ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer(s) or melt-processible ionomer(s) thereof, wherein greater than 90% of all the acid of (a) and (b) is neutralized by concurrently or subsequently adding to the melt blend of (a) and (b) an amount of a cation source necessary to obtain greater than 90% neutralization.
Modified ionomers have been used as golf ball components. U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,456 describes multilayer golf balls comprising a solid core, a surrounding layer, an intermediate layer and a cover, wherein at least one of the surrounding layer, the intermediate layer or the cover is formed of a heated mixture comprising (a) an olefin-carboxylic acid-optional carboxylate random copolymer and/or (d) a metal ion-neutralized olefin-carboxylic acid-optional carboxylate random copolymer; (b) a fatty acid or derivative; and (c) a neutralizing basic inorganic metal compound.
It is desirable to provide a high performance material to be used in the cores, centers or intermediate layers of golf balls.

Golf balls with cores or intermediate layers prepared from highly-neutralized ethylene copolymers and organic acids


Aspects for forming a Flash EPROM cell with an adjustable threshold voltage are described. In a method aspect, the method includes forming a substrate structure to establish a foundation for cell formation, and forming a gate structure with a floating gate layer comprising polysilicon-germanium (poly-SiGe) of a non-uniform Ge concentration on the substrate structure. The method further includes forming source and drain regions within the substrate structure, the drain region having a different threshold voltage than the source region. In a further aspect, a Flash EPROM cell with an adjustable threshold voltage includes a substrate structure as a foundation for the cell. The cell further includes a gate structure on the substrate structure, the gate structure comprising a floating gate layer of polysilicon-germanium (poly-SiGe) of non-uniform Ge concentration. Additionally, source and drain regions are included in the substrate structure bordering the gate structure, the drain region having a differing threshold voltage than the source region.

Nonvolatile programmable memories operate similar to read only memories with the attribute of being programmable at least once. Included in nonvolatile memory types are Flash EPROMs (ultraviolet erasable programmable read only memories). Typical Flash EPROM cell structures are either charged or discharged in order to program or erase the cells and store information. In general terms, charging refers to the activity of putting electrons onto a floating gate of the cell, while discharging refers to the activity of taking electrons off of the floating gate of the cell. When charged, the cell has a low current and a high threshold voltage, V.sub.t. Conversely, when discharged, the cell has a high current and a low V.sub.t. A typical charged V.sub.t, is usually 5V, and a typical discharged V.sub.t is usually 2V. In addition, in general, the ultraviolet threshold voltage (UVV.sub.t), which is used to define the VV.sub.t, of the device when the floating gate does not have any charge, i.e., when in a charge neutral state, is also about 2V, making the discharged state and the UV erased state the same.
Currently, the UVV.sub.t is determined in large part by the doping of the core cell channel. However, the doping of the channel is also dependent on the need to control problems due to short channel effect. The short channel effect generally refers to the problem associated with drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) and threshold voltage roll-off with channel length. Presently, scaling down of Flash EPROM cells has been considered critical in continuing the trend toward higher device density. As the size of the cells shrink, the short channel effect becomes problematic. With larger cell sizes, the channel between the source and drain is long and the transient electrical field generated is very small during the charging period, i.e., during the period when the voltage is applied to the source. However, as the channel becomes shorter due to cell size shrinkage, short channel effect becomes significant.
While altering the doping in the channel is typically utilized to counteract the short channel effect as device sizes shrink, unfortunately, changes in the doping in the channel may adversely change the threshold voltage. Too high of a doping level not only can make the short channel effect worse but can also translate to a higher threshold voltage for the cell. Thus, optimized channel doping levels for combatting short channel effect often produce less than optimal threshold voltage values, and vice versa.
Accordingly, a need exists for a manner of providing a flash EPROM cell that has greater flexibility in optimizing core channel implant for short channel effect while maintaining desired threshold voltage.

Non-uniform threshold voltage adjustment in flash eproms through gate work function alteration


An apparatus and method for rinsing and cleaning lines in which milk has flowed in a system for automatically milking animals. The circuit includes a tank for heating water, receiving hot or cold water or a regulated mixture thereof and receiving selectively acid or alkali cleaning agents. The circuit includes a jet rinser for each teat cup and a line from each teat cup to a common milking jar or claw. Fluid from the jar or claw can be recirculated via a pump to the tank or discharged to a sewer. A first supply line for the circuit provides a pre-rinsing liquid, and a second supply line provides a rinsing liquid which is obtained specifically from the tank. Each rinse jetter has an individual valve controlled by the pulsator which, in concert controlled by a computer, equalize the rinsing and cleaning fluids received by each teat cup. Supply lines to the tank from the acid and alkali sources control the mixture of water and the acid or alkali by means of an adjustable controlled Venturi element. A further Venturi adjustably controllable element controls the concentration of cleansing fluid introduced into a water flow for a cleaning element for cleaning the animal's teats.

In actual practice, animals to be milked may be annoyed by the connection and disconnection of the teat cups, particularly when such connection and disconnection is effected automatically. When a teat cup is being connected, air is drawn in through the teat cup by applying a vacuum in for example a milk jar, into which the milk line runs from the teat cup, while a pulsating vacuum is often at the same time applied to the pulsation space by means of a pulsator. The liner of the teat cup then alternates between being unloaded or drawn by suction against the wall of the teat cup, and being pushed away therefrom. When the teat cup is being connected in the latter situation, the teat entering the teat cup is impeded. Such a situation also occurs when disconnection takes place at a time when the liner is pressed against the teat.

Method of automatically milking animals and an implement for applying same


A pushbutton switch is provided with: a switch case; a switch body fixed to the switch case; an elastic sealing body that is formed of an elastic material and covers and seals the switch body; a cap member that is formed of a hard material and is detachably mounted at a top portion of the elastic sealing body; a pushbutton portion provided on the cap member and exposing from a switch exposure aperture on a switch mounting apparatus; and a stopper portion provided on the cap member and configured to interfere with a rear surface of the switch mounting apparatus at a peripheral area of the switch exposure aperture and to restrain the cap member from being detached from the switch mounting apparatus, in a state in which the switch case is fixed to the switch mounting apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pushbutton switch mounting structure.
2. Background Art
JP-B2-3208574 discloses a conventional pushbutton switch. The conventional pushbutton switch has a switch case formed by connecting upper and lower housings to each other, a switch body accommodated in the switch case, and a pushbutton that operates the switch body by performing a push-down operation. The pushbutton is mounted in the switch case to be restrained by the upper housing from being detached therefrom. To prevent water from entering a storage region in the switch body from an operating clearance of the pushbutton, a sealing rubber member is disposed in the switch case so that the peripheral edge portion of the sealing rubber member is put into between the upper and lower housings.
However, the above conventional pushbutton is preliminarily incorporated in the switch case. Thus, for example, in a case where the color specification of the pushbutton is set, it is necessary to assemble the switch case by preliminarily taking the color specification of the pushbutton into consideration. Accordingly, the conventional pushbutton switch has a drawback in lacking production flexibility.
This problem can be solved by enabling the replacement of the pushbutton by, for example, connecting the pushbutton detachably to the rubber member. However, in the case of connecting the pushbutton to the flexible rubber member, generally, high connecting strength therebetween cannot be expected. Thus, troubles, such as detachment of a currently used pushbutton, tend to occur. Although the connecting strength between the pushbutton and the rubber member can be increased by setting an engaging margin for the engagement therebetween to be fairly large, in this case, the workability of mounting the pushbutton therein is extremely deteriorated. Thus, the productivity of the pushbutton switch is reduced. In addition, the possibility of damaging the rubber member is increased. Consequently, the reliability of the sealability of the pushbutton switch is reduced.


A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A cover-support bracket is laid between a rear portion of a side sill and an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of an arm pivot of the trail arm. A portion of the floor under cover which is positioned in the vicinity of its rear end is engaged with the cover-support bracket such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover is extended from an inward-side edge of a front portion of a rear wheel house to an inside of the rear wheel house.

The present invention relates to a vehicle-body lower face structure in which a torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam connecting the trailing arms is provided and a floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face.
In general, the floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to the portion of the vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover the vehicle-body lower face, thereby straightening traveling air flowing below a vehicle floor.
In order to suppress disturbance of a vehicle rear airflow by preventing the traveling air flowing below the vehicle floor from flowing in a rear wheel house, it is preferable that a rear corner portion of the above-described floor under cover be configured to protrude into a space of the rear wheel house. Thereby, it is properly prevented that the vehicle rear airflow is disturbed by an airflow flowing out of the rear wheel house toward a vehicle side face.
However, a floor panel of the vehicle does not exist any more at a position near a rear end of the floor under cover and there is not any member for supporting the rear end of the floor under cover. Accordingly, it is a problem how the rearwardly-extended rear end of the floor under cover is supported.
Herein, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-148647 discloses a structure which comprises the trailing arm of the torsion beam type of rear suspension and the arm cover for airflow straightening which covers the lower portion of the trailing arm. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2017-39354 discloses a structure which comprises the torsion beam type of rear suspension and a rear under cover for airflow straightening which is provided at a rear vehicle-body lower face.
The above-described patent documents, however, do not refer to anything about how to support the rear end portion of the floor under cover.


A system and method for actively managing an enterprise of configurable components is described. A configuration for at least one individual component in a managed domain is stored. The configuration includes a set of configuration parameters and type definitions. A mapping of the configurations is defined between at least two of the individual components. Each mapping specifies a configuration parameter with a relationship dependent on at least one other such configuration parameter. Each such individual component is registered. The configuration parameters and type definitions are validated based on a master set of configuration parameters and type definitions defined for an enterprise. The mappings within the enterprise are enforced by dynamically probing the validated configurable parameters for each such individual component.

Enterprise computing environments include individual localized intranetworks interconnected via wide area internetworks or "Internets." The internetworks can include geographically distributed resources which, when taken as a whole, comprise a unified set of loosely-associated computers. The Internet is an example of a widely used public internetwork that can form part of an enterprise computing environment.
Most enterprise computing environments consist of heterogeneous computing systems, ranging from network appliances and personal computers to mainframes and specialized servers providing access to World Wide Web ("Web") content, Internet applications, and databases. To promote interoperability among these network components, configuration parameters must be carefully designated and tuned to maximize system performance and minimize areas of potential conflict and concern.
The ability to effectively manage inter-platform configurations is crucial to providing reliable and predictable performance. However, providing configuration management on an inter-platform basis is difficult. Different configurations of hardware, operating system, mid-tier and application software present a combinatoric maze of potential configuration parameter scenarios. Commonly-occurring combinations of inter-platform parameter configurations are often discovered by chance only after time-consuming trial and error.
As an example, a Unix operating system-based database server employing a shared memory model must be configured with a fixed number of buffers, shared memory pool space and processes to allow concurrent operation with multiple database instances. The operating system must also be configured to support an upper bound on shared memory size with a sufficient number of semaphores. The dependent relationships between the operating system configuration parameters and those mandated by the database shared memory model are critical to providing reliable concurrent database operation.
Many software vendors, such as Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, Calif., provide certified configurations that guarantee an acceptable level of performance and interoperability. Nevertheless, changes falling outside the bounds of certified configurations can propagate through an enterprise and cause a negative, and often unintentional, effect on dependent systems. Identifying dependent configuration parameter relationships is crucial to enabling impact analyses to be performed prior to effecting actual changes. Validating configuration parameters forms the core of impact analysis.
One problem in managing enterprise environments is the difficulty in checking dependent relationships a priori. The single system paradigm is widely accepted as a sufficient solution. For example, Windows-based environments employ a registry which records the installation of applications and components. The registry aids only individual system configuration management and does not allow the impact of a configuration parameter change be checked against the enterprise. Although dependent relationships may be implicit in the configuration parameter values used, the dependent relationships themselves are not reflected on an inter-platform basis and cannot, therefore, be validated properly.
A further problem in managing enterprise environments is maintaining a consistent definition of "the truth," that is, the global master schemas for component, parameter, and node resource definitions. A related problem is enforcing the master configuration definitions against individual components operating within the enterprise.
In the prior art, four solutions attempt to provide inter-platform configuration management. These include the Infrastructure Management program, licensed by BMC, Houston, Tex.; Tivoli Business System Manager, licensed by IBM, Armonk, N.Y.; Platinum, licensed by Computer Associates, Islandia, N.Y.; and AutoDBA, licensed by SenWare, Golden, Colo. The Infrastructure Management program is composed of multiple modules which monitor and manage different parts of the infrastructure independent of each other. The Tivoli Business System Manager provides a single point of control for managing groups of applications across nodes and distributed systems. Platinum provides performance and event monitoring with user-defined job automation. AutoDBA utilizes neural networks for learned behavior. Although providing some form of inter-platform configuration management, the forgoing solutions fail to provide dependent relationship and context-based configuration management.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach to providing declarative enterprise-wide configuration validation and management. Preferably, such an approach would provide a configuration management operating from a common entry point on an internetwork and intranetwork basis.
There is a further need for an approach to providing a framework for enabling intra- and inter-platform software integration. Preferably, such an approach would identify and enforce configuration management policies through identified dependent relationships and parameter definitions.

System and method for actively managing an enterprise of configurable components


Use of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A as a marker for inflammatory conditions, and in particular, for acute coronary syndromes is described.

Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is a high molecular weight glycoprotein originally isolated from human pregnancy serum. It is routinely used today as an index of placental function and first trimester screen for Down's syndrome. No biological function was known for PAPP-A until recent evidence linked it to the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis, the dynamic balance between IGF-I, IGF binding proteins (IGFBP's), and IGFBP proteases that ultimately determines the extent of IGF-dependent cellular events. PAPP-A specifically cleaves IGFBP-4, which releases IGF-I and makes it available to activate receptors. Lawrence et al. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:3149-3153; and Durham et al. (1994) J. Bone Min. Res. 9:111-117.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research


A method for measuring the total sperm concentration (TSC) in a sample is described and includes: (i) placing the sample in a transparent container between a synchronically pulsed light source and a photodetector; and (ii) measuring the optical absorbance of the sample in the range of 800-1000 nm, the TSC of the sample being proportional to the absorbance. Also described is a sampling device for use in optically analyzing a biological fluid, a method for measuring motile sperm concentration (MSC) in a semen sample, a method of determining the average velocity (AV) of sperm cells and a system for analyzing semen quality including means for measuring TSC, means for measuring MSC; and a video visualization system.

According to WHO statistics, 8-10% of all married couples consult medical professionals after failing to conceive. Over 40 million couples are currently being treated for infertility. Among these infertile couples, it is estimated that the infertility in 40% of the couples is due to male originating causes, and another 20% is due to combined male and female originating causes. Semen analysis is a major technique in evaluating male originating causes.
Standard semen analysis protocol involves the determination of at least three major semen parameters:
1. total sperm concentration (TSC);
2. percentage of motile sperm; and
3. percentage of normal sperm morphologies.
For all practical purposes, semen analysis, a key factor in human male fertility medicine, has not changed since the 1930's and is still done today by microscopic inspection. In fact, it is one of the very few remaining in vitro, body fluid analysis still performed almost solely via manual methods.
This manual methodology involves carefully observing the sperm cells, counting them to determine their concentration, classifying their motility, identifying their morphology, etc. This work requires high expertise, is very labor intensive and if done according to standard protocols, takes at least an hour per test.
Manual assessments are known to be quite inaccurate due to numerous sources of error. The main sources of error are:    Subjectivity of the observer.    The varying criteria used in the different labs and by different observers.    The large statistical errors due to the limited number of sperm analyzed.
The WHO manual (WHO laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and sperm-cervical mucus interaction. 4th edition, Cambridge University Press, 1999) recommends observing not less than 200 sperm and classifying the morphology and motility of each. This itself is an error introducing procedure due to the tediousness and time consuming nature of the task. In practice, 50 to 100 sperm cells at most are analyzed. Even if the observer introduces no errors, the statistical error alone reaches tens of percentages.
As a result of the above methodology, semen analysis test results are globally recognized to be highly subjective, inaccurate and poorly reproducible. Inter lab and inter technician variations are of such proportions that this issue is of major concern in male fertility medicine and the unresolved subject of discussion in the vast majority of symposiums, congresses and conventions on the subject.
In order to overcome these difficulties, medical instrumentation companies have introduced dedicated computerized systems based on image analysis (CASA—Computer Assisted Semen Analyzers). These systems require an extremely high quality image because all their results are based on image processing. Although these systems have attempted to replace manual analysis and establish industry accepted standards, they have not succeeded in either of these objectives.
The first objective could not be achieved because analysis results continue to be dependent on manual settings and on the different makes of equipment. Replacing routine manual analysis is totally impracticable because the systems are extremely expensive, complex and difficult to use. The fact is that such systems are generally not found in routine semen analysis but have rather established their niche almost solely in research centers, university hospitals and occasionally in highly specialized fertility centers.
An additional approach for semen measurements is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,176,953 and 4,197,450, whose entire contents are incorporated herein. These patents describe a method for measuring sperm motility using electro-optical means and an analog signal analyzer. A suspension of sperm cells is continuously examined in a predetermined field in order to detect variations in optical density by the motion of the sperm. An amplitude-modulated analog electrical signal is generated in response to the variations, and the peaks and valleys of this signal are counted over a predetermined time period to provide an abstract parameter termed Sperm Motility Index (SMI). This parameter is related to motility and gives readings which are proportional to the number of motile cells multiplied by their respective velocity.
An automatic sperm analyzer called the Sperm Quality Analyzer (SQA), which provides the SMI parameter, has been on the market for a number of years. The analyzer is used in the following manner: a sperm specimen is taken up by a disposable chamber which has a rubber bulb at one end to aspirate the sample, and a thin measuring compartment at the other end. After aspirating the sample, the measuring compartment is inserted into the SQA and the SMI of the sample is automatically determined. The SMI parameter, although useful in some applications, was not significantly accepted by the medical community as a viable alternative to the conventional microscopic semen measurements.
It is common knowledge that in some fields of veterinary fertility analysis, total sperm concentration (TSC), is evaluated by measuring optical turbidity of the specimen. The physical principle behind this approach is that sperm cells are more opaque than the surrounding seminal plasma, and absorption of a light beam by the specimen is therefore proportional to the TSC.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,562 discloses a method of measuring sperm density by measuring the optical absorbance of a sperm containing sample and relating the absorbance output signal to the density by using at least three summing channels. The disclosed method is intended for use in artificial insemination in the cattle breeding industry, and measures the optical absorbance in the range of 400-700 nm.
This technology however, has not and could not be adopted for human use for the following reasons:
(1) Human sperm concentrations in the normal range (and even in higher than normal cases), are more than an order of magnitude lower than in most of their veterinary counterparts—where this technology has been adopted.
(2) Human cases are treated even when sperm concentrations are far below their normal levels. This of course is not the case for animals. Infertile animals are normally culled—in any case, they are not treated for infertility.
(3) TSC in humans is a parameter, which in itself, is totally insufficient for fertility investigations, and microscopic analysis is in any case required for all the other data in the standard semen analysis protocol. To a large degree, this also holds for veterinary applications. This fact made optical absorption measurements superfluous, and no real effort has been invested in this field.
There is thus a need for a simple, objective technique for measuring TSC in human semen.
According to the WHO manual, sperm motility assessment (considered by most to be the most important single semen parameter) can be carried out manually using a grid system under the microscope or, alternatively, by use of CASA.
CASA provides some advantages over manual methods. However, accuracy and provision of quantitative data are totally dependent on precise semen preparation techniques and instrument settings. These factors (high expertise and sophisticated environment) along with the prohibitive cost of such instrumentation, rule out for all practical purposes their application for routine semen analysis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,966 discloses a motility scanner for characterizing the motion of sperm, bacteria and particles in fluid. The scanner comprises an optical system including a collimating lens, condensing lens, imaging lens and a pair of reflecting elements, a source of illumination, radiation sensing means, signal processing means, and display means. The imaging lens has a useful depth of field at its object plane of at least about 0.2 mm.


The invention describes an improved method for making monosialoganglioside GM3 and its intermediates. Following reaction of a neuraminic acid donor and a lactose acceptor in the presence of an acid catalyst, the .alpha. and .beta. isomers of GM3 are formed. The .alpha. isomer is converted to a lactone, via action of a ring forming basic catalyst, which is then separable from the .beta. isomer. The lactone is then treated with a basic catalyst in the presence of an alcohol, to form GM3 or a GM3 intermediate.

Gangliosides are a class of molecules which are glycolipids. Different gangliosides have been identified as prominent cell surface constituents of various transformed cells, including melanoma, as well as other tumors of neuroectodermal origin. See, e.g., Ritter and Livingston, et al., Sem. Canc. Biol., 2:401-409 (1991) and Oettgen, VCH Verlags Gesellschaft (Weinheim Germany 1989), both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Gangliosides are known as mono-, di-, tri or polysialogangliosides, depending upon the degree of glycosylation with sialic acid residues. Abbreviations employed to identify these molecules include "GM1", "GD3", "GT1", etc., with the "G" standing for ganglioside, "M", "D" or "T", etc. referring to the number of sialic acid residues, and the number or number plus letter (e.g., "GT1a"), referring to the binding pattern observed for the molecule. See Lehninger, Biochemistry, pg. 294-296 (Worth Publishers, 1981); Wiegandt, Glycolipids: New Comprehensive Biochemistry (Neuberger et al., ed., Elsevier, 1985), pp. 199-260.
The monosialoganglioside GM3 has the structure:
2.alpha.NeuAc.fwdarw.3Gal.beta.1.fwdarw.4GK.beta.1-ceramide
The gangliosides are prevalent cell surface markers on transformed cells, such as melanoma. This has made them attractive targets for cancer research. Livingston, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84:2911-2915 (1987), which is incorporated herein by reference, describe results of a vaccine based trial, wherein subjects afflicted with melanoma received, as vaccines, either whole cells which present high levels of GM2, pure GM2 or pure GM2 plus bacterial adjuvant. Attention is drawn to Livingston, et al., J. Clin. Oncol., 12(5):1036-1044 (1994), and Irie, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,931, both of which are incorporated herein by reference, and deal with the use of GM2 as a vaccine.
There are difficulties unique to the immunology of gangliosides, which are touched upon briefly here. First, while these molecules are prevalent on transformed cells, they are also common on certain normal cells, such as neural cells. There is a risk, in administering gangliosides to a subject, that the resulting antibody response will damage normal cells. Indeed, certain autoimmune pathologies, such as Guillain-Barre' Syndrome, are characterized by autoimmune antibodies reactive with GM1 or GQ1b. See, e.g., Yuki, et al., J. Exp. Med., 178:11771-1775 (1993); Aspinall, et al., Infect & Immun., 62(5):2122-2125 (1994).
There is an additional practical problem in that highly pure gangliosides are extremely difficult to secure in amounts sufficient for immunization protocols. No practical synthetic method is presently available. As a result, gangliosides are secured via purification from tissue, such as bovine cranial tissues. Even under optimum conditions, the yields of pure gangliosides, including GM2 and GM3, are vanishingly small. Further, purification from mammalian tissue carries with it the risk of transmitting contaminants such as viruses, prion particles, and so forth. Alternate methodologies for securing ganglioside specific antibodies are thus highly desirable.
Due to the importance of gangliosides, it is desirable to develop a method of synthesizing high yields of pure gangliosides. The inventors of the instant application have developed novel methods of synthesizing pure GM2s, in high yields. Other methods of developing synthetic GM2s are described in Hasegawa et al., J. Carbohydrate Chemistry, 11(6):699-714 (1992) and Sugimoto et al., Carbohydrate Research, 156:C1-C5 (1986). The invention described herein develops the art in that the methods described herein are not suggested by these references.
Synthesis of GM2 can be expedited if GM3 is used as a starting material; however, GM3 is difficult to obtain from the source materials described supra, for all of the reasons given. Hence, it is desirable to have a process available which facilitates large scale production of GM3, which is free of the problems set forth supra. The invention relates, inter alia, to a process which meets these goals.


Aspects of image capture challenge access are described. In one embodiment, an access service of a computing device directs an imaging system to capture an image including facial fiducial features and determine whether the features correspond to an expected set of features. The access service may also issue a request for a response including, for example, a request to tilt or move the computing device, move an individual's face, or contort an individual's facial features. After the request for the response, the access service may capture a response image. The response image may include an adjustment to facial fiducial features. The access service may further determine whether the adjustment to the facial fiducial features corresponds to the request. Depending upon whether the adjustment corresponds to the request, the access service may permit or deny access to features of the computing device.

In various computing systems and devices, access control is often relied upon to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and services. Different types of access control may rely upon passwords, software or hardware keys, biometric keys, multi-factor authentication, etc. It should be appreciated, however, that certain types of access control may not be suitable for use with certain computing systems and devices. For example, different types of access control may be more or less susceptible to attack and circumvention, comparatively. Thus, for securing especially sensitive data, a weak type of access control may be unsuitable. Meanwhile, from a usability standpoint, certain types of access control may be more or less difficult and/or frustrating for a user to use. Generally, it is necessary to select an appropriate type of access control based upon a balance of the type of computing system or device being protected, the expectations of the user, and the consequences of access control circumvention, among other factors.


A detergent compositions comprising an alkaline protease, having an optimum pH range on the alkaline side, having an activity of hydrolyzing human horny keratin fiber of 40 KFU/APU or more, possessing a superior activity toward insoluble proteins, and exhibiting a sufficient activity in a wide temperature range, exhibit excellent detergency toward protein soils.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to detergent compositions, and, more particularly, to detergent compositions exhibiting an excellent detergency against protein soil. The present invention also relates to alkaline proteases which exhibit a high activity for hydrolyzing human horny keratin fiber and microorganisms which produce such proteases.
2. Description of the Background
Conventionally, various proteases have been incorporated into detergents for washing clothes and detergents for automated dish-washing machines in order to remove protein soil. Alkaline proteases exhibiting their activities in an alkaline region are used for such proteases.. Typical examples of such alkaline proteases are Alcalase, Savinase (a product of Novo Nordisk Co.), API-21 (Showa Denko Co., Ltd.), Maxacal (Gist Brocades Co.), and the like. Problems with many of these alkaline proteases have been their insufficient detergency against insoluble protein soils in such portions of clothes as collars, sleeves, and the like. Detergent compositions in which these alkaline proteases are incorporated do not exhibit sufficient detergency against protein soils.
Ya enzyme is reported (Japanese Patent Laid-open (kokai) No. 280278/1986) to be stable against surface active agents. This enzyme, however, is active on the high temperature range, and therefore generally is not suitable for use as a detergent to be used around room temperature.
Thus, there remains a need for detergent composition with a superior capability of removing protein soils, using an alkaline protease which is highly stable in surfactant solutions, active in a wide temperature range, and active for insoluble proteins.


A system for generating and monitoring voltages on a variety of different components on a common printed circuit board. The system includes a programmable controller, a plurality of DC/DC converters for producing voltages for the devices and a plurality of voltage regulators for produced voltages for a plurality of CPUs on the board, such CPU voltages being produced in accordance with VIDs provided to the regulator by the CPU. The programmable controller: establishes a set point voltage for such one of the DC/DC converters; sequentially monitors the produced voltages produced, monitors voltages produced by the regulators for the CPUs by comparing the VIDs to the voltages produced by the regulators, and if during the sequencing any one of the converters is determined by the programmable controller as producing an improper voltage or if the any one of the regulators fails top produce the voltage indicated by the VIDs, disables the board.

As is known in the art, many systems require generating and monitoring voltages generated for a variety of different components on a common printed circuit board. One such system is a data storage system used to interface between a large host computer or server (collectively referred to herein as "host computer/servers") and a bank of magnetic disk drives. The interface includes "front end" or host computer/server controllers (or directors) and "back-end" or disk controllers (or directors). The interface operates the controllers (or directors) in such a way that they are transparent to the host computer/server. That is, data is stored in, and retrieved from, the bank of disk drives in such a way that the host computer/server merely thinks it is operating with its own local disk drive. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,939, entitled "System and Method for Disk Mapping and Data Retrieval", inventors Moshe Yanai, Natan Vishlitzky, Bruno Alterescu and Daniel Castel, issued Apr. 27, 1993, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
As is also known in the art, such a system typically includes a plurality of printed circuit boards having thereon the controllers. These controllers include a plurality of CPUs, DRAMs, ASICs as well as other integrated circuit chips. The CPUs typically require one level and time characteristics of voltages while each of the other ICS require still different levels of voltages.
One technique used to supply a voltage to the CPU is by the CPU generating a digital code, such as the VID code for setpoint control of a voltage regulator used to supply the voltage to the CPU. More particularly, a voltage regulator module (VRM) is used to provide the voltage for the CPU. The VRM is an electronic device that provides a microprocessor (or CPU) the proper supply voltage. The proper supply voltage is communicated by the microprocessor to the VRM at startup via a number of bits called a VID (voltage identificator). In particular, the VRM initially provides a standard supply voltage to the VID logic, which is the part of the processor whose only aim is to then send the VID to the VRM. When the VRM has received the VID identifying the required supply voltage, it starts acting as a voltage regulator, providing the proper voltage supply to the processor.
One technique used to provide different voltages to the different ICs is with a plurality of non-VRM circuits, such as a DC/DC point-of-load (POL) converter, one such non-VRM point-of-load converter for each IC voltage, each one of the point-of-loads providing a different voltage.

System for generating and monitoring voltages generated for a variety of different components on a common printed circuit board


A rapid installation and detachment device for flush mounting speaker on ceiling or wall is composed of a hinge bracket, coil springs, gaiters, press fits, cushion springs and stop blocks. The above mechanisms are driven by the coil springs to rapidly and efficiently install a speaker on the hinge bracket. The detachment of the speaker never damages the surrounding surface material of the ceiling or wall. The device is applicable to all kinds of surface materials with different thickness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rapid installation and detachment device for flush mounting speaker on ceiling or wall. By employing this device, the installation and detachment for a flush mounting speaker on the surface of the ceiling or wall can be performed more rapidly and effectively than any conventional means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently due to booming economic expansion, large scale supermarkets, department stores and the whole-sale plazas are increasing at a great speed around the world. It is necessary for owners to promote their merchandise in every possible way. Among which to install flush mounting loud speakers on the ceiling or wall surface is the most effective and appealing practice even in the public buildings, schools or hospitals. The speaker installed as such looks not only clean and neat, but also is free from danger of accidental destruction.
However, speaking of a flush mounted ceiling speaker, for example, installation work to be carried out in high location is a tedious and time consuming work. Especially when bolt and nut combination is used to fasten the speaker onto the ceiling or wall may lead to destructing the appearance of the surface thereof after the equipment is detached.
For these defects noticeable on the prior art, an improvement is seriously required. The inventor of the present invention has plunged into this matter for years to study and correct these defects, and finally comes up with the present invention.

Rapid installation and detachment device for flush mounting speaker on ceiling or wall


An apparatus and method are provided for modifying a flow characteristic, such as a valve characteristic, through use of a flow characterizing device having a segmented flow characterizing channel therein including three or more discrete segments, at least one of which is a through-hole, for modifying a flow of fluid through a flowpath, in which the flow characterizing device is mounted, when a controlling edge, mounted in the flowpath adjacent the flow characterizing device, is aligned with one or more of the three or more discrete segments of the flow characterizing channel. Either or both of the flow characterizing channel and the controlling edge are selectively movable relative to one another.

In many types of fluid systems, it is necessary to modulate or otherwise control a flow of fluid through a fluid circuit. For example, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for building typically include multiple fluid circuits providing heated or chilled water to heat exchangers within the building. The flow of fluid in the circuits is generally modulated by one or more valves in each fluid circuit, which are operatively connected to and controlled by a control device, such as a thermostat, to provide a flow of fluid to the heat exchangers which will result in a desired temperature being maintained in inside the building.
As part of the process of selecting a control valve for use in a particular fluid system, the relationship between the effective flow area of the control valve, relative to the degree of opening, is known as the "valve characteristic." For valves used in HVAC systems, it is typically desirable to have a so-called "equal percentage" valve characteristic, over a desired range of fluid flows. In a valve exhibiting equal percentage characteristics, a change in the degree of opening of the valve (as a percentage) with respect to a previous given degree of opening, will result in an equal percentage change in fluid flow over the fluid flow at the previous given degree of opening. For example, if opening the valve by an additional 10% causes a corresponding 10% increase in fluid flow, the valve exhibits equal percentage characteristics. A valve with equal percentage flow characteristics increases fluid flow at a very low rate when the valve first begins to open, and then, as the degree of opening becomes larger, the rate of increase in fluid flow for an incremental increase in opening becomes larger.
It is understood by those having skill in the art, however, that, while having a valve providing a true equal percentage valve characteristic is a desirable theoretical goal, most actual control valves do not inherently exhibit such characteristics over their entire operating range. For example, although it is often desirable to use ball valves in such HVAC systems, for various reasons including reliability, small size and relatively low cost, the valve characteristics of ball valves are not generally inherently well suited for use in HVAC applications.
A typical ball valve includes a valve member, generally in the form of a spherical ball, which is rotatably mounted between two seals in a valve housing. The valve housing defines a flowpath extending upstream and downstream from the valve member, and the valve member includes a bore extending therethrough that can be selectively aligned with the flowpath for regulating fluid flow through the flowpath.
Both the bore through the valve member, and the flowpath in the housing typically have circular cross sections. As the valve member is rotated through an angle of 90 degrees, the bore moves from a fully open position, in which the bore is fully aligned with the flowpath, to a fully closed position, in which the bore extends perpendicularly to the flowpath, with both ends of the bore located between the two seals, so that no fluid can flow through the ball. As the bore opens, a leading edge of the bore forms a controlling edge of the outer surface of the ball, which moves transversely across the flowpath as the valve member is moved from the fully closed toward the fully open positions.
The transverse position of the controlling edge in the flowpath defines an effective axially opening area of the flowpath, which appears in cross section to be generally "football shaped" having two oppositely pointing ends joined by a pair of oppositely outwardly curved edges which form a shape that is wider in the middle than at the pointed ends. As the controlling edge moves transversely to the flowpath, the football shaped area opens and closes rather rapidly, as the ball is rotated, particularly when the valve first begins to open.
Although this rapid change in area is a desirable characteristic in ball valves used in on-off type applications, where the ball valve is simply moved from the fully open position to the fully closed position, such rapid changes in cross sectional area are not typically desirable in applications, such as HVAC systems, where the ball valve is to be used for modulating fluid flow at partially open positions of the valve. This rapid change in area also does not provide a desired equal percentage flow characteristic over any portion of the operating range of the ball valve, between the fully open and fully closed positions, making a ball valve an inherently poor choice for use as a modulating valve in an HVAC system.
Through the years, however, manufacturers of ball valves have learned that by adding a flow characterizing device adjacent to the valve member of the ball valve, or within the bore of the valve member, the inherent flow characteristics of the ball valve can be modified to provide significantly improved performance in ball valves used as modulating control valves in HVAC systems. Through the use of such flow characterizing devices, an equal percentage valve characteristic can be sometimes be provided over at least a portion of the operating range of the ball valve.
Prior flow characterizing devices have often included a wall, extending across the flowpath, having a surface that is configured to closely conform to the outer surface of the valve member. The wall includes a specially shaped opening, that restricts the cross sectional area for fluid flow, to less than that which would otherwise be inherently presented by the degree of alignment of the bore in the valve member with the flowpath, in such a manner that the rapidly opening and closing characteristics of the ball valve are modified to provide a flow characteristic that better resembles a theoretical equal percentage flow characteristic, or some other flow characteristic which may be more desirable for a particular application than the inherent rapid opening and closing characteristic of a ball valve that does not include a flow characterizing device.
Through the years, prior flow characterizing devices have utilized single or multiple openings in a wide array of shapes and sizes extending through the wall. Where it is desired to provide an equal percentage characteristic over at least a portion of the valve operational range, a single elongated opening has often been utilized, with the elongated opening extending transversely across the flowpath from an apex located near the fully closed position of the controlling edge, (i.e. the point at which the bore in the valve member first begins to open or is fully closed) to an opposite, considerably wider, end of the elongated opening that is located near the fully open position of the controlling edge.
Between the apex and the opposite end, the sidewalls of the elongated opening have taken many shapes, through the years, in prior valve characterizing devices. In an early approach, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,511, to Bentley-Leek, a flow characterizing insert, having a generally triangular shaped opening, similar to the opening shown in FIG. 1A, was utilized. In a later approach, which is still in use today, Worcester Controls offered a line of "Characterized Seat Valves," in which one of the seals of a ball valve included a wall defining an elongated opening in one of a variety of shapes, and combinations of shapes, including slots, holes and/or angled sides, as shown in FIGS. 1B–F, extending across the flowpath. More recently, others have proposed using elongated holes having side walls forming simple parabolic or other curved shapes, as shown in FIG. 1E, and exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,890, to Marandi
In even more recent prior approaches, as shown in FIGS. 1F–H, and exemplified by published U.S. patent application number US 2001/0030309 A1, to Carlson, et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,591, to Tuttle, et al; flow characterizing devices in the form of inserts or bearings included openings having side walls of complex curved shapes extending from a narrow apex, or pointed end, that was disposed adjacent the fully closed position of the controlling edge, when the flow characterizing device was installed adjacent the outer surface of a ball valve. In such arrangements, the opening is typically very narrow adjacent the apex, and then diverges rapidly in a smooth curve to provide a substantially wider open area adjacent an end of the opening opposite the apex.
The continual development, spanning several decades, in the shape and complexity of openings in flow characterizing devices is indicative of the practical difficulties involved both in designing and producing a characterizing device having an opening shape that will provide a desired valve characteristic, which may in some cases include at least portion thereof that approximates an equal percentage characteristic.
Designing such openings is made difficult by several factors, particularly where it is desired to have an equal percentage valve characteristic. In addition to the requirement that a valve characteristic provide an equal percentage characteristic over at least a desired range of controlled flows, it is generally a requirement that a ball valve provide a desired valve coefficient (CV) at a fully open position, and that the valve be capable of completely shutting off flow at the fully closed position of the valve member. In general, it is desirable that the valve be capable of supplying almost full flow at openings of 80% or greater, and provide for precise control of flow at valve openings between 0% and 80%, preferably according to an equal percentage characteristic for valves used to control flow in HVAC systems.
It is so difficult, in fact, to simultaneously meet all of these requirements in a single theoretical equal percentage characteristic curve, that designers typically utilize modified characteristic curves, having different incremental percentages for valve openings in the region from 80% to 100% of fully open, than are used in the range of 10% to 80% of fully open. Because a true equal percentage curve will never decrease totally to zero from any starting point at which the valve is open, designers must also typically modify the theoretical characteristic curve in some manner, for the range of valve openings below a low value, such as 10%, to cause the valve to close fully. Mathematical curves describing such modified equal percentage curves can be quite complex to develop, as exemplified in the US patent application referenced above, to Carlson et al, by a device "having a cross sectional area which approximates ea (h/100−1), where a is between about 2 and 5, and h is the valve shaft position, but modified so that the cross-sectional area is zero, when h is zero."
Even after such complex mathematical descriptions are developed by the designer, many practical difficulties exist which make it difficult to actually produce a flow characterizing device that will perform in accordance with the theoretical curve. Considerable difficulty is created by the very small, narrow, openings that are required adjacent the apex of the openings in prior characterizing devices. Complex manufacturing processes are typically required, such as cutting with a computer guided Laser or EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining), to accurately hold the tolerances on the dimensions of the complex shaped openings within tight enough limits to achieve the performance predicted by the theoretical characteristic curve developed by the designer. In some prior approaches, as exemplified by in the U.S. patent to Tuttle, et al, referenced above, it is suggested that the a valve seat be constructed of two halves which are lapped to fit closely together and secured together in a precise inter-fitting relationship, with corresponding portions of an aperture being formed in each half of the two halves.
Carlson, et al, teaches that, for very small flows, the opening tends to be very narrow adjacent the apex, creating a risk that dirt particles or other contamination may accumulate and interfere with operation of the valve. Carlson discloses disposing a cover or "tent" over the apex, leaving the flared ends uncovered, so that the cover prevents fluid from flowing directly from one side of the disk to the opposite side. Instead, the fluid has to flow sideways to find the portion of the opening that is not covered. The fluid has to flow a relatively long way before it passes the disk. Thus, according to Carlson, the cover enables the use of a larger opening near the apex while maintaining the desired flow characteristics. Carlson further asserts that the larger the opening adjacent the apex, the easier it will be for particles to pass, and that the cover maintains the desired flow characteristics while minimizing particle accumulation. Carlson does not, however, disclose a desired shape for the cover and the opening adjacent the apex, in order to provide flow control when the port in the ball is positioned to exchange fluid only with the covered portion of the opening, so that all flow passing through the disk must pass through the covered portion of the opening.
In addition to the problems involved in holding the tight tolerances that are required on the dimensions of the elongated opening, prior valves have also required a close conformance between the inner surface of the wall of the flow characterizing device and the outer surface of the valve member. As stated in the U.S. patent application to Carlson, et al, cited above, the "[s]urface of the disk that faces the ball advantageously is concave and substantially corresponds to the spherical surface of the ball or plug inside the valve. The disk is preferably mounted with its concave surface resting on or, more preferably, very close to the ball or plug. Preferably, a space between the disk and ball or plug is left so as to minimize fluid from flowing between the disk and the ball or plug (i.e., by-pass flow) yet so as to avoid interference of the disk with the ball or plug and to allow smooth operation of the valve. Most preferably, the space ranges from about 0.0005 to 0.0015 inches, and more preferably is about 0.001 inches." Fabricating and mounting flow characterizing devices meeting such tight requirements for conformance is a difficult manufacturing task.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved apparatus and method for providing a flow characterizing device for a fluid control valve, meeting the requirements and overcoming one or more of the problems described above in relation to the prior art. It is also desirable to provide such an improved apparatus and method in a form that results in reducing the torque required for repositioning the valve member in a ball valve. This is especially true for ball valves having an actuator motor connected to the valve member for repositioning the valve member, because lowering the torque requirement will allow a smaller actuator to be utilized. Generally speaking, smaller actuators can be produced at lower cost than larger actuators, and require less input power, thereby reducing both the initial cost and the operating cost of the actuator.


A non-aqueous wellbore fluid comprises a non-aqueous continuous phase with one or more organic salts having the formula ((R1-Q)pX)mZn, one or more oligomeric organic salts based on linked ((R1-Q)pX)mZn subunits, or a combination thereof dissolved therein. X is a negatively charged functional group. R1 is an organic group comprising a principal straight chain and one or more side chains which branch from and are shorter than said principal straight chain. Q is a covalent bond or a polar linkage group which connects a terminal atom of the principal straight chain of the organic group R1 to the functional group X. p is a positive integer which is the number of organic groups R1 which are connected to the functional group X. Z is a cation. m and n are positive integers which ensure that the organic salts are charge neutral. The one or more organic salts increase the electrical conductivity of the wellbore fluid.

In the process of rotary drilling a well, a drilling fluid or mud is circulated down the rotating drill pipe, through the bit, and up the annular space between the pipe and the formation or steel casing, to the surface. The drilling fluid performs different functions such as removal of cuttings from the bottom of the hole to the surface, to suspend cuttings and weighting material when the circulation is interrupted, control subsurface pressure, isolate the fluids from the formation by providing sufficient hydrostatic pressure to prevent the ingress of formation fluids into the wellbore, cool and lubricate the drill string and bit, maximise penetration rate etc. An important objective in drilling a well is also to secure the maximum amount of information about the type of formations being penetrated and the type of fluids or gases in the formation. This information is obtained by analysing the cuttings, by electrical logging technology and by the use of various downhole logging techniques, including electrical measurements.
The required functions can be achieved by a wide range of fluids composed of various combinations of solids, liquids and gases and classified according to the constitution of the continuous phase mainly in two groupings: aqueous drilling fluids, and non-aqueous drilling fluids.
Aqueous fluids are the most commonly used drilling fluid type. The aqueous phase is made up of fresh water or, more often, of a brine. As discontinuous phase, they may contain gases, water-immiscible fluids such as diesel oil which form an oil-in-water emulsion, and solids including clays and weighting material such as barite. The properties are typically controlled by the addition of clay minerals, polymers and surfactants.
In drilling water-sensitive zones such as reactive shales, production formations, or where bottom hole temperature conditions are severe or where corrosion is a major problem, non-aqueous drilling fluids are preferred. The continuous phase is typically a mineral or synthetic oil and commonly contains water or brine as discontinuous phase to form a water-in-oil or invert emulsion. Non-aqueous fluids also typically contain a solid phase, which is essentially similar to that of aqueous fluids, and additives for the control of density, rheology and fluid loss. The invert emulsion is formed and stabilised with the aid of one or more specially selected emulsifiers.
Although non-aqueous drilling fluids are more expensive than water-based muds, it is because of their superior technical performance that they are often used for drilling operations.
However, because of their very low electrical conductivity oil-based muds have been at a technical disadvantage in the area of electrical well-logging. Various logging operations are performed during the drilling operation, for example while drilling in the reservoir region of an oil/gas well, in order to image or otherwise analyse the type of formation and the material therein. In this way it is possible to locate the pay zone, i.e. where the reservoir is perforated in order to allow the inflow of hydrocarbons to the wellbore.
Some logging tools work on the basis of resistivity contrast at different parts of the formation. These are known as resistivity logging tools. Briefly alternating current flows through the formation between electrodes of the logging tool. The fluid in the formation comprises intrinsic formation fluid and filtrate which has penetrated the formation from the wellbore. Thus the resistivity of the formation will vary depending on e.g. the permeability of the formation and the ratio of formation fluid to filtrate in the formation.
At present the use of resistivity logging tools is limited mainly to cases where an aqueous drilling fluid is used for the drilling operation, as the very low conductivity of the non-aqueous continuous phase in e.g. oil-based muds precludes the use of resistivity tools in such fluids. Although brine dispersed in the non-aqueous continuous phase is electrically conductive, the discontinuous nature of the droplets prevents the flow of electricity. Indeed, the inability of such emulsions to conduct electricity (until a very high potential difference is applied) is used as a standard test of emulsion stability. The electrical conductivity of the oil-base of a typical non-aqueous wellbore fluid is commonly in the range 10−8 to 5×10−4 ìS·cm−1 at 20° C. while an electrical conductivity of not less than 0.1 ìS·cm−1 and preferably of not less than 10 ìS·cm−1 is desirable for electrical logging operations.
Another example where fluid conductivity plays an important part in the drilling operation is in directional drilling where signals produced at the drill assembly are transmitted through an electrically conductive medium to the control unit and/or mud telemetry unit further back on the drill string.
In our previous application WO 99/14285 we described wellbore fluids with a non-aqueous continuous phase comprising a polar organic liquid and a dissolved quaternary ammonium salt (e.g. tetrabutyl ammonium halide) which forms an organic cation in solution. While it is possible in this way to increase significantly the conductivity of the wellbore fluid, a problem remains that such salts can be toxic e.g. to marine animal life. Therefore, such fluids may not be suitable for use in off-shore hydrocarbon recovery operations.
Salts which produce organic anions have also been investigated with the aim of imparting conductivity to non-aqueous solubilising agents. Thus, for example, magnesium oleate as been used as an anti-static additive in dry-cleaning fluids (see e.g. W. F. Whitmore and M. Lauro, Ind. Eng. Chem., 22, 646-649, (1930) and H. Silman, Soaps, 12, 31-33, (1936))). However, such investigations have not generally been pursued in the area of hydrocarbon recovery because commonly-available, organic anion-producing salts, such as metal oleates, have low solubilities in the continuous phase of typical non-aqueous wellbore fluids.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrically conductive non-aqueous wellbore fluid with a low toxicity.
Definitions
The term "organic", when used herein, pertains to compounds and/or groups which comprise, at least, carbon atoms.
The terms "carbo", "carbyl", "hydrocarbo" and "hydrocarbyl", when used herein, pertain to compounds and/or groups which have only carbon and hydrogen atoms.
The term "ring", when used herein, pertains to a closed ring of from 3 to 10 covalently linked atoms, more preferably 3 to 8 covalently linked atoms.
The term "cyclic", when used herein, pertains to compounds and/or groups which have one ring, or two or more rings (e.g. spiro, fused, bridged). Compounds with one ring may be referred to as "monocyclic" or "mononuclear" whereas compounds with two or more rings may be referred to as "polycyclic" or "polynuclear".
The term "aliphatic", when used herein, pertains to compounds and/or groups which are linear or branched, but not cyclic (also known as "acyclic" or "open-chain" groups).
The term "aromatic ring", when used herein, pertains to a closed ring of from 3 to 10 covalently linked atoms, more preferably 5 to 8 covalently linked atoms, which ring is aromatic.
The term "heterocyclic ring", when used herein, pertains to a closed ring of from 3 to 10 covalently linked atoms, more preferably 3 to 8 covalently linked atoms, wherein at least one of the ring atoms is a multivalent ring heteroatom, for example, nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, oxygen, and sulphur, though more commonly nitrogen, oxygen, and sulphur.
The term "aromatic", when used herein, pertains to compounds and/or groups which have one ring, or two or more rings (e.g., fused), wherein said ring(s) are aromatic.
The term "alicyclic", when used herein, pertains to compounds and/or groups which have one ring, or two or more rings (e.g., spiro, fused, bridged), wherein said ring(s) are not aromatic.
The term "straight chain", when used herein, pertains to a chain of consecutively linked atoms, all of which or the majority of which are carbon atoms. Side chains may branch from the straight chain, but the number of atoms in the straight chain does not include the number of atoms in any such side chains.
By "non-aqueous wellbore fluid" we mean a fluid (such as a drilling fluid, fracturing fluid etc.) which has a non-aqueous continuous phase formed from oil, synthetic base, natural base, or a mixture thereof. Examples of typical oils are crude oil, and hydrocarbon refined fractions from crude oil such as diesel fuel or mineral oil. Examples of typical synthetic bases are synthetic hydrocarbons such as n-paraffins, alpha-olefins, internal olefins and poly-alphaolefins; and synthetic liquids such as dialkyl ethers, alkyl alkanoate esters and acetals. Examples of natural bases are triglycerides such as rape-seed oil and sunflower oil. Discontinuous phases, such as aqueous emulsions (e.g. formed from brine) and solids (e.g. clays and barite or hematite weighting agents), may be present in the fluid. Furthermore, the fluid may contain additives such as polymers and surfactants e.g. to stabilise emulsions or to act as fluid loss control agents.
By an "oligomeric" or "oligomer" organic salt we mean that the structure of the salt is based on from two to eight (preferably two to five, and more preferably two or three) linked organic salt subunits, each subunit having a negatively charged head group and an organic tail group which is bonded at a terminal atom thereof to the head group. The subunits are linked head group-to-head group in the oligomer, by (e.g. C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, or C6) organic (preferably aliphatic and/or hydocarbyl) linkage groups or covalent bonds. The oligomer, therefore, has distinct tail groups corresponding to the tail groups of the subunits and a super-head group formed from the plural head groups of the subunits. Although the oligomer is defined in relation to a chemically-corresponding subunit, in practice the oligomer surfactant may be synthesised using a different subunit. For example, a synthesis route may be adopted in which subunits are first oligomerised and the head groups are then changed to those of the desired negatively charged head group. That is, the head groups of the subunits used for the oligomerisation may be different from the head groups of the subunits to which the final oligomer chemically corresponds.

Electrically conductive non-aqueous wellbore fluid


The invention relates to a shock-absorbing actuator including a cylindrical body and a hollow rod having an annular piston. The cylindrical body includes a separator piston delimiting two hydraulic fluid chambers, one of which communicates via a distributor valve with the hydraulic circuit of the aircraft, said distributor valve being closed automatically at the end of lowering the landing gear; the annular chamber communicates via a second distributor valve with said hydraulic circuit. The distributor valves thus make it possible to extend and retract the shock-absorbing actuator. In addition, a force peak-limiting means is disposed in an extension extending beyond an end wall of the body that forms one of the abutments for the separator piston.

Firstly, it should be recalled that in the particular case of helicopters, the system designed to absorb energy generally includes provision to limit force peaks in the event of the helicopter falling at high speed due to a breakdown of its support system. When the landing gear of the helicopter is of the rocker type, the shock absorber for normal use is hinged at its bottom end to the rocker arm and at its top end to the structure of the helicopter, and it extends substantially vertically, such that the reaction from the ground via the associated wheel or wheels tends to pivot the rocker arm and thrust the rod of the shock absorber into the body thereof. As a result, in the event of a crash landing, since the vertical impact speed is much greater than in normal operation, it is necessary to provide force peak-limiting means capable of coming into action as quickly as possible.
Thus, shock absorbers are known having a low-pressure chamber and fitted with force peak-limiting means in the form of a separator piston delimiting a chamber containing gas under high-pressure. In that case, under conditions of normal use, the vertical reaction from the ground causes the rod to be retracted into the main body, thereby compressing a volume of gas contained in the low-pressure chamber, with said retraction movements being braked by a throttling device. In contrast, in the event of a crash landing, since the impact speed is much higher, the pressure induced by the throttling device is communicated by the oil in the separator piston cylinder, and since the pressure then applied to the separator piston exceeds the pressure to which the high-pressure chamber is inflated, said piston moves downwards, compressing said chamber.
Such shock absorbers are used at present for fitting to the landing gear of airplanes or of helicopters, however they are not designed also to provide an actuator function for lowering and raising drive purposes, such that said actuator function is provided by a separate driving actuator.
In some cases, there is a requirement for a shock absorber that is also capable of providing an actuator function, which we refer to as a "shock-absorbing actuator".
A shock-absorbing actuator is already known that comprises a cylindrical body, and a hollow rod having an open end forming an annular piston that slides in sealed manner inside the cylindrical body, together with hydraulic shock-absorbing means including a diaphragm and surmounted by a volume of hydraulic fluid that delimits a chamber containing gas (e.g. nitrogen) at low-pressure, and also force peak-limiting means that act in the event of a crash landing.
Document FR-A-2 608 242 describes a shock-absorbing actuator of that type, and more precisely it comprises a main body disposed below a rod-piston, the bottom end of the main body including a high-pressure chamber which is adjacent to a low-pressure chamber via a flexible separation membrane capable of bearing against a perforated rigid support secured to said body, together with a throttling device that brakes the displacements of the rod inside the main body by throttling the fluid contained in said body and adjacent to the low-pressure chamber. The rod-piston is hollow, and it receives a separator piston that delimits two hydraulic chambers. The throttling device includes a central pressure-release valve that acts in the event of the rod being forced in suddenly, and the device is also associated with a cylindrico-conical tube that absorbs energy by undergoing plastic deformation.
The shock-absorbing actuator described in the above-specified document provides the actuator function by connecting the two hydraulic chambers to a hydraulic distributor valve block. The chambers comprise a chamber for retracting or raising the landing gear by causing the rod to be retracted into the body, and a landing gear lowering or extending chamber that causes the rod to extend out from the body, and the hydraulic distributor valve block is capable of feeding hydraulic fluid under pressure to said chambers or of allowing them to empty into the tank of the aircraft's hydraulic circuit.
Such a shock-absorbing actuator nevertheless remains relatively complicated, and in particular it requires a throttling device that is servo-controlled in velocity, and which needs to be adjusted accurately.

Shock-absorbing actuator for fitting to landing gear of heavier-than-air aircraft, in particular helicopters


Provided are an organic light emitting display (OLED) device and method for manufacturing the same. The OLED device includes: a plurality of gate lines in one direction on a substrate, a plurality of light-shielding patterns corresponding to at least parts of peripheries of the respective pixel regions on the substrate, the light-shielding patterns spaced apart from the gate lines, at least one insulating film covering the substrate, the gate lines, and the light-shielding patterns, a plurality of data lines in another direction crossing the gate lines on the insulating film to define the pixel areas, a passivation film covering the insulating film and the data lines, a plurality of color filters in the pixel areas on the passivation film, an over-coating film evenly covering the passivation film and covering the color filters, and a plurality of organic light emitting elements in the pixel areas on the over-coating film.

1. Technical Field
The following description relates to an organic light emitting display device to improve image quality and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The recent advent of an information-dependent age has brought about rapid development in the field of displays that visually displays electrical information signals. In this regard, research to impart functions such as thinness, weight reduction, and low power consumption to a variety of flat panel displays having superior properties is underway.
Representative examples of flat panel displays include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), field emission displays (FEDs), electro-luminescence displays (ELDs), electro-wetting displays (EWDs), organic light emitting displays (OLEDs), and the like.
Such a flat panel display necessarily includes a flat display panel. The flat display panel has a structure in which a pair of substrates are joined to each other such that they face each other via an inherent light-emitting material or a polarization material and includes a display surface in which a display area and a periphery thereof (i.e., a non-display area) are defined. The display area is defined by a plurality of pixel areas.
Among the flat panel displays, the organic light emitting display (OLED) devices display an image using organic light emitting elements which spontaneously emit light. That is, the organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of organic light emitting elements corresponding to a plurality of pixel areas.
As such, the organic light emitting display device displays an image using the organic light emitting element corresponding to the each pixel area, thus eliminating the necessity of black matrices to prevent light leakage in the periphery of each pixel area.
However, in a general organic light emitting display device, light emitted from the exterior or from adjacent pixel areas is reflected by metal patterns, which causes generation of light leakage in the periphery of the pixel area. For this reason, there are problems such as distortion of color coordinates, deterioration in contrast ratio, and deterioration in image quality.
Accordingly, a polarizing film may be adhered to the display surface in order to prevent light leakage. In this case, problems such as deterioration in brightness and an increase in manufacturing cost are generated due to the presence of the polarizing film.
Alternatively, in order to prevent light leakage, a black matrix may be formed at the periphery of each pixel area. In this case, there are problems in that another mask process for forming the black matrix needs to be performed, simplification of the overall manufacturing process is difficult due to difficult patterning of the black matrix, and reliability is thus deteriorated.

Organic light emitting display device comprising light-shielding patterns and method for manufacturing the same


A system, method and computer program for simulating vehicle energy use is provided. Drive cycle data collected during real-world driving of at least one vehicle is received by at least one computing device, and engine torque information associated with the real-world driving of the at least one vehicle is also received. Vehicle payload mass of the at least one vehicle is estimated based at least partly on the respective received engine torque information, and energy use of the at least one vehicle is estimated based at least partly on the respective drive cycle data, the respective torque information, and the estimated vehicle payload mass.

A vehicle purchaser can realize fuel savings by purchasing an electrified or semi-electrified vehicle. However, these vehicles are typically more capital intensive to purchase than their conventional vehicle counterparts. Identifying the fuel savings by purchasing an electrified or semi-electrified vehicle can be difficult. Thus, it is important to be able to accurately determine the return-on-investment to the purchaser before purchase. Unfortunately, determination of these savings is difficult due to the high dependency of energy consumption on the real-world drive cycle. Therefore, identifying the appropriate application of hybrid/electric vehicles is important both to the manufacturer of the vehicles, as well as the potential purchaser.
Currently, the vehicle manufacturer either markets the fuel consumption of the vehicle as tested on government mandated test procedures, or as measured in real-world fuel consumption in specific applications. Unfortunately, in most cases purchasers find the true fuel consumption to be greater than that advertised by the manufacturer. This is typically due to a mismatch between the drive cycles that the vehicle is tested on, and the drive cycle that the vehicle is experiencing in use. The net effect is disappointed vehicle purchasers, and negative publicity for these vehicles for not living up to advertised expectations.
Vehicle simulation software is currently available. Two providers of such simulation tools are ANL (PSAT simulation software) and AVL (Advisor simulation software). Typically these tools are used for vehicle design purposes by large automotive design firms. These software packages are extremely complex and their use requires an engineer experienced in vehicle design. They are, for this reason, limited to vehicle manufacturers.
Simple vehicle return on investment (ROI) calculators also exist. These rely on advertised fuel consumption values to determine fuel costs. While this is the obvious approach, experience with hybrid and electric vehicles indicates that these analyses can be very misleading since the advertised fuel consumption can be in significant error due to actual drive cycle.
Calculating the fuel consumption of a vehicle from ODBII diagnostic data is straightforward as provided in Canadian patent application 2,541,593. This method is useful to determine fuel consumption of vehicles already in one's possession, however, it does not solve the issue of predicting fuel consumption of a vehicle (or set of vehicles) before their purchase.
Furthermore, there are methods for estimating the mass of a vehicle, as is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,269.
Nevertheless, there is no currently existing technique for accurately simulating the fuel usage of a vehicle under consideration for purchase.
What is required, therefore, is a tool for accurately simulating the fuel usage of a vehicle under consideration for purchase.

System, method and computer program for simulating vehicle energy use


A communication device includes a housing, an opening, an NFC antenna and a contactless charging coil. The NFC antenna is arranged to surround the opening. The communication device further includes a first magnetic sheet which is arranged between the NFC antenna and a main board and between the opening and the main board, and a second magnetic sheet which is arranged between the contactless charging coil and the main board.

Traditionally, a communication device is known in which a contactless charging module is incorporated in a portable communication terminal in which personal information or electronic money of a user are memorized in an IC chip, and which includes a contactless communication IC module that communicates with the outside wirelessly (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).
As shown in FIG. 10, a communication device (portable communication terminal) 100 described in Patent Literature 1 has a main body lower part 101 and a main body upper part 102 which is rotatably connected to the main body lower part 101.
The main body upper part 102 has a display part 103, a contactless communication IC module 104 and a contactless charging module 105. The display part 103 is provided at the surface of the main body upper part 102. The contactless communication IC module 104 has a contactless communication antenna coil 107. The contactless communication antenna coil 107 is provided at the surface of the main body upper part 102, and it is an antenna to perform wireless communication with a reader/writer. The contactless charging module 105 has a receiving coil 108 to receive power supply from a wireless power supply unit. An electromagnetic shield 109 is arranged between the contactless communication IC module 104 including the contactless communication antenna coil 107 and the display part 103, and the contactless charging module 105 including the receiving coil 108. The electromagnetic shield 109 prevents electromagnetic interference that may occur at the time of contactless charging, and is formed of, for example, material such as copper or aluminum.
The main body lower part 101 has a communication part 106. The communication part 106 includes a mobile communication antenna, communication interfaces and the like.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.