An apparatus, method and computer-readable medium for imaging an earth formation. A downhole assembly having a resistivity sensor is conveyed in a borehole penetrating the earth formation. The resistivity sensor includes a plurality of antenna coils arranged along a radial line that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the downhole assembly and configured to obtain measurements of a resistivity property of the earth formation. A processor images the earth formation using the obtained measurements.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is related to both logging-while-drilling (LWD) and wireline-logging (WL). In particular, the present disclosure is an apparatus and a method for imaging electrical properties surrounding a borehole having a non-conductive mud therein during or after the drilling.
2. Background of the Art
Electrical logging is well known and various devices and various techniques have been described for this purpose. Broadly speaking, there are two categories of devices used in electrical logging devices. In the first category, inject electrodes (current source or voltage source) are used in conjunction with receiver electrode(s) to measure either voltage difference between two electrodes or electric current that flows through a receiver electrode, earth formation to a return electrode in the tool. In the second category, an antenna (coils) with a current source within the measuring instrument induces eddy current within the earth formation. The induced current generates signals that can be detected using either the same antenna or a separate receiver antenna. The present disclosure belongs to the second category.
Techniques for investigating the earth formation with arrays of induction coils have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,708 to Chemali et al., assigned to Baker Hughes Incorporated, is a method and apparatus for determining an electrical property of a formation surrounding a borehole with a measuring-while drilling device. An antenna configuration is disposed along the outer face of an extendable stabilizer joined to a rotatable drill collar. Typically, two receivers and two transmitters are space along the longitudinal axis of the drill collar, with the two receivers spaced symmetrically in between the two transmitters. Alternatively, receivers and transmitters can be spaced along the circumference, possibly over multiple stabilizers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,678 to Kleinberg et al., assigned to Schlumberger Technology Corporation, provides a wall-engaging apparatus for microinductively investigating a characteristic of an earth formation traversed by a borehole. In one aspect, an antenna set includes first, second and third antenna elements. The second and third elements, being structurally identical but differentially coupled, are positioned in electromagnetic symmetry about the first antenna element. Either the first antenna element or the differentially coupled second and third antenna elements may be energized by suitable circuits, while the other is coupled to circuits for receiving signals indicative of a set characteristic. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,609 to Tabanou et al., having common ownership with Kleinberg and also assigned to Schlumberger Technology Corporation, the apparatus of Kleinberg et al. uses a differential induction coil system that responds primarily to contrast in resistivity between adjacent layers. As such, this tool has the capability to measure formation dip in oil-based mud, but it has no imaging capability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,642 to Rodney is directed to a system, apparatus and methods for determining influx of formation fluids into a well borehole during drilling. The methods of Rodney include determining the dielectric constant and/or conductivity of the fluid in the annulus about a drill pipe in a well borehole, comparing the determined dielectric constant and/or conductivity to a reference value and inferring that influx has occurred when the difference between the dielectric constant and/or conductivity and the reference value is greater than a predetermined limit. The dielectric constant and/or conductivity is determined by transmitting electromagnetic energy between about 10 KHz and about 10 GHz through the fluid in the annulus about the drill pipe from a transmitter located in the drill pipe section, receiving a portion of that energy which has traveled through the fluid but not through the surrounding formation in a receiver located in the drill pipe, and determining the dielectric constant and/or conductivity as a function of at least one of the phase and the amplitude of the received energy.
Non-conductive mud is commonly used in wellbore drilling and its presence in the wellbore presents difficulties for wellbore imaging. The present disclosure addresses these issues.

Resistivity imager in non-conductive mud for LWD and wireline applications


A container for transporting cargo includes: a corner member that is disposed at a lower corner of the container and includes an inner space and a bottom hole that is formed in a lower end portion of the corner member to communicate with the inner space; and a locking unit that is used to fasten two adjacent containers when a plurality of the containers are stacked in multiple stages, is movable between a storage position at which the locking unit is stored in the inner space of the corner member and a use position at which the locking unit protrudes to the outside through the bottom hole of the corner member, and fastens the two adjacent containers at the use position. The locking unit may be housed and easily stored in the inner space of the corner member to reduce the risk of being lost during storage.

A container, e.g., a freight container or a cargo container, is a quadrangular parallelepiped metal box that is often used to transport maritime cargo. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of containers, for example, upper and lower containers C1 and C2, need to be stacked in multiple stages during transport or storage.
In this case, conventional container-fastening devices 1 that are called twist locks are devices for fastening the upper container C1 with the lower container C2. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the conventional container-fastening devices 1 includes a main body 6, a first coupling member 7 that is provided on an upper end portion of the main body 6 to be rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position and is detachably inserted into a bottom hole 4 that is formed in a bottom surface of a corner member 2 that is disposed at a lower corner of the upper container C1, and a second coupling member 8 that is provided on a lower end portion of the main body 6 to be rotatable between the locked position and the unlocked position and is detachably inserted into an insertion hole 5 that is formed in a top surface of a corner member 3 that is disposed at an upper corner of the lower container C2.
Assuming that the conventional container-fastening devices 1 are used, the upper and lower containers C1 and C2 are fastened to each other when a worker rotates the first coupling member 7 that is inserted into the bottom hole 4 and the second coupling member 8 that is inserted into the insertion hole 5 to the locked position, and in contrast, the upper and lower containers C1 and C2 are separated from each other when the worker rotates the first coupling member 7 and the second coupling member 8 to the unlocked position.
However, since the conventional container-fastening devices 1 are devices separate from the upper and lower containers C1 and C2, and thus are used when necessary after being separately stored apart from the upper and lower containers C1 and C2, it is inconvenient to store the conventional container-fastening devices 1 and there is a high risk of the conventional container-fastening devices 1 being lost during storage.
Also, since the first coupling member 7 and the second coupling member 8 have to be accurately disposed on and then respectively inserted into the bottom hole 4 and the insertion hole 5 of the corner members 2 and 3, it is not easy to fasten the upper and lower containers C1 and C2 of the conventional container-fastening devices 1, thereby increasing working hours.

Container comprising corner member incorporating lock unit


A refrigerator (1) has a housing (2, 14, 19), a cylindrical working chamber (15, 21), a cylindrical displacing member (11, 17), a gap (36, 38) which is located between the housing and the displacing member, a regenerator which is disposed inside the displacing member, and a device alternatingly supplying the working chamber with an effective high-pressure gas and an effective low-pressure gas. In order to overcome the disadvantages associated with gas streams occurring in the gap (36, 38), an additional regenerator (gap gas regenerator), (43) is assigned to the gap (36, 38).

The invention relates to a refrigerator comprising a housing, a cylindrical working chamber, a cylindrical displacing member, a gap which is located between the housing and the displacing member, a regenerator which is disposed inside the displacing member, and a device alternatingly supplying the working chamber with a high-pressure gas and a low-pressure gas.
Refrigerators are low-temperature cooling machines in which thermodynamic cyclic processes take place (c.f. US-PS 29 06 01, for example). A single stage refrigerator comprises chiefly a working chamber with a displacing member. The working chamber is alternatingly connected to a high-pressure and a low-pressure gas source, so that during the forced reciprocating motion of the displacing member, the thermodynamic cyclic process (Stirling process, Gifford McMahon process, etc.) takes place. In doing so, the working gas is guided in a closed circuit. The result of this is that heat is removed from a certain area of the working chamber and the displacing member. Through two-stage refrigerators of this kind and with helium as the working gas, temperatures well under 10° K. can be produced.
A fundamental component of a refrigerator is the regenerator, through which the working gas flows before and after relaxation. The regenerator is commonly disposed within the displacing member substantially of cylindrical design. The regenerator material needs to exhibit, on the one hand, good heat storing properties so that a sufficiently high exchange of heat can take place between the working gas and the regenerator. On the other hand, both the displacing member, in particular the housing of the displacing member, as well as also the cylinder housing need to exhibit poor heat conducting properties, as otherwise the heat removed from the cold side of the working chamber and the displacing member would be replaced rapidly through heat conduction.
It is known to employ as the material for the cylindrical housing, stainless-steel. Stainless-steel exhibits, at the very low temperatures concerned here, a very low heat conductivity. However, stainless-steel as a material is not an option when the refrigerator is employed in the areas of magnetic fields (for example, within nuclear spin tomographs). In such instances the cylindrical housing is made of Novetex (plastic impregnated cotton wool fibre) or materials of similar properties. Novetex is well proven, in particular, as a material for the housing of the displacing member. As regenerator materials, mesh, balls or wool of bronze (preferably for the first stage) and lead balls (preferably for the second stage) are known.
In the instance of the refrigerators of the kind affected here, it is unavoidable that a gas flow is present also in the gap between the housing and displacing member. Said gas flow has also the disadvantageous effect, in that it contributes to the heat exchange between the cold and the warm end of the displacing member. The heat ingress into the expansion chamber (cold end of the working chamber) reduces the performance of the entire refrigerator.
In order to maintain the gas flow through the gap at a lower level compared to the gas flow through the regenerator, the designers of refrigerators of the type affected here have, in the past, employed the approach of designing this gap as narrow as possible, and/or have inserted seals. Measures of this kind are involved and thus costly. This applies in particular to seals which need to fulfil their task at extremely low temperatures. These seals consist commonly of plastic materials which shrink with increasing operating time. Maintaining of close tolerances is not possible.
A refrigerator of the aforementioned type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,879. For the purpose of reducing the disadvantages involved due to the flow through the gap it is proposed to equip either the outside surface of the displacing member or the inside surface of the housing with one or several helical grooves. Through this measure it shall be achieved that the gases dwell longer within the gap so that an improved temperature equalisation between the flowing gas and the adjacent components takes place. This solution is disadvantageous in that the gap still needs to be relatively narrow in order to achieve a helical gas flow. Moreover, a rapid heat exchange between the gas and the adjacent components does not take place, since these consist of materials which—as already detailed—not only exhibit a low heat conductivity, but also exhibit a very low heat storing capacity.
It is the task of the present invention to create a refrigerator of the aforementioned kind in which the disadvantages due to the gas flows in the gap have been removed.


A weaving machine starts-up in slow speed operation during a first weaving cycle following the machine start. To help avoid weft breaks, a method is provided to hold a weft thread inserted into the loom shed during the first weaving cycle. A sensor monitors the weft insertion. The inserted weft thread is held by binding threads at a location downstream from an inlet side of the loom shed, before the weft thread is bound by the warp threads. The binding of the weft thread by the binding threads is carried out dependent on a signal of the sensor.

In that regard, the insertion of the weft thread is monitored by at least one sensor. After each starting process, during at least the first weaving cycle, the weaving machine is operated in slow speed running.
The at least first inserted weft thread is held against springing back into the loom shed at the outlet side of the loom shed at least until the interlacing or binding thereof by warp threads.
Several weft thread detecting and stretching apparatuses are already known, for example from the DE 198 02 254 C1 and the DE 198 10 129 B4. However, these documents do not pertain to the behavior of weft yarns during the weft insertion in various different rotational speed ranges of the weaving machine, for example at a new start of the weaving machine.
In the production of selected woven webs or fabrics, such as for example jeans fabrics and fabrics with a twill weave or binding on air-jet weaving machines, it has been found to be advantageous, especially with respect to achieving a woven ware without start-up marks, after each start of the weaving machine, the first weaving cycle, namely with reference to the rotational angle of the main drive shaft, to operate or drive the first full rotation of the main drive shaft in the slow speed running, namely with less than 200 min−1. The above described technology in the operation of air-jet weaving machines is known for a long time under the term "single weft or shot automatic". In an air-jet weaving machine, the process of the weft thread insertion itself is not concerned or affected by the slow speed running; the weft thread insertion occurs in consideration of the time duration necessary therefor in such a manner as if the air-jet weaving machine would already operate with a predetermined operating rotational speed directly after the starting process.
The weft thread that is thus inserted in a time of a few milliseconds across the weaving width into the loom shed is to be held by suitable means at the outlet side of the loom shed, thus on the side of the loom shed lying opposite the weft thread insertion, for so long until it is beat-up against the woven web edge by the weaving reed and is interlaced or bound by the shed-forming warp threads. In air-jet weaving machines, the inserted weft thread is held on the outlet extraction side of the loom shed in a known manner by pneumatically acting stretching or sucking nozzles. In the processing of weft yarns with relatively low ripping or tearing strength it can be determined, that during the weaving cycle directly following the start of the weaving machine, in which the weaving machine is operated in the slow speed running, the applicable weft thread is impaired under the effect of the holding means in such a manner that a weft thread break arises before the binding of the weft thread by the warp threads. In such a case, the part of the weft thread remaining on the insertion side "springs" back into the loom shed that is not yet completely closed, and thereby produces a defect in the woven web or fabric.

Method and device for maintaining a weft thread which is introduced into a weaving machine, in particular an air-jet weaving machine, after the starting process


A combination frame structure for combination table is disclosed to include a beam, two stands and two table board support members respectively provided at the top and bottom sides of the beam, and screws inserted through respective mounting through holes at the flat top of each stand and longitudinal slots in the beam and threaded into respective bottom mounting holes at the bottom side of the flat base of each table board support member to affix the table board support members and the stands to the beam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a table and more particularly, to a combination frame structure for table, which enables the user to set up a combination table easily subject to one's needs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Regular desks or computer tables are designed and made in factory subject to predetermined specifications. The specifications of these desks or computer tables may not fit individual's needs perfectly. For cost's sake, manufacturers cannot accept small orders from consumers for different specifications. Therefore, consumers can only select desks or computer tables from the market, or pay extra money for a custom-made design.

Combination frame structure for table combination table using combination frame structure


A customizable remote transceiver for communicating with a vehicle control system is provided. A customizable remote transceiver for communicating with a vehicle control system comprises: a first input for receiving a first command; a second input for receiving a second command; a processor for generating a control signal based on one of the first and second commands; a transmitter for transmitting the control signal to the vehicle control system; a receiver for receiving a response to the control signal from the vehicle control system; and a display comprising a display area for displaying a representation of one of the first and second commands and of the response transmitted from the vehicle control system, wherein the display area is customizable according to a user preference.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a remote transceiver, and more particularly, to a customizable remote transceiver for communicating with a vehicle control system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A remote transmitter is typically used in conjunction with a remote keyless entry (RKE) system to allow a user to lock and unlock vehicle doors and trunks and control alarm systems without the need to use a key. A remote transmitter typically includes a small handheld transmitter housing in the form of a key fob that can be mounted to a user's key chain. One or more small buttons are located on the housing to allow the user to send desired control signals to a receiver in a vehicle.
As RKE systems have become integrated with vehicle control systems, remote transmitters used therewith have been designed to handle additional non-RKE functions. As a result, such remote transmitters include additional switches or buttons while retaining the convenient small size of their predecessors. This, however, has led to remote transmitters having a multitude of finger-operated buttons thus complicating the operation thereof.
In an effort to reduce the proliferation of keys on remote transmitters, remote transmitters have been designed to include a user interface, such as a screen, in combination with a small number of buttons. Such interfaces, however, are typically cluttered with icons associated with available vehicle functions, thus making the transmitter difficult to operate.
In addition to the one-way communication between remote transmitters and vehicle control systems, remote transceivers have been developed for bi-directional communication. In particular, remote transceivers are capable of communicating with vehicle control or security systems while at the same time are able to receive status information associated with such systems. These transceivers, however, are typically bulky, complicated to use, and include cluttered user interface screens.
Accordingly, a need therefore exists for a remote transceiver that includes an uncluttered user interface screen for providing ease of operation.

Customizable remote transceiver for a vehicle


Unisex Netsuke art neck wear provides a unique, elegant, affordable, durable and maintenance free neck wear in place of cloth necktie for use by men and women. The carved netsuke art object is made of a polymer or crushed marble. The simplicity of the double overhand or the triple overhand knot on the cord that keeps the carved netsuke art object against the shirt collar is a great feature. While being a very secure knot, it is also very simple and easy to tie and untie. The cord is made of silk or supple leather. Besides being a revival of centuries old art form, unisex netsuke art neck wear gives a dress-down appearance while assuring an elegant dressy look.

Neck Wear Assembly And Method Of Using The Same, provides a new wearable item in place of a cloth necktie, to be used by men and women.
Netsuke is a carved and decorated wood or ivory art object that arose in the sixteenth century in Japan. It was used to carry a seal, tobacco, as a receptacle for aromatic herbs and medicine, and as a means to attach a pouch or a coin carrying purse to the traditional garment. By end of the nineteenth century the use of netsuke declined. This was due to the adoption of western dress which provides plenty of pockets, and the carrying of a pouch was replaced by the wallet.
A sailors knot, known as overhand knot, is used to secure the netsuke art object against the shirt collar.


An alloy product having improved fatigue failure resistance, comprising about, by weight, 7.6 to about 8.4% zinc, about 2.0 to about 2.6% copper, about 1.8 to about 2.3% magnesium, about 0.088 to about 0.25.% Zr, about 0.01 to about 0.09.% Fe, and about 0.01 to about 0.06 w % Si the balance substantially aluminum and incidental elements and impurities The alloy product, suitable for aerospace applications, exhibits improved fatigue failure resistance than its 7055 counterpart of similar size, shape, thickness and temper.

The present invention relates to an aluminum alloy product having improved fatigue failure resistance. This invention further relates to an aluminum-zinc-magnesium-copper alloy having improved fatigue failure resistance over AA 7055.
The financial success of airlines depends upon a number of factors including the cost and performance of their aircraft. Aircraft manufacturers are actively engaged in producing aircraft that efficiently use high performance materials, low cost manufacturing technologies and low cost, advanced design concepts in order to lower the acquisition cost and/or increase the range and weight carrying capacity of their aircraft products.
Another important cost factor for airlines is the aircraft operating cost. Included in the operating cost is the cost of periodic safety inspection of aircraft components for structural damage. An aircraft usually requires two types of inspections: initial inspection and periodic inspection during the operating life of the aircraft. Each type of inspection is very costly, particularly the periodic inspection because the aircraft must be taken out of service for the inspection to be performed. Inspections may require detailed visual inspection and extensive non-destructive testing of exterior and interior structures.
High strength structural components which excel in durability and damage tolerance are highly desired by aircraft manufacturers. Durability and damage tolerance can translate into a long interval between initial inspection and the first periodic inspection and long repeat periodic inspection intervals. Aluminum alloy structural components (such as fastened joints) that exhibit high cycle fatigue performance and fatigue crack growth resistance can translate into long inspection intervals for aircraft.
Thus a need exists for 7000 series alloys that have desirable strength, toughness and corrosion resistance properties and also have improved fatigue failure resistance. A need also exists for aircraft structural parts that exhibit improved fatigue failure resistance.

Aluminum alloy product having improved combinations of properties


There is provided a readily manufacturable semiconductor device including two transistors having mutually different characteristics. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a multilayer wiring layer disposed over the substrate, a first transistor disposed in the multilayer wiring layer, and a second transistor disposed in a layer different from a layer including the first transistor disposed therein of the multilayer wiring layer, and having different characteristics from those of the first transistor. This can provide a readily manufacturable semiconductor device including two transistors having mutually different characteristics.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.
Patent Document 1 describes the following: in wiring layers, a semiconductor film is formed; using the semiconductor film and wires of the wiring layers, a transistor is formed. In the transistor, the wire arranged under the semiconductor film is used as a gate electrode, and a diffusion preventive film between the wiring layers is used as a gate insulation film.

Semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device


A computer system having a hard disk drive including a product key input program for writing a product key of an operating system (OS) program in a CMOS RAM, and a CD-ROM drive including a recovery program for recovering an OS program and application programs to an initial state. Should a defect of the hard disk drive or critical error of the OS program occur, the OS program may need be reinstalled or a recovery program may be run to recover the initial states of the OS program and the application programs. The product key stored in the CMOS RAM will be used during the recovery or re-install process, so that the user does not have to manually input the product key again.

Every general-purpose computer has an operating system to provide a user interface between a user and the computer and to run other programs on the computer. Operating system programs provide a software platform on top of which other programs, called application programs, are able to run, and perform basic tasks, such as recognizing an input from a keyboard, sending an output to a display apparatus, keeping track of files and directories on disks, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.
Currently, most PC manufacturers provide a bundle of basic and essential software programs already installed in the computers being offered for sale, for user's convenience. Thus, upon purchasing a new computer, a user has no need to install such programs, and all that is required is for the user to register the installed programs with the programs' manufacturers.
If a user bought a computer operated with a Windows® 98 operating system program, he may first add information to some part of the program to his computer if necessary and compose the program to his environment, such as inscription of his name, keyboard composition, time setting, and so on, to complete the installation of the program.
In such a user program install process, a user must correctly input a product key of the program into product key input window, otherwise the program cannot be completely installed and will not operate until the correct product key is input. In other software programs, which must be completely installed by the user, the product key, also known as the product ID, product certificate information or serial number, must be correctly entered before any part of the program can be installed.
Current software programs, however, have complex product key structures (e.g., the Windows® 98 program has a product key of 25 characters), thus there is a high probability that an error occurs in inputting the product key unless a user carefully checks each character of a product key. Also, since software program product keys are typically stored in a specific area of a hard disk in the hard disk drive, should the user have to reinstall the software programs on his/her computer due to a software failure or due to damage to a portion of the hard disk, etc, then the user must manually input the product keys again for the software being reinstalled. However, if the user cannot find the authentication certificate of a program and has no record of the product key of the program, he cannot reinstall the software. Moreover, if the operating system software had to be reinstalled, or a disk recovery operation needed to be performed, and the user had no record of the product key for the operating system software, the computer would be inoperable until either new software was purchased or, if the software was properly registered, the manufacturer could provide the necessary information to the user.

Computer system and method capable of automatically inputting product key of a software program upon reinstalling the program thereon


A bridge logic takes non-burst write cycles that appear one at a time as an address followed by an associated data word on a first bus, detects consecutive addresses, and uses this information to create burst cycles on a second bus that has protocols that allow burst cycles such as a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to data processing systems and more specifically to a method and apparatus for increasing bandwidth on a computer bus that interfaces with a bus that has data bursting capabilities.
2. Prior Art
A prior art Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus protocol provides for burst reads and burst writes to attached devices such as a graphics subsystems, local area network and disk drives. However, Central Processor Units (CPU's) such as the Intel i486.TM. CPU can only burst reads from a peripheral bus, not writes to a peripheral bus. If a write were to take place with a prior art system over the PCI interface, such as to a frame buffer memory of a graphics display, then it would be necessary to transfer just one data word (DWORD) at a time. This incurs a high overhead, perhaps 6 clock cycles or more of the PCI bus, even if the target device responds with zero wait states.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method and means for transferring sequential non-burst data on a first bus to burst data on a second bus.

Method and apparatus for transferring data received from a first bus in a non-burst manner to a second bus in a burst manner


A novel power supply control device includes an external power supply unit that generates external driving power from external power source, a storing power supplying unit that generates stored driving power from stored power source, a selection unit that selects either the external driving power or the stored driving power, a power mode switching unit that switches between a normal mode and an energy saving mode that consumes less power consumption than the normal mode, a determination unit that determines whether or not current time is within a peak power shift time zone in which usage of the external power is suppressed, and a controlling unit that instructs the selection unit to select the stored power as the driving power and instructs the power mode switching unit to switch power mode to the energy saving mode immediately after finishing an operation during the power peak shift time zone.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a power supply control apparatus, an image processing apparatus, a power supply control method, and a recording medium storing a power supply control program.
2. Background Art
Recently, power peak shift that shifts the peak time at which electric power is consumed has been introduced. This reduces amount of electricity used during a time zone when electric power demand increases rapidly.
Generally, in shifting the peak of power, during time zone when the electric power demand is high, time at which commercial external electric power is demand is distributed by switching a power supply source for driving an image processing apparatus from an external driving power supply generated from the commercial external electric power to a charged driving power supply generated from charged electric power output by a charged storage battery.
For example, facsimile machines that are connected to an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) and have multiple standby modes that are switched according to electric power consumption levels are proposed. If the commercial power supply that the UPS is connected terminates and a battery included in the UPS supplies power, the facsimile machine is switched to a standby mode.

Power supply control apparatus, image processing apparatus, power supply control method, and recording medium storing a power supply control program


The disclosure provides a charged particle detector including a scintillator that emits light with stable intensity and obtains high light emission intensity regardless of an energy of an incident electron. The disclosure provides the charged particle detector including: a first light-emitting part (21) in which a layer containing Ga1-x-yAlxInyN (where 0≤x<1, 0≤y<1) and a layer containing GaN are alternately laminated; a second light-emitting part (23) in which the layer containing Ga1-x-yAlxInyN (where 0≤x<1, 0≤y<1) and the layer containing GaN are alternately laminated; and a non-light-emitting part (22) that is interposed between the first light-emitting part (21) and the second light-emitting part (23) (see FIG. 2).

A charged particle beam apparatus, which detects charged particles obtained by irradiating a sample with charged particle beams such as electron beams, includes a detector that detects the charged particles. For example, in a case where electrons emitted from the sample are detected by scanning the sample with the electron beams, the electrons are guided into a scintillator of the detector by applying a positive voltage of about 8 kV to 10 kV, referred to as a post voltage, to the electron detector. Light generated by the scintillator due to collision of the electrons is guided into a light guide, converted into an electric signal by a light-receiving element such as a phototube, and becomes an image signal or a waveform signal.
PTL 1 discloses a scintillator that includes a light-emitting body including an InGaN/GaN quantum well layer formed on a substrate, and describes that provided on the InGaN/GaN quantum well layer are a cap layer, which has a band gap energy larger than that of a constituent material of a nitride semiconductor layer including the InGaN/GaN quantum well layer, and a metal back layer formed of Al on the cap layer.
PTL 2 describes that a cap layer in which a GaN layer is grown is provided on a multi-layered structure in which GaInN and GaN are alternately laminated, and an Al thin film for preventing charging during incidence of electrons is vapor-deposited on the cap layer.

Charged particle detector and charged particle beam apparatus


An apparatus for forming an annular member simply with high accuracy, for example, a side tread and bead filler having a height in the radial direction comparatively larger than its thickness as a constituent member of a tire. A material, for example, a soft and fragile raw rubber at a high temperature is directly extruded through a mouthpiece of an extruder onto a rotating disc-like lower mold so as to adhere onto it. The lower mold is able dividable into plural lower mold segments. An arcuately curved extruded material is formed on the lower mold in this manner. The extruded material is not deformed during being cooled because it is strongly restrained by the receiving surface of the lower mold on which the material adheres. The extruded material is then cut along the divided lines of the lower mold segments. Lower mold segments thus having arcuately extruded materials, respectively, are then transferred to a restoration position and gathered together to form the original lower mold. Thereafter, ends of the arcuately extruded materials are joined with each other to form an endless annular member.

This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for forming an annular member by the use of an extruder.
In general, in order to form pneumatic tire members, such as side treads and bead fillers, annular members are often used, which are made of annular rubbers having heights in their radial direction relatively larger than thicknesses in their axial directions. Such annular members have been formed in the following manner as disclosed, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1-314,151. A rubber is extruded by an extruder to form belt-shaped rubbers which are then transferred to a conical-trapezoid mold by turning transferred directions with the aid of a plurality of rollers. The belt-shaped rubbers are then attached to the outer conical circumferential surface of the mold by means of attaching rollers.
In such a hitherto used apparatus or method for forming annular members, however, the belt-shaped rubbers are cooled without being restrained therearound after they are extruded from the extruder. Therefore, elongation or contraction of the rubbers are locally different which make it very difficult to obtain a desired contour (cross-sectional shape) of the rubbers. According to the prior art, moreover, the cooled belt-shaped rubbers are attached to the mold to obtain an annular member having a larger height in the radial direction relative to its thickness. Such an annular member has the outer circumference much larger than the inner circumference. Therefore, when both ends of the belt-shaped rubbers are joined to obtain an endless annular member, the belt-shaped rubbers are locally deformed from attached positions due to internal stresses therein so that the shape of the belt-shaped rubbers are changed in various ways. Moreover, the plural rollers are needed for turning the transferred directions and attaching the rubbers to the mold, which make the apparatus complicated in construction and expensive.


A manufacturing tool (20) for forming a dynamic pressure groove (52) in an inner peripheral surface of a bearing sleeve (50) includes a tool shaft (21) for being rotated in a bore of the bearing sleeve while being moved in an axial direction thereof. Protrusions (25) are integrally and circumferentially arranged on an outer periphery of the tool shaft near a leading end (22) thereof. Machining tips (26) are integrally formed on outmost ends of the protrusions for machining the inner peripheral surface of the bearing sleeve to form the dynamic pressure groove therein.

Due to request for low abrasion on rotational elements to achieve an extended life and for low extent of noise, fluid dynamic bearings (FDBs) have been used in fan motors and hard disk drive motors.
As shown in FIG. 4, in an FDB, a rotary shaft 5 is rotatably inserted into a sleeve 3 with a bearing clearance formed between the rotary shaft 5 and the sleeve 3. A dynamic pressure generating groove 3A is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 3. Lubricating oil is applied to the bearing clearance. A pressure is generated due to the pumping action of the dynamic pressure generating groove 3A caused by the rotation of the rotary shaft 5. As a result, the rotary shaft 5 rotates in the sleeve 3 without radial contact with the sleeve 3.
An example of a conventional apparatus for manufacturing this type of groove-equipped FDB is described below with reference to FIG. 5. As a conventional method for processing the dynamic pressure generating groove 3A, a method for plastically processing the dynamic pressure generating groove 3A by using hard balls is known. An apparatus for carrying out such a method is shown in FIG. 5. In this apparatus, a guide shaft 14 defines a guide hole 142 through a leading end of the guide shaft 14. Three balls 15 are held radially into the guide hole 142. The diameter of the balls is so selected that the sum of the diameter of the balls is slightly greater than an inner diameter of the sleeve 3.
In operation of the conventional apparatus, a rotational speed (W) and a feeding speed (V) with respect to the sleeve 3 are simultaneously applied to the guide shaft 14, the dynamic pressure generating groove 3A resembling the motion of the hard balls 15 is thus formed by plastic processing. If processing the dynamic pressure generating groove 3A of a herringbone type as shown in FIG. 4, when the balls 15 have been fed to the approximate center of the sleeve 3, a half of the pressure generating groove 3A slanting in one direction with respect to the axis of the sleeve 3 is formed. The rotational direction of the guide shaft 14 is then inverted without changing the feeding speed (V) of the guide shaft 14 to process the other half of the pressure generating groove 3A slanting in another direction with respect to the axis of the sleeve 3.
Since the pressure generating groove 3A is a result of the motion of the hard balls 15, a high manufacturing precision of the apparatus is required to achieve a high accuracy of the pressure generating groove 3A. For example, a high consistency of concentricity of a tooling portion of the apparatus must be satisfied, that is, a circumscribed circle about the hard balls 15 is required to be highly concentric with the guide shaft 14. In the apparatus as described above, however, the hard balls 15 are separately manufactured and then assembled to the guide shaft 14. These separate components impose difficulty to manufacture the apparatus with high precision, since it is required not only that the discrete components be precisely manufactured, but also that the discrete components be precisely assembled.
Therefore, a fluid dynamic bearing manufacturing tool which has a high precision and is relatively easier to be manufactured is desired.

Manufacturing tool for fluid dynamic bearing


A 6-O-methylerythromycin A oxime derivative represented by the formula ##STR1## wherein X is a substituted benzyl group, a substituted phenyl group, an .alpha.-methylbenzyl group, an .alpha.-methylphenethyl group, a diphenylmethyl group, a trityl group, a dibenzosuberanyl group, or a group of the formula --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --R, and Y is a hydrogen atom, a substituted phenyl group or a 2-aminothiazol-4-ylmethylcarbonyl group, and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof are disclosed. These compounds have antibacterial activity against erythromycin resistant bacteria.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel antibiotic erythromycin derivatives, and more particularly relates to novel 6-0-methylerythromycin A 9-oxime derivatives and the salts thereof having strong antibacterial activity against erythromycin resistant bacteria.
(2) Prior Art
Erythromycin A is an antibiotic which is widely clinically used as a therapeutical agent for treatment of infectious diseases caused by many Gram-positive bacteria, a certain Gram-negative bacteria and mycoplasma. The main disadvantage of erythromycin A is low acid-stability which leads to low and inconsistent oral absorption. Among Gram-positive bacteria are known bacteria which have lower sensitivity to erythromycin A than to the other pathogenic bacteria and are resistant to erythromycin A. In order to improve such biological and pharmacodynamical properties of erythromycin A, many derivatives have been prepared. For example, there are disclosed erythromycin 9-oxime ether derivatives in U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,545, 6-0-methylerythromycin derivatives in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,331,803 and 4,680,386 and E.P. Patent No. 245,013.
The above-mentioned derivatives solved moderately the problem of the low acid-stability which is a disadvantage of erythromycin. Accordingly, these derivatives are known to show more excellent in vivo antibacterial activity than erythromycin when administered orally. However, the problem of resistant bacteria against erythromycin A has not yet been sufficiently solved.
E.P. Patent No. 194,833 discloses a series of 6-0-methylerythromycin 9-oxime ether derivatives. However, this patent discloses only a methyl ether derivative in the working example and does not report any activity against erythromycin resistant bacteria.
The present inventors have found that some 6-0-methylerythromycin A 9-oxime derivatives have strong antibacterial activity against erythromycin resistant bacteria.

6-O-methylerythromycin A oxime derivatives


According to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, cores in a many-core processor may be periodically tested to obtain and/or refresh their dynamic profiles. The dynamic profile of a core may include information on its maximum operating frequency, power consumption, power leakage, functional correctness, and other parameters, as well as the trending information of these parameters. Once a dynamic profile has been created for each core, cores in a many-core processor may be grouped into different bins according to their characteristics. Based on dynamic profiles and the grouping information, the operating system (“OS”) or other software may allocate a task to those cores that are most suitable for the task. The interconnect fabric in the many-core processor may be reconfigured to ensure a high level of connectivity among the selected cores. Additionally, cores may be re-allocated and/or re-balanced to a task in response to changes in the environment.

1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to microprocessors and, more specifically, to processors that have many cores.
2. Description
A many-core processor has multiple processing cores on the same die. As process technology scales to a very small dimension, the currently prevailing design approach of achieving high performance by increasing processor frequency is severely limited by drastically increased power consumption. One alternative design approach to achieve high performance is to distribute an application across many "small" cores that are running concurrently at slower speed than a typical "larger" core. Because each "small" core is simpler, smaller and far less power hungry than a "large" core while still delivering significant performance, this many-core based design approach can help manage the power consumption more efficiently than a large-core based design approach.
Although a many-core processor has advantages over a processor with a single core or a few large cores, it also faces many challenges as the process technology scales down to small dimensions. For example, process variations, either static or dynamic, may make transistors unreliable; transient error rates may be high since capacitance on storage nodes is small and voltages are low; and reliability over time may deteriorate as transistor degradation may become worse as time passes. Such challenges may result in situations where cores in a many-core processor that perform well during factory testing fail to perform as well as before or stop performing completely over time. This makes one time factory testing and burn-in, as applied for traditional processors, less effective to ensure reliable computing with a many-core processor over time. Therefore, it is desirable to have the ability to periodically test the performance of cores in a many-core processor during its lifetime and use the test data thus obtained to improve its performance for applications.

Reliable computing with a many-core processor


The present invention is directed to improved endodontic dental instruments for extirpating and enlarging a root canal and methods for use thereof. The dental instruments of the invention include a helical radial land and a helical blade edge spaced from the land on its opposite sides by helical flutes. Dental instruments according to the invention exhibit improved and more balanced side cutting in curvilinear canals and non-circular canal areas such as fins or anastomosis canal regions

In the field of endodontics, one of the most important and delicate procedures is that of cleaning or extirpating a root canal to provide a properly dimensioned cavity while essentially maintaining the central axis of the canal. This step is important in order to enable complete filling of the canal without any voids and in a manner which prevents the entrapment of noxious tissue in the canal as the canal is being filled.
In cleaning and enlarging the root canal, instruments called files or reamers are used. Commonly, both files and reamers have flutes which spiral along a portion of the instrument length, and whether the instrument is a file or a reamer is determined by the pitch of the flutes. A greater pitch enables the instrument to cut better in a rotary mode, hence a reamer, and a lesser pitch enables the instrument to cut better in the reciprocating mode, hence a file. During a cleaning and shaping operation performed with such a file or reamer, the instrument is normally rotated and moved into and out of the root canal along the longitudinal axis of the instrument.
A widely used type of file or reamer is known by the designation "K-file" or "K-reamer". These instruments are made from a tapered rod which may be triangular or square in cross-section. The instruments are fabricated from the rods by twisting the rod to form a generally helical flute along the working portion of the rod, or the helical flute may be machined into the shaft.
The K-type instruments have several disadvantages. First, the instruments have a tendency to transport the central axis of a curved canal as the instrument cuts, mostly where the greatest pressure is exerted against the wall of the canal. Second, as the instruments are continuously rotated, the blades can become locked into the canal causing the instrument to break.
Finally, when modifications are made on conventional files and reamers to limit the tendency of the instrument to act as a screw or to diminish canal transportation, the tissue removal efficiency is generally sacrificed, particularly when a substantially non-circular canal is encountered as in a "fin" or "anastomosis."
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved endodontic dental instrument.
Another object of the invention is to provide an endodontic dental instrument which enables improved removal efficiency of material from a root canal.
A further object of the invention is to provide an endodontic dental instrument having high tissue removal efficiency for non circular and/or curved root canals in addition to generally straight, circular canals.


Marine structure with one or more suction piles for embedment into the subsea bottom and with buoyancy sufficient such that the structure can be transported over water independently floating, including in an upright position, wherein the buoyancy is concentrated near the suction piles, and may be substantially in line with the suction piles, and wherein the buoyancy is such that if the suction piles touch the subsea bottom with their undersides, at least part of the buoyancy projects above the water surface.

The invention is concerned with a marine structure, a suction pile and a method for installing a marine structure. The invention is particularly, though not exclusively, directed to the application of so called xe2x80x9cminimal platformsxe2x80x9d.
It is common to position a marine structure pre-assembled or in separate parts onto one or more barges or pontoons in a harbour and then tug said pontoons to the location of destination, whereafter the structure is lifted from the pontoons with the aid of a separate hoisting device and is then the structure is installed on the subsea bottom with the aid of that device, wherein prior to or after installing the structure onto the subsea bottom, a foundation therefor is made with the aid of a separate foundation pile ramming device.
Suction piles and their way of installing are o.a. known from GB-B-2300661 and EP-B-0011894, which desclosures are enclosed here by reference. Briefly, a suction pile is a thin walled steel cylinder, closed at at least one longitudinal end, that is located on the subsea bottom with the opposite end and penetrates the subsea bottom with the aid of a suction created within the cylinder. The creation of the suction can be with the aid of a suction source, such as a pump, being on, or close to or at a distance (e.g. above the water surface, e.g. at a vessel) from the suction pile. The applied level of the suction can be e.g. at least substantially constant, smoothly increase or decrease or else pulsate, for which there are convenient means; for an e.g. pulsating level a possibly in the suction pile integrated pressure accumulator that is intermittendly connected to the inner space of the cylinder. After use, the suction pile can easily be removed by creating an overpressure within the cylinder, e.g. by pumping in (sea) water.
According to one aspect the invention proposes to make the marine structure self floating and self foundating by providing it with buoyancy and one or more suction piles. So the hoisting device and the foundation plant can be eliminated. Preferably the structure has buoyancy of its own, e.g. obtained by the with the structure integrated appliance that is designed to, once the structure is installed, ballast the structure. Buoyancy can also be obtained from the suction pile, which for that can be provided with a floater. Said own buoyancy is preferably such that it is substantially contributing to the required buayancy to make the structure self floating. It is preferable, if the buayancy can be at least substantially decreased for installation purposes. By e.g. filling the one or more floating bodies with ballast, like water. Therefor it is convenient, to provide the structure with means for admitting and possibly removing of ballast, such as between the closed and open position switchable shutter valves in a water supplying respectively water venting opening to a ballast tank.
Since the structure is self floating and is provided with one or more suction piles, removal after use is made easier. On the one hand in that by pressing out the suction pile, the anchoring of the structure to the underwater bottom can be removed. On the other hand in that the structure can independently rise to the water surface by the (possibly regained) buoyancy.
The marine structure will typically be relatively small in this connection, e.g. a production platform with appliances. Because of its own weight, such a marine structure is designed to be used with a foundation of pile bodies to be rammed into the ground. Apart from the suction piles, such marine structure has, preferably, no floating bodies, neglecting parasitic floating bodies like ineviatbly present air filled spaces, such as frame tubes. The marine structure referred to here typically will weigh not more than about 50 tonnes.
Now it is no longer necessary to position the marine structure onto a barge for transport over water. This offers further advantages since the marine structure does not need to be lifted from the barge by a hoisting device. If the suction pile offers at least part of the required buoyancy, the marine device can be provided with fewer floating structures especially provided for said purpose, or such floating structures can even be eliminated.
As such, savings of costs, time, energy, environment and materialare possible and one can also work safer.
According to another aspect, the invention proposes to use the suction pile, or part thereof, as floating body of which the buoyancy is preferably adapted to keep itself floating. In this way it is e.g. possible, to take a suction pile independently floating in te water to its final destination, so without help of one or more auxiliary. floaters. Reclaiming such a suction pile is also made easier. On the one hand in that this can free itself independently from the subsea bottom with its buoyancy, once pressed upwardly but still partly standing in the subsea bottom. On the other hand since it can rise to the water surface independently. In particular the buoyancy of the suction pile according to the invention is substantially larger than its own weight, e.g. such that the suction pile alone or in combination with one or more other suctions piles substantially contributes to the marine structure with which it is integrated. Accordingly the invention proposes to provide the suction pile with a convenient buoyancy means.
The buoyancy means can be at least substantially comprise a space in open communication with the surrounding water at its under side, such as the pressure space of the suction pile, e.g. if the suction pile will at least as much upright as possible float in the water. If one can keep said space free of water to a satisfying level, the desired buoyancy can be maintained without requiring to delimit this floating space at all sides with respect to the water environment. Said space can therefor e.g. be connected to a convenient means, such as for delivering a gas generating dry compound into said space, or for delivering into said space a pressurised gas, such as a pump, to generate a convenient gas pressure in the suction space and to possibly maintain it against the pressure of the surrounding water. Due to the movements of the floating suction pile in the water, it is expected that without counter measurements this space will be filled more and more with water from below. A remedy is to continuously or intermittendly removing of the flowing in water by e.g. refilling said space with gas, for which said above mentioned means is/are continuously or intermittendly activated. In this connection it is preferred to integrate this means in an active, preferably automatic, e.g. electronic control circuit wherein said means is activated in dependency from the detection of the buoyancy of the suction pile at different times, such as by measuring e.g. the water level or e.g. the gas pressure within said space with e.g. a convenient sensor, outputting its measuring signal to an evaluation device comparing the measuring signal with an input value, switching on or letting switching on said means to get back to the initial situation once a treshold difference value is exceeded.
Application of the above described space in open communication with its surrounding water has drawbacks in view of ensuring the buoyancy. Its is therefor preferable if said buoyancy provides one or more floating spaces that are delimited at all sides with respect to the water environment and that are filled with a floating substance, such as air or a gas or some other material of relatively low specific weight. Said floating means can comprise e.g. a separate, inflatable, completely closed, diafragm type floating body, preferably within the suction pile, e.g. in the suction space. With e.g. a space of the suction pile that is open at its lower side, use can be made of an airtight bulkhead with which said opening can be sealed. If said bulkhead is at least substantially rigid, e.g. of metal, preferably steel, of sufficient thickness, it can withstand a pressure difference between said space and its environment by bearing bending stresses, hoop stresses or a combination of both. Then it is for realising and maintaining the desired buoyancy not necessary to bring this space to a pressure that is substantially higher than atmospheric pressure. If the bulkhead is substantially flexible, e.g. as an elastic or plastic well formable diafragm of e.g. rubber, it can be necessary for obtainig and maintaining sufficient buoyancy to bring this space to a pressure substantially higher than atmospheric pressure.
Concerning a water tight bulkhead at the under side of the suction pile, one can think of the following structural embodiments and ways of installing: The bulkhead is pressed down by a differential gas pressure within the floating space onto a bearing projecting inside into the suction pile and preferably being ring type to ensure sufficient air tightness. After lowering the suction pile it is position onto the subsea bottom, wherein said bottom raises said bulkhead from its seat. While the suction pile is sucked into the subsea bottom, the bulkhead remains in place onto the subsea bottom, such that the bulkhead eventually arrives close to the top cover of the suction pile. During pressing out, the bulkhead eventually comes to rest on its seat near the under side of the suction pile. The then fast increasing pressure within the suction pile due to the sealing action of the bulkhead is an indication that the pressing out is finished.
To bring the floating space to the desired pressure it is prefered that said space is hermetically delimited. It is then preferred, to connect the floating space with a convenient appliance to feed pressurised gas into said space.
The meaning of xe2x80x9cdelimited at all sides with respect to the water environmentxe2x80x9d here is that a boundary with respect to the surrounding air is not required. The meaning of xe2x80x9chermetically delimitedxe2x80x9d here is a boundary both with respect to the surrounding water and the surrounding air.
According to a variant that is preferred at this time, the tube like shell of the suction pile is extended beyond its top cover, such that a floating space is present above said top cover. In this way the lower side of the floating space is provided by a fixed bottom. To ensure its buoyancy, it is allowable if said floating space has an open top, unless during floating e.g. the upper edge of the suction pile comes below the water surface or waves flush over it. With a view to ensuring the buoyancy under all circumstances, it is however preferable, to make said top side water tight, prferably with a ridig cover. The extension part of the shell can be of the same structure as the shell part below the top cover. However, some other design (e.g. smaller wall thickness) could be used here because of the different mechanical load. This extension part could be integrated with the suction pile, or be disconnectable to be removed from the suction pile after use. The wall of the extension part can be in line with the shell wall of the suction pile below the top cover, but could also have a larger or smaller diameter. The floating space within the extension part is preferably connected to a water removing means, such as a bilge pump, such that incoming water can be removed. The extension part preferably provides a substantial length part of the suction pile, e.g. about half its length. At a total length of about 20 meter, the extension part has a length of e.g. about 10 meter if the extension part and shell wall of the suction space are in line.
The invention is also concerned with a method of transporting a suction pile over water since it is independently floating in the water, and a method of transporting a marine structure over water wherein use is made of one or more suction piles with buoyancy on which the marine structure is substantially floating. Apart from the the invention is concerned with a method of regaining of a suction pile or marine structure wherein, preferably after pressing out the suction pile from the subsea bottom, a floating space of the suction pile is freed from its ballast to get therewith buoyancy such that the suction pile preferably at least substantially can raise independently towards the water surface.


An automatic sheet processing device mountable on a sorting unit of an image forming apparatus includes a sheet processor for applying a sheet processing to a sheet having a specified length and width, a moving unit capable of supporting the sheet processor for moving the sheet processor along a side of the sheet, and a controller having a storage unit for storing sheet processing data, a calculator for calculating a processing position from the sheet processing data, and a control portion for controlling the moving unit so as to move the sheet processor to the calculated processing position. The processing position is calculated from the stored sheet processing data, and the sheet processor is moved to the calculated processing position, so that sheet processing can be automatically.

This invention relates to an automatic sheet finishing device capable of automatically applying finishing such as stapling to a sheet in specified positions thereof.
Binding of a plurality of sheets is generally conducted by stapling the edge-aligned sheets in a desired position at a side portion thereof, or making a hole in such sheets at the side portion thereof and passing a binding material such as a string through the hole. It is apparently effective in binding the sheets more tightly to apply the stapling or like finishing to the sheets in two or more positions at the side portion thereof. These operations have been carried out manually, and have been therefore very cumbersome. Reflecting this, there has been a strong demand for a sheet finishing device capable of automatically carrying out these operations.
In recent years, there have become commercially popular copiers and like image forming apparatus provided with a sorter in which each image of a set of documents is copied onto a plurality of sheets and a series of copy sheets having the same image are automatically sorted into each of a plurality of bin trays. It is apparent that the sheet finishing can be carried out more efficiently with a device capable of automatically stapling and making a hole for binding in the plurality of sheets sorted by such a sorter. Reflecting this, there has been a great demand for an automatic sheet finishing device which is usable in combination with the sorter and capable of automatically carrying out sheet finishing.

Sheet finishing device with calculating means for efficient operation


In a method of controlling an operational parameter of a smart apparatus, a user processing device receives user-defined criteria for changing the operational parameter based on a financial parameter associated with an account. The user processing device obtains a value for the financial parameter from a financial institution server a value and determines whether the user-defined criteria have been met. Responsive to a determination that the user-defined criteria have been met, the user processing device transmits to the smart apparatus a first instruction to change the operational parameter. The user processing device may then receive an updated value for the financial parameter from the financial institution server and determine whether the user-defined criteria are no longer being met. Responsive to a determination that the user-defined criteria are no longer being met, the user processing device transmits to the smart apparatus a second instruction to change the operational parameter.

Home appliances and vehicles are becoming more and more efficient, largely because of highly sophisticated sensor and control systems. In many cases, these systems allow the mechanical apparatus to be operated in an energy saving "economic" mode. While such operating modes may result in temporary cost savings, they can also be detrimental to the lifespan of the apparatus or can result in lower performance that negatively affects other elements of the home environment.
Home appliances have also gained the capability of connection into a home network. This allows the homeowner to control and monitor appliance operation from a computer or smart phone. This can be highly advantageous for the homeowner who may, at certain times, need to adjust appliance operation to be as economical as possible. As the number of smart appliances and vehicles increase, however, the typical homeowner may not be able to keep track and maintain efficient operation of all of them.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for control of smart appliance operation


The invention generally relates to a dispensing container for analytical disposables. In particular test elements, for the storage and removal of one disposable each from a storage container provided in the form of a drum cartridge.

Rapid tests on a carrier test strip have become standard for chemical and biochemical analysis of solid and liquid samples not only in specialized laboratories, but also, in particular, for the use outside of laboratories. Based on a special-developed dry chemistry, these carrier-based rapid tests can be performed easily and without complications even by untrained individuals despite the often complex reactions involving sensitive reagents. The most prominent example of carrier-bound rapid tests are test strips for the determination of the blood glucose level in diabetics. Also well-known are single- or multiple-field test strips for urine analysis and various indicator papers. Since carrier-bound rapid tests also exist in a variety of shapes other than strips (test strips), the term, "analytical test element", is generally used.
Like other analytical disposables, e.g. cuvettes, pipettes or lancets, test strips or test elements of this type need to be protected from dirt, germs and dust by means of a package.
In cases, where the analytical disposables are not directly fed from the storage container to a measuring device, but rather are evaluated by visual inspection with the naked eye, such as e.g. a test strip with an indicator paper, it is important that the analytical disposables can be removed from the storage container as easily as possible and without getting damaged or contaminated in the process. In particular, it is important that the removal is as easy as possible to perform by senior or ill people whose dexterity may be impaired.

Dispensing container and storage container for analytical disposables


A coupler for coupling an output shaft of a servo to an auxiliary shaft, comprises an coupler body having a longitudinal axis extending from a first end to a second end. The coupler body comprises a first bore, configured to accept a portion of the auxiliary shaft, centered on the longitudinal axis and extending into the first end a first distance. The coupler also comprises a second bore centered on the longitudinal axis and extending into the second end a second distance. The coupler also comprises a first fastener disposed proximate the first end, wherein adjusting the first fastener deforms a cross sectional dimension of the first bore. The coupler also comprises a second fastener disposed proximate the second end, wherein adjusting the second fastener deforms a cross sectional dimension of the second bore. An inner surface of the second bore has a female spline configuration to accept and engage a portion of the output shaft of the servo.

A servo motor (a.k.a. simply a "servo") is a device having a rotatable output shaft. The output shaft can typically be positioned to specific angular positions in accordance with a coded signal received by the servo. It is common that a particular angular position will be maintained as long as a corresponding coded signal exists on an input line. If the coded signal changes, the angular position of the shaft will change accordingly. Control circuits and a potentiometer are typically included within the servo motor casing and are functionally connected to the output shaft. Through the potentiometer (e.g., a variable resistor), the control circuitry is able to monitor the angle of the output shaft. If the shaft is at the correct angle, the motor actuates no further changes. If the shaft is not at the correct angle, the motor is actuated in an appropriate direction until the angle is correct.


A wall-mounted information appliance assembly includes an information appliance (10) defining a recess (132) therein, a pivot base (30), and a screw (40). The recess includes a plurality of spaced indents. A plurality of spaced projecting portions (33) is formed on the pivot base, and the projecting portions are partly engaged in the recess. Each projecting portion includes at least one tooth (35). The screw is for attaching the pivot base to a wall (50). The information appliance is attached to the pivot base, and is switchable between different attachment orientations with the indents of the information appliance being selectively engaged with the teeth of the pivot base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information appliance assembly, and more particularly to a wall-mounted information appliance assembly which enables switching of orientations of an information appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of information technology, more and more information appliances are produced to facilitate our home and office life. As we enjoy the convenience of the information appliances, we have to face the problem of limited room relative to diverse information appliances. Therefore, the information appliances are often attached to a wall of a house to save room.
An information appliance, such as an LCD monitor or an LCD TV, is conventionally attached to the wall with a plurality of screws. However, it is boring to unscrew the screws before taking off the information appliance.
To address the aforesaid problem, Taiwan Patent No. 537477 discloses a mechanism to attach an information appliance to a wall. The mechanism comprises a first bracket adapted for being fixed to the wall, and a second bracket adapted for being fixed to a rear of the information appliance. A pair of slots is defined in opposite flanges of the first bracket, and a pair of catches is formed on opposite flanges of the second bracket corresponding to the slots of the first bracket. The information appliance is attached to the wall with the catches engaging in the slots. However, such mechanism can only hold the information appliance in a given orientation. It is impossible to switch attachment orientations of the information appliance according to different orienting needs.
Thus, an information appliance assembly which overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.

Adjustable wall-mounted information appliance assembly


Optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems are used to measure lenses. The present methods use an OCT system to obtain one or more images of a lens. For example, an OCT system can be used to obtain section images, surface images, or combinations of section images and surface images of vision correcting lenses, such as contact lenses, intraocular lenses, corneal onlay lenses, corneal inlay lenses, and spectacle lenses, or non-vision correcting lenses, such as optical instrument and diagnostic instrument lenses. The images can be used to determine features of the lens, such as surface shapes, thicknesses, curvatures, lens powers, and edge profiles, among others. The present methods include lens metrology methods, lens design methods, and lens manufacturing methods.

Measuring physical features of lenses is important for determining appropriate design and manufacturing aspects of lenses. This importance is particularly significant in the design and manufacture of vision correcting lenses, such as contact lenses, intraocular lenses, corneal onlay lenses, corneal inlay lenses, and spectacle lenses, where the lenses are produced to correct or enhance a patient's vision.
Typically, when vision correcting lenses, such as contact lenses, are being measured, it is necessary to physically section or cut the lens. For example, to examine a thickness profile of a contact lens, it is necessary to cut the lens along one or more meridians and then obtain an image of the cross-section of the lens. Frequently, the sectioning of the lens is only performed along a single meridian and therefore, in order to obtain an accurate thickness profile map of the contact lens, it is necessary to cut many individual lenses from among a batch of lenses.
To determine or examine the curvature of a lens, such as a contact lens, the curvature is estimated by placing the lens on a planar surface so that the physical distance from the lens edge to the highest point of the lens can be measured to determine the sagittal height of the lens. The sagittal height can then be used to estimate the curvature of the lens. Although such a method may be useful in determining the curvature of a spherical lens, the method becomes less accurate as non-spherical lenses are being examined. Another method of estimating lens curvature includes the use of a keratometer. For example, a keratometer can be used to estimate lens curvature by measuring two reflected images reflected from the back surface of the lens.
Thus, there remains a need for new methods which enable a lens to be measured, such as without physically cutting a lens, and that provide accurate surface measurements of both spherical and non-spherical lenses.

Measurement of lenses and lens molds using optical coherence tomography

CooperVision International Holding Company, LP


A cam driven compressor includes a cam coupled to a plurality of cylinder and piston assemblies. Each cylinder and piston assembly comprises a piston located and movable within a respective cylinder. Each cylinder has a cylinder head. The compressor comprises a housing defining a cavity configured to receive a portion of a source gas from one or more of the cylinders in order to maintain a positive gas pressure within the cavity.

The present invention relates to compressors and, in a first aspect thereof, more particularly relates to a compressor having a cavity at a positive internal pressure relative to the surrounding environment to reduce induction of contaminants into the product gas produced by the compressor. In another aspect, the invention relates to a compressor having a pressure relief valve in communication with the compressor cavity to maintain the compressor cavity at a desired positive pressure.
Electrically driven compressors must convert rotary motion from a motor into linear motion to actuate a piston or a series of pistons to generate compressed gas. Most gas compressors accomplish this task by means of a crankshaft and connecting rod assembly similar to that found in internal combustion engines. By design, compressors known in the art will create a slight leak around the inter-stage seal located between the piston and cylinder. Some advantages to this design are the proven reliability and the high operating efficiency. One major disadvantage is that these compressors are referenced/vented to atmosphere so as to eliminate a positive pressure cavity. Not only does this waste any leaked gas, but any moisture in the atmosphere may be reintroduced into the product gas via back-diffusion. This back-diffusion of atmosphere decreases the product gas concentration and increases contaminants within the product gas.
By way of example, Aviation Breathing Oxygen (ABO) requires product gas purities exceeding about 99.9%. Thus, current compressors may compromise the product gas purity through cavity leakages. Even at low compression pressures, moisture may be introduced into the product gas thereby leading to a failure in meeting the requirements set forth by MIL-PRF-27210J (Performance Specification—Oxygen, Aviator's Breathing, Liquid and Gas), particularly the requirement that the moisture content of the gas be less than 7 part per million (ppm).
Thus, what is needed is a high pressure compression system that would allow use of high purity gases without impacting gas purity due to compressor leakages.

Sealed cavity compressor to reduce contaminant induction

Cobham Mission Systems Davenport LSS Inc.


A plasma processing method is provided of processing a sample having a silicon nitride layer with high accuracy of size in anisotropy and excellent selectivity to a silicon oxide layer as underlayer. A mixed atmosphere of chlorine gas containing no fluorine with aluminum is converted into plasma in a plasma etching processing chamber and the sample having the silicon nitride layer is etched by using the plasma.

The present invention relates to a plasma processing method of processing the surface of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to such a plasma processing method suitable for etching of a silicon nitride film.
A method using plasma is widely employed to work or process semiconductor devices. In the prior art, as the plasma used to etch a silicon nitride layer, plasma of a mixed gas of fluorine-containing gas as a main component with hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas is utilized as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,402.

Plasma processing method for working the surface of semiconductor devices


An adjustable height jib is disclosed for an arm of a hook-lift hoist for loading of equipment, containers or the like onto a truck for transport. The jib has an elongate body with a hook located on each of its opposing end portions. The jib is mounted on the arm for pivotal movement between a first position for loading containers of a first height and a second position for loading containers of a second height. A lock secures the jib in either position. A feature of the adjustable height jib is that, upon release of the lock, it will pivot between a longer position as the hook-lift hoist is operated toward the loading position and a shorter position as the hook lift hoist is operated toward the transport position.

The invention relates generally to hook-lift hoists mounted on a wheeled chassis and, more specifically, to a hook-lift hoist that has a jib that is adjustable in length to accommodate containers for loading and transport by the hoist of two different heights.
Hook-lift hoists have been in common use, particularly in European countries, for a number of years. The hoist has a pivotable L-shaped arm with a hook on its distal end portion or jib that is used to engage a detachable truck box. The hook of the jib engages a loading bar of the container or truck box and the arm is pivoted to lift the container onto the chassis for transport of the container and its contents to any location.
The truck box containers are manufactured in a range of sizes, each having a characteristic size and rated weight capacity. In general, the larger the container, the larger its rated weight capacity and the higher from the ground its loading bar that is to be engaged by the hook on the jib of the hoist. In the past, hoists have generally been engineered to have a loading capacity matched to the maximum loaded weight of the container it can load and transport. Accordingly, the hook of a hoist had a preset height corresponding to the loading bar of the matching container.
It has become known also to provide the truck chassis with a lift mechanism for tilting of the box atop the chassis to dump the contents of the box rearwardly of the truck. Hook-lift hoists allow for a single truck chassis to be used with a wide variety of truck boxes, each of which has a distinct and advantageous use. A single truck chassis with a hook-lift hoist can be used, for example, to load, transport and dump open-topped waste receptacles to a disposal site; to load, transport, and unload shipping containers; to mount, use, and dismount road maintenance equipment, such as a salt spreader; to load, transport, and unload wheeled equipment; and so on. This functional versatility makes hook-lift hoists an economical vehicle for transport industries, particularly the street and highway maintenance departments of municipalities, states, and other governmental entities where budgetary constraints and the variety of tasks that must be performed make these multi-purpose vehicles an attractive choice.
Given the diversity of containers and other types of equipment that are to be loaded and transported on hook-lift hoists, it has become desirable to be able to load and transport containers and other equipment of more than one size onto a hook-lift hoist.

Adjustable height jib for a hook-lift hoist


Electrical plug restricting apparatus includes a male inlet connector fixable to an electrical equipment chassis, a restraint device attachable to the connector and including a plug supporting base, the base having apertures therethrough, and at least one plug securing cable tie insertable through the base aperture and having a length sufficient to surround the plug, the tie securing the plug to the base when tightened.

Individual pieces of electrical equipment used in large electrical systems, such as computer server systems, are typically rack mounted in bays. Many of these pieces of electrical equipment have a number of electrical connections for intercommunication, and virtually all, if not all, have connections by which power is supplied to the equipment, such connections almost always being at a rear wall of the equipment enclosures (chassis).
As a consequence, a bay of electrical equipment may have a great many exposed electrical cables which must be connected to particular pieces of equipment in particular ways. Technicians servicing the equipment and removing some equipment and installing other equipment are continually handling or working with these cables in relatively narrow isles between bays. Accidental disconnection of some of the cables may thus occur, often causing equipment or system disruption or damage.
To overcome such problems, prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,722 to Peter S. Pulizzi, titled "Connector Restraint Device For Electrical Equipment" discloses a device for restraining (i.e., tying down) electrical connector cables to prevent the cable plugs from being unintentionally disconnected from their associated electrical equipment connectors. The disclosed connector restraint device is especially useful for restraining a number of cables connected at a rear chassis wall of an single piece of electrical equipment; however, it would not be economical for retraining only one cable, or possibly even a pair of cables, connected, for example, for supplying power to a single piece of electrical equipment.
It is thus a principal objective of the present invention to provide a single or double cable plug restraining device.


A control circuit for outputting a signal for controlling an amount of light emitted from a plurality of light emitting elements. The control circuit includes a controller or CPU, and a D/A converter outputting a signal for setting a voltage in multiple gradation in accordance with a lighting state of the light emitting element. An amplifying circuit amplifies an output of the D/A converter and outputs an amplified output as a control signal. A reference voltage generating circuit generates a reference voltage and a comparator compares the control signal with the reference voltage. The controller varies an output of the D/A converter based on the result of comparison by the comparator, to adjust the output of the D/A converter so that the control signal is equivalent to the reference voltage. Accordingly each voltage is reset in the multiple gradation to allow the light emitting element to appropriately emit light based on the adjusted output. As a result, a plurality of light emitting elements can be controlled stably without using a high precision circuit element.

There are below-discussed known light emitting element control devices.
As shown in FIG. 33, a light emitting element control device disclosed by 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 167139/1989 (Tokukaihei 1-167139) includes an amplifier 50, a light emitting element 51, a light receiving element 52, an A/D converter 53, a CPU 54, and a D/A converter 55. The light emitting element 51 and the light receiving element 52 constitute an optical sensor, and by a control voltage signal to be output through the D/A converter 55 from the CPU 54, an amount of light emitted from the light emitting element 51 is adjusted. On the other hand, the light receiving element 52 detects an amount of light emitted from the light emitting element 51, and after the amount of light is amplified by the amplifier 50, it is inputted to the CPU 54 through the A/D converter 53. The CPU 54 adjusts a control voltage signal value of the D/A converter 55 so that the amount of light falls in a range of from a predetermined upper limit value to a predetermined lower limit value. As a result, the described control device controls the light emitting element.
As shown in FIG. 34, the light emitting element control device disclosed by 2 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 271025/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-271025) includes a CPU 56, a laser diode 57, a D/A converter 58, a driving circuit 59 for a laser diode 57, a pin monitor 60, an A/D converter 61 and a variable circuit 62.
The laser diode 57 is arranged so as to emit light in accordance with a light amount indicative value. The light amount indicative value is output from the CPU 56, and is sent to a driving circuit 59 through the D/A converter 58. On the other hand, an amount of light emitted from the laser diode 57 is detected by the pin monitor 60, and a detected amount of light is inputted to the CPU 56 via the A/D converter 61. The CPU 56 calculates a difference between the light amount indicative value and a currently detected amount of light, and the light amount indicative value is adjusted by an APC (auto/power/control) circuit. Here, in order to maintain the control precision of the APC high, an operational amplifier 62a included in the variable circuit 62 varies a gain of the detection signal detected by the pin monitor 60, and a value of a signal output from the pin monitor 60 varies in response to a change in gain to be output to the A/D converter 61. As a result, the described control device controls the light emitting element.
3 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 1674/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-1674) discloses a light emitting element control device designed for a blank lamp control device provided in a copying machine. The blank lamp is provided for removing charges from a non-image-forming area on a drum-shaped photoreceptor in the case of carrying out a copying operation in a reduced size or in a frame elimination mode. For example, in a single sided copying machine, as shown in FIG. 35, the blank lamp 63 is provided facing the photoreceptor drum 68 so as to remove only charges of a so-called out of maximum image area (slashed line), i.e., an area obtained by subtracting the maximum image area B to which an image is copied from the drum width A of the photoreceptor drum 68.
The above-mentioned reference 3 discloses a control device for a blank lamp 63, wherein the PWM signal (pulse width modulation signal) output from control means 64 is used as a control voltage signal for the blank lamp 63 in an integrating circuit 65, and 10 blank lamps 63 (63a.about.63j) are controlled to be lighted up by the control voltage signal as shown in FIG. 36.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 37, by setting the pulse width of the PWM signal set in a predetermined interval into 10 levels, a lighting control of 10 lamps is permitted. To be more specific, the PWM signals are set by inputting 10 pulse widths in the register section in the control means 64, and are output from the PWM signal generation port in the control means 64.
The PWM signal transmitted from the control means 64 is sent to the integrating circuit 65 shown in FIG. 36, and by passing through the integrating circuit 65, the PWM signal is converted into the voltage signal which linearly varies in response to the pulse width. Then, the voltage signal is inputted to the lamp driving circuit section 66, and the blank lamps 63 in the same number as the inputted voltage signals light up.
The lamp driving circuit section 66 includes 10 circuits. Each circuit is arranged such that the comparative amplifiers 67 (67a-67j), and the blank lamps 63 (63a-63j) composed of LED (Light Emitting Diode), etc., are connected in series respectively. To a positive terminal of each comparative amplifier 67, a control voltage signal converted by the integrating circuit 65 is applied, and to a negative terminal of each comparative amplifier 67, a reference voltage v is applied. The reference voltage v is calculated based on a relationship between a pulse width of the PWM signal (converted into a duty ratio) and an output voltage V.sub.0 of the control voltage signal. Then, the power source voltage V.sub.cc divided by the resistor in accordance with a level of a required output voltage V.sub.0 (from V.sub.1 to V.sub.10) for lighting on 10 blank lamps 63.
In the case of carrying out an equivalent size copying, as the PWM signal is not generated, any of the blank lamps 63 does not light on. However, for example, in the case of outputting the PWM signal of level 1 having a minimum pulse width shown in FIG. 37, a control voltage signal, i.e., an output voltage V.sub.1 shown in FIG. 38 is inputted to the lamp driving circuit section 66, and only the blank lamp 63a lights on. Thereafter, according to a pulse width level of the PWM signal, blank lamps 63b through 63j light on accordingly. For example, when carrying out a copying operation with a reduced copy size from B-4 size to B-5 size, the magnification is 70 percent (50 percent in area), and the pulse width of the PWM signal corresponds to the maximum level 10. Therefore, the control voltage signal of the output voltage V.sub.10 is inputted to the lamp driving circuit section 66, and all of the 10 blank lamps (63a through 63j) light on.
However, both the optical sensor control device of the reference 1 or the APC circuit of the reference 2 require an A/D converter in a path for feeding back a detected output of the light receiving element and the pin monitor to the CPU, and the operation voltage of the light receiving element and the pin monitor are set to the power source voltage (5V) of the CPU, or as the amplifier 50 or the operation amplifier 62a shown in FIG. 33 and FIG. 34, an amplifying/attenuating circuit, etc., is provided on the light receiving side, and the output voltage is required to be set equivalent to the power source voltage.
On the other hand, in the control device of the blank lamp in the reference 3, the number of blank lamps indicates a number of groups of blank lamps classified in such a manner that lamps in each group light up simultaneously and lamps in different groups light up at different timing. As the number of groups increases, a lighting control cannot be performed stably without adopting resistors of high precision in the previous circuit to the control voltage signal generating circuit.
The described conventional arrangement is designed for controlling the lighting of the blank lamps of at most 10 groups, and thus only 10 kinds of reference voltages v.sub.1 through v.sub.10 are required for the comparative amplifier 67 of the lamp driving circuit section 66 shown in FIG. 36, and a difference in voltage between the reference voltages (between v.sub.1 and v.sub.2, and between v.sub.2 and v.sub.3 . . . ) is around 1.6 (V) as shown in Table 39. Here, the power source voltage V.sub.cc before being divided by the resistor is 18 (V).
However, when the described conventional arrangement is applied for controlling the lighting of more than 10 groups, for example, 15 groups, and for controlling lighting off of all the lamps in the 15 groups, 16 kinds of the reference voltages v.sub.1 through v.sub.16 are required for the comparative amplifier 67, and a difference between the reference voltages (between v.sub.1 and v.sub.2, and between v.sub.2 and v.sub.3, . . . ) becomes smaller (around 1.1 (V)).
As the difference in voltage between the reference voltages becomes smaller, in order to stably control a lighting of the blank lamp 63 with a comparative output from the comparative amplifier 67, an error of the output voltage V.sub.0 is required to be set small. This requires a high precision resistor, etc., which causes an increase in cost.

Light emitting element control device, optical sensor control device and blank lamp control device