This automatic system (1) detects printing faults on metallized strips (3) or any other printing support comprising a predominance of specular color surfaces. The said system, arranged in a blackout casing (2), comprises an arm (30) on which there can move automatically a lighting unit (10) provided with a video camera (55). The camera has a variable-focus lens (56) which, through a semi-transparent filter (57) disposed in an oblique position in front of the lens, continuously films a portion of the strip (3) of a format (7) of variable size. The illumination of this strip portion is provided by two direct-illumination flashlights (12, 14), provided primarily to illuminate the non-specular surfaces of the strip, and by two other indirect-illumination flashlights (11, 13), advantageously provided to illuminate the specular color surfaces. One of the two flashlights (11, 13) comprises a translucent flat diffuser (27) disposed on its leading front surface and oriented preferentially in the direction of the semi-transparent filter (57), while the other flashlight (11) is oriented in the direction of the surface of a concave and opaque diffuser (25). Enclosing the semi-transparent filter (57), the diffuser (25) is mounted at its center on a sleeve (26) which provides the mechanical and optical connection between the diffuser (25) and the lens (56) of the camera (55).

This invention relates to a system for automatically detecting in a rotary printing press incipient printing faults on a metallised packaging strip, such as aluminised film, or any other substrate having a high reflecting power.
Frequently used in the packaging industry for printing strips fed from a reel, machines of this kind comprise a plurality of constituent stations, namely, progressing logically from upstream to downstream with reference to the direction of movement of the strip, a feed station comprising a reel holder and an automatic strip connector followed by a strip accumulator as required for each connection, an introduction station comprising a strip straightener and guide, a sequence of one or more printing units provided with dryers, and finally a reel receiving station or, if required, a station which directly introduces the printed strip into a new machine enabling it to be cut either by rotary working or flat working.
The automatic printing fault detection system will be used after this latter unit. Each of the printing units can give rise to different faults which may be in the form of streaks, smudges or blotches, variations in print intensity, print holes, or poor register in the case of a fault due to a shift between the different printing colours.
Numerous display and/or detection systems for these faults do exist in the prior art and generally use a video camera or any other means of picking up the light reflected by the printed strip. However, all these systems are intended primarily for monitoring non-specular colour prints on matt supports which have no particular brightness capable of reflecting the light in a given direction. It is therefore advantageous to differentiate the printing supports and inks designated as matt, in which it is not possible for any image to be reflected, from the metallised printing inks and supports whose reflecting power is associated with the aluminium foils typically used for perishable foods.
When a beam of light illuminates a non-reflecting surface termed matt, the light which is returned by this surface is a diffuse light which is reflected in every direction. On the other hand, if this surface is that of a metallised strip, the incident beam of light will be reflected as in a mirror in a given direction, at an angle of reflection equal to the angle of incidence of the beam. The difficulties that are found when monitoring a metallised strip depend essentially on the actual nature of the strip which has a specular and non-diffusing reflecting property. The subsequent problem in respect of optics or lighting and the sensing, by a camera, of the light reflected by the strip, form the subject of this invention inter alia. To obtain a good image quality, either with good colour rendering or a faithful image of the printed pattern, and avoid any problems in respect of deformation, lack of clarity and non-uniformity of the luminous flux sensed at the surface of its field of view, the camera is advantageously placed along a photographing axis oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the metallised strip. Since the illumination of a metallised strip can be likened to illumination of a mirror, the arrangement of a camera opposite said strip will naturally have the effect of giving rise to reflection of the image of the camera by the metallised strip. Although the camera may for the major part be hidden behind an opaque mask, the camera lens cannot be masked similarly in any case whatsoever. The geometric configuration of the camera lens with respect to the plane of the metallised strip is such that, in view of the specular properties of the strip, the camera can only relentlessly film the image of its own lens. Since the latter is directly connected to the camera photographic chamber, it follows that a black disc having a contour of varying definition depending on the quality of the reflection of the metallised strip will permanently appear at the centre of the image given by the camera. In order that the rays of light reflected by the metallised strip may traverse the lens of the camera in accordance with such a configuration, said rays must originate from a light source disposed on the same axis as the camera lens by virtue of the law of reflection which states equality between the angle of reflection and the angle of incidence of a ray of light. If that is not the case, the rays of light will not traverse the camera lens, and will therefore give rise to a darkened image of the strip on which the metallised surfaces will appear as surfaces of a substantially black tint. This blanking out of the image of the metallised parts of the strip, which is quite specific to such materials or inks having a predominance of specular colours, means that it is no longer possible to exclude any printing fault over the entire monitored surface.
To obviate this problem, various known systems making up the prior art provide a solution, depending on specific needs, to the problems of shade or reflection caused by illumination of strips subject to print or sealing quality control in a specific case.
For this purpose, the patent JP 9 300 596 describes a lighting system enabling a strip of any substrate to be inspected and printing faults to be detected. The system in question comprises a fixed lighting comprising three light tubes disposed opposite the front side of the vertically moving strip, and a light tube which detects the print holes by illuminating the back of the strip. Opposite the strip, two or three lights are disposed symmetrically on either side of its perpendicular and illuminate at an angle of 55xc2x0 with respect to its surface. These two lights contribute an illumination intended to be reflected by all the diffusing surfaces. The beam of light from the third light is in turn intended to be reflected by specular surfaces. Its inclination with respect to the perpendicular to the strip is 8xc2x0. A camera situated opposite the strip standing back from the light fittings films the strip at an angle of the same value so that the reflection of the latter beam traverses the camera lens if it is reflected by a specular surface. Also, the inclined plane defined by the lamp for the front of the strip is such that it includes the axis of the camera lens. The four light tubes operate simultaneously and their lighting power is individually determined and monitored by an electronic monitor.
Another system is given by the patent EP 781 655, in which the inventor proposes apparatus and a method whereby during optical quality monitoring it is possible to reduce the shade effects which typically form on a strip formed by a transparent support moving horizontally above a surface having a diffusing opaque background. Comprising in particular transparent parts and opaque parts, said strip is illuminated on its front surface by an oblique parallel beam of light. The oblique arrangement of the beam is necessary in view of the position of a camera situated opposite the front surface of the strip on an axis perpendicular to the latter. In order to avoid static electricity problems as a result of friction of the strip on the opaque background surface, an indispensable gap separates the moving strip from the background surface. Since the lighting beam incidence to the printed strip is not perpendicular, a shade zone of triangular section proportional to the height of the gap and to the value of the angle of inclination of the incident beam inevitably forms in the gap and around all the opaque surfaces of the strip. To meet this problem, the inventor proposes that the opaque background surface should be replaced by a support consisting of a plurality of layers of a material which diffuses and reflects the light by cascade from one layer to the next. In this way there is created, in depth in each of the layers of said support, a better distribution of the light in every direction contributing to eliminate or attenuate the unwanted shade effect.
The patent JP 4 071 849 describes an optical detector designed for inspection of printed strips, including those having surfaces with a high reflecting power. Moving horizontally, the strip is illuminated obliquely on its front surface by a light tube. The light reflected by the strip is returned in the direction of a plurality of sensors disposed in line above the examined surface. In front of each of these sensors is a dissector polarising filter which allows extraction, from the beam reflected by the strip, of all the rays which have undergone specular reflection, i.e., all the rays whose angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. Thus monitoring of the patterns printed on the strip is determined solely by the processing of a beam of a light entirely diffused by the surface thereof.
The patent JP 4 203 955 presents another variant for examination of a printed strip, which eliminates all the interference due to unwanted specular reflection. This method is based on converting an analogue signal proportional to the luminous intensity of a light reflected by the strip, into a binary signal coding for the examined image portion. Since the rays reflected as a result of specular reflection have a higher luminosity than those which have been diffused by the strip, it is then possible to differentiate these latter rays from the former by establishing an intensity threshold which limits the sensed analogue signals.
The patent JP 3 255 346, by monitoring an aluminised strip formed in this case by a packaging for pharmaceutical tablets, solves an optical problem of detecting faults in sealing a metallised strip on circular cavities containing pharmaceutical pills. The system in question has the feature of being able to detect faults without being affected by the wave-form corrugation on the aluminised back of each of said trays of tablets, following the normal production process used. Moving horizontally, the aluminised back faces a lamp which illuminates said surface obliquely, the strip reflects the incident rays with an irregular intensity depending on the distribution of the waves on its surface. The image of the luminous intensity of such a surface without any fault is previously stored and taken as a model by an electronic monitor. The rays reflected by the metallised strip are projected on to a horizontal translucent diffuser screen behind which the lens of a camera is situated. Obtained by transparency through the screen, the image given by the camera is compared by the electronic monitor with that which was taken as reference. Thus any fault in the sealing of the metallised strip on the cavities gives rise to a local luminous intensity different from that of the model, and allows damage to be detected in the sealing of the packaging under examination.
Due mainly to the diversification of the applications or objects to which these systems relate, the systems nevertheless give rise to a number of disadvantages which are, inter alia:
lack of specular and diffusing colour rendering and fidelity for an objective comparison,
the fact that in all the systems which do not differentiate between the illumination of the diffusing surfaces and the illumination of the specular surfaces, there will inevitably be, between these two types of surfaces, an imbalance in luminosity resulting in over-intensity of the metallised colours to the detriment of the contrast of the diffusing colours,
the use of an oblique illumination for monitoring the reflecting surfaces, and this involves a double disadvantage, namely: a greatly reduced extent of the field of view of the camera because of the fineness of the beam of light which can traverse the lens after specular reflection, and a distortion of the image given by the camera because its photographing axis is oblique to the perpendicular to the monitored surface,
the fundamental impossibilityxe2x80x94in view of the objective to which the subject matter of this invention relatesxe2x80x94of having access to a process intended to eliminate all the beams directly reflected by the examined surface and which have not undergone any diffusion by the same,
the fact that certain systems are ineffective for processing transparent or translucent strips although they contain metallised surfaces,
the use of a detection method which is poorly adapted, if at all, to the detection of printing faults on flat metallised strips of various colours without any particular corrugation.
The object of the system according to the invention is to obviate these disadvantages by providing a rapid tool of high performance in detecting all kinds of faults both during quality control in respect of the production of strips having a predominance of specular colours and those which have matt impressions. Of course this system also enables mixed strips to be processed, such strips partly comprising metallised surfaces or surfaces having a high reflecting power, and partly surfaces of diffusing colours. One of the features of this system is to improve the visual appearance of the reflecting surfaces filmed by a camera so that on the one hand the latter do not appear as being black or greatly faded zones in which any faults cannot be made visible, and on the other hand so that all the diffusing surfaces, even the dark ones, printed on an aluminised substrate, can be perfectly distinguished on a video monitor screen. It is by applying these specific features that it is possible to automate the detection process without any fear of blanking outxe2x80x94or certain darkeningxe2x80x94of the system which would immediately result in a considerable reduction of the reliability of the detection system in view of the impossibility of being able to detect numerous faults which have already been qualified as inadmissible.
While inter alia allowing monitoring of the texture of metallised surfaces thanks to the detection of faults which may range down to a minimum size less than 0.1 mm, depending on the camera characteristics, the system according to this invention has the advantage of being able to detect in real time incipient faults on all the reflecting or diffusing surfaces during printing of the strip. In this way it is possible to detect at a very early stage and automatically any printing fault which may assume unacceptable dimensional proportions at varying speed, thus avoiding certain and considerable wastage in production. Finally it should be noted that irrespective of the choice of strip used, this system also equally well enables detection of clear and contrasted faults which are readily visible to the naked eye once located, and faults which are distinctly less marked, which merge into their surroundings due to a certain blurring or camouflage imparted by colours of relatively low contrast.
To this end, the invention relates to an automatic printing fault detection system suitable inter alia for monitoring metallised strips and in accordance with the text of claim 1.
In order to define some of the terms introduced into this description to describe the position of some elements within the printing machine, we would refer to the terms xe2x80x9coperator sidexe2x80x9d (C.C.) and xe2x80x9cside remote from the operatorxe2x80x9d (C.O.C.) which are used by agreement to refer to a side designated with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the machine. This choice prevents any confusion with the conventional left-hand and right-hand denominations, which depend on the point of view of the observer.

Automatic system for detecting printing faults on metallized strips or any other printing support comprising a predominance of specular color surfaces


The system (200) provides a photonic waveguide (210) formed on a substrate (220) and a plurality of steering mirrors (230) within the photonic waveguide. The steering mirrors can be configured to direct a light beam (240) between two or more computing components (260). A plurality of steering mirror supports (250) are located within the waveguide having preset locations. The steering mirror supports are configured to enable the steering mirrors to be selectively repositioned at the preset steering mirror supports within the photonic waveguide to create varying configurations. The steering mirrors in the varying configurations direct one or more optical beams to form multiple connectivity channels between computing components within the photonic waveguide.

As computer chip speeds on circuit boards increase, communications bottlenecks in inter-chip communication are becoming a larger problem. One possible solution is to use fiber optics to interconnect high speed computer chips. However, most circuit boards involve many material layers and the tolerances employed in their manufacture is not consistent with the needs of optical interfaces. The alignment tolerance of fibers to interconnecting interfaces is generally in the range of microns. Physically placing fiber optics and connecting the fibers to the chips can be inaccurate and time consuming in circuit board manufacturing processes. Routing the optical signals around and between circuit boards can add significant additional complexity. Marketable optical interconnects between computing components have proven elusive, despite the need for broadband data transfer.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


Disclosed are resinous compositions with excellent balance of impact, heat, flow and environmental stress crack resistance, comprising (i) at least one aromatic polycarbonate, (ii) at least one low molecular weight hydrocarbon resin derived from petroleum C5–C9 feedstock and (iii) optionally a second thermoplastic resin which is not polycarbonate resin, (iv) optionally a rubber modified graft copolymer, and (v) optionally a polymeric or non-polymeric organic phosphorus species. Also disclosed is a method for the manufacture of the compositions and for the manufacture of articles thereof.

Thermoplastic resins comprising a polycarbonate resin have been steadily extending their use in various fields, such as automobile parts, appliances parts, and office automation equipment parts, because of their high mechanical strength, good appearance, good electric properties, flammability characteristics and superior processability allowing part integration and mass production. In these fields, in order to produce large-sized and thin-walled articles and to reduce the molding cycle, there has been an increasing demand for thermoplastic resins to have improved flow, while retaining other properties like heat, and toughness. It is further desirable to improve the environmental stress crack resistance.
To improve the flow of polycarbonate or polycarbonate-styrenic resin blends it has been described in JP-A-08-199059 and JP-A-2000-63651 to use terpene resins.

Resinous compositions, method of manufacture thereof and articles fabricated from the composition


A portable pitching mound having a plurality of shell pieces. Each shell piece has a forward and rearward end with opposite side portions and an upper surface and opposite underside. The shell pieces when placed side by side interlock to one another to form an arcuate shell member. At least one of the plurality of shell pieces have retractable wheels secured therein such that the shell piece is moveable to facilitate transportation.

This invention relates to portable pitching mounds. More specifically this invention relates to a multiple piece portable pitching mound that is able to be easily transported and used in practice applications and actual game applications.
Portable pitching mounds have served well to provide pitching mounds where conventional mounds could not be used (i.e., gymnasiums) or were not available. However, the footing or traction on the surface of the mounds is not the best, particularly as the pitcher completes the pitching motion. Further, the means of securing these mounds to a supporting surface are not always adaptable for both indoor, outdoor and actual game use. Additionally, many portable pitching mounds use vertical walls as support that can add extra weight to the mound as well as making it difficult to use both indoors and outdoors and impossible to use in actual games.
Portable pitching mounds that do not use vertical walls and have a single peripheral edge have been provided to overcome the problems associated with pitching mounds having vertical wall portions. However, many problems remain with these portable pitching mounds. For example, a regulation pitcher's mound has a flat surface which is ten inches high, five feet wide, and 34 inches from front to back located in the approximate center of an 18 foot diameter circle with gradually sloping sides and thus are very large. Because of the unusual shape and size of a pitching mound, transporting pitching mounds to stores to sell provides difficulties. Additionally, when indoor use in a gymnasium of a mound is desired, transporting a mound inside the door of a gymnasium is also problematic. Manufacturing such a large mound is also expensive and difficult.
Thus an object of the present invention is to provide a portable pitching mound that improves upon the state of the art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable pitching mound that is easy to transport.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable pitching mound that is easy to assemble.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An organic light-emitting device includes an anode, a cathode, and an organic layer between the anode and the cathode, wherein the organic layer includes a mixed organic layer, and the mixed organic layer includes at least two different compounds, and a triplet energy of at least one compound of the at least two different compounds is 2.2 eV or higher. The organic light-emitting device according to embodiments of the present invention may have a low driving voltage, a high efficiency, and a long lifespan.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an organic light-emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) are self-emitting devices that have advantages such as wide viewing angles, good contrast, quick response, high brightness, low driving voltage characteristics, and can provide multicolored images.
A typical organic light-emitting device has a structure including a first electrode, a hole transport region, an emission layer, an electron transport region, and a second electrode that are sequentially stacked on a substrate. Holes injected from the first electrode move to the emission layer via the hole transport region, and electrons injected from the second electrode move to the emission layer via the electron transport region. Carriers (i.e. the holes and electrons) recombine in the emission layer to generate excitons. When the excitons drop from an excited state to a ground state, light is emitted.


A bypass channel for use in an inter-turbine transition duct of a gas turbine engine is connected to a suction port disposed upstream of a high-pressure turbine and an injection port disposed downstream of the high-pressure turbine. The flow through the bypass channel is motivated by the natural pressure difference across the high-pressure turbine. The flow out of the injection nozzle is used to energize the boundary layer flow downstream of the high-pressure turbine in order to allow for the use of a more aggressively expanded inter-turbine duct without boundary layer separation.

In gas turbine engines, there is a preferred ratio between the diameters of the high-pressure turbine spool and the low-pressure turbine spool. Specifically, the low-pressure turbine spool has a larger diameter than the high-pressure turbine spool to provide optimal engine performance. Because of this difference in radial size, the transition duct joining the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines must accommodate this change in radius.
However, increasing the size of the duct over a relatively short distance can result in boundary layer separation of the flow within the duct, adversely affecting low-pressure turbine performance. Therefore, gas turbine engines are often designed with elongated transition ducts, or transition ducts that do not achieve the optimal ratio between the high-pressure turbine size and the low-pressure turbine size.
Therefore, there is a need for continued improvement in the design of such inter-turbine transition ducts.

High area-ratio inter-turbine duct with inlet blowing


A system and method for reducing tritium migration. In one aspect, the invention is a method of reducing tritium mitigation from a spent nuclear fuel pool containing a body of tritiated water having an exposed surface, the method comprising hermetically sealing the exposed surface of the body of tritiated water with a cover movable between an open-state and a close-state.

In the operation of water cooled nuclear reactors, tritium is a direct product of nuclear fission. Tritium has a very short biological half life in the human body of 7 to 14 days which reduces the total effects of single-incident ingestion and precludes long term bioaccumulation of tritium from the environment. As tritium is not a strong beta emitter, it is not dangerous externally or simply through contacting a person's skin. However, tritium can be a radiation hazard when it is inhaled, ingested via food stuff, ingested in water, or absorbed through the skin.
In the nuclear industry, tritium is a direct product of the operation of nuclear power plants. When a nuclear fuel rod becomes spent through use in the nuclear reactor, it is stored for up to five years or longer in what is known as a spent fuel pool in order to cool the spent fuel rod and rid the spent fuel rod of its radioactive components.
Tritium control and recovery needs to be considered in the nuclear plant fuel cycle since production is not a goal of the reactor. Tritium does represent a personnel and environmental radiological hazard in sufficient concentrations. Because tritium concentration in the nuclear storage pools can be relevantly high, a very small amount of tritiated water can affect a large amount of ground water. Further, tritiated water has the same chemical characteristics as regular water, which means that the tritiated water can spread through evaporative loss and redeposit via subcooling condensation on the external surfaces within the spent fuel pool room.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to reduce the migration of tritiated water from the spent nuclear fuel pool.

Systems and method for reducing tritium migration


A method and system for providing emergency medical counseling to childbirth patients remotely is described. A consistent, standard and systematic process is provided which in combination with adequate training, supervision and quality assurance serves to provide a method for gathering emergency medical information regarding providing emergency medical dispatch services to childbirth patients, categorizing such information into various determinant levels for appropriate response, and for giving qualified emergency medical information to callers thereby permitting "zero time" response by those at the scene. By using this invention properly a dispatcher is guided through the interrogation of callers concerned with childbirth patients, gathering critical information and giving the appropriate guidance to the caller. This invention specifically guides the dispatcher through the steps of the procedure for giving remote emergency medical counsel to childbirth patients, thereby providing the "zero time" response by utilizing those at the scene of the emergency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and systems for processing and responding to emergency medical inquiries. Specifically, this invention relates to the process of providing emergency medical counsel, instruction or advice to callers who are inquiring concerning childbirth cases. Providing adequate emergency medical care presents several critical challenges to medical care providers. These challenges include: the proximity to the care provider, the time required for help to arrive, the identification of the criticality of the emergency, the appropriate level of care provided, the variances in training of emergency medical dispatcher personnel, and limited nature of emergency care resources. This invention addresses these challenges by providing consistent and proven advice and instruction for persons on the scene with patients involved with childbirth. This invention, in its best mode of operation, operates as part of a system for the management, processing and response of an emergency medical dispatch system. This emergency medical dispatch system accomplishes the above objectives by: First, gathering necessary medical complaint information from emergency medical inquiry callers and providing emergency verbal instructions to individuals at the scene. Second, prioritizing the complaint to determine the criticality of the emergency. Third, assisting dispatched responders to be prepared for each emergency situation. Fourth, advising those on the way to provide care at the scene of specific problems or potential hazards. When used correctly this invention decreases the effective response time, while increasing the professionalism and control of emergency medical dispatchers, increases the accuracy and appropriateness of patient interrogation and well as the quality of gathered information, reduces the number of multiple unit responses thereby reducing the risk of emergency medical vehicular collisions, improves patient care, reduces burn-out and stress of dispatchers by improving their quality of training, decreases the risk of responder injury or mistake by providing responders with improved knowledge of the situation, provides an means for continuously improving the quality of emergency patient care, and provides a "zero-time" emergency medical response through guidance given remotely, typically over a telephone, to individual at the scene.
While being included within a greater invention that addresses all of the above issues, this invention specifically addresses the method or process of giving emergency medical counsel to childbirth patients and/or those individuals at the scene with the patient. Childbirth is a common yet not routine event. Accurate, reliable and proven instructions can be especially important when childbirth begins or occurs outside a hospital. The process of this invention can be essential to the successful delivery of a new baby, particularly when the travel time for an emergency medical team to the patient is often to long for the team to be able to give the most effective assistance. This invention provides a means for communicating, in an orderly manner, to individuals at the scene the information necessary to help them help with the deliver. Accurate, efficient and systematic responses to calls for help with childbirth can and does make the difference in the successful delivery of many new borns outside the hospital environment.
2. Description of Related Art
It is desirable to provide a systematic and standardized method for responding to emergency medical requests, especially where a woman is about to give birth and where individuals at the scene can be properly instructed help her. Although in the related art some attempt has been made to address the problem of medical care assessment, the related art does not address the specific problems of emergency dispatcher response to medical problems related to childbirth. Rather related art approaches describe the following. A process of helping patients assess their health, select appropriate health care, and guide such patients to an appropriate level and type of care. An automated medical history taking system and a technique wherein selected branch paths through a question repertory are provided. A method and apparatus for coordinating the actions of two or more medical teams, especially for instructional purposes. An expert system for providing suggested treatments for a patient with physical trauma. A medical payment system that incorporates computer technology in the storage, retrieval and processing of patient data and insurance claims. A knowledge base containing medical/pathological information on various diseases. A hospital computerized system for entering information pertinent to a patient's stay in the hospital. An expert computer system for processing medical claims. An interactive computerized apparatus and method for presenting medical information for diagnosis and study of disease. An automated and interactive positive motivation system to send a series of motivational messages and/or questions to a client to change or reinforce a specific behavioral problem. An artificial intelligent expert system. A rapid response health care communications system for providing rapid and reliable health services to patients located within or outside a health care facility.
For general background material, the reader is directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,130,881, 4,237,344, 4,489,387, 4,839,822, 4,858,121, 4,945,476, 5,063,522, 5,065,315, 5,072,383, 5,253,164, 5,255,187, 5,471,382, and 5,596,994. Each of the above references is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material disclosed therein. MICROFICHE APPENDIX. This specification includes a Microfiche Appendix which includes 1 page of microfiche with a total of 20 frames. The microfiche appendix includes computer source code and database structure of one preferred embodiment of the invention. In other embodiments of the invention, the inventive concept may be implemented in other computer code, in computer hardware, in other circuitry, in a combination of these, or otherwise. The Microfiche Appendix is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and is considered to be a part of the disclosure of this specification.

Method and system for giving remote emergency medical counseling for childbirth patients


The invention relates to novel methylene bisphosphonic acid derivatives carrying a styrene group attached to the methylene carbon. The novel compounds are useful e.g. for functionalizing polymers of styrene type, especially macroporous styrene polymers, by copolymerizing the novel derivative with styrene and optional crosslinking agents. The invention also provides for new crosslinking agents especially suitable for the said purpose.

Functional groups may be attached to a polymer chain according to two methods: by functionalizing during manufacture of the polymer, i.e. by copolymerizing with a monomer carrying the functional group, or by modifying the chain chemically. The latter method is the one most in use today, but the former has a number of advantages, one being that the number of manufacturing steps and thus side product formation can be reduced.
Porous or macroporous styrene materials are structures formed by agglomerated microspheres (100-200 nm) consisting in turn of cores (10-30 nm) (Jacobelli H., Guyot A., Angew. Makrom. Chem., 80, (1979), 31). Both between the cores and the agglomerates there are interconnected pores which provide for the large surface area of the polymer. These polymers have found a number of applications, especially within organic chemistry in the form of polymer bound catalysts, reagents and in chromatographic separation processes. Polymer bound enzymes, controlled dosage of medicines, pesticides and cosmetics are also used. The materials also find use for the purification of water, other liquids and gases.
Although the research regarding polymer bound reagents is very intensive, there are today only a few industrial applications in use. The reason for this is, from a polymer chemical point of view, three, namely diffusion restrictions within the polymer, insufficient mechanical characteristics and insufficient chemical inertness of the material. Diffusion restriction within the polymer makes the activity of the reagent low, if the diffusion rate into and out from the polymer becomes the rate controlling step. Insufficient mechanical strength makes the polymer break down, difficult to separate and re-use. Functional residues, side products and remaining double bonds can poison the polymer or break it down so that the functional groups and the activity are lost.
In order to obtain a pure product and good process economy it is important to keep the manufacturing steps as few as possible. Consequently, copolymerization of a monomer carrying the functional groups would be a feasible alternative for the synthesis of polymer, especially macroporous polymer supported species. However, until now it has not been possible to manufacture satisfactory products by copolymerization as the functional groups have, to a major degree, been locked within the polymer structure and are thus not available for reaction.
Macroporous polymers are mostly made by polymerizing a monomer and a crosslinking agent in the presence of a solvent which dissolves the monomers but not the polymer formed. Porous structures with interconnected pores can also be synthesized from water-in-monomer-emulsions in the presence of a surfactant. The latter method provides for very porous materials with larger pores and a more even, homogeneous pore structure than the former method.
An applicable method for the preparation of polymers with a high degree of porosity is described in J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Comm., 7, (1990), 1589, and in the EP-patent 0060138. Materials of this type are very attractive for the preparation of polymers with a grafted polymer layer within the pores.
In the publication J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, (1990), 1263, Menger et al., there is disclosed a method for polymerizing styrene and divinyl benzene in a system were the water in monomer emulsion is a microemulsion. -- The term "microemulsion" has been defined (Danielsson et al., Colloids Surfaces, 3, (1981), 391) as a system consisting of water, oil and an amphiphilic compound, which forms a single optical isotrope and a thermodynamically stable solution. The microemulsion is made using as the surfactant i.a. sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT).
In a later article, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, (1990), 6723, Menger et al. also described a method for controlling the location of the functional groups to the pore surfaces of the polymer. As the monomer carrying the functional group, a styrene derivative was used, having a, dimethyl amine group at the end of a chain attached to the phenyl group. Although the process described can be considered to give satisfactory products for some purposes, it has the drawback that the functional monomer used is excessively soluble in the styrene phase, wherefore its concentration in the pore forming water pools is reduced. Consequently the number of available functional groups in the final polymer is also reduced.
The aim of the present invention is i.a. to provide a new type of functionalizing monomers having superior and interesting complexing properties, and by means of which it is possible to achieve an increased degree of surface functionalization, and especially when used in the manufacture of macroporous styrene polymers, e.g. using the microemulsion polymerization technique.

Process for making a macroporous styrene polymer


Systems and methods for multi-source reference class identification, base rate calculation, and prediction are disclosed. The systems and method can guide on, then elicit, information about reference class identification on a case-by-case basis, connects to a database in order to calculate historical base rates according to user reference class selections, and collect additional quantitative and qualitative information from users. The systems and methods can then generate predictive estimates based on the combination of the inputs by one or more users.

Large quantities of data have been made available for retrieval over the Internet or over other communication networks. Such data is generally available from a large number of different data sources, including data sources curated by data service providers. Effectively traversing and searching these data sources can require specialized skills, syntax and knowledge, which can make user interaction difficult and cumbersome. This can be particularly true as it relates to identifying, utilizing, and understanding specific data from which predictive outcome estimates or forecasts are generated.
Currently there are a number of solutions for generating forecasts based on relevant data and expert inputs. Some of these solutions attempt to generate forecasts using statistical modeling or machine learning methods with minimal supervision and expert inputs, but these solutions fail to meet the needs of the industry because they do not account for non-obvious dependencies and structural breaks within the historical data. Other solutions attempt to source forecasts directly from human experts, but these solutions are similarly unable to meet the needs of the industry because experts often rely on individual facts or observations related to a specific new case in question, while ignoring relevant historical information (this is referred to in the scientific literature as "base rate neglect" or "inside-view bias" (Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Macmillan, New York, N.Y.). Determining a predictively accurate base rate relies on identifying reference classes, consisting of historical cases. This is known as the reference class problem, which has been studied in probability theory since at least the 19th Century, by statisticians such as John Venn. Methods such as "reference class forecasting" have been deployed to provide estimates for costs and completion times of infrastructure projects based on prior data, but known versions of reference class forecasting methods feature little guidance on how users should identify predictively useful reference classes, and no specific methods for combining reference class and predictive estimates across multiple experts.
Still other solutions seek to utilize expert systems, which may feature networked combinations of computer databases, interfaces and human user inputs. But these solutions also fail to meet industry needs because they are difficult to use by experts unfamiliar with specific computer programming languages and may require specialized software and statistical expertise in order to maintain the system and produce results. Further, they are difficult to modify for specific use cases and can be unsuitable for prediction tasks with relevant historical data and potentially useful inputs from multiple experts. From a software perspective, software tools such as visual query builders allow users to define sub-classes within a database, but these tools are geared toward software developers or individual analysts working on reports; such tools are thus unable to satisfy the need for efficiently aggregated predictions based on inputs from multiple users.


A keypad assembly (200) applied to a portable electronic device (300) includes at least one key (24), a base (30) and an elastic member (40). The base includes at least one fixing portion (34). The at least one fixing portion is divided into two positioning blocks (344) by means of a latching slot (342). The at least one key is fixed on the at least one fixing portion. The elastic member includes at least one latching portion. Each latching portion includes two latching apertures and a rib. Each positioning block is engaged in a corresponding latching aperture. Each rib is received in a corresponding latching slot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to key assemblies and, particularly, to a keypad assembly applied to a portable electronic device, such as mobile telephone, electronic notebook, and a portable electronic device with the same.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of wireless communication and information processing technologies, portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are now in widespread use. These portable electronic devices enable consumers to enjoy high technology services, anytime and anywhere. A keypad assembly as an input terminal has been an indispensable member of a portable electronic device.
A typical keypad assembly is used for a portable electronic device including a printed circuit board therein. Several fixed contact points are formed on the printed circuit board and several dome switches respectively disposed above the fixed contact points. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the keypad assembly 100 (i.e., the keypad), as illustrated, includes three keys 12, an elastic member 14, and a base 16. Three spaced blocks 162 protrude from an upper surface 164 of the base 16. Four cylindrical projections 166 extend from a lower surface 168 of the base 16. The elastic member 14 has three spaced rectangular through apertures 142 defined therein. In assembly, the fixing blocks 162 are respectively received in a corresponding through aperture 142 of the elastic member 14 so that the fixing blocks 162 are locked in the elastic member 14. The keys 12 are then respectively fixed on the fixing blocks 162 by means of a glue or another adhesive. Accordingly, the above key elements are assembled together. When the key 12 is pushed downward, the cylindrical projection 166 overcomes the elastic force from the dome switch so as to contact the fixed contact point, thereby generating a signal.
However, since miniaturization of the portable electronic device is desired, it would be helpful if the thickness of the elastic member 14 and the fixing blocks 162 could be reduced. This thickness reduction would, however, likely decrease the strength of the keypad assembly 100 and thus make the keypad assembly 100 more susceptible to breakage. In addition, since the contact area between the fixing blocks 162 and the elastic member 14 is reduced, the bonding force produced between the elastic member 14 and the fixing blocks 162 would likewise be reduced. As such, the keys 12 may be more prone to break away from the base 16 when the portable electronic device is dropped on the ground.
Therefore, a keypad assembly is desired in order to overcome the above-described problems.

Keypad assembly and portable electronic device with same


A collet chuck assembly includes a chuck body carrying a collet retaining ring for receiving the threaded rear end of a standard collet. The collet retaining ring is secured to the chuck body and held against both axial and radial movement relative to the chuck body by a plurality of radially extending fasteners having inner, tapered portions received by correspondingly tapered holes in the retaining ring. A longitudinally or axially displaceable closing sleeve compresses the collet jaws when the sleeve is moved inone axial direction and releases the jaws when moved in the other axial direction. Axial displacement of the closing sleeve is effected by a collet actuator including a plurality of longitudinal fingers extending through openings in the collet retaining ring and having end portions configured to interlock with a correspondingly configured mating portion of the collet closing sleeve. In a preferred embodiment the fingers and mating portion of the closing sleeve include releasable interlocking arcuate flanges and grooves.

Dead length collet chuck assemblies for holding a collet against longitudinal or axial displacement which would cause errors in the machining operation are well known. Examples of such collet chuck assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 628,730; 2,415,482; 4,690,415; and 5,480,164. U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,164, issued Jan. 2, 1996 to the present inventor and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a dead length collet chuck assembly in which a standard collet is threadedly received by a collet retaining ring secured to an interior surface of a chuck body. A longitudinally displaceable camming or closing sleeve surrounding the collet and having a tapered, internal camming surface operatively associated with a conical, exterior surface on the split forward end portion of the collet, compresses and releases the jaws of the collet in a well-known fashion. The longitudinally displaceable closing sleeve is connected to a longitudinally displaceable actuator by means of a series of longitudinal bolts which pass through oversized holes in the collet retaining ring. The bolts are threadedly secured to both the actuator and closing sleeve so that longitudinal displacement of the actuator in one direction or the other causes a substantially corresponding displacement of the closing sleeve.
Although the collet chuck assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,164 is an improvement over earlier collet chuck holders, it has been found that the cyclical tensile and compressive loads applied to the bolts interconnecting the collet closing sleeve and the collet sleeve actuator during the collet closing and opening sequences on occasion cause fatigue failure of the bolts.
Accordingly, it is an overall object of the present invention to provide a dead length collet chuck assembly having a collet actuator/closing sleeve interconnection that is not subject to fatigue failure.


A focus control apparatus and method capable of generating a focus position signal according to focus position error even in proximity to an interface between regions having different thicknesses, to perform a high precision focus position control using the focus position signal, are provided. A focus control apparatus includes an error signal correction portion configured to process a focus error signal that indicates an error of a focus position of an optical system with respect to an object. Moreover, the focus control apparatus includes a region conversion detection portion configured to output a region signal that corresponds to a first region or a second region of the object. The first and second regions of the object have different respective heights.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a focus control apparatus for controlling a focus in an optical system of a microscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to perform a surface inspection of a semiconductor device, an optical semiconductor inspecting apparatus includes a microscopic system having a high precision automatic focus control performance to optically form an image from a fine pattern (for example, see Patent document 1). FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a general optical semiconductor inspecting apparatus. A light illumination portion 101 emits a light toward an optical system 102 of a microscope. Then, the light from the light illumination portion 101 is incident onto the optical system 102. The optical system 102 irradiates an irradiation light, using a reflection plate and the like disposed therein, to a surface of a semiconductor wafer 105 that is disposed on an XYZ stage 104. An image capturing device 103 picks up the surface of the semiconductor wafer 105, by a reflection light from the irradiation light. In here, a focus position control portion 106 detects a focal point dislocation of the optical system 102 and move the XYZ stage 104 in a direction parallel with an optical axis, that is, Z direction, to control a focus position.
In this case, the focus position control portion 106 detects a deviation amount of the semiconductor wafer 105 from the focus position of the optical system 102 of the microscope using the reflection light from an object to be detected, that is, the surface of the semiconductor wafer 105.
The focus position control portion 106 feedbacks a focus error signal to a stage control mechanism 107 that performs a three dimensional adjustment for X axis, Y axis and Z axis of the XYZ stage 104. The focus error signal indicates the deviation amount from the focus position.
Thus, the stage control mechanism 107 performs a position control in Z axis of the XYZ stage 104, by the feedback focus error signal, to focus the optical system 102 of the microscope on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 105.
FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c) are views illustrating a surface shape of the semiconductor wafer 105 to be detected by the semiconductor inspecting apparatus. FIG. 9(a) is a view illustrating a surface of the semiconductor wafer 105 where chips are formed. FIG. 9(b) is a view illustrating the region (R) of the semiconductor wafer 105. FIG. 9(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B′ in the region (R) in FIG. 9(b).
As illustrated in FIG. 9(a), the semiconductor wafer 105 has a plurality of the chips 105T that are periodically arranged therein. As illustrated in FIG. 9(b), in case that the chip 105T is, for example, a semiconductor memory device, the chip 105T include a cell region 105C where memory cells are formed and a peripheral region 105P for wiring and reading data for the memory cells. Since a height of the cell region 105C is different from a height of the peripheral region 105P, a focus error signal indicating a deviation amount from a focus position in the cell region 105C is different from a focus error signal in the peripheral region 105P.
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a real cross section of the semiconductor wafer 105 taken along the line B-B′ in FIG. 9(b). In FIG. 10, a horizontal axis represents a position of the semiconductor wafer 105 and a vertical axis represents a thickness of the semiconductor wafer 105.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, in reality, the semiconductor wafer 105 has different thicknesses and a curved surface shape. Accordingly, the focus error signal includes a component of a height variance due to an angle (θ) of the surface curvature.
FIG. 11 is a waveform graph illustrating a focus error signal along the cross section of the semiconductor wafer 105 in FIG. 10. In FIG. 11, a horizontal axis represents a position of the semiconductor wafer 105 and a vertical axis represents a voltage level. In here, the focus error detected due to the surface variance of the semiconductor wafer 105 is represented by the dotted line. A wave obtained by performing a low pass filtering of the focus error represented by the dotted line is represented by the dashed dotted line, and a focus error signal generated by applying an offset to the wave obtained by a low pass filtering is represented by the solid line. The focus position control portion 106 moves the XYZ stage 104 in Z direction using the stage control mechanism 107 based on the focus error signal of the solid line, to control a focus position of the semiconductor wafer 105.
FIG. 12 is a waveform graph illustrating a focus error signal along the cross section of the semiconductor wafer 105 in FIG. 10. In FIG. 12, a horizontal axis represents a position of the semiconductor wafer 105 and a vertical axis represents a voltage level. In FIG. 12, the position control of the XYZ stage 104 is performed using the detected focus error signal without a special process such as the low pass filtering in FIG. 11. Even though any focus error signal of FIGS. 11 and 12 is used, a high precision focus control is performed to optically inspect a defect on the surface of the semiconductor wafer (W). In other words, when the XYZ stage 104 moves in two dimension XY plane, it is required to move the XYZ stage 104 in Z direction in order to correct a focal point deviation that occurs due to the thickness variance.


A faucet mounted water filtration system with a filter life monitor includes a filter housing with a flexible cap which deflects upon introduction of water into the housing. The deflection of the cap closes a switch on an electrical circuit which counts the time the water is flowing through the housing. Once a predetermined amount of time accumulates, the circuit generates a message to inform the user that the filter needs replacement. The invention further includes a selector switch on the electrical circuit for signaling the circuit to count one of two predetermined amounts of time prior to generating a message.

This invention relates generally to water filtration systems. Specifically, it relates to a faucet mounted water filter with a mechanism for notifying a user of the expiration of the useful life of the water filter media.
Faucet mounted water filtration systems are used in many households and other generally non-commercial environments for purifying drinking water. Such filters are known to eliminate several noxious substances, as well as to improve the taste, smell and appearance of tap water.
The filter media of conventional faucet mounted water filtration systems has a limited useful life. After a certain volume of water has passed through the media, the media becomes saturated with impurities and is unable to remove additional impurities from the water. However, with most conventional filters of this type, it is impossible for the user to accurately determine when the media is spent. Therefore, one of the problems associated with faucet mounted water filters has been the question of how a consumer knows when to change the filter media.
In some faucet mounted filtration systems, the practice has been to determine the life of the filter by the amount of time the filter is connected to a water supply, without regard to the volume of water which has actually passed through the filter. A manufacturer typically recommends that a filter be replaced after an amount of time reflective of the manufacturer's estimate of a typical user's filtered water needs. In many instances, the filter may become useless before the recommended time has elapsed because the flow through the filter was more than anticipated by the manufacturer. On the other hand, when water volume is less than anticipated, a filter may have additional useful life although the suggested filter lifetime has elapsed.
Several methods for measuring the life of water filters are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,081 to Oliver discloses a method of incorporating an electrical switch into the handle of a sink-mounted third faucet for a water filtration system installed below the sink or other remote location. The switch is connected to an electrical circuit which tallies the total elapsed time the handle is depressed to determine the amount of water processed. The disadvantages of U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,081 include the need for electronic circuitry disposed in a third faucet handle. For faucet mounted filtration systems, no third faucet is present. Also, each time the main faucet is used, water is not necessarily passing through the filter. Accordingly, the structure as described by Oliver is inapplicable.
A faucet mounted water filter with a timing mechanism has been proposed in U.S. pat. No. 4,431,533 to Wrede. This filter relies on the storage capacity of a battery to provide the timing mechanism for determining filter life. The battery life is chosen to correspond to filter life and a user is informed of the filter's expiration when a light on the filter no longer bums. This system has several disadvantages. As batteries have a limited shelf life, its possible that the battery will be partially discharged before the filtering system is connected to a faucet. Accordingly, the filter media will have remaining lifetime even though the battery is dead. Also, since the battery and indicator circuitry expires with the filter, the need for the circuitry to be disposable adds to the expense of the filter.
Thus, a first object of the present invention is to provide an improved faucet mounted water filtration system with an accurate indicator of the expiration of the filter media.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved water filtration system capable of accurately measuring the volume of water flow through the system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved filter life monitoring system that allows for the use of different filter medias with variable filter lives.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved filter life monitoring system of a compact and economical design consistent with a faucet mounted water filtration system.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved water filtration system with reusable filter monitor circuitry and a disposable filter media.
These and other objects of the invention will be discussed or will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.

Water filter with pressure actuated flow monitor

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A method that includes identifying a declarative deployment file defining a deployment configuration for multiple logical single-tenant system stacks supported by a compute container system, where the deployment configuration includes a set of deployment criteria and a failure threshold. The method may further include determining, based on the set of deployment criteria, a set of deployment groups for implementing one or more system updates, where the set of deployment groups includes a first deployment group and the first deployment group includes a first set of logical single-tenant system stacks from the multiple logical single-tenant system stacks supported by the compute container system. The method may further include implementing the one or more system updates for the set of deployment groups based on the failure threshold.

A cloud platform (i.e., a computing platform for cloud computing) may be employed by many users to store, manage, and process data using a shared network of remote servers. Users may develop applications on the cloud platform to handle the storage, management, and processing of data. In some cases, the cloud platform may utilize a multi-tenant database system. Users may access the cloud platform using various user devices (e.g., desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, or other computing systems, etc.).
In one example, the cloud platform may support customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. This may include support for sales, service, marketing, community, analytics, applications, and the Internet of Things. A user may utilize the cloud platform to help manage contacts of the user. For example, managing contacts of the user may include analyzing data, storing and preparing communications, and tracking opportunities and sales.
The cloud platform may support services that can be implemented using a multi-tenant system. However, some services may be implemented using single-tenant systems on a public cloud. Single-tenant systems may provide improved data privacy and security, and may not be impacted by noisy neighbors (e.g., tenants that use significant computing resources, which may affect the performance of other tenants). For some single-tenant systems that support a large number of clients, deploying updates and upgrades may be difficult due to various geographical locations of clients, client activity patterns, or client preferences, among other examples.

Tenant declarative deployments with release staggering


An apparatus and associated method for detecting vulnerable plaque within a lumen defined by an intraluminal wall is described. The apparatus includes a probe having a distal portion and a proximal portion. The apparatus includes an optical waveguide extending along the probe. The optical waveguide is configured to carry optical radiation between the distal and proximal portions, and has a distal end in communication with the intraluminal wall. The apparatus includes an interferometer coupled to the optical waveguide and configured to provide an interference signal for sub-surface imaging of the intraluminal wall, and a processing module configured to provide spectroscopic information from detected intensity of light collected from the intraluminal wall.

Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease characterized by a modification of the walls of blood-carrying vessels. Such modifications, when they occur at discrete locations or pockets of diseased vessels, are referred to as plaques. Certain types of plaques are associated with acute events such as stroke or myocardial infarction. These plaques are referred to as "vulnerable plaques." A vulnerable plaque typically includes a lipid-containing pool separated from the blood by a thin fibrous cap. In response to elevated intraluminal pressure or vasospasm, the fibrous cap can become disrupted, exposing the contents of the plaque to the flowing blood. The resulting thrombus can lead to ischemia or to the shedding of emboli.
One method of locating vulnerable plaque is to peer through the arterial wall with infrared light. To do so, one inserts a catheter through the lumen of the artery. The catheter includes a delivery fiber for illuminating a spot on the arterial wall with infrared light. A portion of the light penetrates the blood and arterial wall, scatters off structures within the wall and re-enters the lumen. This re-entrant light can be collected by a collection fiber within the catheter and subjected to spectroscopic analysis. This type of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy can be used to determine chemical composition of arterial tissue, including key constituents believed to be associated with vulnerable plaque such as lipid content.
Another method of locating vulnerable plaque is to use optical coherence tomography (OCT) to image the arterial tissue surrounding the lumen. To use this method, one also inserts a catheter through the lumen of the artery. The catheter includes a fiber that transports light having a limited coherence length through imaging optics to the arterial wall. The backscattered light couples back into the fiber towards an interferometer. The interferometer provides a cross-correlation signal that is used to map the shape of the arterial tissue. This map of the morphology of the arterial wall can be used to detect the fibrous cap and other structural characteristics associated with vulnerable plaque.


A refastenable absorbent article is disclosed having a front portion, a back portion and a crotch portion. The crotch portion connects the front portion to the back portion. The front portion has a first end, a second end, and a central section including first and second side edges. First and second lateral sections are releasably attached to the central section and each lateral section has an outer edge. The front portion also has a first end and a second end. The back portion has a first end, a second end and first and second side edges. The back portion is divided into a first section and a second section. The first section has a length L2 measured perpendicularly from the first end of the back portion to a line drawn parallel thereto. The second section also has a length L3 measured perpendicularly from the second end to the line drawn parallel to the first end. The second section has a first side edge and a second side edge and a first area A1 and a second area A2. The first area A1 represents an area bounded by the first and second side edges, the second end and the line drawn parallel to the first end. The second area A2 represents an area bounded by the first and second lines, the second end and the line drawn parallel to the first end. The first and second lines are drawn perpendicular to the second end at points where the first and second side edges intersect the second end. The first and second lines intersecting the line drawn parallel to said first end, and said second section having a ratio A1/A2 ranging from between about 1.3 to about 3.5. The absorbent article further includes an absorbent secured to at least one of the front, back or crotch portions. Each of the outer edges of the first and second lateral sections of the front portion are secured to one of the first and second side edges of the back portion to form a pant-like article having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings.

This invention relates to a refastenable absorbent article exhibiting improved body fit. More specifically, this invention relates to a refastenable disposable absorbent article sized to have certain ratios between certain sections that improve body fit and reduce the likelihood of fluid leakage.
Today, various disposable absorbent articles exist which are designed to absorb and retain body fluid and/or excrement. Examples of such articles include incontinence products such as pants, briefs and undergarments, baby diapers, feminine care menstrual pants, training pants, etc. While most of these articles perform satisfactorily for their intended purpose, some are difficult to remove from the body of the wearer. Many do not have a refastenable mechanism that allows the article to be easily adjusted during use or be easily removed from the wearers body before the product is permanently discarded while maintaining an underwear like fit. Some of today""s commercially available products do not conform well to the human body and this poor fit increases the likelihood of fluid leakage while the product is being worn. Therefore, there remains a need for a refastenable, disposable absorbent article that will provide improved fit to the human body and reduce the likelihood of fluid leakage.
Now, a refastenable absorbent article has been invented which is sized to have predetermined ratios between certain sections so as to improve body fit and reduce the likelihood of fluid leakage.
Briefly, this invention relates to a refastenable absorbent article having a front portion, a back portion and a crotch portion. The crotch portion connects the front portion to the back portion. The front portion has a first end, a second end, a central section including first and second side edges. First and second lateral sections are releasably attached to the central section and each lateral section has an outer edge. The front portion also has a first end and a second end. The back portion has a first end, a second end and first and second side edges. The back portion is divided into a first section and a second section. The first section has a length L2 measured perpendicularly from the first end of the back portion to a line drawn parallel thereto. The second section also has a length L3 measured perpendicularly from the second end to the line drawn parallel to the first end. The second section has a first side edge and a second side edge and a first area A1 and a second area A2. The first area A1 represents an area bounded by the first and second side edges, the second end and the line drawn parallel to the first end. The second area A2 represents an area bounded by the first and second lines, the second end and the line drawn parallel to the first end. The first and second lines are drawn perpendicular to the second end at points where the first and second side edges intersect the second end. The first and second lines intersecting the line drawn parallel to said first end, and said second section having a ratio A1/A2 ranging from between about 1.3 to about 3.5. The absorbent article further includes an absorbent secured to at least one of said front, back or crotch portions. Each of the outer edges of the first and second lateral sections of the front portion are secured to one of the first and second side edges of the back portion to form a pant-like article having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings.
The general object of this invention is to provide a refastenable absorbent article exhibiting improved body fit. A more specific object of this invention is to provide a refastenable disposable absorbent article sized to have certain ratios that improve body fit and reduce the likelihood of fluid leakage.
Another object of this invention is to provide a refastenable absorbent article that is easy to manufacture, is relatively inexpensive and is easy to use.
A further object of this invention is to provide a refastenable absorbent article that provides the wearer with a choice of how to apply and/or remove the absorbent article, i.e. pull the article up around the wearer""s torso versus refasten the article around the wearer""s torso.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a refastenable absorbent article that can easily be adjusted to conform to a wearer""s body.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Refastenable absorbent article exhibiting improved body fit


Systems, methods, and assemblies for providing improved fuel management to fuel injected engine systems of off-road vehicles, such as snowmobiles, personal watercraft, motorcycles, utility vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles. The fuel-injected engine systems can return fuel after passing through a pressure regulator located either upstream or downstream of the engine. Fuel may be returned to the fuel pump through various routes, rather than simply returning the fuel into the fuel of the fuel tank. Fuel may be returned directly to the fuel pump upstream of all fuel pickups or upstream of some fuel pickups and downstream from other fuel pickups. Some embodiments include a vapor separator located downstream of the pressure regulator but somewhere upstream of the fuel pump.

Fuel injected engines may be fed fuel under pressure by a fuel pump supplied from one or more fuel pickups in a fuel tank. "Returning fuel" systems have a pressure regulator located downstream of the fuel rail, for maintaining the pressure of fuel and for returning the uninjected fuel to the fuel tank. "Dead head" systems have a pressure regulator located upstream of the fuel injectors, for maintaining the fuel pressure and returning fuel pumped by the fuel pump but not sent to the fuel injectors. Off road vehicles, such as snowmobiles, personal watercraft, motorcycles, utility vehicles (for example, the Polaris Ranger), and all-terrain vehicles, have design challenges due to their intended use. Fuel tanks may often be tilted sideways, or front to back, as the vehicle traverses steep and/or bumpy terrain. Fuel is supplied to the fuel pump from a fuel pickup often disposed in the bottom of the fuel tank. When the fuel tank is partially empty and the fuel tank tilts, the fuel pickup may end up pulling in air and killing the engine, even though there is fuel at another location in the tank.
This has been addressed by adding a second fuel pickup elsewhere in the tank. This leaves the problem of one fuel pickup still sucking in air and causing the engine the sputter. This problem has been addressed by modifying the fuel pickups to close in the presence of air. This may prevent entry of some air, as the fuel pump pulls in fuel from a second pickup and none from the first, closed pickup. In some situations, both pickups may momentarily shut in the presence of air. In some situations, the fuel pump may pull a substantial vacuum, which keeps the fuel pickup in the closed position, even when the fuel pickup is once again covered with fuel. This can cause the engine to sputter or die.
In one example, in a half full fuel tank having two fuel pickups, one pickup may be exposed to air and closed for long periods. The other pickup may be exposed to fuel for long periods, and then exposed to air for a short period, as when a snowmobile goes downhill, exposing a rear, lower fuel pickup to air as the fuel shifts forward to cover the long closed, forward, upper fuel pickup. The fuel pump may pull a substantial vacuum against the front pickup, preventing it from opening, even in the presence of fuel. The engine can be starved for fuel, and miss and sputter, before being supplied fuel and recovering.
What would be desirable are systems to provide the engine with fuel even when the fuel tank is partially empty and the tank is tilted or bypassed.


A liquid composition includes an inorganic particle and a multivalent metal salt, wherein the liquid composition has a tacking force of 50 mN or less in an area of cast-coated paper where the liquid composition is applied in an amount of 0.12 mg/cm2 for the cast-coated paper followed by heating at 80 degrees C. for 15 seconds.

Inks containing coloring materials such as pigments are known to be used for applications requiring water resistance and light resistance such as posters. If such an ink is discharged onto a low-absorptive recording medium such as coated paper for use in commercial printing by an inkjet recording method, adjacent droplets coalesce on the recording medium, causing image defect (beading). As a method of eliminating beading image defects, there is known a method of applying a processing liquid containing a multivalent metal salt, etc., aggregating the coloring material in the ink to a recording medium before discharging the ink.
An inkjet recording method has been proposed in JP-2013-71277-A which includes a first step of attaching a second processing liquid to a low-ink-absorptive or non-absorptive recording medium and a second step of discharging liquid droplets of a gloss ink composition containing a gloss pigment from nozzle orifices to attach the gloss pigment onto the second processing liquid attached to the recording medium. More specifically, the second processing liquid contains colloidal silica and at least one member selected from the group consisting of a cationic resin, a multivalent metal salt, and an organic acid.

Liquid composition, device for applying liquid composition, image forming device, and image forming method


A control circuit for a DC-DC converter that prevents erroneous operations during high ON-duty operation. In response to an H-level pulse signal, a random delay circuit generates a delayed pulse signal that rises to an H level within one cycle of the pulse signal. The random delay circuit randomly changes the delay time of the delayed pulse signal. Even if noise causes the timing at which a current comparison signal rises to an H level to be delayed to later than the timing at which an H-level pulse signal is provided to the set terminal of an FF circuit, the FF circuit receives at its reset terminal an H-level delayed pulse signal that is provided prior to the H-level pulse signal. The FF circuit then inactivates the output transistor.

The present invention relates to a converter, and particularly, to a DC-DC converter and a control circuit for a DC-DC converter.
FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a current-mode DC-DC converter 1. The DC-DC converter 1 includes a control unit 2 and a converter unit. The converter unit includes an output transistor T1 configured by an N-channel MOS transistor, a synchronous rectifying transistor T2 configured by an N-channel MOS transistor, a Zener diode D1, a choke coil L1, a current detection resistor Rs, and a smoothing capacitor C1.
The control unit 2 generates complementary control signals DH and DL and provides the control signal DH to the gate of the output transistor T1 and the control signal DL to the gate of the synchronous rectifying transistor T2.
An input voltage Vi is supplied to the drain of the output transistor T1. When the control signal DH rises to H level, the output transistor T1 is activated and an output voltage Vo is generated at an output terminal via the choke coil L1 and the current detection resistor Rs. Upon the rising of the control signal DL to H level, the synchronous rectifying transistor T2 is activated, and the output voltage Vo is generated by the energy stored in the choke coil L1. The output voltage Vo is smoothed by the smoothing capacitor C1.
The control unit 2 receives the input voltage Vi as a power supply Vcc. The control unit 2 has a voltage amplifier 3 which receives voltage between the two terminals of the current detection resistor Rs, amplifies the voltage based on output current that is proportional to the voltage and flows through the current detection resistor Rs, and provides the amplified signal to the comparator 4.
The control unit 2 has an error amplifier 5, which amplifies a differential voltage between a voltage obtained by dividing the output voltage Vo by the resistors R1 and R2 and the output voltage of a reference power supply e1, and provides the amplified signal to the comparator 4. The voltage of the reference power supply e1 is set to be equal to the divided voltages of the resistor R1 and R2 when the output voltage Vo reaches a regulated value.
The comparator 4 compares the voltage of the amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3 with the voltage of the amplified signal of the error amplifier 5. If the voltage of the amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3 is higher than the voltage of the amplified signal of the error amplifier 5, the comparator 4 provides an H-level output signal to a reset terminal R of a flip-flop circuit (hereafter referred to as the "FF circuit") 7. If the voltage of the amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3 is lower than the voltage of the amplified signal of the error amplifier 5, the comparator 4 provides an L-level output signal to the reset terminal R.
The FF circuit 7 has a set terminal S to which a pulse signal having a fixed frequency is provided from an oscillator 6. When an H-level pulse signal is applied to the set terminal S, the FF circuit 7 generates an H-level control signal DH at its output terminal Q, while generating an L-level control signal DL at its inverting output terminal /Q. When an H-level output signal is applied to the reset terminal R, the FF circuit 7 generates an L-level control signal DH and an H-level control signal DL.
The control unit 2 activates the output transistor T1 in fixed cycles in response to the rising of the pulse signal of the oscillator 6. When the output transistor T1 is activated, the current IL flowing through the choke coil L1 and the current detection resistor Rs is increased. This raises the voltage of a first amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3. When the voltage of the amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3 becomes higher than the voltage of the amplified signal of the error amplifier 5, an H-level output signal is provided to the reset terminal R of the FF circuit 7. The output transistor T1 is thereby inactivated and the synchronous rectifying transistor T2 is activated. As a result, the energy stored in the choke coil L1 is output.
If the output voltage Vo decreases during the activation and inactivation of the output transistor, the voltage of the amplified signal of the error amplifier 5 becomes higher than the voltage of the amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3. The output signal of the comparator 4 then rises to an H level after a relatively long period of time. This lengthens the time for the output transistor T1 to be activated. If the output voltage Vo increases, the voltage of the amplified signal of the error amplifier 5 becomes lower than the voltage of the amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3. The output signal of the comparator 4 then rises to H level after a relative short period of time. This shortens the time for the output transistor T1 to be activated. The output transistor T1 is thus activated repeatedly at fixed periods in response to the output signal frequency of the oscillator 6. The inactivation timing of the output transistor T1 is determined according to the increase rate of the output current IL. The inactivation timing of the output transistor T1 is thus changed in response to the increase and decrease of the output voltage Vo. This keeps the output voltage Vo constant.
In the current-mode DC-DC converter, when the ON duty (Ton/(Ton+Toff)) becomes higher than 50%, the increase rate (inclination of increase) of the current IL flowing through the choke coil L1 decreases. Thus, the change in the output signal (voltage increase rate) of the voltage amplifier 3 becomes moderate. Ton denotes the time during which the output transistor T1 is active, and Toff denotes the time during which the output transistor T1 is inactive. If the amplified signal of the voltage amplifier 3 includes noise, the noise will cause delay in the shifting of the signal of the comparator 4 (the timing of generating an H-level output signal will be offset). That is, the timing for providing an H-level output signal to the reset terminal R of the FF circuit 7 is delayed. An H-level signal is cyclically provided to the set terminal S of the FF circuit 7 from the oscillator 6. Therefore, the set terminal may be provided with an H-level pulse signal earlier than when the reset terminal R is provided with an H-level output signal. In such a case, the FF circuit 7 remains set thereby lengthening the set time. This state is equivalent to a state in which the FF circuit 7 is set by a signal with a lower frequency than the oscillatory frequency of the oscillator 6. This is referred to as low harmonic oscillation. In other words, erroneous circuit functioning caused by noise may cause low harmonic oscillation. As shown in FIG. 3, the output current IL increases when such low harmonic oscillation occurs. This increases the output voltage Vo. For this reason, the occurrence of low harmonic oscillation destabilizes the output voltage Vo.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a known DC-DC converter that prevents low harmonic oscillation caused by erroneous circuit functioning due to noise. This DC-DC converter has a slope compensation control function, which superimposes a correction voltage on a signal having a voltage corresponding to current IL flowing through a choke coil L1 (amplified signal of a voltage amplifier 3) with a slope compensation circuit 8 (e.g. variable power supply) to increase the voltage increase rate of the amplified signal. This function reduces signal shifting delays in the comparator 4 and prevents the occurrence of low harmonic oscillation even if noise is included in the amplified signal.

DC-DC converter and control circuit for DC-DC converter


Systems and methods are disclosed to assist a caller and a callee in establishing successful telephonic communications. In embodiments of the systems and methods, a telephonic call set-up network node or a callee user device of the callee may receive a call set-up request to establish a telephonic call between the caller user device of the caller and the callee user device. If the call-set up request is determined to be unsuccessful, one or more proximate user devices nearby the callee user device may be identified. Another telephonic call may be induced, this time between the caller user device and one of the proximate user devices identified to be nearby the callee user device. In this manner, success telephonic communications may be established despite the callee not being able to answer the callee user device during the original telephonic call set-up request.

Often a callee is disposed to telephonic communications with a caller, but is unable to answer a telephonic call for various reasons. For example, the callee may be unable to hear the ring of the callee's user device due to loud ambient noise, the callee may have forgotten to turn on a ringer of the callee's user device, or the callee may be unable to feel the vibrations of the callee's user device. Accordingly, there exists a need to assist the caller and the callee in establishing successful telephonic communications during these types of circumstances.

System and method for assisting a callee and a caller in establishing telephonic communications


Based on the difference in shape between a mount and a dummy mount subjected to scanning, an output signal having a pattern which differs depending on whether the mount or the dummy mount is transported is outputted from a photo coupler 54 along with driving of a mount pusher pawl 23. Further, a detection signal indicative of whether the mount or the dummy mount is transported or neither the mount nor the dummy mount is transported following the driving of the mount pusher pawl 23 is outputted from a photo coupler 59. With the use of these two output signals, whether the mount is transported or not, whether the dummy mount is transported or not or whether neither the mount nor the mount is transported or not can be detected by the driving of the mount pusher pawl with high accuracy.

There has been known a photographic processing device which is capable of automatically performing processings such as exposure, development, bleaching and fixing, stabilizing and the like with respect to a photosensitive material such as a photographic printing paper. In exposing the photosensitive material using such a photographic processing device, a direct (analogue) exposure which exposes the photosensitive material by making use of a transmitting light of a photographic film has been widely performed. On the other hand, recently, a so-called digital exposure which exposes the photosensitive material using light which is controlled in response to digital image signals obtained by picking up pictures of a film using a film scanner having a pick-up element such as a CCD has been commercialized. By adopting the digital exposure method, various image processings such as the color correction, the concentration correction, sharpening processing and the like can be performed with high degree of freedom and, at the same time, the rapid additional printing can be performed. Further, it is possible to obtain favorable prints of high quality which exhibits the excellent reproducibility of color and concentration and the excellent resolution.
There may be a case that for accurately and efficiently reading images recorded in a film (usually, a positive film) for one frame held by a mount (usually mount) made of paper or plastic, a mount carrier unit which transports the mount to a film scanning position is mounted on the film scanner.
One example of such a mount carrier unit is described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 112714/1999. The mount carrier unit described in this publication includes mount accommodating boxes (stockers) at both sides of a carrier body. Then, with respect to this mount carrier unit, mounts which are accommodated in one mount accommodating box are fed to the carrier body and the mounts are transferred to and are accommodated in the other mount accommodating box by way of a scanning position together with the carrier body in a state that the mount is clamped by a pair of rollers in the inside of the carrier body.
In scanning the mounts corresponding to a plurality of orders at a time using a film scanner on which the above-mentioned mount carrier unit is mounted, these mounts may be accommodated in the mount accommodating box in such a manner that the mounts for a plurality of orders are arranged to form one stack. However, according to the technique disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, it is difficult to determine a boundary between orders and hence, when the mounts corresponding to a plurality of orders are accommodated in the mount accommodating box such that the mounts are arranged as a unit, it is impossible to prepare an index print for each order or to sort the prints for each order.
Accordingly, when it is necessary to prepare the index prints for each order, a plurality of mount accommodating boxes each of which accommodate the mounts for one order are mounted on the scanner sequentially by replacing the box each time the mounts are discharged from the mount accommodating box, or alternatively, after the mounts for one order in the mount accommodating box are discharged, the mounts for next one order are accommodated in the box. Such an exchanging operation and mount additional accommodating operation are not so cumbersome when the number of mounts for one order is relatively large. However, when the number of mounts for one order is small, there arises a case in which a very small number of mounts are accommodated in the mount accommodating box compared to the allowable number of mounts which can be accommodated in the mount accommodating box thus leading to the ineffective use of the mount accommodating box. In this case, it is necessary to perform the above-mentioned operation frequently and this makes the operation extremely cumbersome so that a considerable time is required to complete the scanning. Further, even when the prints or the like are subjected to the automatic processing including the scanning of the mounts, since the scanning for one order is completed instantly so that there arises a disadvantage that an operator has to perform the above-mentioned operation while always standing beside the scanner.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mount carrier unit which is suitable for rapidly scanning mounts corresponding to a plurality of orders without performing a cumbersome operation.
Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a film scanner which is capable of rapidly scanning the mounts corresponding to a plurality of orders without performing a cumbersome operation.


A magnifying container apparatus including a generally cylindrical member and one or more magnifying lenses is provided for magnifying, viewing, and carrying items. A magnifying lens is detachably connected to the lower end of the cylindrical member to close the lower end. The magnifying lens magnifies the items present below the magnifying lens. The cylindrical member accommodates and carries the items within a space defined by a generally cylindrical wall and between an open upper end and the closed lower end of the cylindrical member. The magnifying container apparatus further includes a threaded rod, a threaded wheel, and a generally cylindrical sieve member. The sieve member drains a predetermined amount of an extraneous element from the magnifying container apparatus, when the threaded rod, in communication with the threaded wheel, traverses the magnifying lens from the lower end of the cylindrical member toward a lower end of the sieve member.

Magnifying lenses, generally made of glass, are typically used in a wide range of products, for example, handheld lenses, telescopes, cameras, etc., for magnifying items. Magnifying lenses also find applications in under water viewing and aquatic research. A handheld device, for example, a handheld telescope, is generally used to view items, for example, elements of marine life such as starfish, sea shells, mussels, shrimp, plants, moss, rocks, pebbles, etc. Researchers and diving experts carry shovels, bags, buckets, etc., along with the handheld telescopes for viewing and carrying items. They view the items using the handheld telescopes and then transfer the items into the bags or buckets using the shovels. A magnifying lens is typically provided as an independent component in a kit, for example, a beach bucket kit. The beach bucket kit includes a bucket, a shovel, and a handheld magnifying lens. A user views items in a shallow sea bed using the handheld magnifying lens and then uses the shovel to transfer the items from the shallow sea bed to the bucket. The user then carries the items in the bucket. The user has to carry two independent components, that is, the bucket and the handheld magnifying lens separately for performing multiple functions, for example, magnifying, viewing, and carrying different items, which requires more effort and is inconvenient.
Hence, there is a long felt but unresolved need for a combination magnifying container apparatus that allows a user to perform multiple functions, for example, magnifying, viewing, and carrying different items, for example, elements of marine life such as starfish, sea shells, mussels, shrimp, plants, moss, rocks, pebbles, etc., without having to carry separate independent components.