A device and a process are provided for uniformly lighting an operating area for performing the lighting of an operating area (2) of a bed (30) by means of a lighting unit (3) such that a selected lighting field (13) is lighted uniformly. The image signals of a camera (7) are sent to an image processing unit (17), in which the image signals are analyzed and the individual lighting elements (6) are switched via the control unit (18). A lighting situation is acquired in the process for initializing and operating this lighting system and a lighting field (13) of interest is selected. The image signals are analyzed during the operation and sent to the control unit (18) in order to switch the lighting elements (6) such that uniform lighting is obtained in the first lighting field (13).

A combination of imaging system, image processing system and operating area is known from DE 20 2005 021111 U1.
EP 1785665 A1 describes an operating area with an actuating means of groups of lighting means, wherein the lighting means can be controlled in terms of luminosity in a plurality of zones separately from one another.
EP 1433998 B1 describes a lighting fixture for an operating room with a control unit, imaging and processing system, in which it is possible to determine shadow zones above an operating area by imaging and by an analysis unit. After determination of the shadow zone, the light distribution is changed by means of the control unit in order to reduce the shadow effect.
The drawback of this arrangement of cameras and lighting fixtures for the operating room is that it is necessary to divide the lighted operating area into checkerboard-like partial areas and that a certain, defined and known group of a number of lighting means is permanently assigned to each of these partial areas.

Device and process for uniformly lighting an operating area


A fluid passage intersection (314) within a component (100) includes a supply passage (118) formed in the component (100), a cavity (316) in fluid communication with the supply passage (118), and at least one outlet passage (326) formed in the component (100) that is in fluid communication with the cavity (316).

Internal combustion engines include crankcases having a plurality of cylinders. The cylinders contain pistons whose reciprocating motion due to combustion events may be transferred through a crankshaft to yield a torque output of the engine. Often, engine crankcases are made of cast metal, and include passages integrally formed therein for the transfer of various fluids from one location of the engine to another. Fluids typically transferred through passages in an engine include coolant, air, fuel, oil, and so forth.
One known method of transferring fluid through an engine component, such as a crankcase, includes casting-in passages and/or drilling through material of the casting to create passages. In some engines, these passages may need to span an entire length of the engine, and the fluid they may carry during operation of the engine may be distributed to many other engine components.
Any method used to create passages in an engine component for the transfer of fluid may have design limitations associated therewith. For example, cast-in passages are advantageous in that they may be formed concurrently with a casting operation of the engine component, but are limited in their location and size because they are formed by the same mold that is used to form the engine component itself. In the case of a crankcase, passages cast in the crankcase may contain debris after the casting operation is complete, and are thus limited to locations that are capable of being cleaned, especially if these passages are used for critical fluid transfer, for example fuel or oil.
Similarly, drilled passages are advantageous in that they may be easily cleaned after a drilling operation, but they are disadvantageously time consuming and relatively expensive to create because they require a dedicated machining operation. Moreover, in the case when passages intersect within the engine component, a drilling operation used to create these passages may become even more complicated and time consuming.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved fluid passage configuration for transferring fluid in an engine that includes intersecting passages and that is not complicated and time consuming to implement.

Engine fluid passage intersection and method

International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC


Method and apparatus for measuring a water concentration in ammonia, comprising using ammonia having a water concentration of 10 ppm or less as a reference gas, introducing the ammonia at a constant flow rate into a multi-reflection long optical path gas cell, and measuring infrared absorption intensity of water at at least one measurement wave number in the range of from 3,500 to 4,000 cm−1, from 2,600 to 3,100 cm−1, or from 1,900 to 2,400 cm−1 at which infrared absorptions of ammonia and water do not overlap.

It is known that the water content of a raw material gas used in the production of a semiconductor greatly affects the device characteristics. In particular, for the production of a GaN crystal, which is one of the blue light emitting devices, ammonia having a low water concentration is necessary. In order to measure the water concentration in ammonia, various methods have heretofore been proposed. Particularly for measuring water content in a low concentration in ammonia, (1) gas chromatography (GC method), (2) thermal decomposition dew point method, (3) laser spectrometry and (4) infrared spectrometry are known.
JP-A-9-142833 (the term JP-A as used herein means "unexamined published Japanese patent application") discloses a method of reacting water in ammonia with calcium carbide as a reacting agent and detecting the acetylene generated by GC method. This method has a problem in that not only the water content but also organic impurities in the calcium carbide reacted are detected and to avoid this, high-purity and stabilized calcium carbide is necessary but this is hardly available at present. In addition, the GC method is low in the accuracy and not practical for the analysis in the level of several ppm or less because the system has a switch cock for feeding a sample or a backflash cock for removing ammonia before it enters the detector, and the water adsorption onto the inner surface of pipelines increases.
SEMI Standard (SEMI C3.12-94) and JP-A-8-201370 describe a thermal decomposition dew point method. The thermal decomposition dew point method is a method of decomposing ammonia into nitrogen and hydrogen at a high temperature near 1,000° C. using a Ni catalyst or a noble metal catalyst, and measuring the water content by a dew-point instrument. According to this method, oxygen in the gas reacts with hydrogen to produce water and the water content could be determined in excessive values. Oxygen is contained not only in the raw material gas but also as an oxide of the catalyst or pipeline material exposed to high temperatures, which may also cause hydrogen reduction to produce water. Therefore, the reliability for accuracy decreases in the measurement of water content of 1 ppm or less. Moreover, use of flammable ammonia in a high temperature environment of 1,000° C. or more is dangerous and safety equipment in a large scale is necessary. Thus, this method is not simple and convenient.
Laser spectrometry is described in Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Semiconductor Manufacturing (1996. jointly sponsored by UCS/IEEE/SEMI), page 321. In measuring the water absorption in the near infrared region by laser spectrometry, since water is present in the vicinity of ammonia in the absorption region, a wavelength resolving power of high level is necessary. However, at present the separation cannot be attained due to the interaction between gas molecules. Therefore, ammonia gas having a decreased water content as low as negligible must be used as a reference gas. However, it has been heretofore difficult to simply and conveniently prepare high-purity ammonia which has a decreased water content and can be used as the reference gas.
The infrared spectrometry has a problem in that the ammonia has a broad absorption band and particularly when a water concentration of 100 ppm or less is measured, the absorptions by ammonia and the absorptions by water cannot be easily separated even if the former are weak because such an absorption by ammonia is present near the absorption by water in many cases. Furthermore, similarly to the above-described laser spectrometry, ammonia gas having a decreased water content as low as negligible must be used as a reference gas but this has been heretofore difficult to obtain.
As described above, conventionally known methods for measuring a water concentration in ammonia have various problems particularly in the case of measuring the water content in a low concentration in ammonia. Thus, more improvements are being demanded.

Method for measuring water concentration in ammonia

Abstract: According to the present invention, analysis of water in a low concentration range of 10 ppm or less in ammonia gas and liquefied ammonia can be performed in a simple and convenient manner.


A system and method for inputting text A system (10) comprising a feature identification means (2) configured to generate one or more features (12) from a plurality of samples (11), wherein each of the plurality of samples (11) are sampled at a different time and correspond to a location of a single continuous gesture on a gesture-sensitive keyboard as the gesture is being performed and, wherein each of the one or more features (12) relates to one of a plurality of targets of the gesture sensitive keyboard that a user may have intended to input when performing the gesture. The system comprises a prediction means configured to predict one or more terms (15) from the one or more features (12), the prediction means (5) comprising a prefix tree generating means (3) configured to generate a prefix tree of terms (13) which includes the one or more features (12), a path finding means (4) configured to find one or more paths (14) through the prefix tree of terms (13) given the one or more features (12), and a predictor (5). A corresponding method is also provided.

There are existing systems which predict single words on the basis of a user "stroke" across a touch-sensitive keyboard/screen.
One such system, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,098,896, titled "System and Method for Continuous Stroke Word-based text input", comprises a store of words in a database. The method of predicting a word from the input stroke pattern comprises comparing the input stroke pattern with a set of the words in the database. The method comprises identifying a "final touch point" in the stroke pattern in order to identify the terminating character for a candidate word. Predictions for candidate words are then based on the first and last characters of the word, where these characters have been identified from the input stroke pattern. The actual path length of the inputted stroke pattern is compared to an expected path length which is stored with each word in the database of words.
An alternative approach to predicting a word from a continuous stroke has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,251,367, titled "System and Method for Recognizing Word Patterns Based on a Virtual Keyboard Layout". In this disclosure, stroke input patterns are compared, again within a single-word boundary, to a pre-determined library of stroke patterns. This technique has been demonstrated both with a completely pre-defined library and with a dynamically generated library.
All of the known systems, including those discussed above, are based around the principle of solving the problem of matching an input stroke, which is intended to represent a word, with a word in a database, based on the input stroke pattern and defined start and end points that correspond (approximately) to the start and end characters of individual words within the database.
The problem with the known systems and methods is that the input strokes are restricted to correspondence with the start and end characters of words in the database, requiring and restricting the user to enter strokes corresponding to full single words.
Thus, the known systems and methods cannot predict words based on an input stroke which corresponds to the prefix of a word or an input stroke which corresponds to multiple words, for example where the user is trying to input a phrase with a single continuous stroke.
It is an objective of the present invention to solve the above mentioned problems.


In the field of protection from ionising alpha particle radiation there is a need for a low cost, reliable, maintenance free, and self-contained detector that can monitor continuously over a plurality of time periods the levels of airborne alpha particle radiation. The detector operates by measuring the charge created by alpha particle decay between electrodes in an enclosure. Detectors may be linked together to monitor several parts of a building or a large area for applications such as civil emergencies and earthquake warning.

This invention relates to the field of detectors for ionising alpha particle radiation from airborne radioactive nuclei that use ambient air as the detection medium.
The US National Academy of Sciences report BEIR VI (released 19th Feb. 1998) indicates that the pollution of buildings by radon (a naturally occurring radioactive noble gas) causes about 15,000 lung cancer deaths per annum in America and corresponding mortality elsewhere. Radon levels are not predictable: adjacent buildings of similar construction often have very different interior levels of radon and high levels of radon are found over various bed-rocks. The American Environment Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that every dwelling be checked for radon. Fortunately if radon pollution is detected it can be reduced by simple and inexpensive techniques. Continuous measurement of radon is desirable because levels change due to tectonic plate movement, seasonal heating and ventilation changes and building modifications, and to validate protection methods. Additionally radon levels often change before earthquakes. Monitoring radon levels in real time across a large area, for example around known fault lines, and communicating these observations over a network to responsible persons may be used to warn of an imminent earthquake. Because the radiation exposure may vary with time so that e.g. the total exposure over say 24 hours may consist of several hours of high levels of airborne alpha particle radiation with lower levels for the other hours, it is desirable to sample the level of radiation over a plurality of time periods. Other potential sources of airborne alpha particle radiation include plutonium and uranium. Such elements may be put into the atmosphere by mining, accidents at a nuclear reactor or nuclear fuel or weapons processing facility or with a nuclear weapon or weapons, or military conflict with nuclear weapons and or depleted uranium munitions, or military conflict or terrorist action in which sites containing radioactive material are attacked, or by natural disasters such as earthquakes or volcanoes. Following such releases alpha particle radioactive material may remain in the air for considerable periods, or be deposited on the ground and then returned to the atmosphere by winds, agricultural activity, vehicle movement and such. It is desirable to have detectors that provide real time warning of airborne alpha particle radiation. If such airborne radiation is detected, simple actions such as changing building ventilation and/or using simple filters, such as handkerchiefs, over the mouth can reduce exposure and risk of illness. Such detectors may also be networked together to provide an overall picture of the levels of airborne alpha particle radiation.
Two classes of practical alpha particle detectors exist. (1) Low cost devices with no real time monitoring, that are deployed for extended periods. Usually only the integrated radon exposure is determined, often after laboratory processing. (2) Sophisticated and expensive detectors that require skilled operators and which provide real time data. Devices based around ambient air ion counters exist in both classes. Low cost ion counters detect the rate of decay of a charged electrode, such as an electret, caused by ionising radiation. Sophisticated ion counters may detect an integrated direct current caused by atmospheric ionising radiation, or count individual alpha particle decays either with sophisticated low-current measuring apparatus such as KEITHLEY™ (of Ohio, USA) electrometers or with sophisticated digital signal processing (DSP) techniques. Because of the inherent slow charge collection of atmospheric ion counters conventional fast signal shaping can not be used and such detectors are often troubled by microphonics necessitating careful disturbance free siting and/or sophisticated DSP techniques to prevent erroneous measurement. Such requirements are incompatible with the robustness, maintenance free operation and low cost essential for a mass-market detector. All of the prior art has disadvantageous features including expense and sophistication necessitating skilled operation, the long time delay between measurement and results, the absence of long term real-time measurement, the size and bulk of the detectors, and the sensitivity to microphonics. Such disadvantages have prevented the large-scale use of continuous readout radon detectors. There has not previously been a proposal for a truly practical detector for airborne alpha particle radiation that can be sized suitably for domestic applications and which provides continuous measurement over a plurality of time periods, requires minimum maintenance and is easily manufactured from commonly available components, and which does not require a specially trained person to operate.

Detector for aiborne alpha partice radiation


The momentum control apparatus includes: an optimal feedback gain obtaining part for obtaining a plurality of optimal feedback gains used when each of the plurality of actuators is independently actuated to feedback control the momentum of the controlled object; and a feedback gain setting part for extracting a minimum feedback gain out of the plurality of optimal feedback gains obtained by the optimal feedback gain obtaining part as a feedback gain of a control system.

In recent years, driving assistance apparatuses (called "driving assistance applications" hereinafter) that assist in the driving of a moving vehicle are being developed. For example, lane keeping apparatuses that automatically steers or assist in driving so that vehicles travel along a road, lane departure prevention apparatuses that assist in driving by preventing vehicles from departing from their lanes, emergency avoidance apparatuses that automatically steer vehicles in order to avoid obstructions on the traveled road surface, and so on are being developed.
Request signals outputted from a driving assistance application such as a lane keep apparatus, a lane departure prevention apparatus, or an emergency avoidance apparatus (for example, a signal indicating a target lateral acceleration) are inputted into a lateral momentum control apparatus that controls the lateral momentum (for example, the yaw rate) of the vehicle. Control signals are outputted from this control apparatus to a control target such as an actuator. The lateral momentum of the vehicle is controlled as a result of actuation of the actuator controlled on the basis of the control signals.
The lateral momentum of the vehicle is changed by using various actuators attached to the vehicle. For example, a front steering actuator changes the lateral momentum of the vehicle by turning the front wheels. A rear steering actuator changes the lateral momentum of the vehicle by turning the rear wheels. Further, an actuator for imparting a braking force or a driving force to each wheel individually (DYC actuator) changes the lateral momentum of the vehicle, for example, by imparting a braking force (or a driving force) to the right wheels or the left wheels of the vehicle.
In the case of feedback-controlling the lateral momentum of the vehicle on the basis of the request signal outputted from a certain driving assistance application, the feedback control is performed on the basis of a deviation (difference) between a target lateral momentum and an actual lateral momentum. At this time, in the case of controlling the lateral momentum of the vehicle by using a plurality of actuators, an optimal feedback gain is individually set with respect to each actuator. Thereafter, a feedback control amount is calculated on the basis of the set feedback gain, and each actuator is operated independently on the basis of the calculated feedback control amount.
In the case that the plurality of actuators are actuated independently of each other in order to feedback-control the lateral momentum of the vehicle on the basis of the request signal outputted from the driving assistance application, there is a concern about an actuation interference between the actuators. For example, the following situation can be expected. One actuator is actuated to turn the vehicle to the right and another actuator is actuated to turn the vehicle to the left. When the actuation interference between actuators occurs as described above, the behavior of the vehicle is destabilized.
To cope with this problem, the feedback control amounts of the actuators are not individually determined, but the feedback control amount of the entire control system is determined, and then the determined feedback control amount is distributed to the actuators, thereby preventing the actuation interference between the actuators.
JP2005-299424 A discloses a control apparatus for controlling an output of the controlled object by a plurality of control inputs. According to this control apparatus described in JP2005-299424 A, a plurality of control inputs are individually calculated with sharing one filtering target value, thereby preventing a mutual interference between a plurality of feedback control processes using the plurality of control inputs.


Disclosed is a photographic element comprises a silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a 3-indoloylacetanilide yellow dye-forming coupler of structure I, below: wherein:. R.sub.1 is an alkyl or phenyl group; PA1 R.sub.2 is a phenyl, t-butyl, cyclohexyl or naphthyl group; PA1 X is a halogen atom or an alkoxy or alkyl group; PA1 each R.sub.3 is in the para position or either meta position relative to the anilino nitrogen and is individually selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, and alkyl, phenyl, alkoxy, phenoxy, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, carbonamido, sulfonamido, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, acyloxy, sulfoxyl, sulfonyloxy, alkylthio, acyl and cyano groups; PA1 n is 1, 2 or 3; PA1 R.sub.4 is hydrogen or an alkyl group; PA1 R.sub.5 is hydrogen or an alkyl, alkylthio, alkoxycarbonyl or aryloxycarbonyl group; and PA1 each R.sub.6 is individually a halogen atom or an alkyl or alkoxy group and m is 0 to 4;. provided that two substituents may join to form a ring.. The element of the invention provides improved color forming ability, dye stability and other advantageous photographic properties.

In a silver halide color photographic element or material a color image is formed when the element is given an imagewise exposure to light and then subjected to a color development process. In the color development process silver halide is reduced to silver as a function of exposure by a color developing agent, which is oxidized and then reacts with coupler to form dye. In most color photographic elements the coupler or couplers are coated in the element in the form of small dispersion droplets. Many photographic elements or materials contain, in addition to imaging couplers, image-modifying couplers that release a photographically useful group from the coupling site upon reaction with oxidized color developer. Couplers that release a silver development inhibitor from the coupling-off position, so-called DIR couplers, are one type of image modifying coupler commonly used in color photographic elements to reduce contrast, improve sharpness, reduce granularity and provide color correction.
There are many references to yellow dye-forming couplers in the art. Among them are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,973,968, 4,022,620 and 5,066,574, which disclose yellow dye-forming couplers with hydantoin-type coupling-off groups. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,404,727 and 5,451,492 and Canadian Patent 1,039,291 disclose yellow dye-forming couplers with oxazolidinedione coupling-off groups. Yellow couplers with triazole coupling-off groups are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,933,500, 4,182,630 and 5,021,331 and in European Patent 747,763 A1. None of these references discloses the 3-indoloylacetanilide yellow dye-forming couplers of this invention. None of the triazole references discloses yellow couplers with the preferred triazole coupling-off groups of this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,667 and EPA 751,428 A1 disclose pyrroloylacetanilide yellow dye-forming couplers with a variety of coupling-off groups. The pyrroloylacetanilide couplers of U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,667 are structurally distinct from the 3-indoloylacetanilde couplers of this invention and lack the major advantages of the couplers of this invention.
The yellow dye-forming imaging and image-modifying couplers disclosed in the prior art suffer from a number of deficiencies. Generally, the dyes formed from previously disclosed yellow couplers have low extinction coefficients. This necessitates the coating of more silver and coupler, resulting in increased cost, reduced sharpness (due to additional light scattering) and less rapid processing. In addition, dyes generated from most previously disclosed yellow dye-forming couplers have insufficient thermal or dark stability, leading to undesirable losses in blue density upon long term storage of the photographic materials in which they are utilized. Furthermore, many previously disclosed yellow dye-forming couplers are of low activity, further necessitating additional coupler laydowns.
Thus, a problem to be solved is to provide a photographic element and coupler which exhibit improved color forming ability and improved dye stability.

Photographic element containing improved acylacetamido yellow dye-forming coupler


Rappelling device having a casing (12) that is movable along a rope (18) and in which a pulley (16) and a guide roller (14) are supported rotatably, such that the rope, during rappelling, is held in frictional contact with the periphery of the pulley (16), the device having a braking device (36) for the pulley (16) and a coupling device (28) for suspending a load (74) to be rappelled, the casing (12) forms a rope channel (26) that extends between the guide roller (14) and the pulley (16) and into which the rope (18) can be placed in extended state, and in that the coupling device (28) is arranged at the casing (12) in a position that is offset from the rope passage (26) towards the side of the pulley (16).

The invention relates to a rappelling device having a casing which can be moved along a rope and in which a pulley and a guide roller are rotatably supported in such a manner that the rope during rappelling is held in frictional contact with the periphery of the pulley, the device having a braking device for the pulley and a coupling device for suspending a load to be rappelled.
Such rappelling devices are needed for example for the service personnel of wind power plants. Modern wind power plants with an output of several megawatt presently can reach boss heights of up to 160 m and are installed both onshore and offshore for generating electricity. On the top of the tower, these plants have an engine house with relatively large dimensions that may accommodate up to 30 persons for servicing works. The high personal placement for service and repair shall minimize the down time of the plant.
Access to the engine house of the wind power plant is generally achieved by means of a ladder equipped with a protection system or by means of a lift cage inside the tower. In an emergency case, for example when the engine house or the base of the power is on fire, it must be ensured that all persons present in the plant can be evacuated immediately via an alternative escape path.
Rappelling apparatus are known which permit a person to rope down from a platform in the engine house outside of the tower. These apparatus have a rappelling rope, e.g. a polyamide core-and-sheath rope, with a snap-hook attached to both ends thereof, and a braking unit which limits the rappelling speed to 2 m/s at maximum. The person to be roped down buckles on a safety belt or a safety loop which is to be fastened at the snap-hook at the top end of the rappelling rope. During rappelling the rope runs over a pulley with a speed that is determined by the braking unit.
Rappelling apparatus that can be used by two persons at a time and operate in a shuttle mode have also been known.
However, these apparatus are not sufficient for a timely evacuation of a larger number of persons. Even the simultaneous use of several rappelling apparatus becomes problematic with increasing height of the power, because the wind-induced movements of the persons being rappelled and the ropes are difficult to control, so that the ropes may easily get entangled, with the result that the rescue operation may be delayed or made impossible.
DE 10 2006 009 332 A1 discloses a rappelling device of the type indicated above, wherein the rope passes in meander configuration over several guide rollers at a rope pulley, so that each of these rollers is clasped on an angle of more than 180° and consequently a larger friction is achieved between the rope and the guide rollers and the pulley.


A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit including a plurality of light sources, the backlight unit providing light to a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel, a backlight driving circuit that individually drives a plurality of previously determined blocks each including the light sources based on a dimming value of each of the blocks, and a local dimming control circuit that calculates a pixel gain value compensating for a luminance reduction resulting from the dimming value of each block and corrects the pixel gain value based on a grayscale saturation level of each block.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a liquid crystal display and a local dimming control method thereof capable of improving image quality.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The range of applications for liquid crystal displays has gradually widened because of their excellent characteristics such as light weight, thin profile, and low power consumption. Liquid crystal displays have been used in personal computers such as notebook PCs, office automation equipments, audio/video equipments, interior/outdoor advertising display devices, and the like. The liquid crystal displays display an image using a thin film transistor (TFT) as a switching element. A backlit liquid crystal display occupying most of the liquid crystal displays controls an electric field applied to a liquid crystal layer and modulates light coming from a backlight unit, thereby displaying an image.
The image quality of the liquid crystal display depends on its contrast characteristic. Improvements to the contrast characteristic are limited using only a method for controlling the data voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer and modulating a light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer. As a solution, a backlight dimming method has been proposed so as to improve the contrast characteristic. The backlight dimming method adjusts the luminance of a backlight unit depending on an image displayed on the liquid crystal display. The backlight dimming method includes a global dimming method for adjusting a luminance of the entire display surface of the liquid crystal display and a local dimming method for locally controlling a luminance of the display surface of the liquid crystal display. The global dimming method can improve a dynamic contrast ratio measured between two adjacent frames. The local dimming method can locally control the luminance of the display surface of the liquid crystal display within one frame period, thereby improving a static contrast ratio which is difficult to improve using the global dimming method.
In the local dimming method, the backlight unit is divided into a plurality of blocks. The local dimming method adjusts a dimming value of each of the plurality of blocks, thereby increasing a luminance of the backlight unit belonging to the block displaying a bright image and reducing a luminance of the backlight unit belonging to the block displaying a dark image. In other words, a plurality of light sources of the backlight unit are partially turned on in local dimming. Thus, the luminance of the backlight unit when the local dimming method is applied is less than the luminance of the backlight unit when the local dimming method is not applied (i.e., when all of the light sources of the backlight unit are turned on). A modulation of pixel data may compensate for a deficiency of the luminance of the backlight unit resulting from the local dimming method. The modulation of the pixel data is performed based on a pixel gain value according to the result of an analysis of an amount of light of the backlight unit of each block.
The pixel gain value is determined based on data required to allow a luminance obtained from a total amount of light (i.e., an amount of light in dimming) reaching a corresponding pixel in the local dimming using a dimming value of a block including the corresponding pixel to be equal to a luminance obtained from a total amount of light (i.e., an amount of light in non-dimming) reaching the corresponding pixel in non-local dimming. The pixel gain value is calculated by a ratio of the amount of light in the non-dimming to the amount of light in the dimming. When the amount of light in the dimming is less than the amount of light in the non-dimming, the pixel gain value in the corresponding pixel increases. As the pixel gain value increases, an upward modulation width of the data increases. As a result, grayscale saturation occurs in which high gray levels appear at the same brightness. As the grayscale saturation becomes serious, the image quality of the liquid crystal display is degraded. Accordingly, a method for controlling the pixel gain value based on a grayscale saturation level is required.

Liquid crystal display and local dimming control method thereof


A system and method for communicating messages between mobile communication devices. Predefined and customizable messages are provided to the user for selection and transmittal. Customizable messages include customizable text entry portions for text, default information such as the date or time, or defined information previously input and saved in memory by the user. Each predefined message can be translated into another language for transmission to one or more recipients. Acoustic messages can also be recorded and transmitted to one or more recipients. Messages are transmitted by conventional means over radio frequencies, infrared, or cable connections. In a second embodiment messages and translations are transmitted by code to a central server which decodes and transmits the message to each recipient mobile. In a third embodiment, all mobiles in the communication system are programmed to contain identical predefined and customizable messages and messages are transmitted by code.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to a messaging system to improve message transmission efficiency, speed, and accuracy from a mobile communication device.
2. Background Art
There are a variety of mobile communication devices available for wireless, or remote, communications, such as mobile telephones and pagers, hereinafter referred to as "mobiles". Mobiles typically comprise a rigid housing enclosing a printed circuit board, an associated microprocessor, electronic and electro-acoustic components, and a portable power supply such as a battery. Mobiles communicate through a variety of means, including antennas which transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals, infrared (IR) emitters and receivers, and cable connections to input/output ports on computers or to other mobiles. The user interfaces with the circuitry and microprocessor of the mobile through a keypad, or touchpad, located on the front outer surface of the housing. Keys on the keypad are pressed by the user to temporarily close an internal switch and send a signal to the microprocessor of the mobile where an appropriate routine processes the input and activates the mobile. On mobile telephones, graphical elements, such as alphanumeric characters and icons, are located on or near the keys of the keypad to guide the user in interfacing with the mobile. For example, keys are identified with the numbers 0–9, letters of the alphabet, and the pound and asterisk symbols. A display on the mobile housing provides readouts of data input by the user, access to spatially-navigated menu trees, graphical user interfaces (GUIs), windows, and messaging.
As mobile designs have advanced, more features are provided to the user, such as the ability to program, store and transmit information to other mobiles, computers, servers, and over the Internet. Typically, spatially-navigated menus shown on the display aid the user in inputting data, and also aid the user in accessing data for revision or transmission. To make use of these features requires an increasing number of keystrokes and more detailed information on the display for the user to interface with the mobile. On mobile telephones specifically, more features have led to the need for more keys. As the number of keys on the keypad of mobile telephones has increased, the density of the keys within a given surface area has increased and the size of each key has decreased. Key spacing is further compromised as mobiles are made more compact to reduce weight and improve portability.
Due to the size of mobiles and the limited amount of key space on such devices, it is often difficult to enter data or text messages into a mobile in an efficient manner. For example, to enter a textual message on a mobile telephone, the user typically accesses the appropriate message menu offered in the menu hierarchy and then keys in the textual data by pressing the alphanumeric keys of the keypad. Often, the key must be pressed more than once to input the correct letter as one key may represent as many as three letters. For example, the same key may represent the number "2" as well as the three letters "A," "B," and "C" Further, most mobile telephones limit the number of characters per message, requiring the user to express the message as succinctly as possible. The increased number of functions performed by each key, and the limited number of characters available per message, further contribute to the cumbersome nature of entering and transmitting a textual message. In order to increase message entry efficiency, users often resort to shorthand to relay the message, for example, "IC" may be entered to represent "I see."
To improve the efficiency of text message transmission between mobiles, a variety of "short message systems" (SMS) have been designed for rapid text entry. Early applications of SMS were used by telephone operators to alert subscribers to newly received voice mail messages or stored facsimiles by displaying a simple message on the mobile display that the user saw once the mobile was turned on. Later applications of SMS provide users with a list of default messages that are chosen by a single keystroke in order to be sent, for example, "please call home." Upon choosing the predefined message, the sending mobile automatically sends it to the receiving mobile. Short message systems have been implemented for the transmission of messages from the Internet, computers, and from messaging services of communication service providers. One advantage of an SMS is that the receiving mobile need not be active in order to receive the message. The sent message is stored in the communication system until the receiving mobile is switched to the "On" position. The message is then automatically received, stored on the receiving mobile, and displayed on its screen.
Difficulties with present SMS systems include the inability to edit or revise the predefined messages stored in the system to communicate a more precise message. Another difficulty arises when the message is transmitted in a single language. With increased global communication, it would be useful if messages could be received in a selected language. Prior art systems do not provide this capability.
An efficient method of transmitting messages between users of mobiles is needed where the number of keystrokes is minimized and the ability to tailor the message is preserved. The ability to send messages in a particular language is also needed. Accordingly, there is a need to be able to customize and translate predefined messages into other languages for enhanced communication between mobile users.

Messaging system for mobile communication


The prefetch distance to be used by a prefetch instruction may not always be correctly calculated using compile-time information. In one embodiment, the present invention generates prefetch distance calculation code to dynamically calculate a prefetch distance used by a prefetch instruction at run-time.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of compiler. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to compiler-implemented prefetching.
2. Description of the Related Art
A compiler is software that translates a computer program written in a high-level language, such as C++ or FORTRAN, into machine language. As shown in FIG. 1, the compiler 100 takes code as input and generates a machine executable binary file. FIG. 2 shown some of the modules that can be implemented by compiler 100.
Compiler 100 can include a front-end module 11. The front-end module 11 can perform the various front-end processing of the programming language—e.g. like a C/C++ Front-End or a Fortran Front-Ent—such as The translating the high-level code written by a programmer into an IR used inside the compiler 100 and other such processing. The IR is compiler-specific and they are well-known in the art. Some examples are the RTL representation and tree SSA representations used by GCC[brm1], the Stanford University Intermediate Format (SUIF) representation[brm2], the Pegasus intermediate representation[brm3], the WHIRL intermediate representation of the MIPSpro Compiler from Silicon Graphics Incorporated.
Compiler 100 can also include a prefetch optimization module 12. One optimization performed by some compilers is prefetch optimization. Prefetch optimization masks memory access latency by issuing a memory request before the requested value is used. While the value is retrieved from memory—which can take up to 300 or more cycles—the processor can execute other instructions, effectively hiding the memory access latency. Data prefetching, or simply "prefetching," is well-known in the art.
The compiler 100 can perform other optimizations represented by block 13 in FIG. 2. These include inter-procedural optimizations, redundancy elimination, dead code elimination, constant propagation, copy propagation, loop transformations, and other such optimizations. The compiler then generates the binary executable from the optimized IR using the binary generation module 14.
A prior art method of prefetching is now described with reference to FIG. 3. In block 302 the parser performing the prefetch optimization arrives at a loop. A loop is generally defined as a sequence of instructions that repeats either a specified number of times or until a particular condition is met. Some example loop instructions in C++ are "while" and "for" loops.
In block 304, a decision is made as to whether the identified loop is appropriate for prefetching. A loop may be too short, not include a load to prefetch, or have some other property that eliminates it from prefetch optimization. If the loop is not appropriate for prefetching, then the process terminates and the parser continues searching for the next loop. If, however, the loop is a good candidate for prefetching, then, in block 306, the prefetch distance to be used for the prefetch is calculated.
The prefetch distance can be generally defined as the number of iterations of the loop ahead that a prefetch is issued before the actual load. At compile time, in block 306, a prior art compiler determines the prefetch distance using various factors, such as the amount of memory latency the prefetch needs to cover, the amount of work done inside the loop, and the value of the trip count (how many times the loop is repeated). Once the compiler calculates the prefetch distance, a prefetch instruction is inserted into the loop in block 308, the prefetch instruction using the calculated prefetch distance by identifying a memory locating having the appropriate prefetch distance. At execution time, the processor will perform prefetching according to this distance.
There are situations, however, in which the compile-time static prefetch distance calculation described with reference to FIG. 3 is not optimal and may even deteriorate performance. This is caused in general when information needed by the compiler to calculate the appropriate prefetch distance is not available at compile time. For example, the trip count affects the prefetch distance, as described above. However, a loop may have an unknown trip count that is not known until run-time execution. The prior-art method is this situation would either use a guess or default trip-count (which may be wrong on many occasions) or forgo prefetching altogether.


There is provided a single vessel process for the preparation of a pyridine dicarboxylate compound of formula I ##STR1## via the sequential condensation of an alkyl vinyl ether with Vilsmeier reagent, oxalacetate and an ammonia source.

Pyridine-2,3-dicarboxylc acids and esters are building blocks for numerous bio-active products, particularly imidazolinone herbicides, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,667. Known methods to prepare pyridine-2,3-dicarboxylate derivatives via the oxidation of a suitable quinoline or alkylpyridine precursor are often plagued by the use of costly oxidants such as KMnO.sub.4, H.sub.2 Cr.sub.2 O.sub.7, SeO.sub.2 and the like; by long reaction time cycles such as in the use of ozone, electrolysis and the like; and by undesirable side reactions such as decarboxylation, N-oxide formation and the like. Therefore, new methods to construct the desired pyridine dicarboxylate product are continually being sought.
It has now been found that a rapid one vessel process to prepare a pyridine-2,3-dicarboxylate derivative is readily obtained via the sequential condensation of the appropriate alkyl vinyl ether with Vilsmeier reagent, oxalacetate and an ammonia source.

Process for the preparation of pyridine dicarboxylate derivatives


An image printing system which enables printing after setting for printing in detail, even in case of an equipment connected to an interface pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard. The image printing system includes an MPEG processor 16 for processing image signals inputted from outside to generate image data, a CPU 23 for generating the printing control information containing at least one of the printing sheet type information, printing sheet size information, printing color information, printing quality information, printing position information and the printing layout information, and a data conversion unit 13 for managing control so that the image data and the printing control information will be included in a packet pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard and the resulting packet is outputting to a printing device 5 and so that the image data contained in the output packet will be printed in accordance with the printing control information.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus suitably employed in an image printing apparatus employing a printer connected in circuit over an interface conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard. This invention also relates to an image printing method and apparatus, an image printing system, an image printing method, and to a storage medium having stored therein an image processing and printing program.
2. Description of Related Art
The IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard provides for the physical standard and the electrical standard for connectors for interconnection provided in respective equipments. The equipments provided with an interface pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard are physically interconnected to realize e.g., the hot plug and play automatically executing high-speed digital data transmission/reception and connection setting between the respective equipments, such that the IEEE 1394 standard is widespread as the serial interface standard of the relevant technical field.
Moreover, this IEEE 1394 standard is widespread not only in the field of a computer but also as an interface interconnecting AV equipments. Specifically, when a STB (set top box), receiving the satellite broadcast to display the received broadcast on a television device, and a printer device, printing an image, are interconnected over an IEEE 1394 interface, the STB controls the printer apparatus using an FCP (function control protocol) and AV/C protocol. The STB and the printer device mount an FCP and an AV/C protocol, and operate in accordance with FCP and AV/C commands.
If, in the image printing apparatus, provided with a printer device, mounting the AV/C protocol and the FCP, interconnected over the conventional IEEE 1394 interface, and with a controller for controlling the printer device, a still image is to be printed, a setting item, defined by an operation mode (operation_mode_parameters), specifying the information for printing setting, is designated by the controller and stored in an asynchronous packet to have the still image printed by the printing device. At this time, the controller performs printing setting responsive to a user's request. This printing setting has been proposed in e.g., a publication entitled "1394 trade association TA document XXXXXX AV/C Printer Subunit Specification Version 1.0 Draft 0.5:145".
Specifically, when the controller controls the printing by the printer device, the sizing information for setting the relative size of the image and the printing sheet in three steps of large, medium and small, the orientation information for setting the printing direction of the printing sheets, the information for setting the image printing position (posx, posy), the information specifying how many of the same images are to be printed in a printing sheet (multiple_tiled), the information specifying how many images are to be printed in one page (number_of_pic), and the information specifying how many copies are to be prepared (number_of_copies), are set by the user and included into an asynchronous packet, which is transmitted to the printing device for printing.
Heretofore, in a conventional printer device, connected to the computer, printing is made as a variety of modes, such as a picture quality priority mode or a speed priority mode, are set by a device driver installed on the side computer. The picture quality priority mode is such a mode in which image data of a fine resolution are prepared and sent to the printer device, whilst the speed priority mode is such a mode in which an image with a decreased data volume is prepared and sent to the printing device. If the device driver is used to set the mode, it is up to the computer side transmitting an image to prepare an image required to be printed, thus placing a severe load on the computer. Moreover, when an image is to be transmitted from a television receiver, such as a set top box, to the printer device, severe load is imposed similarly on the television receiver. The same applies for a personal computer recently developed to enable reception of the television broadcast.
In a DPP (direct printing protocol), well-known as a print protocol for IEEE 1394, the quality of an image that can be received on the side printer and that of the image that can be sent by the side computer are exchanged to determine the image to be transmitted or received. In this DPP, severe load is similarly imposed on the computer or on the set top box.
That is, when an image outputted by the set top box or the television receiver is transmitted to the printer device over the IEEE 1394 interface to print the image, severe load is imposed on the side controller of the set top box or the television receiver.

Image processing method and apparatus, printing method and apparatus, image printing system and method and recording medium


A thin film transistor (TFT), a method of fabricating the same, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device having the TFT, the TFT includes a substrate, a protection layer disposed on the substrate, a buffer layer disposed on the protection layer, a semiconductor layer disposed on the buffer layer, a gate electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer to electrically insulate the semiconductor layer from the gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes electrically insulated from the gate electrode and connected to the semiconductor layer. The protection layer is formed of an amine-containing clay. The OLED includes the TFT, an insulating layer disposed on the TFT, a first electrode connected to the drain electrode of the TFT, an organic layer disposed on the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on the organic layer.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a thin film transistor (TFT), a method of fabricating the same, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device having the TFT.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an OLED display device is a self-emissive display that has a fast response speed of 1 ms, or less, a low power consumption, and a wide viewing angle. Also, an OLED display device can be fabricated using a simple, low-temperature process that is based on conventional semiconductor manufacturing technology. For these reasons, OLED display devices have attracted much attention as the next generation of flat-panel displays (FPD).
However, an OLED display device may be degraded, due to exposure to moisture and/or oxygen. Also, impurities may diffuse from a substrate into components of an OLED display device, thereby degrading the elements. Therefore, there is a need for a new technique to prevent the diffusion of moisture, oxygen, and/or impurities into elements of OLED display devices.

Thin film transistor, method of fabricating the same, and organic light emitting diode display device having the thin film transistor


A device for amplifying the suction noise of a vehicle is disclosed. The device comprises an intake duct, a connecting pipe and a composite membrane. The intake duct is for feeding air to an engine intake port. A connecting pipe is connected to an interior of the intake duct. The composite membrane is positioned within the connecting pipe. The composite member blocks an interior passage formed in the connecting pipe. The composite member further includes at least two elastic membranes with one of masses and rigidities that different from each other. A method is also disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 3613665 describes a known device that boosts suction noise. The device described therein is for amplifying suction noise and has plural intake ducts having resonance frequencies that are different from each other, so that it is possible to boost the suction noise at different frequencies, and permits introduction of suction noise into the vehicle passenger compartment.
However, the device for amplifying suction noise described in Japanese Patent No. 3613665 has some disadvantages. First, because the device is constituted with plural intake ducts, there is no leeway in the space required inside the engine compartment. Thus, there are restrictions on the layout, and the device is difficult to install in the engine compartment.

Device and method for amplifying suction noise


In a method for the analysis of process data of an industrial plant, in particular a power station plant, parts of the plant are automatically controlled for the purpose of information compression, filtering and diagnosing faults in good time. Features characterizing the plant process are first prescribed and parameters relevant to the plant process are provided. Subsequently, the presence of each feature is checked for each plant part by using the parameters. Correlations between combinations of plant parts or features are determined by using features common to various plant parts and plant parts common to various features. Next, the plant parts and/or the features are represented as information elements positioned in such a way that the distance between two information elements in each case represents the degree of their correlation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the analysis of process data of an industrial plant, in particular of a power station plant, the parts of which plant are automatically controlled.
In a control room for controlling an industrial plant, in particular a power station plant, large quantities of various measurement data occur continuously and in their entirety describe a plant state or operating state. The operating personnel of the plant have the task of identifying the measurement data or measurement variables that are respectively relevant to the operating state as well as the task of following, analyzing and interpreting their values in relation to the state of the plant. At the same time, the guidance of the process from the control room is largely determined through screens by way of standards and guidelines in the form of regulations. Those regulations include symbols for parts of the plant or elements of the plant such as, for example, pumps and valves, the coloring of indicators and the construction of the indicators of a control system. In addition to the various indicators, there is commonly a plant diagram which represents the entire plant in overview. However, with increasing automation and complexity of such an industrial plant, the number of measurement data that are recorded also increases, and therefore the probability that information important to the respective operating state of the plant is not identified as such in good time. Corresponding counter measures can thus only be belatedly initiated.

Method for the analysis of process data of an industrial plant


The present invention can be implemented in various forms. One of them is disclosed in which a secondary core of a secondary-side charge port to be provided at an electric vehicle side and into which a primary magnetic coupler provided at the battery charger is to be inserted, has the general shape of L, for example, at no sacrifice of the charging output (capability).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a inductive battery charger for inductive charging of a battery used on board in an electric vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
As typically shown in FIG. 1, a inductive batter charger for an electric vehicle is provided with a magnetic coupler (primary side) 100 electrically connected to a converter and inverter (both not illustrated). On the other hand, the electric vehicle has provided inside a charge port 102 thereof a charge core 101 (secondary side) having a secondary coil 101A which is to be electrically connected to a battery (not illustrated) trough the converter and inverter. An electromagnetic induction with the secondary coil 101A of the primary-side magnetic coupler 100 induces a current in the secondary coil 101A to charge the battery on the electric vehicle.
However, the ordinary charge core (secondary side) 101 in the conventional inductive battery charger has the general shape of a simple rectangle or square as shown in FIG. 2, for example. It is thus unavoidable that a reduction of the width of the charge port 102 will result in a reduction of the sectional areas (S1+S2) of connections 103 (shown with hatching in FIG. 1) which link upper and lower members of the charge core 101. Therefore, the charging output (capability) will decrease correspondingly


A system (1) which allows content providers of value-added SMS services to set-up their own services comprises a Small Message Entity Agent (SMEA) (6) which is coupled to a Short Message Service Centre (4) of a cellular radio telephone network. Providers of value added services can access the SMEA to register a unique identifier in the form of an easily remembered name, which is then translated into a numerical number, which is used as part of the destination address in text messages destined for the content provider. The content provider is able to self-configure his service so that text messages delivered to the SMEA are forwarded to selected message handlers for forwarding to appropriate destinations, such as email addresses, pagers or mobile phones.

In GSM cellular radio telephone networks the Short Message Service (SMS) is a service that enables a user to send text messages to, and receive text messages from, other users using remote terminals such as their mobile cellular radiotelephones—hereinafter referred to as Mobile Stations (MS). The SMS function attempts to deliver a message to a mobile station (MS) whenever the mobile station is registered to the network, even when the terminal is engaged in a voice or data call. The mobile station may also roam throughout the network and still be capable of sending and receiving messages A mobile station configured for SMS provides methods for the user to receive, read, write/edit, clear, send, and save messages.
When a mobile station is switched off or not within range, then the text message is stored until the mobile station is able to receive the message. The network stores messages in at least one SMS Center (SMSC), and messages are sent to the mobile station from the SMSC. SMSC's are used to route SMS messages and are linked to network service centers. Various SMS protocol layers receive the messages and check their contents. If the contents are valid, and assuming that there is room for incoming text messages in the memory of the mobile station, the message is received and stored. Otherwise, the message is rejected.
Reference can be had to the TIA Interim Standards IS-136 and IS-37, and also to a document entitled "TDMA Forum, Implementation Guide: Short Message Terminals Compliant With IS-136 and IS-137" (Ed. D. Holmes, vers. 7.0, Apr. 20, 1995). U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,222: "Transporting Short Message Service (SMS) Messages Within a Telecommunication Network" likewise describes the Short Message Service—the components, their functions, and how they relate to other components and the system as a whole. These documents specify a type of SMS and the various system and terminal level protocols required to provide SMS in a cellular telecommunications system.
It is also possible for users to send text messages from Internet web sites—known as SMS gateways. SMS messages may also be sent from a mobile station to computer applications running on servers—commonly referred to as an External Short Message Entity (ESME)—and vice versa. In this instance, the SMSC (Short Message Service Center) receives the SMS message from the cellular network, or from an internet gateway, respectively, and then immediately forwards the message to either the ESME—which is typically stationary and constantly connected—or to an addressed mobile station (if it is reachable)—depending upon which direction the text message is being transmitted.
Reference can be had to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project's Technical Specification Document No. 3G TS 23.039 version 2.0.0: "Interface protocols for the connection of Short Message Service Centres' (SMSC's) to Short Message Entities (SMEs)" which formally specifies how a third party—commonly referred to as a value-added service—can provide value-added content, such as information, communication, or computing services—and can interface ESME applications with the cellular radio telephone network's SMS system.
Examples of ESME applications include:                Alerts originating from a Voice-Mail server indicating voice messages at a customer's mailbox.        Messages originated from terminals at a corporate customer's site.        An ESME sends or requests a "Delivery Receipt".
When an ESME—either acting on its own behalf, or as an intermediary for other ESME's—establishes communication with the SMSC, two 'virtual connections' are required. One is used for messages originating in the ESME, and the response messages for them. (e.g., submit short message, query short message, cancel short message, etc.), while the other is used for messages originating in the SMSC and their responses (e.g., deliver short message). A latter "virtual connection" is known as a Bind operation—in the form of a Bind request.
The purpose of the Bind operation is to register an instance of an ESME with the SMSC system. As such, the Bind request must provide key information—parameters—within the "message" field of the protocol message. One particular parameter that is used is the address_range, which is used for routing SMS messages and delivery receipts to an ESME.
Where an ESME is acting as an intermediary to other ESME's they are generally referred to as an SME Agent (SMEA). In this case, the SMEA specifies a range of ESME addresses that it wishes to serve—that is, all the addresses of end-ESME's that it will act on behalf of. This range of address is a "regular expression". The "regular expression" in this context is a text pattern representing a range of addresses or a specific address. This may be defined explicitly in the bind request or configured by SMSC administration. These terms are specifically used for the SMPP interface implementations of the Logica Corporation. Different SMSC manufacturers use different SMSC interface implementations, but it will be understood that the communication between SMSC's and SMEA's/ESME's are—essentially—similar whatever interface implementation is used.
Cellular radiotelephone network operators typically allocate a three or four-digit numerical address (commonly referred to as an SMSC "access code") to ESME's. This access code is used by the SMSC to identify the ESME to which an SMS message is to be routed. While an end-ESME would typically be assigned a singular SMSC access code like "2345" so that only messages sent to "2345" will be sent to it, an intermediate SMEA will need more than one access code because it serves a number of end ESME's. This multiple access code will typically specify a range of addresses—indicated by a regular expression in the form of "2345*" (note the asterisk), where the asterisk indicates a range of addresses all served by an SMEA with the access code "2345" i.e. this range for instance, refer to all addresses beginning with "2345".
We refer to the group of numbers represented by the asterisk, "*", in "2345*" as a suffix—that is the string of numbers that immediately follow the access code. Each end ESME—for a particular SMEA—will therefore relate to a different suffix
A problem exists with the current approach for provisioning value-added services—as provided through ESME's—in that the process is often carried out manually. Presently, the network operator has to configure their SMS system, Issue an access code, password, and specify other technical parameters, before the content provider's ESME becomes functionally connected. Occasionally, a Wireless Application Service Provider (WASP) intermediates to facilitate the process. But even in such cases, the burden is merely shifted away from the content provider.
A further problem relates to the centralized control that cellular radiotelephone network operators have over the kind of value-added services offered. Although it can be argued that that is the operator's prerogative, users can benefit more from a market economy of content providers. Policy aside, the current provisioning infrastructure is too centralized to foster an Internet-like diversity of services.
Mobile subscribers, i.e. users, encounter a different set of problems. Consider the prior art described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,004. This patent discloses a common SMS value-added service request, where a subscriber sends a message, comprised of keywords (sometimes cryptic, like SPR for Stock Price) and/or parameters such as a symbol of a traded stock (which are already cryptic on their own), to a content provider. The latter, in turn, replies with the result of the operation (i.e., the content service requested).
As content providers grow in numbers, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember keywords, parameters, and the prescribed format with which these must be ordered within the message (e.g., keyword, followed by city, followed by date, etc.).
A Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Tool Kit (STK) is a card pre-loaded with menus of value-added services. This provides some advantages, but this too is not without a cost; a subscriber must still physically trade-in the old SIM card, pay for a new SIM Tool Kit, and upgrade yet again once new STK's are issued.
Lastly, users are the least empowered of the messaging entities. Network operators determine the portfolio of services offered to their subscribers, and content providers control how services are used, thereby prescribing keywords, parameters, etc.

System and method for provisioning of text message services


A process for producing cyclopropanecarbonitrile involves reacting cyclopropanecarbaldoxime with acetic anhydride to obtain a mixture containing acetic acid and cyclopropanecarbonitrile. The acetic acid can be removed from the mixture through azeotropic distillation of acetic acid with a solvent that forms with acetic acid an azeotropic mixture having an azeotropic point lower than the boiling point of the cyclopropanecarbonitrile.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclopropanecarbonitrile.
2. Discussion of the Background
Cyclopropanecarbonitrile is useful as a material for producing aminophenylketones, which in turn can be used to produce sulfamoylurea herbicides, which are well-known herbicides applied to paddy-rice plants (See, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 7-188132 (188132/1995)).
Conventional processes for producing cyclopropanecarbonitrile include (1) a process as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,942 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,911 that involves intramolecular cyclization of halobutyronitrile using a base, and (2) a process as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,234 that involves converting cyclopropanecarbaldehyde into cyclopropanecarbaldoxime, which in turn is dehydrated using formic acid to form cyclopropanecarbonitrile, and neutralizing the resulting reaction mixture with an alkali metal compound.
However, the process (1) has a disadvantage that synthesis of halobutyronitrile, such as 4-chlorobutyronitrile, requires the use of expensive bromochloropropane, and nitrilization of bromochloropropane requires the use of toxic cyanogen compounds. On the other hand, in the process (2), the reaction mixture needs to be neutralized, following the dehydration, with an alkali metal compound and leads to the problem of the disposition of waste water containing alkali metal salt of formic acid as by-product formed in the process in abundance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for producing cyclopropanecarbonitrile that can produce cyclopropanecarbonitrile in good yields in a safe, economical, and industrially advantageous manner.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a process for producing cyclopropanecarbonitrile, which is characterized in that cyclopropanecarbaldoxime is reacted with acetic anhydride.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a process for producing cyclopropanecarbonitrile that involves reacting cyclopropanecarbaldoxime with acetic anhydride to obtain a mixture containing acetic acid and cyclopropanecarbonitrile, and removing acetic acid from the mixture through azeotropic distillation of acetic acid with a solvent that forms with acetic acid an azeotropic mixture having an azeotropic point lower than the boiling point of the cyclopropanecarbonitrile.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned removal of acetic acid through azeotropic distillation is achieved by using a hydrocarbon that forms with acetic acid an azeotropic mixture having an azeotropic point lower than the boiling point of the cyclopropanecarbonitrile.
Cyclopropanecarbaldoxime for use in the present invention can be readily produced by, for example, reacting cyclopropanecarbaldehyde with hydroxylamine. In the present invention, cyclopropanecarbaldoxime produced through the above-mentioned process may be used in the form of either a reaction mixture without purification or a purified product. When cyclopropanecarbaldoxime is to be used in the form of a reaction mixture, it is preferred to remove water from the reaction mixture through azeotropic distillation of water using a solvent, such as toluene, that forms an azeotropic mixture with water, in order to increase the reaction rate. Cyclopropanecarbaldoxime has two isomers, namely, a cis-form and a transform, which may be used independently or as a mixture of the two in the present invention.
The molar amount of acetic anhydride used in the present invention is preferably from 0.5 to 20 times, more preferably from 1 to 5 times, as much as that of cyclopropanecarbaldoxime.
The reaction of the present invention may be carried out in the presence or in the absence of a solvent. Examples of the solvent include aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane, heptane, octane, 2,5-dimethylhexane, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene and cumene; halogenated hydrocarbon solvents such as chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichloropropane, 1,2-dibromopropane, butyl bromide, 1-bromo-3-methylbutane, propyl iodide and isobutyl iodide; ether solvents such as diethyl ether, isopropyl ether, t-butyl methyl ether and 1,4-dioxane; nitroethane and 1-butanol. Of these, the aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane, heptane, octane, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene and cumene are preferred. The amount in mass of the solvent, if used, is preferably 50 times as much as that of cyclopropanecarbaldoxime or less, and more preferably from 1 to 10 times as much as that of cyclopropanecarbaldoxime. The reaction may be carried out either in a solution or in a slurry.
The reaction is preferably carried out at a temperature of 50 to 120xc2x0 C., more preferably 80 to 110xc2x0 C., in consideration of the reaction rate and selectivity. Preferably, the reaction time is from about 3 to about 20 hours.
While cyclopropanecarbonitrile can be isolated from the resulting reaction mixture by simply distilling the reaction mixture, but it is preferred in one embodiment of the present invention that a solvent that forms with acetic acid an azeotropic mixture having an azeotropic point lower than the boiling point of cyclopropanecarbonitrile is added to the above-mentioned reaction mixture and the resulting mixture is distilled to remove acetic acid based on the principle of azeotropic distillation first. Subsequently the remaining mixture is distilled to obtain cyclopropanecarbonitrile. Examples of the solvent that forms with acetic acid an azeotropic mixture having an azeotropic point lower than the boiling point of cyclopropanecarbonitrile include aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane, heptane, octane, 2,5-dimethylhexane, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene and cumene; halogenated hydrocarbon solvents such as chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichloropropane, 1,2-dibromopropane, butyl bromide, 1 -bromo-3-methylbutane, propyl iodide and isobutyl iodide; 1,4-dioxane; nitroethane and 1-butanol. Of these, the aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane, heptane, octane, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene and cumene are particularly preferred in consideration of effects on environment and safety.
When the reaction of cyclopropanecarbaldoxime with acetic anhydride is carried out in the presence of the above-mentioned solvent, the generated acetic acid can be removed by taking advantage of the principle of azeotropic distillation as the reaction progresses.
While the removal of acetic acid based on azeotropic distillation can be carried out under normal pressure, if necessary, it may be carried out under reduced pressure. In such a case, the temperature of the system may vary depending on the pressure, but it is preferably maintained in the range of 40 to 120xc2x0 C., more preferably in the range of 80 to 110xc2x0 C.
After the removal of acetic acid, cyclopropanecarbonitrile can be isolated and/or purified from the reaction mixture remaining by using a common technique for isolating and/or purifying an organic compound, for example, distillation under reduced pressure. The purity of cyclopropanecarbonitrile can be readily increased in this manner.
According to the present invention, cyclopropanecarbonitrile can be produced in good yields, in a safe, economical, and industrially advantageous manner.

Process for producing cyclopropanecarbonitrile


The invention provides a plurality of display devices such as hand dryers, each with a programmed computer display, and all communicating to a central location via a high speed link system. A display screen is mounted to each of the hand dryers and viewable by a user while drying the user's hands. A processor is located within the housing and is in signal-communication with the display screen. The high-speed link system is in signal-communication with each processor and an external data source, wherein the data source communicates with the processor to change the image displayed on the display screen. Sensors communicate ambient conditions outside of the display screen to a database.

Hand dryers which include display screens for displaying information are known. One such hand dryer includes an integrated modem that automatically updates the stored images every 24 hours. Up to 20 images are stored and displayed in sequence.
The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a display screen for a hand dryer that was nearly instantly responsive to a centralized control to display news, information, images and advertising. The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a display screen for a hand dryer that was easily updated and reconfigured from a remote location.
The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a display screen for a hand dryer that included additional functional and interactive features.
The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide an electronic system for hand dryers or other devices that included an interactive display screen and sensors for collecting environmental and human data for analysis. The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to use this data for advertising and marketing to consumers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates, in general, to pressure sensors capable of operating at high temperatures. The present invention further relates to a high temperature pressure sensor with an improved gage factor. The present invention still further provides a pressure sensor with a smaller sized diaphragm, which is capable of reading higher pressures. The present invention also provides a method and sensor for detecting strain using shape memory alloys.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to pressure sensors capable of operating at high or elevated temperatures and more particularly to shape memory alloys (SMA's) that can be used at high or elevated temperatures as a pressure sensor.
2. Technical Background
In recent years there has been a need for high or elevated temperature pressure sensors for various applications including for use in harsh environments. In these harsh environments such as for use in engine cylinders and turbine engines, the pressure sensors are exposed to a corrosive, oxidizing environments which put high mechanical and thermal stresses on the sensors. Various approaches have been taken in order to protect the pressure sensors from these environmental conditions and to allow the sensor to remain operational over extended periods of time. These approaches include sealing the pressure sensor to shield it from the environment such as follows:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,363,792 and 6,530,282 to Kurtz et al. disclose a hermetically sealed high temperature pressure transducer assembly (sensor) formed on silicon including: a sensor wafer that includes a plurality of sensor structures and contact areas selectively interconnected and formed on a surface. The surface being hermetically sealed and isolated from the harsh environment from which the pressure is being measured.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,415 to Kurtz et al. discloses a pressure transducer formed on silicon including: a first surface adapted for receiving a pressure applied thereto, an oppositely disposed second surface, and a flexing portion adapted to deflect when pressure is applied to the first surface; at least a first sensor formed on the second surface and adjacent to a center of the flexing portion, and adapted to measure the pressure applied to the first surface, at least a second gage sensor formed on the second surface and adjacent to a periphery of the flexing portion, and adapted to measure the pressure applied to the first surface; a glass substrate secured to the second surface of the silicon wafer.
While sealing the sensor from the environment has helped create a more durable sensor, at high temperatures these sensing devices also suffer from the drawback of having too low of a gage factor resulting in larger sensors or sensors with signals that are difficult to measure. Gage factor is a measure of the sensitivity of the sensor. With too low of a gage factor, the sensitivity of the sensing element is reduced creating difficulty in reading the sensing element, or the diaphragm size has to be increased to make up for the reduced sensitivity. These devices are typically made by diffusing the sensing elements into a silicon diaphragm. With these types of devices the gage factor significantly decreases with increasing temperature.
This drawback has been avoided in part by the use of other materials. U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,911 to Kurtz discloses a high temperature pressure transducer comprising a diaphragm fabricated from beta-silicon carbide and at least one sensing element fabricated from beta-silicon carbide associated with the diaphragm. Kurtz claims that this type of transducer exhibits gage factors of above 30 at room temperature and between 10-15 at 550° C. While the development by Kurtz improves the potential sensitivity, it would be desirable to have a sensor with even better sensitivity and that does not change significantly with temperature increases so that not only can the sensing element be read more easily, but also so smaller sensors can be formed.
In looking at other forms of materials, there is a material known as a shape memory alloy (SMA). Shape memory alloys (SMA's) are a class of materials that have the ability to form two different crystalline phases, usually referred to as the martensite and austenite phases, in response to temperature and strain. SMA's are produced by combining at least two component elements into a desired shape which is then annealed. Immediately upon being annealed, the SMA material is in the austenite phase, having a specific shape (referred to hereinafter as the parent shape), and characterized by a low ductility, high Young's Modulus and high yield stress. Upon cooling, the SMA material changes into the martensite phase characterized by a high ductility, low Young's Modulus and low yield stress. In the martensite phase, the SMA material is easily deformed and can take on a different shape from its austenite, or parent, shape by the application of an external strain thereto. The SMA material will retain this different shape until it is heated to its austenite phase transformation temperature. When such heating occurs, the SMA material undergoes a phase transformation to its austenite phase and is transformed back to its parent shape. During this phase transformation the SMA material produces a very high kinetic energy output per unit volume. Because of this, SMA's can generate a relatively large force over a longer displacement as compared to other materials of the same size. Additionally, because of the electrical resistance characteristics of SMA material, joule heating can be used to raise the SMA material to its austenitic phase transformation temperature. Furthermore, the electrical resistance characteristics of SMA material results in a strain-dependent electrical resistance effect at the phase transformation temperature.
The two significant physical properties of SMA material, i.e., high recoverable strain and high actuation energy densities, have led to the development of SMA materials and devices for various applications. Bulk or thick film SMA materials are produced using traditional metal forming processes and are incorporated into many different devices ranging from orthodontia appliances to visored helmets. In these applications the bulk or thick film SMA materials take the form of wires, springs, thread fasteners, ring clamps, etc. Thin film SMA materials are produced by depositing an alloy on a substrate and have gained acceptance in micro fluidics and temperature related applications, particularly as actuators. Typically, applications utilizing bulk or thick film SMA materials exploit the one-way shape-memory property of SMA material. In these applications the bulk or thick film SMA material is strained (deformed) in the low temperature martensite phase and recovers to its parent shape upon being heated to the temperature at which the SMA material is transformed to its high temperature austenite phase. The strain-dependent electrical resistance effect of SMA material, however, has not been utilized for strain measuring devices or sensors because of is the thermodynamic inefficiency of bulk or thick film SMA material. The hysteresis characteristics of bulk or thick film SMA material, which determine the phase transformation cycle period, are too slow (on the order of seconds) to be effective as a sensor. The slowness of the hysteresis characteristics of bulk or thick film SMA material is caused by the high thermal mass of this material. In contrast, due to the low thermal mass of thin film SMA material, the hysteresis characteristics of this material are quite fast (on the order of cycles/second) which makes thin film SMA material particularly suitable for certain applications, such as sensors, where the change in electrical resistance at a phase transformation of this material can be correlated to a change in strain being applied to the material. A problem, however, arises with thin film SMA material due to the difficulty in producing reliable thin film SMA materials that can repeatedly and consistently provide accurate strain measurements. Recent advances in manufacturing techniques, however, have resulted in the production of thin film SMA materials that exhibit a consistent quality suitable for use in strain measuring devices. Because of these manufacturing advances, it has become desirable to develop a sensor and method for measuring strain utilizing thin film SMA materials.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a high temperature pressure sensor without the drawbacks of the prior art. It is further the object of the present invention to provide a high temperature pressure sensor with an improved gage factor. It is still further the object of the present invention to provide a pressure sensor with a smaller sized diaphragm, which is also capable of reading higher pressures. Finally, it is even still further the object of the present invention to provide a high temperature sensor made from a SMA material.


A method for manufacturing a long length of coiled metal tubing or the like using friction stir welding. Successive lengths of metal strip are friction stir welded using a three-pass welding technique to eliminate any edge defects in the resulting strip. The method includes one or more three-pass friction stir welding routines, each of which includes a first pass performed using a tool having a first rotational direction and a spiral bit pattern corresponding to the first rotational direction; a second pass using a tool having a second rotational direction and a spiral bit pattern corresponding to the second rotational direction; and a third pass using a tool having said second rotational direction and a spiral bit pattern corresponding to the second rotational direction.

Metallic coiled tubing is used in the oil and gas industry for many applications, especially in the drilling and workover areas. Such tubing is manufactured in a variety of ways, for example, using a continuous milling operation that utilizes paired strips of adjoining tube stock cut to appropriate widths in order to later form desired diameters of coiled tubing. The strips are typically joined together by a welding process that causes the metal to change phase into either a molten or liquefied state, and filler metal or a welding wire is then used to form a weld puddle, thereby providing a suitable weld.
These welded strips are then run continuously through an electronic resistance welding ("ERW") tube mill to produce a "string" of tubing that can be as much as 20,000 feet in length. The welded string is then placed on a large truck that sets up over a well, and the tubing is repeatedly reeled in and out of the well as various fluids and acids are pumped through the tubular housing.
As many as 15-20 strip welds are required in order to form a long string of tubing (e.g., a thousand feet or more) using this method. As the tubing is forced into and out of the well, it is usually coiled and uncoiled around a truck reel, and consequently the wall of the tubing is stressed and becomes fatigued as the tubing is bent and subjected to flexing and/or high internal pressures.
As those of skill in the pertinent arts will readily appreciate, the welded strip joint has always been the weak link in this process. If the joint or weld fails or ruptures, the results can be catastrophic. At minimum, the tubing can break and fall into the well and delay operations; in some cases, the string becomes tangled or jammed within the well and cannot be removed, thereby jeopardizing the viability of the entire well.
Using current manufacturing methods, it is not possible to create a welded joint having the same molecular structure as the parent material, because all previously employed welding techniques require application of a weldment material (such as wire or the like) in order to complete the weld.
A detailed description of one process for producing a length of coiled tubing can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,911. In the '911 patent, lengths of metal strip stock are successively drawn from a number of supply coils, and then joined end-to-end to form a composite strip that is fed through a tubing mill. The trailing end of one length and the leading end of the next successive length are cut at supplementary angles, one of which is usually an acute angle. The cut edges are then welded together, and the welded areas are finished to remove excess weldment.
This method frequently involves temporarily extending the width of the edges of the strip at the ends of the weld joint by affixing tabs at the ends of the joint. The tabs serve as temporary heat sinks useful for dissipating heat created during the welding process, and also provide a path for the weldment beyond the edges of the joined strips of metal. After the weld is completed, the tabs are removed during a finishing process. Weldment formed on the surface of the weld must then be removed prior to the tubing being rolled.
The weld is subsequently normalized, so that the heat-affected zone adjacent to the weld returns to nearly the same grain structure as that of the rest of the yet unformed strip. At this point, the composite strip is run through a tubing mill to form seam welded tubing.
Turning for a moment to a seemingly unrelated welding concept, friction stir welding ("FSW") is a solid-state process by which metals or other materials are joined without the use of fusion or filler materials. FSW has been used in the past to join light-weight metals; most commonly, only aluminum and other highly malleable metals have been welded in this manner. Welds created through FSW result from the combination of frictional heating and mechanical deformation, and do not require application of external weldment material such as welding wire. A detailed description of the FSW process may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,317.
FSW is most often used when the application requires the characteristics of the resulting material to remain as unaltered as possible. In FSW, two pieces of material are butted together and rigidly clamped to prevent the joint faces from being forced apart. To ensure a quality weld, run-on and run-off tabs are used to permit the starting and stopping of a weld beyond the edge of the metal.
A cylindrical rotary tool with an attached probe is rotated and traversed across (and to a partial extent through) the desired joint region. Significant frictional heat is generated during this process, thereby causing the opposed pieces of metal to temporarily enter into a plasticized and deformable condition while apparently still retaining a solid state. As the rotating probe is traversed along the joint line, the newly plasticized portion is spread along the joint. When the probe is removed, the plasticized region quickly cools, thereby joining the two pieces of metal.
Since there is no melting of an associated weld wire, the heat-affected zone of a friction stir weld is practically eliminated after the process has been completed. This contrasts with the prior art methodology of the '911 patent, in which the weldment-filled, heat-affected zone often comprises the failure point for a given string. Also, since with friction stir welding there is no need for filler wire, there is never any corresponding chemical discontinuity as is associated with the prior art. In short, the hardness variation across a FSW weld is very uniform, thereby eliminating the need to post-heat-treat, as is frequently required with ordinary welding.
To date, however, small edge defects (e.g., minor but noticeable deformations) have frequently been observed after friction stir welding, especially on the advancing side of the tool when welding across a run-on tab, as well as on the retreating side of the tool when traversing a run-off tab, after the tool is rotated across the desired joint region.
These defects are created when the FSW tool traverses the edge of a metal sheet and the flow direction of the tool pulls neighboring material into the structure. Through prior unsuccessful attempts to cure this problem, those of skill in the art have learned that the defect size can be reduced, though not eliminated, through various adjustments in the weld parameters.
To completely eliminate the defects, however, a repair procedure is required to that will consume the deformations. While in many applications of FSW, the minor defects are of little to no consequence, in applications such as in the oil and gas industry, it is extremely important that there are virtually no defects in the finished tubing, as high-temperature, high-pressure fluid flow and other mechanical stresses will eventually result in a localized damaging effect that can ultimately destroy the integrity of associated tubulars.
There is, therefore, a long-felt but unmet need for coiled tubing manufacturing methods that admit to production of continuous strings of tubing, while avoiding the edge deformation and excess weldment issues of the prior art.

Method of manufacturing coiled tubing using multi-pass friction stir welding