An embroidery data processing apparatus for generating stitch data whereby occurrence of segmental area-connecting thread is eliminated and the stitches are contained within a designated embroidery area. If an outline defining the external shape of an embroidery area has a self-intersecting portion, a dividing device divides the outline into a plurality of segmental outlines using the self-intersecting portion as a boundary. For each of the segmental closed areas defined by the segmental outlines, a segmental stitch data generating device generates segmental stitch data.

1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to an embroidery data processing apparatus capable of generating stitch data for producing embroidery stitching inside a closed area enclosed by an outline that defines the shape of an embroidery area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stitch data for stitching an embroidery was conventionally generated by a skilled person determining the position coordinates of needle location point for each stitch. An embroidery data processing apparatus has recently been developed, which is able to semi-automatically generate stitch data for embroideries by defining an embroidery body that designates the shape, position, size, stitching direction, stitch density, and the like of an area to be embroidered. Such apparatuses are now widely used. A method for filling a closed area enclosed by an outline that defines the shape of an embroidery area, with stitches, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,524 and the like, is widely employed by ordinary embroidery data generating systems and the like.
However, the embroidery data generating method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,524 does not take into consideration a case where the outline defining the shape of an embroidery area intersects itself. Therefore, this conventional method sometimes generates inconvenient data that causes a stitch or a segmental area-connecting thread to extend out of the embroidery area.

Embroidery data processing apparatus for generating stitch data for closed areas defined by a self intersecting outline


A radial anti friction bearing (1) which is configured as a single-row spherical roller bearing, which includes an outer bearing ring (2), an inner bearing ring (3) and a plurality of spherical rollers (5) that are arranged between the bearing rings (2, 3). The spherical rollers have respectively two side faces (6, 7) which are flattened symmetrically from a spherical base shape, are retained with uniform spacing to each other a bearing cage (4) and roll with their running faces (8) in two groove-shaped raceways (11, 12) which are defined, respectively, by two axial rims (13, 14 and 15, 16). The width (bK) of the spherical rollers (5) between their side faces (6, 7) is smaller than the distance (aB) between the radially opposing axial rims (13, 15 and 14, 16), such that the spherical rollers (5) can be in the space therebetween via the axial mounting method in the radial anti friction bearing. The radial anti-friction bearing (1) has an increased axial load capacity suitable for variable axial loads at a operational pressure angle (α) of up to 20° on both sides of the bearing longitudinal axis (17), in which the raceways (11, 12) in both bearing grooves (2, 3) are formed with an increased depth (tLA, tLI) and width (bLA, bLI) and the spherical rollers (5) have a width (bK) between their side surfaces (6, 7) which is arranged to the operational pressure angle (α) at 20°.

As radial anti-friction bearings that can also be loaded with high axial forces, in practice, primarily single-row deep groove ball bearings are used, because these feature a uniform high radial and axial load capacity, low friction, and the highest rotational speed limits of all bearing types. These deep groove ball bearings are made, in a known way, from an outer bearing ring and an inner bearing ring, and also from a number of bearing balls arranged between the bearing rings as anti-friction bodies. Here, in the inside of the outer bearing ring and in the outside of the inner bearing ring, groove-shaped raceways are incorporated that are each limited by two axial rims and in which the bearing balls are guided spaced apart at uniform distances relative to each other by a bearing cage. The use of the bearing balls in the deep groove ball bearing is here usually realized by the eccentric mounting method that has become known with DE 168 499 in which the two bearing rings are arranged eccentric to each other and the resulting free space between the bearing rings is filled with the bearing balls. Then the inner bearing ring is brought into a position concentric to the outer bearing ring under use of the elasticity of both bearing rings, so that the bearing balls can then be distributed uniformly in the raceways of the bearing rings and the bearing cage can be used.
In practice, however, it has been proven that such deep groove ball bearings are nevertheless subject to limits primarily with respect to the radial load capacity of the bearing due to the small maximum number of balls that can be installed. This number is dependent on the dimensions of the inner and the outer bearing rings and also the ball diameter. Therefore, in the past a plurality of solutions, such as, for example, an unsealed filling opening according to DE 151 483 arranged in opposite rims of the raceways of the outer and the inner bearing rings or a similarly constructed closable filling opening according to DE 24 07 477 A1, has been proposed with which an increase of the radial load capacity by deep groove ball bearings should be achieved by increasing the number of balls. These proposals, however, cannot be realized in practice due to numerous disadvantages.
In addition, another possibility for increasing the number of anti-friction bodies in a radial anti-friction bearing has become known first through DE 311 317 and was improved by DE 43 34 195 A1. For these radial anti-friction bearings formed as single-row deep groove ball bearings, however, the anti-friction bodies are formed not by balls but instead by so-called spherical rollers that are formed with two side surfaces flattened symmetrically from a spherical base shape and also side surfaces arranged parallel to each other. The width of these spherical rollers between their side surfaces is here less than the distance between the radially opposing axial rims of the raceways in the bearing rings, so that filling the bearing with spherical rollers can be performed with the so-called axial mounting method in which the spherical rollers can be inserted in the axial direction into the bearing through the space between the inner ring and the outer ring. If the center point of the bearing rollers is then located at the height of the raceway axis, the spherical rollers are turned once vertically and once horizontally by 90°, so that they can roll with their running surfaces in the raceways of the bearing rings.
However, despite the possibility of inserting these specially shaped spherical rollers axially into the bearing and thus filling the radial anti-friction bearings almost completely with a high number of anti-friction bodies that can be used for high radial loads, such a spherical roller bearing represents only a compromise with respect to the axial load capacity of the bearing. This is based on the fact that the spherical rollers can have a construction that is only relatively flat due to their ability to be inserted in the axial direction into the bearing only with a small width between their side surfaces and the raceways of the spherical rollers in the bearing rings, in order to be able to allow the rotation of the anti-friction bodies into their operating position, without producing too much radial play in the entire bearing. The relatively flat raceways of the spherical rollers, however, cause a relatively small clearance space for axial tilting of the spherical rollers within their raceways, so that primarily the axial load capacity of such a spherical roller bearing is comparatively low and such spherical roller bearings are thus unsuitable for variable axial loads under high operating pressure angles.

Single-row spherical roller bearing with increased axial load capacity


A scanning probe microscope includes a segmented piezoelectric actuator having a course segment and a fine segment, the outputs of which are combined to determine the movement of a distal end of the actuator, to which the probe is mechanically coupled. Movement of the probe tip, or a change in the level of its engagement with a sample surface is sensed by a detector, which generates a feedback signal. A correction signal, which is used to determine how the actuator should be moved to maintain a constant level of such engagement, is generated in a comparison circuit, which compares the feedback signal with a control signal. The correction signal is used to drive the fine segment of the actuator, while an integral of the correction signal is used to drive the coarse segment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for controlling the engagement of a probe within a scanning probe microscope, and, more particularly, to controlling a segmented piezoelectric actuator so that a first segment of the actuator responds to changes in the distance between the probe tip and the sample surface which occur rapidly as the sample is traversed by the probe during the scanning process, while a second segment of the actuator responds to changes in the distance between the probe tip and the sample surface which occur slowly as the sample surface is traversed by the probe during the scanning process.
2. Background Information
Conventional scanning probe microscopes employ a single piezoelectric actuator to move the probe in the engagement direction, which is often called the vertical or z-direction. Such devices often encounter a problem associated with an inability to obtain a very high digital bit resolution of the actuator movement together with a suitably large dynamic range of movement. For a particular piezoelectric material, the maximum dynamic range which can be achieved is determined by the piezo constant, C, expressed in Angstroms/Volt, and the maximum operational voltage, V.sub.max. The bit resolution, in Angstroms/bit is given by the following expression: ##EQU1## In this expression, R is the bit resolution, and N is the bit count. For example, if the digital signal generated within a computing device is fed through a 16-bit digital to analog converter in order to generate the analog signal needed to drive the actuator, the bit count is 65,535.
What is needed is a way to obtain high resolution without sacrificing the vertical (engagement) probe travel needed in many applications.
3. Description of the Prior Art
The patent art includes a number of patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,343,993 and 4,724,318, describing scanning probe microscope technologies in which the present invention can be applied.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,993 describes a scanning tunneling microscope, in which a very sharp metal tip is raster-scanned across a surface to be inspected at a distance so small that the electron clouds of the atoms at the apex of the tip and on the surface area closest to the tip gently touch. A so-called tunnel current then flows across the gap, provided a potential difference exists between the tip and the surface. Since, this tunnel current is exponentially dependent on the distance between the tip and the surface, a correction signal is generated, based on deviations from a predetermined value occurring as the tip is scanned across the surface of the probe. The correction signal is used to control the tunnel distance so as to maximize the correction signal, and to be plotted versus a position signal derived from the physical position of the tip over the surface being inspected. This technique permits a resolution down to an atomic scale, so that individual atoms on the surface can be made visible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,318 describes an atomic force microscope, in which a sharp point is brought so close to the surface of a sample to be investigated that the forces occurring between the atoms as the apex of the point and those at the surface cause a spring-like cantilever to deflect. The cantilever forms one electrode of a tunneling microscope, the other electrode being a sharp tip. The deflection of the cantilever provokes a variation of the tunnel current, and that variation is used to generate a correction signal which can be employed to control the distance between the point and the sample, in order, for example, the force between them constant as the point is scanned across the surface of the sample by means of an xyz-drive, with the sample being driven in a raster scan in the xy-plane. In certain modes of operation, either the sample or the cantilever may be excited to oscillate in the z-direction. If the oscillation is at the resonance frequency of the cantilever, the resolution is enhanced. Using this method, a topographical image of a sample surface having a resolution better than 100 nanometers may be obtained by employing the following steps: A sharp point which is fixed to one end of a spring-like cantilever is brought so close to the surface of the sample to be inspected that the forces occurring between the point and the sample surface are larger than 10.sup.-20 Newton, so that the resulting force deflects the cantilever. The deflection of the cantilever is detected by means of a tunnel tip disposed adjacent the cantilever. The tunnel current then flowing across the gap between the cantilever and tunnel tip is maintained at a constant value by using any detected variations of the tunnel current to generate a corrections signal. The correction signal is used, among other things, to maintain the point-to-sample distance constant.
While the abovementioned U.S. Patents provide descriptions of methods for using a scanning probe to develop data describing the surface of a test sample, the use of dual actuators to derive the benefits of relatively large movements with a slow actuator and of speed and accuracy with a fast actuator is not described. Thus, what is needed is a dual actuator system including a suitable control scheme for dividing required movements between the two actuators.
Other examples from the Patent Art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,690 and Japanese patent Kokai No. 4-318404, describe methods to move a scanning probe attached to a fine movement actuator which is, in turn, fastened to a course movement actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,690 describes a method for moving a probe in a direction perpendicular to the surface of a sample by means of a fine movement section attached to the probe and a course movement section attached to the fine movement section. The fine movement section uses, for example, a piezo-electric actuator, while the course movement section is movable over a wide range by the use, for example, of a stepping motor.
Japanese patent Kokai No. 4-318404 describes a method enabling a probe to trace the surface of a sample, even if the surface is greatly "rough," by interlocking the movement of a fine adjustment mechanism and a coarse adjustment mechanism, based on the minute displacement state of the probe in an approaching/separating direction to the sample. A tunnel current detector detects a tunnel current, which starts to flow when a probe approaches the surface of the sample, within an atomic-level distance. This current is fed as an input signal to a fine adjustment mechanism control device, which in turn supplies an instruction signal to the fine adjustment mechanism. A device for detecting and evaluating the state of the fine adjustment mechanism receives positional data in the z-axis direction of the probe input from the fine adjustment mechanism control device, compares this data with reference data, and activates a course adjustment mechanism control device when it judges that the position of the probe cannot be changed as required only by a shift through the fine adjustment. When a course adjustment mechanism is to be driven, the course adjustment mechanism control device supplies an instruction signal, as necessary, the fine adjustment mechanism control device, so that a required adjustment to the probe position is executed.
While these examples of the prior art provide for the use of a pair of actuators to perform fine and course movements, they do not operate in a manner dividing the total motion into fast and slow components. What is needed is a method dividing the motion in this way, so that a broad range of slow movement can be allowed without compromising the resolution provided for fine movements.
The segmentation of tubular piezoelectric actuators, allowing the application of various driving signals to electrodes extending along various portions the surfaces of an individual actuator to obtain specific patterns of movement upon the application of driving signals among the electrodes. In examples described by Roland Wiesendanger in Scanning Probe Microscopy and Spectroscopy--Methods and Applications, Cambridge University Press, pp. 94-95, 1994, a piezoelectric tube actuator consists of a tubular section of piezoelectric material having an inner electrode extending along its inner surface and a segmented outer electrode extending along its outer surface. Each segment of the outer electrode extends longitudinally along its surface. As a voltage is applied to a single outside electrode, the tube bends away from that electrode. A voltage applied to the inner electrode causes a uniform elongation. For example, a small AC signal and a large DC offset can be applied separately to electrodes spaced 180-degrees apart.
Alternately the outer electrode is sectioned into four equal areas parallel to the axis of the tube. The tube is fixed at one end, and a probe is mounted at the opposite end to extend in a direction parallel with the axis of the tube. Pairs of opposite outer electrode segments are then excited by a voltage leading to bending modes of the tube, so that X- and Y-direction scanning motions of the probe occur.
Japanese Pat. Kokai No. 7-134133 also describes several versions of a tubular piezoelectric actuator having electrode segments extending along its outer surface. This actuator is also divided transversely into tubular sections having individual outer electrode segments.
While these references describe the construction of segmented tubular actuators, they do not address a method for causing these segments to respond respectively to a coarse portion of a driving signal and the remaining portion of the driving signal. Furthermore, this segmentation is applied to a tubular actuator. What is needed is the application of segmentation to a cantilever bimorph actuator, in which rapid movement can occur through simple bending, without the twisting distortion occurring in the walls of a tubular actuator.

Controlling engagement of a scanning microscope probe with a segmented piezoelectric actuator

International Business Machines Corporation


Method for on-line prediction of performance of an RO based desalination plant is disclosed. The method includes: (i) a mathematical model of the RO unit; (ii) on-line estimation of membrane physical parameters of the nonlinear mathematical model representing the RO unit; and (iii) analysis of the estimated membrane transport parameter with respect to time. Based on the analysis of these estimated parameters, plant operators can clean the membranes to restore the performance of the RO desalination plant. The method can be implemented in a computer based control system used for data acquisition and control of an RO based desalination plant. The method can help in maintaining the performance of the RO based desalination plants at a desired level and increase membrane life without affecting quality of permeate water produced.

Reverse Osmosis/Nanofiltration/Ultrafiltration (RO/NF/UF) is a pressure driven membrane separation process used in various industries such as desalination, wastewater treatment and chemical manufacturing. RO/NF/UF is used in plants to produce potable water from sea/brackish water. In an RO/NF/UF process, high pressure is applied on the feed side of the membrane to overcome the osmotic pressure of solute and cause transport of the solvent from the feed side to a permeate side and solute accumulates near the membrane surface. As a result, the concentration of the solute near the membrane surface increases gradually over a period, adversely affecting the performance of membrane. This phenomena is called concentration polarization. The concentration polarization is inversely proportional to the feed velocity across the membrane module. As recovery increases, the flow velocity across the membrane decreases, causing increased concentration polarization. Product recovery depends on other variables like feed concentration, pressure and temperature. In RO/NF/UF plants, the membrane fouling rate due to concentration polarization is influenced by multiple factors such as changes in feed concentration, temperature, and pressure, and it is difficult for the plant operator to determine the root cause for a changing fouling rate in a RO/NF/UF plant. Prediction of the changes in the fouling rate would help the plant operators in taking maintenance actions like cleaning the membrane to restore the performance to a desired level.
In industry, cleaning of the membrane is carried out in at least two ways; either based on a pressure drop between the feed and reject being more than a threshold value, or at predetermined fixed periodic intervals as per a recommendation by a membrane manufacturer. In the first method, the membrane may get damaged due to permanent fouling, and in the second method, membrane cleaning is independent of the actual fouling taking place in the membrane modules. Thus, both these methods of membrane cleaning are not satisfactory since the fouling rate changes with time and is dependent on the feed flow rate, concentration, pressure and temperature.
Different methods have been reported in literature for online cleaning and performance monitoring of a membrane separation process. Ooe Kenji and Okada Shingo [28] reported online method for performance analysis of an RO plant based on an ASTM D-4516 [1] method. The ASTM D-4516 method does not allow for discovering the development of membrane fouling or scaling until it results in significant loss of product quality such as product flow, and salt passage. In addition, this technique is applicable only where the plant is operated as per the design conditions and capacity with recovery being equal to or less than 15%.
Mohamad Amin Saad [16] extended the ASTM method to measure "Fouling Monitor" (FM) to monitor the performance of an RO plant. The FM is defined as a percentage difference between the normalized flux at design conditions and actual flux at the operating conditions of the RO plant. A cleaning scheduling of a membrane is arrived at based on the value of the FM. This method cannot predict the fouling of the membrane based on the operating conditions before normalized flux deviates from a design value. In addition, the method based on normalized flux may not be sufficient to predict fouling of a membrane accurately.
Nalco chemical company [18-27] has developed a method for monitoring the performance of a membrane separation process. As per the method, a tracer is injected in the feed stream and the concentration of tracer in outlet streams was estimated experimentally by using external sensors. The tracer concentrations in the feed and the outlet streams are used to monitor the fouling taking place in the membrane separation processes. This technique involves external sensors and tracer injection systems for implementation.
University Technology Corporation [U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,435] has developed a method and apparatus for monitoring membrane modules by using an ultrasonic sound technique. Due to fouling, the membrane thickness increases from the original value. Cleaning of the membrane is scheduled based on the monitoring of the membrane thickness using an ultrasonic technique. This method involves an individual ultrasonic transducer to monitor fouling at each membrane module.
The methods described above are not based on actual plant operating conditions and do not account for any time varying nature of fouling taking place in the membrane units.
Several mathematical models dealing with solute transfer in a membrane separation process have been reported in literature. Broadly, these membrane transport models may be divided in two categories (i) for neutral (reverse osmosis) membranes and (ii) for charged (nanofiltration and charged reverse osmosis) membranes. The mathematical models like preferential sorption-capillary flow model [2], Solution Diffusion model [3], Irreversible Thermodynamic model (Kedem-Katchalsky model [4] and Spiegler-Kedem model [5]), and Langmuir-type model [6] have been used for neutral membranes. In the case of charged membranes, the Nernst-Planck equation [7], electrostatic and steric hindrance model [8] have been used. Data driven models based on neural networks [9] have also been used to predict both permeate concentration and flux without solving any membrane transport equation.
Models proposed for charged membranes are developed by considering the chemical and physical properties of the solute and membrane such as solute size, solute charge, pore size of membrane and charge of membrane etc. On the other hand models based on the irreversible thermodynamics [4, 5] are developed by considering the membrane as a black box which has fluxes (permeate and solute flux) corresponding to the driving forces (pressure difference and concentration difference) of the transport process. The phenomenological constants are used to correlate flux and driving force, and physical parameters of the membrane are derived from these phenomenological constants. With irreversible thermodynamic models, the physical parameters of the membrane can be estimated for experimental data without knowing properties of membrane and solute. Soltanieh and Gill [10] compared the performance of the SK model and the KK model and observed that at no fouling condition, the membrane physical parameters of the KK model were found to be a function of feed concentration, while SK model parameters were found to be constant with respect to feed concentration. Several authors [11] compared the Solution Diffusion (SD) model with the SK model and concluded that the SK model predicts better than the SD model.
Murthy and Gupta. [12] proposed new a model, namely a Combined Film Spiegler-Kedem (CFSK) model, by including both membrane transport and concentration polarization effects. They concluded that CFSK model predictions are better than other models available in literature. Senthilmurugan et al [13] and Abhijit et al., [14] extended the CFSK model to spiral wound and hollow fiber modules respectively, and validated the models with experimental data with good results.

On-line performance management of membrane separation process


An ice mold includes a first mold assembly and a second mold assembly, each including a base with an aperture and a mold attached to the base. Each of the molds includes a receptacle that forms a cavity. The first mold assembly is attached removably to the second mold assembly such that a liquid-tight seal is formed between the molds. When the first mold assembly and the second mold assembly are attached to one another, the cavities of the molds form a molding cavity. When the first mold assembly and the second mold assembly are detached from one another, each of the receptacles is moveable from a first molding position, in which the receptacle is positioned within the respective aperture of the base, and a second inverted position, in which at least a portion of the receptacle of extends outwardly from the aperture.

Ice molds are used to freeze liquids in geometric, three-dimensional shapes, such as, for example, the shape of a sphere or a ball, for use with beverages, such as alcoholic drinks, frozen drinks, and the like. With conventional ice sphere molds, it is difficult to remove the frozen ice sphere from the mold as it sticks thereto. This results in a user having to inconveniently run water over the mold and/or the frozen sphere in order to facilitate removal of the sphere from the mold.


Provided are a driver circuit, a light-emitting panel and a preparation method thereof, and a display device. The driver circuit includes a terminal connection module, a drive module, and a short-circuit protection module. The terminal connection module, the drive module, and the short-circuit protection module are connected in series between a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal, and the short-circuit protection module is connected in series between the terminal connection module and the second power supply terminal. The terminal connection module is connected to an original light-emitting unit so that the original light-emitting unit is connected in series between the first power supply terminal and the second power supply terminal. The short-circuit protection module is configured to be disconnected in a case where the original light-emitting unit is short-circuited.

With the continuous development of light-emitting technology and display technology, various display devices for displaying information are being developed. These display devices include liquid crystal display devices, organic light-emitting display devices, light-emitting diode display devices, and the like.
Generally, a driver circuit is provided for driving a light-emitting module in a display device to perform light-emitting display, and the light-emitting module often has faults such as a short-circuit. After the short-circuit occurs, the continuous high current damages elements in the driver circuit so that a display effect is affected.

Driver circuit, light-emitting panel and preparation method thereof, and display device

Shanghai Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd.


An improved arrangement for detecting DC current leakage in implanted devices is disclosed. Currents are monitored, so that any unexpected imbalance indicates that a fault condition has occurred. The principle of the system is that if everything working correctly, the same current should be flowing into the tissue from VDDH-ELEC as is passing out of the tissue into VSS_ELEC. Any difference is indicative of current flowing into or out of the tissue from unknown paths, which is indicative of some fault. This replaces routine monitoring for specific faults.

Implanted devices, such as heart pacers and cochlear implants, have been widely deployed to assist with the management of various indications. The present invention is particularly concerned with devices which are electrically powered.
Engineers and technicians have, with improvements in technology and knowledge, been making the devices smaller and therefore more readily implantable. Improvements to functions and the increased complexity of devices and functions are an important part of the progressive development of implantable devices. However, as implantable devices become increasingly complex, the potential for electrical failures increases.
Such failures can result in DC current leakage, with the excess DC current passing through tissue of the implantee in ways which are not related to therapy. Such DC currents flows could result in electrolysis, or otherwise cause injury to the user. DC currents can also cause irreversible redox reactions at the electrodes of the implanted device.
By way of example, current cochlear implants are capable of detecting fault conditions in only a very limited way, usually by regularly checking for particular faults. The faults being checked for are programmed into the implant based on the failure modes determined by the design team. For example, electrodes may short to ground. As devices become more complex, the number of failure modes that can lead to DC current leakage increases dramatically. As such, the present methods of checking for faults will take an increasing amount of time and power, and be increasingly complex to design and operate. Further, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine all possible failure modes, and to try to detect each specific failure mode.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a simplified method and apparatus for detecting current leakage in implantable devices.


The invention has two primary portions, a means to provide ultra-violet radiation and a means for adsorbing organic, inorganic and, optionally, pathogens. The means to provide ultra-violet radiation comprises ultra-violet light sources emitting, at least in part, in the spectrum around 265 nm. Light emitting devices, including light emitting diodes and other solid state light emitting devices are available in this range as well. The adsorbent portion comprises several different adsorbent media, including zeolites, titanium dioxide (TiO2), alumina, carbon, micro- and/or nano-porous carbon, other minerals with a naturally occurring micro- and/or nano-porous structure, synthetic, including organic, substrates with a micro- and/or nano-porous structure, and surface-modified variations of the preceding adsorbents.

Ultraviolet radiation has been used to inactivate pathogens in water and air since the 1920's; adsorbents have been used to clean water for far longer. One commercially available product from eSpring™ [www.eSpring.com; Dec. 5, 2005] offers an ultraviolet lamp plus carbon block home device for treating water; a caution on the product advises "The eSpring Water Purifier is designed for use with any municipally treated drinking water source or potable well/bore water. It is not intended for use on lake, river, or any other non-approved water sources.". Two points, the "carbon block" described appears to be functioning as a very fine filter and not making use of any porous properties of activated carbon; secondly, why one would treat potable water with an ultra-violet lamp is not apparent. The technology to clean water to virtually any level of purity desired has been available for some time; the semiconductor industry has fostered the use of ultra-clean chemicals, including water, since its inception. However, technology is not the issue; cost is the issue. The scarcity of potable drinking water in the third world at an affordable price is a problem the instant invention seeks to alleviate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,110 reviews the prior art including different chamber and lamp configurations. [110] teaches a wall mounted treatment apparatus with inner and outer sleeves, internal mirrored surface, o-ring gaskets and many different components. [110] is a good example of a well built uv treatment apparatus that is far too expensive for a mass market. U.S. Pat. No. 6,583,422 teaches a chamber tube, replaceable clamps and a length adjustable chamber tube; this design is less expensive than [110] however it is not simple enough and it utilizes only one technology; the invention can not purify water with organic or inorganic contaminants. U.S. 2003/0129105 teaches a disinfection reactor with a plurality of quartz sleeves and uv lamps positioned perpendicular to the water flow; again this design is too expensive for mass appeal. U.S. 2005/0016907 teaches an electro-optical water purifier with a spiral pipeline and a plurality of uv emission tubes; this apparatus is overly complex and expensive.
Typical household water filters containing carbon have limited effectiveness with regard to pathogens and metals. Carbon by itself is quite good for removing chlorine and a few other taste degrading compounds but has marginal purification capability. In addition, if used incorrectly carbon becomes a breeding ground for pathogens.
All of the prior art suffer from high cost and failure to integrate synergistic technologies to achieve acceptable water purification under a broad range of conditions. A simple solution is needed which achieves multi-contaminant water purification and low cost.


Provided are an LCD capable of improving an image quality and an aperture ratio by uniform alignment of liquid crystal, and a method for fabricating the LCD. A first ion beam is irradiated onto an alignment layer formed on a substrate in a first direction, and a second ion beam is irradiated onto the alignment layer in a second direction that is symmetrical or asymmetrical to the first direction with respect to a line perpendicular to the substrate. Accordingly, the entire surface of the alignment layer can be uniformly aligned. Consequently, light leakage can be prevented and thus an image quality can be enhanced. Also, a black matrix margin can be reduced and an aperture ratio can be enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device capable of improving image quality and aperture ratio, and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Among the image display devices for displaying image data on their screens, a cathode ray tube (CRT) has been most widely used. However, the CRT is heavy and bulky relative to its display area. Thus, the use of the CRT is very inconvenient.
With the recent development of electronic industries, the display devices that have been restrictively used in TV screens are now used in personal computers, notebook computers, mobile terminals, dash boards, electronic display boards, and so on. In addition, with the development of information communication technologies, large capacity of image information can be transmitted. Therefore, next-generation flat panel display devices capable of processing and representing the large capacity of image information become increasingly important.
The next-generation flat panel display devices have to be lightweight and have a low cost slim profile, high brightness, large screen, and low power consumption. Among them, a liquid crystal display device (LCD) is in the spotlight.
The LCD has better resolution than other any flat panel display device. In displaying the moving pictures, the LCD has a rapid response time, which is comparable to that of the CRT.
As is well known, the LCD is driven using an optical anisotropy and polarization of liquid crystal.
Since the liquid crystal has a thin and long structure, it has directionality in a molecular arrangement. The direction of the molecular arrangement can be controlled by applying electric field to the liquid crystal.
Accordingly, if the direction of the molecular arrangement is arbitrarily controlled, the molecular arrangement changes and thus light polarized by the optical anisotropy is arbitrarily modulated. In this manner, the image information is displayed.
An active matrix LCD (AM LCD) has high resolution and good reproducibility of moving images. In the AM LCD, thin film transistors (TFTs) and pixel electrodes connected thereto are arranged in a matrix form.
A description of a process of forming an alignment layer that determines an initial arrangement direction of the liquid crystal molecule in the AM LCD follows.
First, a polymer thin film is coated and an alignment layer is arranged in a constant direction.
The alignment layer is generally formed of a polyimide-based organic material, and a rubbing method is widely used to arrange the alignment layer.
In the rubbing method, a polyimide-based organic material is coated on a substrate and is arranged after removing a solvent at 60-80° C. Then, the polyimide-based organic material is hardened at 80-200° C. to thereby form a polyimide alignment layer. The alignment layer is rubbed using a rubbing cloth around which velvet is wound. In this manner, various alignment directions are formed.
Since the rubbing method is convenient to the alignment process, it is suitable for mass production and can provide a stable alignment.
However, since the rubbing method is performed through the direct contact between the rubbing cloth and the alignment layer, cells may be contaminated by particles, and the TFTs on the substrate may be damaged. Also, after the rubbing, an additional cleaning process is required, and non-uniformity of the alignment may occur in the application to large-sized LCDs. Consequently, the yield of the LCDs is degraded.
To solve these problems of the rubbing method, non-rubbing techniques that do not use the mechanical rubbing method have been proposed.
Examples of the non-rubbing techniques include a method using Langmuir-Blodgett film (LB film), an optical alignment method using UV irradiation, a method using oblique deposition of SiO2, a method using micro-groove formed by photolithography, and a method using ion beam irradiation.
The method using the ion beam can solve the problems of the mechanical rubbing method and can use the existing alignment material as it is. Thus, this method can be suitably used in the large-sized LCD.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ion beam irradiation apparatus used to form a related art alignment layer.
Referring to FIG. 1, the ion beam irradiation apparatus is divided into three regions, that is, a first region 103 in which injected gas is ionized into ions and electrons to thereby form plasma, a second region 106 through which the ions are accelerated in a beam, and a third region 111 in which the accelerated ion beam 110 is emitted and reaches a substrate 120.
The injected gas is ionized into ions in the region 103 in which the plasma is formed, and the ions are accelerated and irradiated onto the substrate 120.
That is, the ion beam irradiation apparatus includes an ion beam source 100, a vacuum vessel 140, and a holder 121. The ion beam source 100 has a cathode 101, an anode 102, and an ion beam emitting medium 104, and an ion beam accelerating medium 105. The vacuum vessel 140 allows the ion beam 110 generated from the ion beam source 100 to irradiate without significant deviation to the substrate 120. Also, the holder 121 fixes the substrate 120 at a constant angle within the vacuum vessel.
Although not shown, a shutter can be provided between the ion beam source 100 and the substrate 120 to control an irradiation time of the ion beam 110 with respect to the substrate 120.
The ion beam source 100 generates the ions and the ion beams. Due to the voltage difference between the cathode 101 and the anode 102, the injected gas is ionized to thereby generate the plasma containing the electrons and the ions. The ions contained in the plasma pass through the ion beam emitting medium 104 to thereby emit the ion beam 110.
The ion beam emitted from the discharged plasma is accelerated by the action of the electric field applied to the ion beam accelerating beam 105. Thus, the ion beam is irradiated onto the substrate 120 at a constant angle.
At this time, the substrate 120 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the irradiated ion beam 110. Therefore, using the ion beam 110, a desired alignment direction can be formed on the alignment layer coated on the substrate 120, and a pretilt angle can be formed.
Like this, the ion beam 110 from the ion beam source 100 is emitted in a direction normal to the ion beam source 100, and the pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecule is determined by an irradiation angle θ2 with respect to the alignment layer of the substrate 120 inclined at a predetermined angle θ1. Here, θ1=θ2.
The irradiation angle θ2 represents an angle between an irradiation direction of the ion beam 110 and the normal direction of the substrate 120. The relationship between the irradiation angle θ2 and the pretilt angle is shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, the pretilt angle has different characteristic depending on the irradiation angle of the ion beam. The liquid crystal molecule has the maximum pretilt angle of 5° when the irradiation angle of the ion beam is in the range of 40-60°, and has the pretilt angle of below 5° when the irradiation angle is in the range out of 40-60°.
Therefore, in order to obtain the desired pretilt angle in the LCD, the ion beam with the appropriate irradiation angle must be irradiated with the same energy on the entire surface of the alignment layer of the substrate.
The pretilt angle, however, has the different characteristic depending on the irradiation angle of the ion beam, as shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the uniform ion beam energy must be irradiated to obtain the desired pretilt angle.
To irradiate the uniform ion beam energy, the distance between the position from which the ion beam is emitted and the substrate must be sufficiently long. As the size of the substrate becomes larger, its length must be longer. Consequently, the size of the apparatus increases exponentially.
A twisted nematic (TN) LCD is widely used. In the TN LCD, electrodes are formed on two substrates, respectively. A liquid crystal director is arranged to be twisted at 90°. Then, the liquid crystal director is driven by applying a predetermined voltage electrodes.
However, the TN LCD has the greatest problem of a narrow viewing angle.
To solve the problem of the narrow viewing angle, new LCDs have been developed. Examples of the new LCDs are an in-plane switching (IPS) LCD and an optically compensated birefringence (OCB) LCDs.
In the IPS LCD, a common electrode and a pixel electrode are formed together in a pixel region of the same substrate to drive liquid crystal molecules in a state in which the liquid crystal molecules are maintained horizontally with respect to the substrate. By applying a predetermined voltage between the common electrode and the pixel electrode, an electric field is generated in a direction horizontal to the substrate. That is, a major axis of the liquid crystal molecule lies down instead of standing up.
For this reason, a variation in the birefingence of the liquid crystal with respect to the viewing direction is small, and thus the viewing angle of the IPS LCD is better than that of the TN LCD.
In the IPS LCD, however, a step is caused by the common and pixel electrodes and gate and data lines. Accordingly, when the ion beam is irradiated to arrange the alignment layer in a constant direction, the irradiated ion beam does not reach certain regions adjacent to the step, so that certain regions are not aligned.
The ion beam is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the substrate. Therefore, in the step region such as the common and pixel electrodes and the conductive lines, the ion beam is not irradiated to a side of the step and its adjacent region disposed opposite to the irradiation direction of the ion beam.
Meanwhile, the problem that the alignment characteristic is degraded in the step region also occurs in the TN LCD, the vertical alignment (VA) LCD, and the OCB LCD.
FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view illustrating a process of irradiating an ion beam onto an alignment layer formed on a common electrode and a pixel electrode in a related art IPS LCD.
Referring to FIG. 3, a common electrode 217 is formed on a substrate 200, and a gate insulating layer 251 and a passivation layer 253 are formed on the common electrode 217.
A data line 210 is formed between the gate insulating layer 251 and the passivation layer 253.
Although not shown in FIG. 3, a gate line is formed on the substrate 200. The gate line and the data line 210 cross each other to define a pixel region.
A pixel electrode 230 is formed on the passivation layer 253. The pixel electrode 230 is not overlapped with the common electrode 217. An alignment layer 255 is formed on the passivation layer 253 and the pixel electrode 230.
In the alignment process of the alignment layer 255 using the ion beam 245, a step difference is formed by the common electrode 217, the pixel electrode 230, the data line 210, and the gate line (not shown). Therefore, due to the taper angle of the step difference, the ion beam 245 irradiated at a specific angle does not reach regions A, B and C.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, when the ion beam 245 is irradiated at an angle θ with respect to the substrate 200, the ion beam does not reach the regions A, B and C due to the step difference between the electrode and the line. The alignment is not achieved in these regions A, B and C, and thus the liquid crystal is not arranged. Consequently, light leakage occurs in the pixel region, resulting in the degradation of the contrast ratio.
Also, light leakage occurs in the region in which the liquid crystal is not uniformly arranged because of the step difference of the conductive lines. A width of a black matrix increases to prevent the light leakage, and therefore an aperture ratio is degraded.

Method for fabricating a liquid crystal display device including irradiating first and second ion beams onto inclined and flat surfaces of the TFT substrate


Provided are a method, system, and program for establishing and requesting status on a computational resource. An operation is performed to establish a computational resource, wherein the computational resource is not available until the establish operation is completed. A determination is made as to whether a status request to determine status of the computational resource is pending before the establish operation has completed. Indication is made to resubmit the status request if there is a status request for the computational resource pending before the establish operation has completed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, system, and program for establishing and requesting status on a computational resource.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computing systems often include one or more host computers ("hosts") for processing data and running application programs, direct access storage devices (DASDs) for storing data, and a storage controller for controlling the transfer of data between the hosts and the DASD. In operating systems that conform to the International Business Machines Corporation ("IBM") Enterprise Systems Architecture (ESA) 360, 370, and 390 architectures, the storage controller, also referred to as a control unit or storage director, manages access to a storage space comprised of numerous hard disk drives connected in a loop architecture, otherwise referred to as a Direct Access Storage Device (DASD).
Hosts may communicate with the storage controller through logical paths also referred to as host channels, where there may be one or more logical paths for each physical communication path between a host port and storage controller port. Both the host and the storage controller must maintain a consistent view of their logical paths to avoid communication errors. However, situations may arise where the host and storage controller views of the logical paths differ. In such situations, the host may issue an Input/Output (I/O) request down a channel or logical path that the host believes exists, but that the storage controller does not recognize. In such case, an interface controller error would occur due to this inconsistent view of the logical path states between the controller and host.
For these reasons, there is a need in the art to provide techniques for ensuring that the host and storage controller maintain a consistent view of logical paths therebetween to avoid communication errors that result from inconsistent views.

Method, system, and program for establishing and requesting status on a computational resource


Harmful effects of the sun are becoming more prominent than they have been in the past. Thus, appropriately shielding ourselves from the sun has become ever more important. Unfortunately, applying sunscreens to infants may not be preferable thus sunshade umbrellas have been developed that clamp onto a stroller and are user positionable to provide shade to the infant located thereunder. Unfortunately, as the stroller I moved with respect to the sun, the orientation of the umbrella must be varied in order to ensure the infant is in adequate shade. Not applicable to just stroller umbrellas, an automated position in system for an umbrella is thus disclosed. The automated positioning system orients the canopy of the umbrella in relation to the sun so that shade at a predetermine location is provided thereunder.

Skin cancer has become an increased concern due to the depletion of the ozone layer, which protects people from the sun's harmful UV rays. Thus, in order to provide protection from the sun, people now use umbrellas not only to keep themselves dry from rain but also to provide shade from the harmful effects of the sun. Solar umbrellas for providing shade are quite prevalent on patios and other outdoor facilities.
Of course, sunscreens can optionally be applied by individuals to block the harmful UV rays, however in some cases this may not be a preferable option, especially when very young infants or those with allergies are involved. Since the chemicals in the sunscreens may react adversely with the skin of young infants or those with allergies. Young infants are especially susceptible to harmful UV rays when they are pushed around in a stroller by their parents. Thus, the strollers are typically equipped with sun shades that are spatially oriented by parents in such a manner to provide sun protection to the infant.
Unfortunately, as the stroller is moved, the spatial orientation of a sun shade must typically be varied in order to maintain shade on the infant. Thus, as the stroller is wheeled around the position of the shade on the infant changes; and as a result the parents have to stop pushing the stroller and they have to reposition the sun shade in order to maintain their infant in the shade cast by the sun shade.
A need therefore exists for providing an umbrella, which offers solar protection in a shadow cast therefrom, and one that does not require constant manual repositioning as a result of the orientation of the sun changing with respect to the canopy. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an automated positioning system for a canopy of an umbrella that varies its position in an automated manner to facilitate providing of a shaded area at a predetermined location as the orientation of the sun varies with respect to the canopy.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Electric lamps made using nickel-plated, high nickel content iron alloy ferrules wherein the ferrules have been heated above their surface oxidation temperature and then reduced during the lamp-making process have strong bonds between the ferrule and solder using non-corrosive soldering flux, even when using lead-free solder.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to metal ferrules used to form a hermetic seal with glass in the fabrication of electric lamps. More particularly this invention relates to a nickel-plated, high nickel content iron alloy ferrule which is used in the fabrication of electric lamps and which must form a hermetic seal with a glass lamp envelope and possess solderability, and lamps employing same.
2. Background of the Disclosure
For over fifty years the lamp industry has used metal ferrules in a variety of lamps to provide a means for supporting the light source within the lamp and for providing an electrically conductive means for supplying electricity to energize the lamp source from outside the lamp. These ferrules also function to hermetically seal the lamp by means of a hermetic seal to the glass envelope. The ferrules are generally cup- or thimble-shaped, open at one end and closed at the other, with the open end of the ferrule tapering to a feather or knife edge for forming a hermetic seal with the soft, hot glass into which the ferrule is pressed. In order for the ferrule to be able to make a hermetic seal with glass the ferrule must have a thermal coefficient of expansion similar enough to that of the glass. At the present time these ferrules are fabricated from a high nickel content iron alloy. A typical ferrule is made of an alloy consisting essentially of 42% nickel with the remainder iron. This alloy has thermal expansion and contraction characteristics which enable it to form a hermetic seal with glass. However, a problem associated with this high nickel content iron alloy is that repeatedly heating it up in an oxidizing atmosphere above 250.degree.-300.degree. C. (i.e., to a red heat) during the lamp manufacturing process impairs its solderability which results in weak solder joints between the ferrule and the exterior lamp electrical connecting means soldered to the ferrule subsequent to the thermal cycling. This results in defective lamps which cannot be sold. Accordingly, there has been a need for a lamp ferrule which does not exhibit weak solder bonds subsequent to the thermal cycling experienced during the lamp manufacturing process.

Metal ferrules for hermetically sealing electric lamps


The present invention discloses methods and a kit for treating a respiratory syncytial virus infection. The method comprises providing an infection modulator, and administering a therapeutically effective amount of the infection modulator, wherein the respiratory syncytial virus infection is suppressed or precluded. The kit for suppressing a respiratory syncytial virus infection comprises an infection modulator, an applicator, and a set of instructions.

Respiratory syncytial virus is the principal cause of hospitalization for respiratory tract illness in young children, the most common cause of respiratory failure in infants and is the leading infectious cause of wheezing and asthma exacerbations in children under two years of age, extensively reviewed in Hall CB, 2001, N. Engl. J. Med., 344:1917–1928. In addition, RSV is the second most common infectious agent that causes wheezing in adults over 65 years old and can also cause severe pneumonia in this age group. For each year in the decade 1980–90, RSV infection led to the hospitalization of approximately 100,000 children for a cost of over $300 million. Currently, there is no effective vaccine for RSV and pharmacological treatment is far from optimal. Development of new therapeutic agents and vaccine approaches hold the promise of reducing morbidity and mortality from this important pathogen.
RSV is an enveloped RNA virus of the Paramyxoviridae family and has a nonsegmented, single-stranded, negative sense genome. The genome of RSV encodes 10 proteins, of which two are nonstructural. Critical to RSV-induced immunity and pathogenesis are the large envelope glycoproteins, which are the fusion protein (F) and the attachment protein (G). Variations in the G protein distinguish the two major groups of RSV strains, A and B, although there are a few differences in the F protein between the two strains.
RSV infections occur most commonly between November and May each year in the US, with a peak of frequency in January to February. Illness with the A strain is more common, but both strains cause illness during the same months of the year. Within the strains, there can be genotypic differences that more commonly cause illness within a specific community, and these strains can vary yearly, providing a possible mechanism by which previous infection may not lead to immunity. Reinfection occurs quite commonly with RSV, and lower respiratory symptoms are three-to-four more frequent with RSV reinfection compared to another respiratory virus, such as parainfluenza virus. Reinfections are not limited to children, as RSV accounts for about 21% of acute respiratory infections in the elderly attending senior day care.
Following two to eight days of incubation, RSV replicates in the epithelium of the nasopharynx and then may spread to the lower respiratory tract one-to-three days later. The pathologic features of bronchiolitis caused by RSV include epithelial necrosis and sloughing in the small airways, edema in the walls of the small airways, and increased mucus production. These three consequences of RSV infection can lead to airflow obstruction within the small airways, resulting in hyperinflation, atelectasis, and wheezing. In adults with severe pneumonia caused by RSV, radiographic findings include interstitial and alveolar infiltrates with consolidation. On histologic examination, the bronchiolitis may resolve within several days of the onset of illness; however, repopulation of ciliated epithelial cells generally does not occur for at least two weeks, and complete resolution of the cellular changes may take four to eight weeks. The histologic abnormalities correlate with the prolonged clinical course of cough, wheezing, and decreased pulmonary function.
The virus is transmitted through direct inoculation of secretions containing RSV via the hands or large particle aerosols into the eyes and nose, and very infrequently the mouth. From studies investigating the spread of RSV within the hospital, it seems that transmission of the virus necessitates close or direct contact with large droplets or fomites. RSV can also live on skin, cloth, and other objects for extended periods of time, extending the possibility of transmission of infection.
Approximately 70% of people are infected with RSV in the first year of life and almost everyone has been infected by age 3. Although the majority of people have self-limited disease, RSV is a significant respiratory tract pathogen and is a major cause of hospitalization in children. Whereas parainfluenza infection results in a hospitalization rate of 2.8 per 1,000 infections, the rate of hospitalization for RSV is roughly four-fold higher at 10 per 1,000. In hospitalized children, RSV is cultured in 50–90% of patients with bronchiolitis, 5–40% with pneumonia, and 10–30% with tracheobronchitis. In patients with cystic fibrosis, RSV accounts for 43% of hospital admissions for viral infections, more than any other virus. In adults, up to 4.4% of patients admitted to the hospital for community-acquired pneumonia have RSV identified from respiratory secretions. Chest radiographs in patients with RSV induced pneumonia may be misidentified as being of bacterial etiology since lobar consolidation can occur in up to one-third of patients.
RSV is also an important cause of wheezing and asthma exacerbations in both young children and older adults. RSV is the most frequent respiratory pathogen detected in children less than 2 years of age that present to the emergency department for wheezing. In infants who are hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis, there is a significant association with the development of asthma and allergic sensitization up to age 7. In addition, RSV lower respiratory tract illness before 3 years of age is an independent risk factor for the subsequent development of wheezing up to 11 years of age, but not age 13, and this association is not caused by an increased risk of allergic sensitization. Admission to the hospital for RSV-induced wheezing is also not limited to children, as RSV is identified in between 5–50% of patients admitted for exacerbations of chronic obstructive lung disease, with a mortality in these patients that is almost 20%.
RSV has been identified as an important cause of death among immunocompromised patients. In patients receiving immunosuppression for transplants, RSV infection has a 30–100% mortality rate. Often, these infections are transmitted to the patient from visitors or hospital staff who are experiencing an upper respiratory tract infection and be initially thought to be a relatively inconsequential illness because of the mild symptoms at the beginning of the infection. However, RSV can lead to severe pulmonary symptoms in the transplant patient with chest radiographs showing a range of infiltrates including focal interstitial, diffuse alveolar, or dense consolidation. Diagnosis is aided by bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, with transbronchial biopsies being performed to rule out other pathogens common in transplant patients such as cytomegalovirus.
As previously mentioned, prior infection does not lead to complete or long-lasting immunity, although prior infection does seem to protect against the development of more severe disease. Vaccines, which have provided protection against other viral illnesses such as small pox, polio, and hepatitis, have a disappointing history in protecting against RSV. In the 1960s, a formalin-inactivated vaccine trial was initiated, which unfortunately led to more severe illness with subsequent RSV infection compared to non-vaccinated subjects. Eighty percent of patients inoculated with the formalin-inactivated vaccine required hospitalization, in comparison to only 5% of controls. Two patients who were vaccinated with the formalin-inactivated preparation died and at autopsy, eosinophilic infiltrates were found in the lung. In other vaccinated patients, peripheral eosinophilia and augmented RSV-induced lymphocytic proliferative responses occurred. Patients receiving the formalin-inactivated vaccine did not have RSV-specific mucosal antibodies, and serum antibodies lacked neutralizing and fusion-inhibiting activity, which inferred that the formalin inactivation selectively modified epitopes within the G and F surface glycoproteins.
The current concept regarding protective immunity is that secretory and serum antibodies protect against upper and lower respiratory infections, while cellular responses are thought to control and terminate infection. RSV-specific serum antibodies do not predict the risk of infection or illness; however, IgG 1 antibodies against F and G have a protective effect against lower, but not upper respiratory illness in rats. Infants that have high levels of maternal antibody, or who are given exogenous antibody, have improved clinical courses compared to those who do not. Cellular-mediated immunity is presumed to be the most beneficial for recovery from illness and viral clearance. Patients who have decreased cellular immune responses have more severe and prolonged disease.
Treatment for RSV illness is currently expensive and sub-optimal. Administration of immune globulin that contains high titers of RSV neutralizing antibody prophylactically to persons at high risk for the complications of RSV disease (premature infants and those with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions) diminishes severity of illness. This requires monthly administration of RSV hyperimmune globulin or monoclonal antibody against F protein and results in decreasing the risk of subsequent hospitalization. Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics advocates prophylaxis during the RSV season for high-risk infants without cyanotic heart disease, since patients with this condition seem to have an increased risk of adverse outcomes.
At present, aerosolized ribavirin is the only therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of RSV infection. Ribavirin is a synthetic guanosine analogue and broad-spectrum agent that is indicated for hospitalized infants. Although ribavirin treatment is associated with improved oxygenation and clinical scores, along with a decrease in the inflammatory mediators that associated with more severe disease, ribavirin is very expensive and the beneficial effect on clinical outcome has not been proven.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat the symptoms of viral upper respiratory tract infections; however, prospective, randomized, double-bind, placebo-controlled trials have not been performed to determine the efficacy of these agents in viral infections in general, nor for specific viruses in particular. The rationale for using this class of medication is that they inhibit the cyclooxygenase enzymes and decrease the production of the prostanoids, a family of arachidonic acid metabolites that mediate inflammation. There are very few animal studies which investigate the effect of NSAIDs on the outcome of viral infections, and, to our knowledge, no published reports that examine the role of this medication class on RSV. Dr. Zavagno and colleagues studied the role of NSAIDs in a murine model (BALB/c) of vaccinia virus infection. Zavagno, et al., 1987, J. Gen. Virol., 68:593–600. These investigators found that mice treated with either aspirin or indomethacin had a marked increase in mortality for vaccinia virus infection over non-treated mice. The mice treated with the NSAIDs had delayed viral clearance with inhibition of the antibody response, whereas control mice that had the higher survival rate had lower virus yield and normal antibody responses.
The effect prostacyclin has on vaccinia virus infections has been reported. Zavagno, et al., 1987, J. Gen. Virol., 68:593–600. However, for the following reasons the results obtained by use of the present invention, disclosed herein, are unexpected as compared to the information provided regarding the vaccinia virus. First, the viruses are from different families. The vaccinia virus is nonenveloped and is a large DNA virus from the Poxvirus family, while RSV is an enveloped RNA virus from the Paramyxovirus family. Viruses are classified based upon the composition of the genomes and the pathway of mRNA formation. Under this classification system, DNA viruses are found within classes I and II, while RNA viruses are present within classes III–VI. Further, the presence of a virus envelop, which consists mainly of a phospholipids bilayer and other glycoproteins, results in a significant difference in the properties of enveloped viruses as compared to nonenveloped viruses. Since RSV is so unique, the invention disclosed herein provides unexpected results. The invention disclosed herein appears to be based upon unknown properties of prostacyclin and prostacyclin analogs. Furthermore, the administration of prostacyclin in the Zavagno study was twice a day. Prostacyclin has a biologic half-life in the 1–2 minute range and therefore the dosing scheme disclosed herein has greater biologic relevance.
Across the United States, about 5,000 children die each year of RSV bronchiolitis. In addition to children, patients who receive solid organ transplants such as lungs or a heart are at an extremely high risk for RSV. Among lung transplant recipients, RSV infection carries about a 50%–75% mortality rate. The current treatment options for RSV are sub-optimal for a number of reasons. Prophylatic administration of the immune globulin that contains high titers of RSV neutralizing antibody to persons at high risk for the complications of RSV disease, such as premature infants and children with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions does diminish illness, but this therapy must be given monthly, is very expensive, and carries the risk of infection of blood products. Therefore novel treatment options need to be developed.

Method of using prostacyclin to treat respiratory syncytial virus infections


A LADAR apparatus and a method for use in receiving a LADAR signal are disclosed. The apparatus includes an optical pickup capable of picking up a plurality of optical signals; a timing synchronization reference; a time domain multiplexer capable of multiplexing the optical signals into a multiplexed optical signal relative to the timing synchronization reference; and an optical detector capable of detecting the multiplexed optical signal. The method include time domain multiplexing a plurality of LADAR signals into multiplexed LADAR signal; detecting the multiplexed LADAR signal; and demultiplexing the detected LADAR signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to LADAR systems, and, more particularly, to a LADAR receiver for use in a multi-beam LADAR system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many military and civilian applications rely on optical techniques such as laser detection and ranging ("LADAR"). At a very high level, LADAR works much like the more familiar radio wave detection and ranging ("RADAR"), in which radio waves are transmitted into the environment and reflected back, the reflections giving range and position information for the objects that generate them. LADAR does roughly the same thing, but using light rather than radio waves. Although there are some significant differences in performance, they are similar in at least this one basic respect.
Some LADAR systems employ a laser signal that is a pulsed, split-beam laser signal. That is, the LADAR transmitter transmits a laser signal in short bursts rather than continuously. The laser signal is often split into several spaced apart beamlets. Each pulse of the single beam is split, and so the laser signal transmitted is actually a series of grouped beamlets. The beamlets are then reflected to a LADAR receiver that picks up the reflected beamlets so that they can be detected, conditioned, and processed.
To actually detect the reflected laser signal, many LADAR transceivers use avalanche photodiodes ("APDs") because they are fast, high gain photo-multiplication devices. Although highly sensitive in the avalanche mode of operation, APDs can be unpredictable with non-linear and inconsistent responsivity between devices. These problems are exacerbated when APDs are used in multi-channel systems because their gain variation can make channel equalization difficult. Still further, the use of multiple APDs also means that the performance of the system as a whole hinges on the weakest APD, which statistically lowers performance. APDs are also expensive and their support electroncs can be complex. Since each detector requires duplication of electronics in a multi-channel receiver, reducing the required number of APDs is important to reducing overall cost and packaging volume in a multi-beam LADAR system.
The present invention is directed to resolving, or at least reducing, one or all of the problems mentioned above.

Single detector receiver for multi-beam LADAR systems


Disclosed herein is a display device including: a liquid crystal display section adapted to display an image based on a video signal; a backlight; and a processing section adapted to correct the video signal and set the luminance of the backlight based on two pieces of information, a peak level of the video signal in a display screen or in each of a plurality of partial display areas into which the display screen is divided, and factor data obtained from a data map made up of a reference position on the display screen and the factor data that are associated with each other.

The present disclosure relates to a display device having liquid crystal display elements and to a display method thereof.
Recent years have seen an increasing transition from CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes) to slim display devices such as liquid crystal display devices. In particular, liquid crystal display devices are on their way to going mainstream for low power consumption.
As for liquid crystal display devices, several technologies have been proposed to further reduce the power consumption. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-42652 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-113099 disclose display devices that are designed to independently control the emission luminance of the backlight (partially drive the backlight) in each of a plurality of areas into which the backlight is divided according to luminance information of a video signal.


An improved bead setter for mounting on a retractable bead setter carrier ring of a tire building drum for carrying a steel tire bead from a load position to a pickup position on the drum where the bead is coaxial and radially aligned with radially expanding bead locks. The bead setter has a holder which is secured to the ring and has a finger which is slidably pivotally mounted in a cutout formed in the holder. A spring biases the finger to an at-rest outwardly extending bead gripping position. One or more permanent magnets are mounted on an extended end of the finger for gripping a bead. The finger is displaced radially as the bead lock extends radially outwardly to engage the bead and then pivots in a generally axial outward direction as the bead carrier ring axially withdraws to a retracted position, enabling the finger to pass freely over tire plies previously applied on the drum. The spring automatically returns the finger to the outwardly extending position, providing a smaller diameter between fingers for subsequent pickup of another bead at the bead load position.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to tire building equipment and in particular to the tire building drum and to the bead setter associated therewith. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved magnetic tire bead setter, a plurality of which are mounted on a bead setter ring which is attached to the bladder push cone of the tire building drum for transporting a tire bead from a load station to a position which is coaxial and radially aligned with the bead locks of the tire building drum.
2. Background Information
In the building of pneumatic tires, various sheets or strip components thereof are laid and placed around a cylindrical drum to build-up the carcass. One of the steps in the tire manufacturing process is the telescopic mounting of a bead ring over the drum around the ends of the tire carcass, which ends are subsequently turned up by an inflatable bladder for forming the usual toroidal shape of the final tire. Prior to the inflation of the turn-up bladders, a plurality of circularly arranged bead lock segments which are mounted on the drum, are expanded radially outwardly by pressurized air, mechanical linkage or other mechanism for positioning the bead ring with respect to the tire carcass.
It is necessary that the bead ring be accurately placed with respect to the bead lock segments to ensure proper positioning of the bead with respect to the tire carcass. Various types of mechanisms, commonly referred to as bead setters, are used with tire building drums for automatically moving a tire bead from a load position axially along the tire building drum to the proper radially aligned position with the bead lock segments. Many of these bead setters include fixed magnets mounted on a bead carrier ring, which in turn is mounted on or formed as a part of the push ring cone of the tire building equipment.
Prior art examples of bead setters having both magnetic and non-magnetic carriers thereon are shown in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,115 shows a bead setter which includes electromagnetic pole members which hold a bead during the setting operation and a supporting carriage which retracts when the bead is placed on the drum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,482 shows a tire building apparatus having bead setting means which includes magnets that hold the bead rings until they have been placed, afterwhich the holder segments are moved radially outwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,387 shows a bead setting device which has magnets with movable segments. However, the segments are not pivotally and slidably mounted on a carrier as the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,931 discloses a bead setter having a frame with a plurality of magnetic segments mounted thereon. Again, the magnetic segments are not pivotally slidably mounted as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,225 shows a bead setter having both permanent and electromagnets carried thereon for carrying the bead ring to an install position.
Although many of these prior art bead setters, both magnetic and non-magnetic, perform satisfactorily for their intended purpose, the use of magnetic bead setters is desirable for many applications due to their simplicity. However, certain fixed magnetic bead setters create problems when delivering certain types of tire beads, and in particular beads that have a hexagonal cross section. It is difficult to securely grip these hexagonal beads and orient them in the proper position, yet enable the magnetic carrier ring to have a sufficiently large inner diameter which will clear the diameter developed when the carcass plies, which have been applied over the drum, are expanded outwardly by the bead locks. This outward expansion of the plies is necessary to grip the bead ring, afterwhich the bead setter carrier ring must move axially to a retracted position prior to inflation of the bead turnup bladder.
Thus, the need exists for an improved magnetic bead setter which is able to magnetically grasp and securely support a bead ring thereon even when the bead has different cross-sectional configurations, and accurately position the ring in an outwardly radially aligned position with respect to the expandable bead locks of a tire building drum, and most importantly be able to move axially to a retracted position and clear the carcass ply material previously placed on the drum, after the ply material has been moved radially outwardly by the bead locks.


A method and system media sheet handling in an electrophotographic color desktop printer are disclosed wherein a media sheet is imaged with toner on both sides of the media sheet without smudging or remelting the images. The temperature of the fusing roller and the pressure roller are controlled to keep the pressure roller temperature below the toner cold offset temperature.

This invention relates generally to a method and a system for printing on two sides of a media sheet, and more particularly, to the fusing temperature settings for an electrophotographic media handling system which first feeds a media sheet with a first side exposed to a print source, then feeds the media sheet with a second side exposed to the print source.
Printing to two sides of a media sheet, referred to as duplex printing, is a desirable feature in printing systems, especially in desktop or office color printers as printing speeds increase. The advantages of duplex printing include reducing the amount of paper required compared to one-sided (simplex) printing, and generating print sets with layouts resembling that of professionally printed books. Conventional duplex printing devices employ complex paper handling mechanisms. Typically, an extra tray is used for temporary storage of pages having printing on a first side. In an alternative approach a second paper path is provided to route a first printed page around the existing paper supply. Another approach utilizes a media re-feed guide that positively blocks the movement of media along a first path of travel and directs the media travel along a second path.
Similarly, duplex copying typically is accomplished by either one of two methods. In one method, first side copies are stacked in a duplex tray. When a set of first side copies is complete, the copies are fed out of the duplex tray and returned with an odd number of inversions along a duplex path to receive second side imaging. In an alternative method first side copies are returned directly to receive second side imaging without stacking.
The development of good quality color electrophotographic desktop printers has accelerated the acceptance of color printing and has spawned interest in being able to duplex print electrophotographic output. Because electrophotographic printing with toner requires fusing of the image to the final receiving substrate, duplex printing presents the problem of how to fuse the image on the second side of the final receiving substrate without melting and offsetting or lifting off the image on the first side of the substrate. Duplex printing with solid ink has a similar hurdle. Solid ink printing employs a wax-like ink base that is jetted at a molten temperature and then solidifies as it cools on intermediate and final receiving substrates. Printing on the second side of a media sheet without melting or destroying the hardened image on the first side has been a barrier to duplex printing. Paper curling has also been a problem.
Conventional approaches to achieve duplex printing have employed long paper paths, multiple imaging units, and many parts including additional temperature sensors and cooling devices. It is desirable to achieve a method and system for duplex printing in an electrophotographic desktop printer employing color toners in a single multi-color imaging unit. These problems are solved in the design of the present invention.

Electrophotographic duplex printing media system


An electrical switching device including at least a nominal contact arrangement, the nominal contact arrangement at least a first nominal contact with a plurality of nominal contact fingers forming a finger cage concentric with respect to a longitudinal axis (z), and at least a mating second nominal contact. An arcing contact arrangement including a first arcing contact and a mating second arcing contact. An arcing contact finger including at its free end a first impact area in which a first contacting to the second arcing contact occurs when closing, the electrical switching device. The first impact area is formed by a first planar surface arranged at an inclination angle (α) larger than zero degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis (z).

Electrical switching devices are well known in the field of medium and high voltage switching applications. They are for example, used for interrupting a current, when an electrical fault occurs. As an example for an electrical switching device, circuit breakers have the task of opening contacts and keeping them far apart from one another in order to avoid a current flow, even if high electrical potential is originating from the electrical fault itself. For the purposes of this disclosure the term medium voltage refers to voltages from 1 kV to 72.5 kV and the term high voltage refers to voltages higher than 72.5 kV. The electrical switching devices, like the circuit breakers, may have to be able to carry high nominal currents of 5000 A to 6300 A and to switch very high short circuit currents of 63 kA to 80 kA at very high voltages of 550 kV to 1200 kV.
Because of the high nominal current, the electrical switching devices of today require many so-called nominal contact fingers for the nominal current. When disconnecting (opening) a nominal or short circuit current within the electrical switching devices, the current commutates from nominal contacts of the electrical switching device to its contacts. Thus, when connecting (closing) the nominal contacts of the electric switching device, also the arcing contacts are connected. They can include as a first arcing contact arcing contact fingers arranged around the longitudinal axis of the electrical switching device in a so-called arcing finger cage and, as a second arcing contact, a rod which is driven into the linger cage.
The opening and closing processes of the nominal and the arcing contacts have to be carried out with a predefined speed, according to the specification of the electrical switching device. During the closing of the electrical switching, device particularly the arcing contact fingers are subjected to an impact caused by the incoming rod. The impact force acting on the arcing contact fingers depends on the relative closing speed of the contact fingers and the rod. Thus, the higher the speed, the higher is the force acting on the arcing contact fingers. However, a high contact speed is desired, because it improves the performance of the electrical switching device. As a consequence of higher impact forces acting, on the arcing contact fingers, the arcing contact fingers may experience a permanent deformation or ma break. For example, they may be deformed radially outward with respect to the longitudinal axis or may fall apart. A contact force between the arcing contact finger and the second arcing contact has to be high enough to ensure a good electrical contact. Eventually, requirements regarding to contact forces are not met an more because of the deformation.


A terminal apparatus included in a contents centric network and a communication method thereof are provided, the communication method including receiving an interest packet regarding a specific content from an external terminal apparatus, adjusting a window size of the interest packet based on at least one of a requesting frequency of the specific content corresponding to the interest packet and a communication status, and after adjusting the window size, transmitting the interest packet to surrounding terminal apparatuses.

1. Field of the Invention
Devices and methods consistent with what is disclosed herein relate to a terminal apparatus and a method of controlling the terminal apparatus, and more specifically, to a terminal apparatus configured to forward a received interest packet to surrounding terminal apparatuses based on a priority order of contents, and a method of communicating with the terminal apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A contents centric network (CCN) is a wireless network which performs routing by using identifiers of contents differently from a conventional wireless network which performs communication by using IP addresses. Herein, each node of a CCN (referred to hereafter as a "CCN node") includes a contents store (referred to hereafter as "CS"), a pending interest table (referred to hereafter as "PIT"), and a forwarding information base (referred to hereafter as "FIB"), and performs transmitting contents data by using the above stored data.
By referring to FIG. 1, the following will explain in detail the concept of transmitting contents including contents corresponding to a CCN node that transmits an interest packet, which is a message requesting specific contents, by using the CS, PIT and FIB.
First, the FIB is a unit which manages a routing path of the interest packet.
In CCN illustrated in FIG. 1 view (a), when specific contents are registered on a server of CCN, the server broadcasts a message including an identifier of contents that are newly registered. The broadcasted message is received toward CCN node A near to the server, and CCN node A matches an identifier of a communication port receiving the message with the identifier of contents included in the message, stores the matched data in its own FIB, and broadcasts the message through every communication port. The operations of storing information and transmitting a message by using the FIB are uniformly performed in every CCN node included in the CCN, and thus, every CCN node matches and stores the identifier of contents registered and an identifier of a communication port receiving the message on its own FIB.
For convenient explanation, the following assumes that a content A is registered on the server, and every CCN node matches and stores an identifier of content A and an identifier of a communication port corresponding to content A in its FIB through the above described processes. When client 1 is trying to receive content A, client 1 generates an interest packet including the identifier of content A and transmits the interest packet to CCN node H, which corresponds to the CCN node nearest to client 1. When CCN node H confirms that there are no contents having the same identifier as that of content A among the stored contents in its own CS, it matches and stores the identifier of content A with a path where the interest packet is received (i.e., an identifier of a communication port receiving the interest packet) in its PIT. Further, CCN node H confirms the FIB, selects a communication port which will transmit the corresponding interest packet (i.e., select the communication port matched and stored with the identifier of content A included in the interest packet within the FIB), outputs the interest packet through the selected communication port, and deletes information regarding the identifier of content A and the identifier of the communication port which are matched and stored together within the FIB. The outputted interest packet is received at CCN node D. Similar operations are uniformly performed at CCN node D, CCN node B, and CCN node A, as illustrated in FIG. 1 view (b), and thus, the interest packet is finally delivered to the server.
The server confirms that specific CCN node A requests content A through the interest packet and transmits content A to CCN node A, which was the CCN node to finally transmit the interest packet. CCN node A, receiving content A, confirms that content A is not presently stored in its own CS, and stores content A in the CS of CCN node A. Further, CCN node A confirms whether the identifier of content A is stored in the PIT or not. Already described, because the identifier of content A and the identifier of the communication port receiving the interest packet including content A are matched and stored in the PIT of CCN node A, CCN node A selects the communication port which will transmit content A through the PIT (the communication port matched and stored with content A), and transmits content A through the selected communication port. Similar operations are uniformly performed at CCN node B, CCN node D, and CCN node H, as illustrated in FIG. 1 view (c), and thus, content A is stored at CCN node A, CCN node B, CCN node D, and CCN node H, as illustrated in FIG. 1 view (d). Client 1 finally receives content A from CCN node H.
After the above operations are completed, when client 2 is trying to receive content A, client 2 also transmits the interest packet including the identifier of content A to CCN node D through CCN node I, as illustrated in FIG. 1 view (e).
CCN node D has previously stored content A in its own CS, through the above-described processes. Thus, CCN node D confirms that its CS stores the contents having the same identifier as that of the requested contents (content A) included in the interest packet, transmits content A to CCN node I transmitting the interest packet through the communication port connected with CCN node I, as illustrated in FIG. 1 view (f), and CCN node I transmits content A to client 2 after storing content A in its own CS. Therefore, client 2 may receive contents more efficiently because contents may be transmitted from the surrounding CCN nodes, not the server.
With the above described CCN, a user may be provided with requested contents through a nearby CCN node storing the contents, regardless of the initial position of the contents' owner. Therefore, the load of the server initially distributing contents may be reduced, thereby reducing amount of network use by shortening average transmission paths, and enhancing the speed of receiving desired contents at a user. Further, receiving contents can be performed more quickly and stably because contents can be requested and received through multiple paths.
The purpose of CCN is to transmit popular contents having a high requesting frequency more efficiently and stably. However, a method of requesting contents by considering priority order such as a requesting frequency of contents is not specifically known.

Terminal apparatus and method of controlling terminal apparatus

INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY


The present invention describes a method for the preparation of asymmetric N,N'-disubstituted cyclic ureas through the selective monodebenzylation of symmetric N,N'-disubstituted cyclic ureas using a dissolving metal reduction. The intermediates can be alkylated to give compounds which are useful as HIV protease inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infection.

The starting materials for the methods of the present invention are seven membered cyclic ureas containing C-2 symmetry. They have biological activity as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors. The asymmetric N,N'-disubstituted cyclic urea products of the methods of the present invention have also exhibited biological activity as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infection.
Debenzylation by the use of metals in liquid ammonia has been demonstrated on various substrates. The removal of O-benzyl protecting groups has been shown by Weinreb et al., J. Org. Chem., 46, 5383 (1981), while removal of benzylated amides is reported in the following references: Hecht and Ohgi, J. Org. Chem., 46, 1232 (1981); and Silverstein et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 27, 4941 (1986). These disclosures however do not address the selective removal of a single benzyl protecting group from bisbenzylated substrates.
The monodebenzylation of N,N'-disubstituted cyclic ureas can be found in the synthesis of biotin reported by Field, J. Org. Chem., 43, 1084 (1978), and Goldberg and Sternbach, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,489,232 and 2,489,235 (issued Nov. 22, 1949). These references report removal of one N-benzyl protecting group from a bisbenzylated asymmetric cyclic urea with the stoichiometric use of sodium in liquid ammonia. The references teach that the debenzylation is governed by the alleviation of steric strain within the molecule. A method requiring a strict titration to a visual endpoint is described. The addition of the alkali metal to the solution containing the substrate in portions is used to achieve the desired amount of alkali metal. This approach requires the delicate addition of sodium and stipulates the use of precisely two equivalents of sodium. The only phenyl groups present in the biotin synthesis are those of the two N-benzyl protecting groups and under the conditions reported, overreduction was not a significant concern.
The process described herein involves symmetrical starting materials from which clean monodebenzylation would not be predicted. The selectivity cannot be attributed to alleviation of steric strain as in asymmetrical molecules. Additionally, the compounds of the present invention contain several benzyl groups present on carbon as well as nitrogen atoms wherein Birch reduction of the additional aromatic rings would be expected.
It was not previously appreciated that the amount of metal used is critical to obtaining a clean monodebenzylation product uncontaminated by starting material or completely debenzylated material. The present invention finds utility in the discovery that the use of excess sodium is not only permissable, but necessary for this class of compounds. This allows for the reverse addition of the substrate to the sodium ammonia mixture, eliminating the need for an undesirable titration with sodium on a large scale.
The order of addition described herein is desirable for large scale processes. The method calls for less handling of potentially harmful reactants because there is no need to accurately distribute elemental sodium. The substrate can be predissolved in a wide variety of co-solvents when the solubility in ammonia is low, and the reaction rate can easily be controlled by the flow rate of the addition solution which could prove critical considering the exothermic nature of the reaction.
Despite the conditions reported in the literature, the methods previously described are unattractive for a scalable process. There remains a need for a safe, viable and efficient process for the selective removal of benzyl protecting groups from symmetrical intermediates. These compounds can then be alkylated to give a wide range of unsymmetrical products which are useful as HIV protease inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infection.

Preparation of asymmetric cyclic ureas using an alkali metal in liquid ammonia process