An image sensor with embedded wells for accommodating light emitters includes a semiconductor substrate including an array of doped sensing regions respectively corresponding to an array of photosensitive pixels of the image sensor. The semiconductor substrate forms an array of wells. Each well is aligned with a respective doped sensing region to facilitate detection, by the photosensitive pixel that includes said respective doped sensing region, of light emitted to the photosensitive pixel by a light emitter disposed in the well. The image sensor further includes, between adjacent doped sensing regions, a light-blocking barrier to reduce propagation of light to the doped sensing-region of each photosensitive pixel from wells not aligned therewith.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule composed of two chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. The two DNA strands are composed of nucleotides. Each nucleotide includes one of four nitrogen-containing nucleobases: cytosine (C), guanine (G), adenine (A) or thymine (T)). The two DNA strands are bound to each other via hydrogen bonds between the nucleobases, according to base pairing rules pairing A with T and C with G.
DNA sequencing is the process of determining the sequence (i.e., physical order) of nucleobases in DNA. DNA sequencing may be used to determine the sequence of individual genes, larger genetic regions (i.e., clusters of genes or operons), full chromosomes, or entire genomes of any organism. While DNA sequencing has historically been an extraordinarily time-consuming endeavor, the recent advent of "rapid" and less expensive DNA sequencing techniques has made DNA sequencing a key technology in many areas of biology and other sciences such as medicine, forensics, and anthropology.
Many rapid DNA sequencing techniques are based on parallel sequencing of small fragments of the full DNA to be sequenced. In DNA nanoball sequencing, the DNA to be sequenced is sheared it into small fragments, and each fragment then undergoes a replication to produce a concatenated strand of many copies of the fragment coiled into a nanoball having a diameter of about 300 nanometers. Many nanoballs may be attached to different respective locations of a flow cell, and the nanoballs may then be sequenced in parallel by flowing a series of nucleobases through the flow cell while detecting binding of the nucleobases to each nanoball.
Shotgun sequencing is a scheme that may be applied to a variety of rapid DNA sequencing techniques based on parallel sequencing of small fragments. In shotgun sequencing, the fragmentation is random. After sequencing the individual random fragments, the sequenced patterns are stitched together based on an analysis of overlaps between the patterns.

Image sensors with embedded wells for accommodating light emitters


There is described a coffee machine comprising a coffee outlet (9) and a milk outlet (10), which machine is of simple construction, can be cleaned easily and is improved with respect to operability and functional performance. To this end the present invention suggests that the coffee outlet (9) should be constructionally combined with the milk outlet (10) to obtain an outlet unit (8).

A coffee machine of such a type is, for instance, known from EP-A-480 928. The known machine is designed as an espresso machine with integrated milk foaming device for making cappuccino, but is also capable of dispensing hot milk. The prior-art machine comprises a coffee outlet and a milk outlet from which coffee and milk froth can be dispensed into the same receptacle at the same time. The coffee outlet is arranged at the side of the coffee machine which faces a user, and the milk outlet is disposed therebehind and is thus not directly visible to the user. The two outlets are designed such that they are fully separated constructionally and are each accommodated individually with their individual components in the coffee machine. As a consequence, they must also be removed individually from the coffee machine and reinstalled, which makes cleaning more difficult and also means enhanced constructional efforts. Moreover, the distance between and the arrangement of the two outlets make it more difficult to position a cup.
Furthermore, a coffee machine with a dual coffee outlet and a dual milk outlet is available on the market. The coffee outlets of the dual outlet are arranged so closely side by side that either a single large cup or two closely adjacent cups can be filled. The milk outlet is arranged in the same manner. In this machine, the dual coffee outlet is disposed at the rear and the dual milk outlet at the front, when viewed by a user. In this case, however, the two dual outlets are also designed and installed such that they are fully separated from each other constructionally. Moreover, the milk froth is divided by a roof prism into the individual outlets in the case of the known dual milk outlet. However, it has been found that the milk froth cannot be divided exactly into two portions of the same size, so that there is the risk that a smaller amount of milk froth will exit from the one or the other individual outlet. Moreover, when the known coffee machine is used with the two dual outlets, increased attention must be paid to the placing of the cups, since a slight displacement of the cups from their correct filling position might have the effect that part of the beverage will miss its mark altogether or will flow down from the cup edge on the exterior of the cup.
Furthermore, US-A-2 827 845 shows a coffee machine comprising a coffee outlet and a milk outlet which are arranged closely side by side, but are designed as part of a mixing valve.

WMF Wuertembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG


Intervertebral endoprosthesis discs suitable for surgical implantation between two vertebrae having and methods thereof. The prosthetic disc may have an endoprosthesis body including an anterior region and a posterior region designed to be positioned between a first vertebra and a second vertebra with a first and second movable insert positioned rotatably in anterior cavities and is rotatable to adjust the fasteners.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with spinal joint prosthesis. A variety of artificial prosthesis are used to replace chronically injured or ruptured intervertebral discs and range from plate inserts, ball and socket joints, gel filled enclosures, spring-biased plates, plate and joint combinations and others.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,328, issued to Cauthen teaches another articulating spinal implant. The articulating intervertebral disc replacement implant is formed from two elements, each engaging one of an adjacent pair of vertebra and capable of an articulating motion that resists compression and lateral movement between the vertebra, but allows the adjacent vertebra to articulate about an instantaneous axis of rotation.
Another example is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,763, discloses articulating spinal disc prosthesis that is designed to articulate in a manner resembling a human knee articulation. Briefly, the artificial spinal disc includes two plates each having a planar outer surface and an articulating inner surface. The planar outer surfaces contact and are affixed to adjacent inferior and superior surfaces of two adjacent vertebrae. The interior articulating surfaces of the artificial spinal disc are shaped generally to have one or more complementary convex/concave shaped articulating portions that are shaped and articulate in a manner similar to a human knee.
Another example of intervertebral disc prosthesis is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,269, which discloses an intervertebral disc endoprosthesis that includes two prosthesis plates that have a prosthesis core that cooperates with at least one prosthesis plate via an articulating surface permitting a rotational movement. The two plates are connected to the end plates of adjacent vertebrae. To control rotational movement around the vertical axis, the articulating surface forms curved arches of different average radius in the median section and in the frontal section. The radius of curvature in the sagittal section is less than in the frontal section.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An interruption control device for controlling interruption requests in a multiprocessor system having a plurality of processor elements and a plurality of peripheral devices. The interruption control device is connected between the processor elements and the peripheral devices. The interruption control device includes a plurality of interruption request registers for indicating the occurrence of an interruption request from either a processor element or a peripheral device to a processor element and a plurality of interruption enable registers for authorizing an interruption request of a processor element. The interruption request registers are read by the processor element being interrupted to identify the source of the interruption request.

The present invention relates to apparatus for controlling interruption requests in processor systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interruption control device for controlling interruption requests in a multiprocessor system having a plurality of interconnected processor elements.
As is well known in the art an interruption request is a computer instruction that instructs the processor of the computer to halt execution of a currently executing program and perform some other more important task associated with the device requesting the interruption. Typically, an interruption request is caused in a conventional processor system by a peripheral device such as an input/output (I/0) device actuating an interruption request line connected between the conventional processor system and the peripheral device.
In the conventional processor system a plurality of interruption request lines are provided so that a plurality of different interruptions may be caused by a plurality of different peripheral devices. The particular task performed by the conventional processor system is determined by the particular interruption request line being actuated. The identification of the source of an interruption request is made easy in the conventional processor system by simply identifying the interruption request line being actuated. As described above an interruption request line is connected between the conventional processor system and each peripheral device.
Identifying a particular task corresponding to a particular interruption request and the peripheral device or processor which caused the interruption request is more complicated in a multiprocessor system. A multiprocessor system includes a plurality of interconnected processor elements and a plurality of peripheral devices each connected to one or more of the processor elements. Each of the processor elements and each of the peripheral devices may cause an interruption request in at least one of the processor elements.
A simple way to accomplish the identification of the particular interruption request to be performed and the peripheral device or processor element causing the interruption request in a multiprocessor system is to electrically connect an interruption request line between each peripheral device and each processor element of the multiprocessor system. This arrangement permits each peripheral device or processor element to initiate an interruption request in any one of the processor elements of the multiprocessor system.
Although the above-described apparatus permits each processor element to receive an interruption request from any one of the peripheral devices or any one of the other processor elements, the apparatus suffers from the disadvantage of having numerous interconnecting wires between the processor elements of the multiprocessor system and the peripheral devices. Such an arrangement becomes extremely cumbersome as the multiprocessor system grows in size by the addition of new processor elements and peripheral devices.
Apparatus has been proposed for reducing the number of interruption request lines in the above-described arrangement in Japanese Application No. 163948/88. The apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Application No. 163948/88 provides a single interruption request line connected to all of the processor elements of the multiprocessor system. The single interruption request line designates a processor element to which an interrupt is to be requested by addressing and storing information in a specific memory space of the memory of the processor element to be interrupted. In accordance with the apparatus described in Japanese Application No. 163948/88 a device, connected between each of the I/O devices or processor elements and the single interruption request line, is provided for performing the addressing and storing operation described above.
Thus, in the apparatus disclosed by Japanese Application No. 163948/88, when an interruption request is generated by one of the I/O devices an address is simultaneously output by the device to the memory of one of the processor elements of the multiprocessor system corresponding to the interruption request via the single interruption request line. The address generated by the device addresses a particular memory space in the memory of the processor element corresponding to the requested interruption.
Although the above-described apparatus disclosed in Japanese Application No. 163948/88 reduces the number of interruption request lines connected between the processor elements of the multiprocessor system and the peripheral devices, the apparatus disclosed by Japanese Application No. 163948/88 suffers from the disadvantage of reducing the throughput of interruption requests between the processor elements of the multiprocessor system and the peripheral devices. In the apparatus disclosed by Japanese Application No. 163948/88 only one interruption request at a time can be handled by the device being that an address must be generated which is output on the single interruption request line connected to each of the processor elements of the multiprocessor system.
Therefore, based on the above, there is not provided a conventional system for generating an interruption request that reduces the amount of hardware needed to implement effective interruption control where a particular interruption request and the source of interruption request is identified to a processor element in a multiprocessor system.
Further, there is not provided a conventional system which does not limit the throughput of interruption requests to different processor elements in a multiprocessor system thereby permitting the efficient control of simultaneous and sequential interruption requests.

Multiprocessor system and interruption control device for controlling interruption requests between processors and peripheral devices in the multiprocessor system


Disclosed are various embodiments for applying a pruning to data sets, files, logs, and/or any other information. A binning methodology may be employed to determine which data to retain or discard to determine a resulting set of data resembling an exponential decay where more recent items of data are more likely to be retained and more archaic items of data are more likely to be discarded. The resulting set of data may be associated with an average age.

Digital backups may create exact and/or compressed digital replicas of thousands of data items until all available space has been used or until all data items have been stored. Accordingly, backups of continuously growing sets of data, logs, and/or files may retain obsolete data causing an inefficient use of resources.


Disclosed are systems and methods for determining time-outs with respect to a plurality of transactions comprising utilizing a first time-out clock for simultaneously determining time-out states with respect to a first set of transactions of the plurality of transactions, and determining when transactions of the first set of transactions have reached a timed-out state of the time-out states.

It is not uncommon today for a computer system to be quite complex, often including multiple processors configured to provide parallel and/or distributed processing. For example, multi-processor computer systems often include not only multiple main processing units (MPUs), but may also include multiple support processors or agents, such as memory processors and the like. These various processors, as well as other system resources such as memory, input/output devices, disk devices, and the like, may be distributed throughout the computer system with communication provided by various buses. For example, a computer system may comprise a number of sub-modules, referred to herein as cells or cell cards, having a number of system resources, such as main processing units (MPUs), agents, and/or memories, and buses disposed thereon. System resources of a sub-module may make and/or service requests to and/or from other system resources. Such system resources may be associated with the same sub-module and/or other sub-modules of the system.
To service requests from multiple system resources in an orderly and predictable manner, systems may implement various protocols and transaction queues. For example, protocols may establish an order in which a plurality of transactions, e.g., requests, snoops, and responses, are to be performed and, perhaps, a number of bus cycles each such transaction is to be provided for completion. Similarly, transaction queues may store information with respect to particular transactions "in-process" with respect to a particular system resource. An in-order queue, for example, may be implemented to ensure that particular transactions are implemented in a proper order by an associated system resource. Accordingly, an in-order queue may track a number of transactions (e.g., up to 8 outstanding transactions) through their in-order phases, such as might include a request phase (e.g., requesting data), a snoop phase (e.g., querying local caches to determine if requested data is available locally), and a response phase (e.g., providing a data packet including requested data).
If an error in operation of any aspect of the system, such as with respect to any one of the aforementioned system resources, is detected by the system, an error signal may be generated to notify the appropriate system resources. Such errors may be non-critical, such as isolated to the operation of a single system resource and/or associated with a recoverable operation. However, such errors may be critical in nature, such as requiring initialization of an entire processor bus (referred to herein as a bus initialization or BINIT error) and, therefore, the system resources thereon.
A bus initialization error, or similar critical error, in a multi-processor system can lead to widespread failure, even system-wide failure, due to the interdependency of the various system resources to issue and/or respond to requests and responses. Although a single processor system may be able to recover from a bus initialization error by purging all pending transactions and fetching new instructions (e.g., "soft booting"), a multi-processor system bus initialization may result in a system "lock-up" requiring a "hard" reset or may be prevented from performing a operating system state dump useful in isolating the source of the error. For example, a bus initialization error may cause particular system resources to "hang" awaiting an anticipated transaction response when a bus upon which a system resource performing the transaction is initialized. Once the system resources on the initialized bus cease to track their associated in-order queues, they will cease to provide awaited responses to system resources not on the initialized bus. Accordingly, a bus initialization error, or similar error, can result in a cascade failure in which the entire system deadlocks.
It should be appreciated that the above described situation in which a bus initialization error results in a system lock-up requiring a hard reset is undesirable in a high availability (HA) system. Moreover, such a result does not provide for a system "crash-down" or a dump of all the memory to disk or other media to facilitate the operating system (OS) determining the cause of the error, but instead requires a system initialization which does not allow analysis of the state of the system at the time of the error.

System and method for in-order queue draining

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Furniture includes a utilizing unit, a main supporting frame, and an interchangeable arrangement which includes a plurality of reusable decorative elements interchangeably and selectively coupled at the main supporting frame to change an overall ornamental design of the furniture without disassembling the main supporting frame.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to furniture with interchangeable arrangement for altering the overall ornamental appearance of furniture without affecting the main structure thereof.
2. Description of Related Arts
Nowadays, people are highly aware of their living environment such that people devoted much enthusiasm for decorating their houses and offices. Furniture, such as table, desk, chair, and sofa, is essential item and is considered a form of decorative art. In addition to its original function, it can serve as a decorative purpose. Generally speaking, furniture is a durable and bulky item that when the furniture is placed in a particular area of a room, the furniture will not be moved or relocated. Therefore, the furniture must be seriously selected to match with the interior design of the room. In the existing market, there are different designs of furniture to match with personal preference and interior room design. In other words, people usually bought furniture which matches with the color or design as the interior environment of their rooms. In addition, furniture usually is configured with a one-piece structure to enhance the rigidity of the furniture and to provide a particular unique design for decoration. Sometimes, the furniture store provides pre-design service that the customer is able to design the furniture before the final product is made. Therefore, the customer is able to choose different colors or patterns for the furniture. For example the customer is able to choose a particular color for the tabletop and a crafting design for the table legs in order to form a table. However, the pre-designable furniture will keep its overall ornamental appearance after it is made.
When people remodel their houses or offices, the interior design thereof will be totally changed. In other words, the existing furniture will not match with the new design. It is a waste to purchase new furniture when the original furniture is still in good condition. The easiest way to keep the original furniture for the new design is to re-paint the furniture. However, it is time consuming to sand and re-paint the original furniture.
Assembling furniture is introduced on the current market, wherein the assembling furniture comprises a plurality of detachable connectors for connecting different components together such that the user is able to detach and replace some of the components. For example, the detachable connectors are used for connecting the tabletop with the table legs, such that the user is able to replace the tabletop while the table legs are kept. However, the detachable connectors will weaken the rigidity of the furniture. The joints of the furniture via the detachable connectors will be loosen when the components of the furniture are repeatedly detached and re-attached. Meanwhile, the user may need lots of time to assemble all the components together, which is less efficiency and time-consuming.
Moreover, due to the components have large sizes, large spaces are required for storing different components of the furniture. Most importantly, the cost for buying different kinds of components is always expensive. For the people who are enthusiasm to decorating their living spaces and offices, the assembling furniture are high in cost and, large sizes, and time-consuming.

Furniture with interchangeable arrangement


The use of logic for routing data. Metadata that is associated with data residing on a first computing system is sent to at least a second computing system. The metadata is structured so that when interpreted by the second system, the second system provides an appearance that the data is local. The first system then receives a communication from the second computing system, demonstrating that a user has interacted with the appearance of data on the second system. Logic may be applied to determine how and when to send the data to the second system. Based on the determination made by applying logic, the data is sent to the second system in a manner that is associated with the identifier for the entire data.

Computing systems and related technology affect many aspects of society. Indeed, the computing system's ability to process information has transformed the way we live and work. Computing systems now commonly perform a host of tasks (e.g., word processing, scheduling, accounting, and so forth) that prior to the advent of the computing system were performed manually. More recently, computing systems have been coupled to one another and to other electronic devices, such as phones and tablets, to form both wired and wireless computer networks over which the computing systems and other electronic devices can transfer electronic data.
Many times, a number of desktop computers, laptop computers, phones, tablets, and so forth are coupled to one another within a cloud-based service/network. For example, a family with a desktop computer, a tablet and smartphones for individual members of the family, may couple each one of those devices through a cloud-based service/network. The cloud-based service/network may then allow individual family members to access documents, photos, videos, and such that are created on one another's devices.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced

Sharing a file through a metadata representation of the file


In an image processing system, in which code data is transmitted between at least one client and a server, the client includes a selecting unit to select a processing function to execute; and a notifying unit to notify the selected processing function to the server. The server includes a selecting unit to select a type of a stream of code data transmitted between the server and the client, based on the notified processing function; and a notifying unit to notify the client of the selected type of stream.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system, an image processing method and a computer readable information recording medium, and, in particular, to progression order code data decoding processing.
2. The Description the Related Art
Along with a spread of the Internet, information is disclosed in a homepage established in a WWW server (referred to as a web server, hereinafter), and a general user can search and obtain variable sorts of information therefrom. In such a system in which the web server discloses information on the Internet and clients view the information, the information disclosed by the web server can be viewed with the use of a web browser from the client.
In the web server, documents described with a HTML source are stored for establishing the home page. As a result of the client's web browser accessing it, the information is displayed on a display device of the client.
Further, the web browser of the client can obtain required information by use of a link included in the homepage displayed.
Further, as a protocol for fragmentarily accessing an image managed by the server, and displaying it on the client, IIP (Internet Imaging Protocol) exists. The IIP is an optimum protocol for an image data file format called FlashPix, and enables requesting a part of image data through the network.
As a transfer protocol for transferring a compressed image between the server and client, JPIP (JPEG2000 Interactive Protocol) for JPEG2000 compressed images exists. The JPIP is a protocol for fragmentarily accessing a JPEG2000 file and displaying it.
By using JPIP and JPEG2000, accessing a partial area of an image and selecting a resolution is made possible. Further, a change in image quality, switching between color and monochrome and setting of response data limiting a size can be easily made according to the client's request.
When, by using JPIP, JPEG2000 image data is fragmentarily transmitted, received fragmental code data should be cached in the client for the purpose of decoding the image data in the client. This is because, each scalability code data of JPEG2000 is different from scalability data lower by one level. According to JPIP, as a stream type for transmitting code data, two types, i.e., JPP-stream and JPT-stream exist.
The JPP-stream means a way in which precinct divided code is transmitted according to an order of a code stream. As shown in FIG. 24, in this way, the entire image is displayed from the beginning, and the image quality of the entire image improves as time elapses. In this case, at the beginning, although the image quality is low, a general view of the image can be recognized. Accordingly, this way is suitable for the purpose that the image quality of the entire image improves earlier, and the contents can be recognized earlier.
The JPT stream means a way in which tile divided code is transmitted in an order of the code stream. As shown in FIG. 25, tile images of top left are displayed first, then top right tile images are displayed, bottom left tile images and then, bottom right tile images are displayed. Thus, the entire image is finally displayed. In this case, decompression processing is performed in tile units. Accordingly, a memory amount required can be reduced since a common memory can be used for each tile decompression processing. Further, since each code data is transmitted successively in tile units, transmission efficiency is higher. This way is suitable for the purpose of printing, storing, or updating image data from a client to a server.
Related Arts of Code Data is Described Now.
(1) Code Data Progressive Control:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-23544 discloses coding with switching a tile progressive order according to the tile's image attribute.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2004-40674 discloses progressive display in which a resolution level of JPEG2000 code data is increased in sequence from an image resolution level currently displayed, at high speed.
(2) Code Data Access Control:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 11-205786 discloses FlashPix, which is a multiple resolution expression, and IIP, which is a protocol for accessing it.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-23630 discloses that, in JPIP, a client has a cache, and requests a server for transmitting code not yet cached.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2004-274758 discloses transforming JPIP precinct stream (JPP-stream) into a JPEG2000 stream.
(3) JPEG2000 Code Sequence Control:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-169333 discloses a code sequence producing apparatus producing a new code sequence by use of deletion or sorting of a code sequence, and has a relation to a code sequence editing processing in JPEG2000 described later for embodiments of the present invention.
(4) Progression Order Change:
Generally speaking, to change a code data progression order and perform decoding reproduction of code data on the side of a client, a server selects packets corresponding to respective progressives from among a plurality of packets included in code data, sorts the selected packets according to the respective progressive orders, and re-transmits the code data of packet group corresponding to each progressive. Accordingly, time is required for re-transmission, and, thus, this way is not suitable for real-time processing.
In particular, when a plurality of receiving terminals designate progression orders for common code data on a server, and generate code data, complicated processing is required such that transmission is made for the plurality of receiving terminals. To perform this processing in a real-time manner is difficult.
On the other hand, when lossless code data is transmitted, a client can freely edit code data, change a progressive order and perform decoding reproduction. However, since a code amount increases, a transfer load increases, in this case.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-244676 discloses that for a plurality for users who designate different quality images, and corresponding images of qualities having different progressive orders can be dispatched simultaneously.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-169216 discloses that when a client transforms to a progression order suitable for a display requirement, ZLP is applied to code data, not stored in a memory, and JPEG2000 code data is generated.
(5) Editing on Code Level of Code Data Conforming to JPEG2000 Standard:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Applications Nos. 2003-16933 and 2004-088425 disclosed JPEG2000 code data or frame editing technology.
According to JPEG2000, code data having a multi-layer configuration can be produced. A layer corresponds to an image quality and a reproduction image quality can be selected as a result of the layer being selected. For example, when code data is made of three layers, a layer 1 is reproduced for the purpose of obtaining an image of an image quality 1, which is a lowest image quality. Layers 1 and 2 are reproduced for an image quality 2. Layers 1, 2 and 3 are reproduced for a best image quality image.
By using code data having a multi-layer structure, a coding part can easily select a layer of code data before decoding it.
However, Following Problems may Occur:
(1) Progressive Order According to Output Type Information:
In decoding for printer output, upon performing printing processing in sequence, code data should be preferably completely decoded part by part (in a raster order). When decoding is incomplete, even for a part, printing cannot be performed. Further, when printing output is performed, a memory capacity can be reduced and processing can be performed at high efficiency when data is received in the raster order and processing is performed thereon.
On the other hand, in decoding for a display purpose, it is preferable that decoding is made gradually throughout the entirety of a display area, and thus, the entire image concept can be recognized at an earlier stage.
Thus, when output is made for a display purpose, when progressive decoding for each area is applied instead of progressive decoding for each layer or for each resolution, the entire image concept cannot be known at an earlier stage.
(2) Code Data Access Based on Output Type Information:
In JPIP, in response to a request of a client, a server returns code data having a form of a complete image file, tile part stream (JPT-stream), or precinct stream (JPP-stream).
The JPT-stream is the way in which sub-image code data is returned as a set of tile parts defined by JPEG2000 part 1 standard. The JPP-stream is a way in which sub-image code data is returned as a set of precincts defined by JPEG2000 part 1 standard.
When code data, accessed by the JPT-stream manner in sequence is reproduced, complete decoding is performed in sequence for each tile obtained from tile dividing. When code data, accessed by the JPP-stream manner in sequence is reproduced, decoding can be performed gradually of each small area (precinct) unit for a wide zone including a plurality of tiles. That is, in reproduction in access of JPT-stream, an area which is reproduced at once is limited to a tile area of the image entirety. In contrast thereto, in JPP-stream access reproduction, reproduction at once on the image entirety, not limited to a tile area, is made possible.
Therefore, for printer output for which rater order sequential complete decoding is preferred, complete image data is accessed for each part (tile) in JPT-stream, and is reproduced. On the other hand, for display output for which decoding gradually throughout the entire display area is preferred, code data is accessed in fine units gradually throughout the image area entirety in JPP-stream. Even when display is made for each part, code data should be preferably accessed in JPP-stream within the area.
(3) Progressive Decoding:
When an image is displayed in layer progressive, a user can view in such a manner that a contour gradually becomes clearer. When this is applied to a document including characters, photographs and so forth in a mixed manner, the photographs cannot be recognized until reproduction is made approximately completely since a medium tone cannot be seen from a beginning stage. On the other hand, the characters can be recognized before reproduction is made completely since the characters have sharp edges.
Further, when an image is displayed in resolution progressive in which resolution increases gradually, a user can view in such a manner that a defocused state changes into a focused state gradually. When it is applied to a document in which characters and photographs are mixed, general contents of the photographs can be recognized before complete reproduction. However, the characters cannot be recognized until almost complete reproduction is made.
(4) Change in Progression Order After Code Data Production:
When a Motion JPEG2000 motion picture display system is applied, that is, when Motion JPEG2000 is based on, and motion picture data is dispatched to a plurality of clients (receiving terminals) from a single server, processing contents for a single hierarchical file data (code data) differs according to a quality (progressive) designated by the client (receiving terminal).
For example, a case may be assumed where, for a server, a first client (receiving terminal) designates space resolution progressive while a second client designates image quality progressive. In such a case, the server bears a large load for meeting the requirements from all the clients, and real-time processing may not be achieved.
This is because, in a motion picture dispatch system, only one type of quality is allocated for one frame, and the server should prepare different types of qualities for the respective ones of the plurality of receiving terminals.
(5) Re-Transfer of Packets Required Due to Change in Progressive Order:
Packets should be re-transferred when progression order is changed by a client.
According to JPEG2000, a plurality of progressive order code sequence configurations can be selected. Thus, even after producing code data, a client can edit the code data transmitted by a server, exchange progressive orders, or delete not required code sequences.
For example, when the client changes resolution level and outputs when the code data transmitted from the server is not one configured in resolution progressive, the client re-configures for a required code sequence after production of code data on code level, produces code data and reproduces it. This is a case where, after decoding reproduction is performed up to a layer of layer progressive code data, code data is re-configured after resolution is changed, and decoding reproduction is performed.
In this case, when code data is produced in which partial level code sequence is deleted from code data based on progression order, a required code sequence may be lost after the progression order is changed.
In such a case, a reproduced image quality may include a problem. The problem is solved as a result of the required packets being re-transferred. However, real-time processing cannot be achieved. In particular, for a case where real-time processing is performed for streaming type motion data, a serious problem may occur.
(6) Achieving Both Frequency Visual Characteristics and Resolution Visual Characteristics:
According to JPEG2000, layer progressive suitable mainly for frequency visual characteristics level and resolution progressive mainly for resolution visual characteristics level are prepared. Ordinarily, one is selected, and code data configured by code sequences guaranteeing a permissible level is generated. For example, when the resolution progressive is selected, code data configured by code sequences in a certain resolution is generated. However, the code data does not guarantee both the frequency visual characteristics and the resolution visual characteristics.

Image processing system, image processing method and computer readable information recording medium


A biaxially oriented laminated polyester film which is a co-extruded laminated polyester film comprising at least three polyester layers with the intermediate layer containing a dye which is substantially dissolved in polyesters, said film having on one side thereof a resin layer containing metal-added metal oxide particles or metal oxide particles. This film is capable of preventing precipitation of the dye on the film surface, excels in heat insulation and aesthetic effect in use, and is suited for application to windows.

Polyester films having excellent transparency, light resistance, water resistance, heat resistance, chemical resistance and mechanical strength are popularly used as films for window application films, which are applied (stuck) on the windows of automobiles, buildings, etc., for the purpose of protection of privacy, impartation of aesthetic effect, adjustment of the sunshine, prevention of scattering of glass pieces in the event of accidental break of glass, etc.
Use of a laminated polyester film having three or more layers containing a dye in the intermediate layer has been proposed as a light-shielding film for windows (Japanese Patent No. 2,699,397 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 8-174750).
In application of these light-shielding films to the windows of automobiles or buildings, their heating insulating effect is found unsatisfactory as they allow passage of light of long wavelength from the sun. Also, the films obtained by depositing a metal on the light-shieldable films are well known, but these films involve the problems that in long time use, the dye or pigment blended for providing the light shielding properties could separate out on the film surface, or transparency is deteriorated by metal deposition.
The present invention has been attained in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a biaxially oriented polyester film suited for window application, which is capable of preventing separation of the dye on the film surface and excels in heat insulation and aesthetic effect in use.

Biaxially oriented laminated polyester film


Condensate of a combined-cycle gas and steam turbine plant is deaerated. The condensate is heated in a feedwater tank to which preheated condensate is supplied. The condensate is preheated in a waste-steam generator heated by waste heat of the gas turbine. Feedwater is extracted and warmed in heating surfaces connected in the water/steam loop of the steam turbine and heated by the exhaust gas from the gas turbine. In order to guarantee adequate deaeration of the condensate at a simultaneously high efficiency of the plant through especially high energy utilization of the waste heat from the gas turbine, a partial flow of the preheated condensate or a partial flow of preheated feedwater is used as heating medium for heating the condensate. A low-pressure economizer is connected downstream of a condensate preheater in the waste-heat steam generator via a feedwater tank. The condensate preheater or the low-pressure economizer have at their outlet an outflow line leading into the feedwater tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of deaerating or degassing a condensate in a water/steam loop of a gas and steam-turbine plant. Furthermore, it relates to an arrangement for carrying out the method.
In a gas and steam-turbine plant (combined cycle gas turbine plant), the heat contained in the exhaust gas from the gas turbine is utilized for generating steam for the steam turbine. In the process, the steam expanded in the steam turbine is condensed in a water/steam loop, and the feedwater accumulating as a result is evaporated in a waste-heat boiler through which the hot exhaust gas from the gas turbine flows. In order to avoid corrosion in the water/steam loop, the gas released in the condensate, in particular oxygen, is normally removed by thermal deaeration or degassing. To that end, a deaerator or degasser is normally provided in a feedwater tank connected downstream of the condenser of the steam turbine, the condensate, which flows to the feedwater and is slightly undercooled at a temperature of 8 to 15 K, being heated up to boiling point in the feedwater tank by a heating medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a prior art method of heating and degassing the condensate collected in the feedwater tank disclosed in the publication "Handbuch der Energie" Energy Handbook!, vol. 7, 1984, pages 100-107, steam is used as heating medium, which for this purpose is additionally generated in a low-pressure evaporator in the waste-heat boiler. As shown in European Patent Application No. 0 515 911, steam in the form of tapped steam from a low-pressure part of the steam turbine may alternatively be used as heating medium. In both cases, however, the heating steam is lost from the steam driving the steam turbine and, accordingly, the efficiency of the plant is limited.
European Patent Application EP 0 037 845, in addition, discloses a combined cycle gas turbine plant in which a separate preheating coil, which is conducted via the waste-heat boiler, is provided to preheat the feed water. JP-A55/109708 discloses a combined cycle gas turbine plant in which preheated feed water is introduced to heat the feed water tank. However, in those systems, considerable expenditure on equipment is involved to provide the systems required for condensate deaeration.

Method and configuration for deaerating a condensate


A light-weight display easel assembly for use with photographs and photographic greeting cards is described, wherein the display device is a substantially planar sheet or panel of paperboard or similar cellulose-containing material having a plurality of die-cut flaps thereon, each of the die-cut flaps having one scored edge which allows for the outward folding of the flap. The display easel further comprises a plurality of adhesive strips on the front face of the paperboard, for attachment of a photograph or photographic greeting card thereto. The display easel, once assembled, is lightweight enough such that it can be mailed without the need for excess postage fees. Additionally, due to the attachment of the display easel to substantially the entire back face of a photograph, the entire photograph is fully supported and is therefore resistant to creases, indentations, warping, and other damages which can occur during the mailing process.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to display devices and easels for displaying photographs and pictures, and more particularly to an improved photograph display device. In particular, a photograph display device having a plurality of display orientation options is described.
2. Description of the Related Art
Displays and frames for photographs have been around for a considerable period of time, but with the increased use of digital photography, photographs that can be printed by the user at home, and a rise in the use of photographic greeting cards (photographs with a message or greeting printed directly on or around the photograph), the demand for means by which to display such images in a stable manner that is quick, easy, and economical has risen. Additionally, as the number of photographs, photographic greetings cards, and the like having pre-printed borders or greetings on their face increases in popularity, the need for a display device which doesn't block or encumber the view of the entire card while having the capability to be oriented in a number of display positions has increased.
Examples of lightweight, paperboard frames and displays for the exhibition of photographs, pictures, and similar graphic images attempting to address at least some of these industry needs are replete in the patent literature. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,341 to Cross, a one-piece paperboard picture frame is described, having die cut flaps which fold into slots to hold the photograph to be mounted in a rectangular opening. The cooperative interconnection of the frame flaps and slots space the front panel from the next adjacent panel, and in doing so create a depth and "3-dimensional" quality to the frame at the display opening in which a photograph is to be mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,371 describes picture frames that are constructed from a single, flat die-cut foldable paperboard blank that is convertible into a three-dimensional picture frame without the use of adhesives or other fastening materials. Other examples of similar foldable displays include origami-style foldable picture frames, three-dimensional frame structures, collapsible die-cut picture frames, and prepackaged picture mounts for standard photographic pictures.
Examples also exist for photo display easels and self mailers combined into a single design. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,657 to Tsao describes a photograph picture frame that includes a picture holder for mounting a picture or photograph on the holder wherein the picture is slidably inserted into a recess in the frame. The holder is described to be capable of being folded a first way to form a display for the picture, and upon a second forward folding it becomes a "postal card" suitable for postal mailing.
While often creative, many of the previous display devices were not efficiently designed, were not easy to assemble or use, did not provide a securely displayed product, and/or were not economical to manufacture or provide. Additionally, numerous of the display devices which were suitable for use as a "postal card" ready for mailing were excessively bulky and required excess postage fees due to weight considerations. Thus, there exists a need for simple, easy-to-use display easels for use with photographs and photographic greeting cards that are lightweight and can be quickly and readily oriented to a variety of display positions. There also exists a need for a simple and easy-to-use display easel which will substantially reduce or eliminate unwanted photograph curl after attachment of the photograph to a display face of the easel, and that can simultaneously provide support so as to resist creases and other damages which may occur when such mounted photographs are transmitted using a postal service.

One-piece photograph display assembly and methods of use


A base 20 made of a steel plate is fasten to a case 10 made of ABS (acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene) resin, while a pad 30 made of adhesive and elastic material such as urethane or olefin is fastened to the top surface of the base 20. To the reverse side of the surface of the pad 30 which is fastened to the base 20, i.e., to the side which is hit with sticks there is applied zinc oxide starch powder 40. A drumhead configured as described above can maintain flexibility but does not reduce repulsion between the sticks and drumhead.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head applied to an electronic percussion instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
As electronic musical instruments which emit electronic tones as their musical tones, electronic drums that are the electronic form of percussion instruments such as a drum are commercially available. One example of such electronic drums is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open No. H9-244633. In this electronic drum, a strike sensor which is composed of a piezoelectric element, etc. is disposed on a drumhead. When the drumhead is struck with sticks, the strike sensor senses a strike to electronically emit, on the basis of the sensed strike, a corresponding musical tone.
As the drumhead of electronic drums, a member such as elastomer having elasticity and flexibility is used because the use of flexible elastomer produces the effect of reducing the noise emitted when sticks collide with the drumhead. The surface of many elastomeric materials having high flexibility, however, is also highly adhesive, making sticks adhesive at contact with the surface. Hence the adhesion imparted to the sticks causes reduced force of repulsion between the sticks and drumhead. As for acoustic drums, on the contrary, the force of repulsion is not reduced. There is a problem, therefore, electronic drums fail to deliver comfortable repulsion which acoustic drums can offer, making players feel strange when they play the electronic drums.


If exclusive control is used when carrying out update processing or reference processing to a data buffer in a shared memory among plural arithmetic units, waiting time increases and it is difficult to guarantee a real time property. Accordingly, in a control device for a vehicle, a data buffer is multiplexed, and each arithmetic unit carries out update processing and reference processing to a different multiplexed data buffer. An arithmetic unit that is different from the arithmetic unit executing the data update processing synchronizes one data buffer updated by data update processing, with the multiplexed data buffer, in a shorter time than an execution cycle of the data update processing.

Many vehicle systems of recent years are comprised of an ECU that operates computerized vehicle control equipment, that is, an electronic control unit, and an onboard LAN (local area network) that enables communication between plural ECUs.
In vehicle systems, as the amount of computation increases, ECUs equipped with a multi-core microcontroller (multi-core microcomputer) equipped with plural arithmetic units (CPUs) begin to be employed. In a multi-core microcomputer, a data conflict can occur when plural CPUs access shared data (write data or read data) in a shared memory such as dual-port RAM.
Exclusive control is known as a method for avoiding data conflicts. Exclusive control is a technique for realizing the absence of simultaneous occurrence of timings of accessing shared data, and a semaphore or the like is used. A semaphore is acquired before accessing shared data, and if the acquisition is successful, update (writing) of or reference to (reading) data is carried out. After the update of or reference to the data is finished, the semaphore is released. The release of the semaphore can only be done by the CPU or task that acquires the semaphore. If another CPU tries to acquire a semaphore when one CPU is acquiring the semaphore, a waiting state sets in until the semaphore is released. As the semaphore is released, one CPU of the CPUs waiting for the release of the semaphore can acquire the semaphore. The semaphore among multiple cores is realized by such hardware that plural CPUs cannot acquire the semaphore simultaneously.
Also, in the development of vehicle systems, every time a new vehicle model is developed, addition of a new function or change in the performance of the multi-core microcomputer installed on the ECU can take place, and the allocation of CPUs that execute software needs to be changed. Since work to change software is needed when changing the allocation of CPUs, the number of processes to reuse the development resources of software increases.
In the following PTL 1, data in a shared memory which is updated and referred to from both arithmetic units is multiplexed, and data for reference and data for update are switched via plural pointers. If a latest value is newly written in a free memory, the pointer indicating the data for reference is updated. When carrying out the pointer update or reference in this manner, a data conflict between the arithmetic units occurs and therefore exclusive control is used. When reference processing is executed, a pointer for reference is newly created to refer to the multiplexed data. Therefore, it is possible to access the shared data without thinking about the executing CPU.

Arithmetic units accessing redundantly stored data in shared memory as part of a control device for a vehicle


In an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus to eject a semiconductor package from a semiconductor package socket includes a package ejector coupled to a semiconductor package socket. The package ejector can include an ejector cam and be coupled to an upper surface of the semiconductor package socket.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for ejecting a semiconductor package. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for ejecting a semiconductor package from a socket.
A known semiconductor package extractor is a screw handle extractor that pulls a semiconductor package from a socket. FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a known screw handle extractor 100 for pulling a semiconductor package 150 (e.g., a pin grid array package) from a socket 120. Screw handle extractor 100 includes a handle 101 affixed to a screw shaft 102. Bracket 103 is also affixed to screw shaft 102. Screw shaft 102 rotates through threaded passage 104 of housing 105. Bracket 103 includes lip 106 and lip 107, each of which can be positioned under an edge of semiconductor package 150. Housing 105 can rest upon an upper surface of socket 120, which includes a plurality of pin receptors 121 to receive pins 156 and mechanically and electrically couple package 150 to socket 120.
Package 150 can include a cover 151 that may disperse heat from a semiconductor die 153. A thermal interface material 152 (e.g., an elastomer type material, a grease and phase change material, etc.) mechanically and thermally couples cover 151 and semiconductor die 153. A plurality of solder bump connections mechanically and electrically couple semiconductor die 153 and substrate 155. The package 150 includes at least one wiring layer (not shown) to electrically couple semiconductor die 153 to pins 156.
To extract package 150 from socket 120, housing 105 can rest upon the upper surface of socket 120 and each of lips 106, 107 may be positioned under an edge of package 150. Handle 101 is then rotated to move bracket 103 away from socket 120. As bracket 103 moves away from socket 120, lips 106 and 107 pull package 150 out of socket 120.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of the forces exerted upon a package during extraction of the package from a socket by the screw handle extractor illustrated in FIG. 1. Lips 106 and 107 apply pulling forces 201 and 202 to the edges of package 150 in a direction away from socket 120. Friction between the pins of package 150 and socket 120 exerts retention forces 205 about the central portion of package 150 and in the direction of socket 120. When the pulling forces 201 and 202 exceed the retention forces 205, the package 150 can be pulled out of the socket 120.
Pulling package 150 from socket 120 with screw handle extractor 100 can disadvantageously result in degradation of the mechanical and thermal coupling of cover 151 and semiconductor die 153. FIG. 3 shows an illustration of degradation of the thermal coupling between a package cover and a semiconductor die. The pulling forces 201 and 202 applied along the edges of package 150 can result in cover 151 being deflected away from semiconductor die 153 and may degrade the thermal interface between the cover 151 and semiconductor die 153. For example, thermal interface material 152 may delaminate from cover 151 and/or semiconductor die 153. The pulling forces 201 and 202 can also cause substrate deflection under the semiconductor die 153 during package extraction.
Other known apparatus that can remove a pin grid array package from a socket include a raked-end crowbar. The raked-end crowbar can lever a pin grid array package away from the socket. The tines of the raked-end of the crowbar can be positioned between the pins of the pin grid array under an edge of the pin grid array package. The other end of the crowbar is then pushed down to lever the edge of the pin grid array package away from the socket. Use of a raked-end crowbar can also disadvantageously cause thermal interface degradation between cover 151 and semiconductor die 153. Another known apparatus to facilitate removal of a semiconductor package from a socket is a zero insertion force (ZIF) socket. A ZIF socket typically requires longer stubsxe2x80x94the electrical path from the package pins to the board busxe2x80x94which can disadvantageously degrade system performance.
In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a substantial need exists for a method and system which can advantageously eject a semiconductor package from a socket.
Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and methods to eject a semiconductor package from a semiconductor package socket. A package ejector can be coupled to a semiconductor package socket. The package ejector can include an ejector cam and be coupled to an upper surface of the semiconductor package socket.


The invention relates to a method for controlling swaying and swinging of a spreader in a crane and the load attached thereto, the crane comprising: a trolley, hoist gears, hoisting ropes, on which the spreader is suspended from the trolley, auxiliary gears provided with motors and motor control equipment and auxiliary ropes, and in which method the forces of the auxiliary ropes exerted on the spreader are controlled by moving the auxiliary ropes using the auxiliary gears by means of torque instructions (Tcontrol) obtained on the basis of the rope forces (Frope) of the auxiliary ropes and the rotating speed data of the auxiliary gears, and whereby the rotating speed data of each auxiliary gear is formed gear-specifically as the difference between the measured rotating speed (nact) of the auxiliary gear and the calculated rotating speed (ncalc) of the auxiliary gear.

The invention relates to a method for controlling swaying and swinging of a spreader in a crane and the load attached thereto, the crane comprising: a trolley, hoist gears provided with hoist drums placed in the trolley, hoisting ropes arranged on the hoist drums, on which the spreader is suspended from the trolley and which are directed back to the trolley through sheaves arranged on the spreader, whereby the swaying and swinging is controlled by control equipment comprising: four auxiliary gears provided with rope drums including motors and motor control equipment placed in the trolley, auxiliary ropes arranged on the rope drums of the auxiliary gears, sheaves for the auxiliary ropes placed in the spreader, through which sheaves the auxiliary ropes passing obliquely from the rope drums of the auxiliary gears are directed to spaces arranged in the hoist drums for the auxiliary ropes, and in which method the forces of the auxiliary ropes exerted on the spreader are controlled by moving the auxiliary ropes using the auxiliary gears by means of torque instructions obtained on the basis of the rope forces of the auxiliary ropes and the rotating speed data of the auxiliary gears using control logic that allows providing and maintaining the desired rope forces, controls the rotation and the resistance of the swinging of the motors in the auxiliary gears.
The method of the invention is known from FI patent 101466, in which the method is presented in connection with a crane moving by means of rubber tyres and whose hoisting heights and hoisting speeds are moderate.
The method according to FI patent 101466 adequately reduces the undesired movements of the load in the original applications thereof. Then again, in for instance the quay cranes moving on rails presented in FI patent 108788, whose hoisting heights and moving speeds are significantly higher, the diagonal geometry of the auxiliary ropes and situations, in which the changes of the course and the malfunction associated with the hoisting motion require very rapid speed changes in the auxiliary gears that are appropriate in all situations, the method presented in FI patent 101466 provides incorrect rotating speed data for controlling the auxiliary gears.

Method for controlling spreader in crane


Disclosed are an apparatus for monitoring pulsed high-frequency power and a substrate processing apparatus including the same. The apparatus includes an attenuation module configured to attenuate a pulsed high-frequency power signal; a rectifier module configured to convert the pulsed high-frequency power signal into a direct current signal; and a detection module configured to detect a pulse parameter based on the direct current signal.

Embodiments of the inventive concept described herein relate to an apparatus for monitoring pulsed high-frequency power and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.
Devices such as component transistors are formed on a semiconductor wafer made of silicon in semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) manufacture. In such a manufacturing process, various material layers are deposited to form or construct an IC circuit, where the various material layers are connected to each other through metallization lines.
However, in a semiconductor etching process using plasma, since many charges are non-uniformly accumulated on the surface of a wafer, destructive current may be generated on a part of a metal line material or arcing may be caused in dielectric layers.
Such destructive current or arcing destroys or damages specific devices previously formed on a wafer and in addition, causes a processing chamber to be electrically damaged, so that a serious loss may be caused. However, when the high-frequency power supplied to the plasma in a plasma chamber is pulsed (by repeatedly applying ON/OFF pulses for a specific time) to neutralize the charges accumulated on the wafer surface for an OFF time, the damages may be prevented.

Apparatus for monitoring pulsed high-frequency power and substrate processing apparatus including the same


An electroplating apparatus and method reduces oxidation of thermodynamically unstable and oxidizable ionic species in an electroplating solution to deposit complex magnetic alloys onto substrates. In one embodiment, the electroplating apparatus comprises an electroplating cell in which oxidation of oxidizable anions and cations is reduced. The cell comprises (i) an anode compartment comprising an anode and anolyte solution; and (ii) a cathode compartment comprising a cathode and catholyte solution containing oxidizable plating anions. A cation-selective semi-permeable membrane separates the anode and cathode compartments. An electrical power supply is used to maintain a voltage across the anode and cathode. Upon application of the voltage to the anode and cathode, transport of the oxidizable plating anions, and to a lesser degree cations, to the anode is substantially blocked by the cation-selective semi-permeable membrane, thereby reducing oxidation of the oxidizable anions and cations at the anode. The concentration of the anolyte and catholyte solutions can be tailored, and an inert gas can be maintained above the solution surface in the cell, to further reduce oxidation of the oxidizable plating ions in the cell.

The present invention relates to electroplating apparatus and processes, and in particular to electroplating techniques used for forming ferromagnetic films on magnetic tape heads and magnetoresistive sensors.
Electroplating processes are used to form a variety of coatings including protective and corrosion resistant coatings, jewelry and decorative coatings, and magnetic or electrical coatings. Electroplating is typically performed in an electrolytic cell comprising (i) an anode (positive electrode) having a positive voltage applied thereto, which can have the same chemical composition as the material being plated; and (ii) a cathode (negative electrode) having a negative voltage applied thereto, and which is typically the object to be electroplated (usually a metal, ceramic, or polymer structure). An electroplating solution or bath encompassing the anode and cathode contains plating ions of the metals being plated in a suitable solvent, e.g., Cu.sup.2+ and Ni.sup.2+ in water. When a potential is applied to the electrodes, the cations (positive ions) in the electroplating solution travel to the cathode, and the anions (negative ions) travel to the anode. In the electroplating process, metallic plating cations deposit on the cathode to form a thin layer of metal plating (such as chromium, copper, nickel, iron, silver, and/or cobalt) when an electric current is passed through the aqueous salt solution.
Electrodeposition from aqueous baths of the salts of ferromagnetic metals is commonly used to manufacture magnetic alloy films that form magnetic poles and shields, of magnetic sensors and heads on disk drives and tape drives. These magnetic devices use magnetically anisotropic films that are formed by electroplating a magnetic alloy under the influence of an orienting magnetic field. The electroplated film exhibits magnetic anisotropy in the plane of the film, the direction of the orienting field applied during deposition becoming the longitudinal, preferred, or easy axis of magnetization in the plated coating; and the orthogonal direction becoming the transverse or hard axis of magnetization. It is desirable for the electrodeposited magnetic film to have a large high frequency magnetic permeability. Such magnetic films have a magnetic anisotropy; directional fields are typically used to switch the device from one direction to another. The reversal of a magnetically anisotropic film takes place by rotational switching techniques, as opposed to domain wall switching which is much slower and more noisy. It is also desirable for the magnetic film to have a high permeability to support a large magnetic flux at relatively high frequencies at which the film switches magnetization states by rotation, typically at frequencies from about 0.1 MHZ to about 100 MHZ. High permeability can be maintained at high frequencies with the use of magnetic material having a high resistivity, which reduces the power loss arising from eddy currents.
Typical magnetic thin film heads are made using layers of magnetic materials, such as alloys of nickel, iron, and/or cobalt, for example PERMALLOY comprising Ni.sub.82 Fe.sub.18 which has a relatively high saturation magnetization of about 10,000 Gauss (the saturation magnetization (M.sub.s) is the magnetization provided when all the domains in the magnetic material are aligned) and a low resistivity of about 20 .mu..OMEGA.-cm. Modern magnetic materials used to fabricate thin films include for example, CoNiFeX, NiFeX, and CoFeX alloys, where X is an element that increases the resistivity while not substantially lowering the magnetic moment or degrading magnetic anisotropy. Examples of metals which can be used as X include Cr, Mo, V, Cu, Rh, and Sn, and non-metals include P and B. These elements increase the electrical resistivity of the ferromagnetic material and improve its permeability at high frequencies, to enhance the performance of the magnetic thin film head. Elements such as P and B are particularly desirable because they form glassy or microcrystalline alloys that have high electrical resistance and soft magnetic properties.
However, problems arise in the electroplating of complex alloys, such as, CoFeX, NiFeX, CoNiX, or CoNiFeX alloys, because it is difficult to form a stable electroplating solution that contains the desired combinations of elements, particularly for X elements such as P, B or Mo; and other elements such as iron. For example, such X elements cannot be added to the solution in the form of anions in their highest stable oxidation state because the simple ionic compounds of such elements are not stable. Thus, these elements are typically added to the electroplating solution in the form of oxo-acids or the salts of oxo-acids, such as sodium molybdate for Mo additions or sodium hypophosphite for phosphorus additions. These compounds, such as HPO.sub.3.sup.-2 are unstable relative to more stable ionic species such as PO.sub.4.sup.-2. Such unstable ions (e.g., HPO.sub.3.sup.-3) diffuse to and oxidize at the anode, often irreversibly, to become either unavailable for deposition reactions at the cathode, or to form species that inhibit other necessary deposition reactions. The thermodynamics of an exemplary electroplating process is summarized in Pourbaix (electrochemical potential vs. pH) diagrams of the ionic species, as shown in FIG. 1, which is an overlay of the Pourbaix diagram for cobalt and phosphorus ions, both of which are used in many electroplating processes. The Pourbaix diagram shows the stability of the various cobalt and phosphorous containing ions for increasing pH of the solution (x-axis) and electrochemical potential applied to the substrate to be electroplated (y-axis). The graph demonstrates that at a pH of 2 to 3, which is the typical pH of the electroplating solutions, both sodium orthophosphite and sodium hypophosphite are relatively thermodynamically unstable at the electrochemical potentials needed to dissolve cobalt from a cobalt containing anode, namely at potentials greater than -0.4 volts versus the conventional hydrogen cell. At these conditions, the orthophosphite and hypophosphite anions diffuse across the solution to contact the anode and become oxidized to the phosphate anion (PO.sub.4.sup.-3). Because the phosphate anions are too thermodynamically stable to be reduced at the cathode, the phosphate anions reduce the current efficiency of the cell. Also, the phosphate anions often combine with other metal ions to precipitate out as insoluble phosphate compounds in the electroplating solution. Thus it is desirable to reduce or prevent the unstable oxidizable anions from traveling to and oxidizing at the anode.
The electroplating cell can contain unstable cation species that are also easily oxidized at the anode; for example, ferrous cations (Fe.sup.+2) can become oxidized to ferric cations (Fe.sup.+3) at the anode. This is undesirable, because ferric ions often precipitate out of solution. Yet another problem that arises when incorporating easily oxidizable species in a plating bath is that these species oxidize on contact with oxygen in ambient air surrounding the electroplating solution. However, the oxidizable species are often desirable at the cathode to allow deposition of such species on the substrate being electroplated. For example, ferrous cations (Fe.sup.+2) are needed to deposit CoFeP alloys that have highly desirable magnetic properties.
Another problem arises because the fundamental nature of electrodeposition processes requires that a reducing potential be present at the cathode and an oxidizing potential at the anode. Thus all electrodeposition processes which rely on the presence of a thermodynamically unstable species potentially suffer from undesirable oxidation or reduction of these species at the anode or cathode. The oxidized ionic species are undesirable because they remain in the electroplating bath as an additional non-reactive component that competes in the electromigration process, as a "spoiler" which impairs the cathodic electrodeposition process, or as a precipitated material. In the former case, additional quantities of the thermodynamically unstable ionic species must be continuously added to the electroplating solution; and in the latter case, the entire electroplating solution must be purified or rejected. Oxidization of thermodynamically unstable species in the cell often results in poor electroplating performance, non-uniform deposition, variable electrical and magnetic properties in the plated coating, and shortened use lifetime for the electroplating solution bath.
Thus it is desirable to have an electroplating apparatus and method that reduces or altogether prevents oxidation of thermodynamically unstable ionic species in the electroplating solution of the apparatus. It is further desirable to have an electroplating apparatus and method that can be used to uniformly deposit complex magnetic alloys onto substrates, and that can be easily adapted to deposit different alloy compositions.

Electroplating apparatus and process for reducing oxidation of oxidizable plating anions and cations


A method of preventing compressor surge in an air conditioning system comprises: 1) determining the refrigerant flow rate at the compressor; 2) determining the input pressure and output pressure at the compressor; 3) determining the pressure ratio (output pressure/input pressure) at the compressor; 4) defining a surge limit based upon the pressure ratio and the refrigerant flow rate; 5) processing system operational inputs including motor speeds and air conditioning pressures; and 6) sending control signals to the air conditioning system to control the refrigerant flow rate and the pressure ratio in a manner to prevent compressor operation at the defined surge limit and to maximize compressor efficiency during transitional periods. An air conditioning system is also provided, as well as an article of manufacture for use with the system for preventing compressor surge.

"Surge" is an unstable impeller condition with potentially destructive consequences in a centrifugal compressor. As an example, if a typical turbine engine has one occurrence of surge, the engine is removed from service, overhauled, and the impellers replaced.
A centrifugal compressor with fixed vanes operating at: 1) a fixed RPM; 2) a fixed pressure ratio P.sub.O .backslash.P.sub.I (output pressure/input pressure); and 3) a fixed vapor mass flow rate, can go into surge with a sudden change in evaporator load, the evaporator load being directly related to the refrigerant flow rate. This phenomenon occurs when the evaporator blower speed is reduced or when the evaporator inlet air enthalpy level drops quickly when changing from outside air to recirculated air. The phenomenon is illustrated in FIG. 1, a chart illustrating general compressor performance characteristics with the vertical axis representing pressure ratio (P.sub.O /P.sub.I) and the horizontal axis representing refrigerant flow rate (M).
Point A in FIG. 1 represents a compressor operating at refrigerant flow rate M.sub.1, pressure flow rate PR.sub.1 and a speed of N=100% (of rated compressor RPM) Assume an ambient temperature of T.sub.1 =100.degree. F., an ambient humidity level of H.sub.1 =40% relative humidity, and an enthalpy level of E.sub.1 =42.7 BTU/lb. If the evaporator inlet air enthalpy decreases from E.sub.1 to E.sub.2 (defined by P.sub.2 H.sub.2 =75.degree. F., 48% relative humidity; enthalpy of 27.9 BTU/hr. from a psychometric chart) by changing from outside air to recirculated air, the compressor will go into surge by shifting from point A to point B where the refrigerant mass flow rate is reduced from M.sub.1 to M.sub.2, where M.sub.2 is the new flow rate required to satisfy the evaporator. In this example of a surge condition, if the compressor maintains a constant pressure ratio PR.sub.1, the compressor speed is reduced from N=100 to N=86%. This causes the compressor to run under the conditions illustrated at point B in FIG. 1, in which case the compressor is running at the surge line, and exceeding surge margins SL.sub.norm and SL.sub.max at flow rate M.sub.2.
Another surge condition would exist if the compressor begins at the conditions indicated at point A, and the compressor speed is maintained constant at N=100% and the pressure ratio is increased until the compressor exceeds the surge limits and the surge line. In this case, the mass flow value associated with the N=100% compressor RPM line is significantly greater than the desired M.sub.2 flow rate at the surge line. This point is restricted by surge margin limit SL.sub.max at point A'. The refrigerant flow rate at A' is higher than the desired M.sub.2 flow rate.
"Surge margins" are the difference between the compressor surge line and an actual acceptable operating condition at the same flow rate. The compressor pressure ratio and the compressor speed are reduced at the same flow rate but with a surge margin reduced for a constant compressor speed line. FIG. 1 illustrates the surge line and two surge margin lines (SL.sub.norm, SL.sub.max) The greater the difference, the less chance there is of encountering surge during transient conditions. The surge margins are defined as follows: a) SL.sub.norm is the normal surge limit and is a slow response curve; and b) SL.sub.max is the fast response surge limit and is optional. The slow response surge margin values are based on flow rate change values with time constants and magnitudes substantially less than the fast change values. The actual magnitude of the surge margin line relative to the surge line is dependent on the individual system. The SL.sub.norm surge margin is used during stabilized system operation where there are small changes in inlet enthalpy occurring over a relatively long period of time. The SL.sub.max surge margin is enacted during sudden large shifts in evaporator capacity over a very short period of time, e.g., changing the evaporator blower speed or changing from outside air to recirculated air. The reason for the SL.sub.max surge line is to provide additional surge protection during large, short duration system load changes.
Traditionally, turbine-based machines utilize a complex mechanically regulated vapor bypass which controls vapor flow through the compressor in order to permit such transitions to occur without going into surge. This results in a complex system of valves and ports that increase the size, weight, and cost of a centrifugal machine.
Another means of controlling surge in centrifugal compressors is described in Kountz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,618. This patent describes the use of variable inlet vanes, commonly called pre-rotational vanes. These vanes require a driver motor, complex mechanical hardware, and pivotable turning vanes that must operate in high gas flow areas over a wide range of temperatures with a high degree of accuracy. The device is microprocessor-controlled, but provides only an iterative process for avoiding surge, and does not provide predetermined paths for operating at optimized efficiency.
It is desirable to provide a surge control system which does not require such complex vapor bypass controls or mechanically variable vanes for preventing surge.

System and method of preventing a surge condition in a vane-type compressor


A method of controlling a respirator for therapeutic treatment of sleep aa includes the step of continuously measuring a) a phase angle of a time difference between respiratory flow and respiratory pressure of a patient and b) a pressure amplitude of the patient. The individual respiratory resistance is determined based on the measured pressure amplitude by oscilloresistometry. The respiratory gas pressure is controlled based on the phase angle, the pressure amplitude, and the respiratory resistance. Significant changes of the phase angle are filtered from the signal of the phase angle. A control signal is produced based on the significant changes for controlling the respiratory gas pressure.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a respirator for therapeutic treatment of sleep apnea as well as to a respirator for performing the inventive method, whereby the phase angle (time difference between respiratory flow and respiratory pressure) and the pressure amplitude correlated to the respiratory resistance are measured as well as the individual respiratory resistance (base value) of the pressure amplitude of a patient with the aid of oscilloresistometry and the respiratory gas pressure is controlled as a function of these values.
Such a device is, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,846.
A considerable number of people suffer from sleeping disorders which affect their daily well-being and their social and professional capabilities as well as their quality of life. Such sleeping disorders include obstructive sleep apnea in which, due to a reduction of the muscle tone, the upper respiratory path ways partly or entirely collapse. The condition primarily treated by the so-called CPAP therapy (CPAP=Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). This is achieved by supplying the patient during the sleeping hours with an air stream of a respiratory gas through a nasal mask. This mask is connected with a hose to the respirator that includes a fan which produces a gas stream with pressure that can be adjusted to be between 5 and 20 mbar above ambient pressure. The gas flow is supplied to the patient with constant pressure or, for facilitating breathing of the patient, is lowered during exhaling to a reduced pressure level. Even though sleep apnea phases occur only for very short periods of time and occupy only a minimal portion of the sleeping hours, the fan in this method operates continuously, i.e., during the entire sleeping hours (night). This reduces acceptance by the patient for such treatment. In order to eliminate these disadvantages, a method for controlling a respirator as well as a respiratory device for performing this method are know from European Patent Application 0 705 615. By oscilloresistometry (oscillatory resistance measurement=ORM) changes in the phase angle of the oscillating pressure amplitude, which is proportional to the respiratory resistance of the patient, are continuously measured whereby after determination of the individual respiratory resistance value (base value of the pressure amplitude) a respiratory gas is supplied under pressure to the patient when deviations from this value are detected. The gas supply is terminated as soon as the base value has been reached again or is at least approximately reached. The dynamics of such a method are determined by the time which elapses from the point of detecting the resistance increase (increase of the pressure amplitude) until the therapeutically effective CPAP pressure has been reached. Within this time window, i.e., even before reaching the therapeutically effective CPAP pressure, sleep apnea may occur.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the sensitivity of the control method by shortening the response time.

Method and device for controlling a respirator for therapeutic treatment of sleep apnea

Gottlieb Seinmann Gerate fur Medizin und Arbeitsschutz GmbH + Co.


Disclosed herein is a battery cell constructed in a structure in which an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure is mounted in a battery case formed of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer while the electrode assembly is connected to electrode terminals extruding out of the battery case, wherein the battery cell is constructed in a structure to accelerate heat dissipation by the heat conduction through at least some of a sealing part of the battery case where the electrode terminals are not located.

As mobile devices have been increasingly developed, and the demand of such mobile devices has increased, the demand of battery cells has also sharply increased. Among them is a lithium battery cell having high energy density and operating voltage and excellent preservation and service-life characteristics, which has been widely used as an energy source for various electronic products as well as for the mobile devices.
Based on their external and internal structures, battery cells are generally classified into a cylindrical battery, a prismatic battery, and a pouch-shaped battery. Especially, the prismatic battery and the pouch-shaped battery, which can be stacked with high integration and have a small width to length ratio, have attracted considerable attention.
Also, the battery cells have attracted considerable attention as an energy source for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which have been developed to solve problems, such as air pollution, caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles using fossil fuel. As a result, kinds of applications using the battery cells are being increased owing to advantages of the battery cells, and hereafter the battery cells are expected to be applied to more applications and products than now.
As kinds of applications and products, to which the battery cells are applicable, are increased, kinds of batteries are also increased such that the batteries can provide powers and capacities corresponding to the various applications and products. Furthermore, there is a strong need to reduce the sizes and weights of the batteries applied to the corresponding applications and products.
For example, small-sized mobile devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), digital cameras, and laptop computers, use one or several small-sized, light-weighted battery cells for each device according to the reduction in size and weight of the corresponding products. On the other hand, middle- or large-sized devices, such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, use a middle- or large-sized battery module (which may be referred to as a "battery pack") having a plurality of battery cells electrically connected with each other because high power and large capacity is necessary for the middle- or large-sized devices. The size and weight of the battery module is directly related to the receiving space and power of the corresponding middle- or large-sized device. For this reason, manufacturers are trying to manufacture small-sized, light-weighted battery modules.
Meanwhile, as battery cells are connected to one another, while the battery cells are stacked, to increase the capacities of battery modules, the dissipation of heat from the battery cells becomes serious. Heat is generated from lithium battery cells during the charge and discharge of the lithium battery cells. If the heat is not effectively removed, the heat accumulates in the respective lithium battery cells, with the result that the deterioration of the lithium battery cells is caused, and the safety of the lithium battery cells is greatly lowered. In particular, for a battery requiring high-speed charging and discharging characteristics as in a power source for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, a large amount of heat is generated from the battery at the time when the battery instantaneously provides high power.
Also, a laminate type battery case of a pouch-shaped battery widely used in the battery module is coated with a polymer material exhibiting low heat conductivity, with the result that it is difficult to effectively lower the overall temperature of the battery.
In connection with this matter, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-302502 discloses a case for supporting a battery cell including a battery element of which the outer surface is formed of a laminate film and cathode and anode terminals for charge and discharge connected to the battery element, the cathode and anode terminals extruding from the laminate film, wherein a plate member having a plurality of empty spaces constitutes an upper body of a frame, the plate member being connected to another plate member in the thickness direction thereof, the inner circumferential part of the upper body of the frame serves as a support part for supporting four points of the battery element around the battery element, and the inner circumferential part of the upper body of the frame communicates with the outer circumferential part of the upper body of the frame such that the empty spaces are connected to one another. However, the above-mentioned technology has problems in that it is necessary to manufacture a battery cell case in a complicated structure and mount the battery cell case to a battery, which is troublesome, and, when batteries are stacked to manufacture a battery module, the thickness and volume of the battery module are greatly increased.
Therefore, there is a high necessity for a technology that is capable of fundamentally solving the above-mentioned problems.

Battery cell of excellent heat dissipation property and middle or large-sized battery module employed with the same


A process for preparing cyanophosphonate derivatives involves contacting a phosphate ester and cyanide in a reaction mixture under conditions sufficient to produce a cyanophosphonate derivative. That cyanophosphonate derivative product can subsequently be hydrogenated to produce an aminomethylphosphonate derivative.

Phosphorus-containing compounds such as cyanophosphonate derivatives are important precursors for the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds, which have numerous applications, for example, in herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, flame retardants and plasticizers. Cyanophosphonate derivatives can be further converted to aminomethylphosphonate derivatives, which have been particularly important precursors in the synthesis of N-phosphonomethylglycine, a highly effective commercial herbicide (available under the trade name Roundup.TM.) useful for the control of a large variety of weeds. The syntheses of such organophosphorus compounds have commonly used a halogen derivative of phosphorus as a starting material.
There is a need in the art for alternative processes for preparing cyanophosphonate derivatives and novel cyanophosphonate derivatives to be used in the synthesis of other phosphorus species. There is a further need for such novel processes and compounds that are economical and have an improved environmental impact over conventional processes using halogen-containing starting materials.

Method for preparing cyanophosphonate derivatives from phosphate esters and cyanide


A clamping device for rigidly securing a web camera, or other object, to a monitor. The clamping device includes a body portion and a clamping portion. Springs are provided within the device that allow the clamping portion to be slid away from the body portion against the bias of the springs. A first flipper is mounted to one side of the body portion and a second flipper is mounted to an opposite side of the body portion. The clamping device is positioned on the top edge of the monitor so that a front support portion of the clamping portion is positioned against a front surface of the monitor above the screen and the flippers are positioned against a back panel of the monitor. The spring tension between the clamping portion and the flippers rigidly secures the clamping device to the monitor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a device for mounting an object to a computer monitor and, more particularly, to a spring loaded clamping device for mounting a web camera to a computer monitor, where the clamping device includes rotatable flippers having ribs that can be inserted into ventilation slots in a back panel of the monitor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Web cameras are known in the art for transmitting video over the internet. The web camera is sometimes mounted to a monitor associated with a computer from which a user accesses the internet so that an image of the user can be transmitted to other persons who the user may be communicating with over the internet. Effectively securing the web camera to the monitor provides certain design challenges. Known devices for securing a web camera to a monitor have heretofore been unreliable in that the devices easily fall off the monitor or shift out of position in response to the slightest tug on the camera's connection cable. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a securing device that more reliably secures a web camera to a computer monitor.