The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing voice control of a device, an ultrasound device for example. One embodiment of the present invention comprises an apparatus for providing voice control of the ultrasound device having a plurality of features. The apparatus comprises a memory device adapted to store a plurality of voice commands for controlling the ultrasound device, where the plurality of voice commands has at least two different voice commands that active a single feature of the ultrasound device; a selection module adapted to selecting at least one of the at least two different voice commands; and a translator module adapted to derive a signal from the selected voice command and transmit it to the ultrasound device.

This application is directed in general to control of medical ultrasound machines. This application is directed in particular to a voice control system adapted to provide speech recognition without compromising control of the ultrasound machine.
It is contemplated that a number of situations may exist where, when using an ultrasound machine, an operator (a doctor or sonographer for example) may have difficulty completing the exam using only the console. Some examples include upper and lower extremity exams, compression exams, carotid exams, neo-natal head exams, and portables. Working with large patients may further pose a problem to some smaller operators who can't physically reach both the console and the location they need to scan. In addition, use of manual controls may lead to a repetitive stress disorder, causing the operator discomfort and decreasing their productivity.
Alternate methods exist for controlling the ultrasound machine while away from the console (i.e., when the keyboard is insufficient or inconvenient). Some examples include using a remote wand, a footswitch, a second operator and limited voice control of the ultrasound machine.
A remote wand coupled to the ultrasound machine enables an operator to conduct difficult exams. However, the remote wand does not help the operator complete an exam requiring the use of both hands (while supporting a patient's leg for example). A foot-switch attached to the ultrasound machine enables the operator to depress a small number of keys (typically two) by operating the switches with his or her feet. The keys on the foot-switch may be defined by the operator to be the most critical functions that are necessary. This provides limited control of the ultrasound machine. The foot-switch solution is limited in several ways. Primarily, it cannot provide broad control of the ultrasound machine. Generally a foot-switch may only support up to three commands. The operator must select which functions are to be controlled by the foot-switch based on their immediate needs. This is insufficient for most exams.
It is contemplated that an additional operator or assistant may assist with the examination, controlling the keyboard of the ultrasound machine in response to the doctor or sonographer spoken commands who are actually conducting the examination. It should be appreciated that having an additional operator help with conducting an ultrasound examination may increase the cost of the examination. Further, there exists the possibility of miscommunication between the sonographer conducting the examination and the assistant.
It should be appreciated that one limitation associated with using voice commands to control an ultrasound device is communicating the command set to the user. Leading ultrasound systems have hundreds of available commands. Memorizing all the hundreds of commands is difficult. Such limitation, in conjunction with the variable accuracy in ultrasound systems, may lead to situations in which the user isn't sure if the lack of system response is due to an invalid command, or the system lack of understanding of the command.
A limited voice control system has been implemented which provides the operator with the ability to verbally depress some of the keys of the keyboard using spoken commands. This voice control system recognizes a limited vocabulary of spoken commands. This vocabulary enables the operator to send a subset of the commands that may also be sent by the keyboard.
Still another system for voice control of an ultrasound machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,654. This voice control system limits the number of commands available to the user at any time dependent on the state of the ultrasound system.
Thus there exists a need for natural voice control of a device (an ultrasound machine, apparatus or device for example).

Method and apparatus for natural voice control of an ultrasound machine

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A cylindrical tubular substrate for an electrophotographic photoconductor is made of a conductive resin. The substrate is smoothly rotatable about its axis of rotation, securely grounded, and easily and inexpensively manufactured. It has a cylindrical tube portion and a flange portion with a gear and a shaft through-hole. These portions can be integrated as a unit of a material containing an electrically conductive resin as the main component. Alternatively, the shaft is integrated unitarily with the substrate by single-step molding. Or further, a flange, made of a resin with high sliding wear resistance and with a gear and a shaft through-hole, or a previously molded flange made of a resin with high sliding wear resistance and with a gear and a shaft insert-molded to the flange, with an electric conductor, is disposed in an assembling molding step at an end of a cylindrical tube made essentially of a conductive resin.

An electrophotographic apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a "primary apparatus"), e.g., a copying machine or a printer using electrophotographic techniques, comprises a photoconductor having an electrically conductive substrate and a photoconductive layer disposed on the conductive substrate. Typically, the photoconductor is mounted on the primary apparatus by a shaft which is rotatable about the axis of rotation of the cylindrical tubular substrate. As the cylindrical tubular substrate rotates continuously about its axis of rotation, an image is formed by charging up the photoconductor surface, exposing the charged photoconductor surface to form a latent image, developing the latent image with a developing agent containing toner, and copying and fixing the toner image on a supporting means such as paper or the like. After the toner image has been copied, the photoconductor surface is cleaned and discharged so that the photoconductor may be used repeatedly.
For mounting the photoconductor rotatably about its axis of rotation on the primary apparatus, and for rotating the mounted photoconductor, a flange for transmitting the rotational driving force (hereinafter referred to as a "driving flange") is inserted and affixed to an end of the cylindrical tubular substrate. The driving flange has a through-hole into which a metallic shaft is inserted coaxially with the cylindrical tubular substrate, and a gear for transmitting the rotational driving force from the primary apparatus to the substrate. Another flange for fixing the axis of rotation (hereinafter referred to as a "fixing flange") is inserted and affixed to the other end of the cylindrical tubular substrate. The fixing flange has a through-hole into which the metallic shaft is inserted. The driving flange also serves as an electrode for grounding the photoconductor. Recently, resin flanges have been used due to their light weight. Typically, the photoconductor is grounded, at the time the resin flange is installed on the photoconductor, by installing a metallic spring which electrically interconnects the substrate and the shaft.
For high-quality copying or printing, it is necessary to rotate the photoconductor very precisely about its axis of rotation, without wobble or eccentricity. It is important for the photoconductor not to yield under pressure during the copying or cleaning process. Thus, the driving flange should be installed tightly on the substrate, and highly coaxial with its axis of rotation. Also, the gear of the driving flange is required to have sufficient fatigue resistance, wear resistance and mechanical strength.
On account of their excellent machinability, excellent surface properties, low cost and light weight, aluminum alloys have been widely used as the material of the cylindrical tubular substrate. However, to meet the dimensional and surface-roughness specifications, it is necessary to machine the peripheral surface of each cylindrical aluminum alloy substrate with high precision. It is necessary also to insert a flange for rotating the substrate with high precision in the layer-by-layer formation of a photoconductor. It is necessary further to clean contaminants from the outer substrate surface before forming the photoconductive layer. Since an aluminum alloy surface may undergo change depending on the storage environment, it is also necessary to take countermeasures, e.g., by covering the substrate surface with an oxide film. As a result, conventional aluminum alloy substrates have been made using many manufacturing steps at high cost.
Japanese Patent Document No. H02-17026 discloses a cylindrical tubular substrate that is lighter in weight, highly resistant chemically and thermally, neither oxidized nor deformed in air, and compatible with photoconductors. This substrate can be made by injection molding of a polyphenylene sulfide resin (hereinafter referred to as "PPS resin") to which carbon black is added for electric conductivity.
For such a cylindrical tubular substrate made of a conductive resin, a resin driving flange is preferred. The resin flange may be installed on the resin substrate by pressing the flange into an adhesive-coated insertion portion of the resin substrate. But it is difficult to fix the driving flange at an end of a cylindrical tubular substrate coaxially with the rotation axis of the substrate.
As described above, it is necessary to ground the cylindrical tubular substrate so that the substrate may function as one of the electrodes of the photoconductor. Typically, the cylindrical tubular substrate is grounded by installing a metallic spring at the time the resin driving flange is inserted and fixed to the substrate, so that the substrate and the shaft are electrically interconnected. This requires additional processing steps. Also, the cost of the photoconductor is increased, as conductive adhesive should be applied between the resin substrate and the non-conductive driving flange because of high contact resistance between the substrate and the flange.

Substrate for an electrophotographic photoconductor


An electronic circuit for a power tool includes a plurality of high-side and low-side switches connected in series between terminals of a power source and coupled to a load, a bootstrap circuit comprising a plurality of bootstrap capacitors arranged to provide sufficient amount of drive voltage to turn ON and OFF the plurality of high-side switches, and a control unit configured to turn ON and OFF the plurality of low-side switches in succession to sequentially charge the bootstrap capacitors.

Fastening tools, such as nailers, are used in the construction trades. Cordless nailers provide the ease of a power assisted tool with the convenience of cordless operation. Conventionally, cordless tools have been driven by Permanent Magnet (PM) brushed motors that receive DC power from a battery assembly or converted AC power. In a PM brushed motor, commutation is achieved mechanically via a commutator and a brush system.
As modern trends in the power tool industry have moved to using brushless DC motors instead of brushed motors, design engineers have faced challenges to utilize brushless DC motors with the specific tool requirements and characteristics. The main difference between a brushed motor and a brushless DC motor is that in a brushless DC motor, commutation is achieved electronically by controlling the flow of current to the stator windings.
Specifically, a brushless DC motor includes a rotor for providing rotational energy and a stator for supplying a magnetic field that drives the rotor. Comprising the rotor is a shaft supported by a bearing set on each end and encircled by a permanent magnet (PM) that generates a magnetic field. The stator core mounts around the rotor maintaining an air-gap at all points except for the bearing set interface. Included in the air-gap are sets of stator windings that are typically connected in either a three-phase wye or Delta configuration. Each of the windings is oriented such that it lies parallel to the rotor shaft. Power devices such as MOSFETs are connected in series with each winding to enable power to be selectively applied. When power is applied to a winding, the resulting current in the winding generates a magnetic field that couples to the rotor. The magnetic field associated with the PM in the rotor assembly attempts to align itself with the stator generated magnetic field resulting in rotational movement of the rotor. A control circuit sequentially activates the individual stator coils so that the PM attached to the rotor continuously chases the advancing magnetic field generated by the stator windings. A set of sense magnets coupled to the PMs in the rotor assembly are sensed by a sensor, such as a Hall Effect sensor, to identify the current position of the rotor assembly. Proper timing of the commutation sequence is maintained by monitoring sensors mounted on the rotor shaft or detecting magnetic field peaks or nulls associated with the PM.

Bootstrap circuit and control system for a power tool


A device and method of making a full contact floating roof for use in covering fluid bodies, such as storage tanks containing hydrocarbon fluids, allowing ease of construction, high integrity, and low maintenance cost.

Liquid containment storage tanks are frequently used to store hydrocarbon liquids. When the stored liquid is volatile or presents a risk of pollution through evaporation, the storage tank is often equipped with a floating roof, which floats on top of the stored liquid and moves up and down with the liquid level. Floating roofs greatly reduce liquid evaporation, preventing loss of the stored liquid and reducing pollution due to hydrocarbon evaporation into the atmosphere.
Such floating roofs are often provided with support legs which are usually spaced about twenty feet apart and provide support to the roof when the roof is not floating on stored liquid, such as when the tank is emptied or taken out of service for maintenance. These roofs are usually floated by pontoons which are secured to the roof support structure. However, such pontoon-floated roofs leave a vapor space above the liquid surface in the tank. Thus, evaporation will occur in the tank until the vapor space is saturated, at which point equilibrium between the vapor space and the liquid is reached.
However, there will be losses of the liquid stored in the tank, as vapor leaks through seams in the roof or around seals. Engineering of floating roofs attempts to eliminate such leakage losses, but the existence of a relatively volatile vapor space immediately under the roof makes absolute elimination of such losses impossible.
Elimination of the vapor space is possible by using a full contact floating roof. Existing full contact roofs include aluminum and steel roofs. Aluminum full contact roofs are usually comprised of panels bolted to an aluminum framework. Such panels may comprise expanded aluminum honeycomb, or a foam core sandwiched between two layers of aluminum sheet. Most full contact steel roofs are constructed from steel plate welded together and surrounded by steel pontoons. Other, "pan type" steel roofs are simple flat plate welded together with a vertical rim along the edge.
However, these types of full contact roofs have engineering and practicality limitations. Current full contact roof designs are only marginally capable of sustaining the loads imposed on the structures. They are also easily upset and sunk if there is a large operations anomaly in the underlying tank. Because these roofs have to be constructed in the field, there are high labor and heavy-equipment machinery costs associated with assembling and moving materials around at the construction site. Further, steel roofs require periodic repainting and are very susceptible to corrosion, creating high maintenance costs and potentially limiting the useful life of the roof.
A further limitation of the aluminum honeycomb or foam core sandwiched-panel type roofs is the inability to test the individual honeycomb cells for the presence of a foreign or combustible vapor. Such vapor may be present if there is a leak in the outer sheeting cover. Moreover, the aluminum honeycomb or foam core sandwiched panels are normally joined to the outer aluminum sheeting cover with glue or adhesive that frequently becomes brittle and inflexible after being applied. Cyclic operation of the floating roof, or certain external loading conditions on the outer sheeting cover, such as walking on the roof, often cause theis glue or adhesive to crack, forming vapor or liquid paths between the individual compartments. Thus, the leak-tight integrity of the individual compartments may be compromised.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a full contact floating roof which is full contact, yet is made of relatively lightweight, durable, and stable materials which are easy to assemble.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a full contact floating roof which is difficult to upset and sink.
It is another object of the invention to provide a full contact floating roof which provides additional options for fire protection over existing roofs.


Data storage units (1) for storing a plurality of individual data storage media (12), the units comprising at least one removable magazine (9, 10) in which the individual data storage media (12) can be stored within the units (1), the magazines (9, 10) being removable from the front of the units (1). At least one drive (5, 6) which reads data from or writes data to individual data storage media (12) is positioned relative to the magazine(s) (9, 10) so that the storage media (12) are fed therein and removed therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the media are removed from the magazine(s) (5, 6). A selector (20) facilitates the selective removal of media (12) from the magazines (9, 10) in which they are stored, and feeds them into the drive (5, 6), and vice versa.

This invention concerns data storage and more particularly apparatus for storing a plurality of individual data storage media and reading data therefrom, the data being stored by the individual storage media, for example in magnetic or optically readable form.
So-called libraries in which data is stored in magnetic or optical form on a plurality of individual data storage media which can be selectively fed to an appropriate reader of the data are well known in the art. Particular data storage media which have been used include magnetic tape cartridges and cassettes, tape spools, magnetic storage discs, and data stored in optically readable form, for example on a storage disc.
In general, such libraries store the media in racks, drums or magazines, or on shelves, from which individual media can be extracted by a transport mechanism which conveys them to a data drive where data is read from or written to them, to other positions within the library, or even to another library.
Unlike conventional libraries for housing books, which fill rooms, magnetic and optical storage media for libraries of the type described are frequently stored in units which are of a size such that they fit within standard 19 inch (482.6 mm) racking systems, a separate computer being used to control the functioning of these units. In addition, space constraints usually dictate that these units also have as small a height as possible based on increments of 1.75 inches (44.45 mm), which is generally the standard height increment for racking systems. There is therefore a desire for storage units which are to be housed within such racking systems to provide storage space for as many individual storage media as possible but also in the smallest rack height possible. Furthermore, such storage units need to house a transport mechanism for transporting individual media within the unit itself, or to another storage unit, and especially to a data drive within the unit. In general they also have to house the data drives and a power supply for the storage unit.
Yet further equipment is usually included within these storage units, for example cooling fans and devices for identifying individual media within them, e.g. bar code readers for reading bar codes on the individual media. Devices for identifying the individual media are usually required in order that the transport mechanism can select and move the correct medium. This is clearly essential if the individual storage media are arbitrarily loaded by hand into vacant positions within the library, and it is highly desirable even where this is not the case in order that control of the positioning and movement of the media within the storage units can be satisfactorily monitored. This can be particularly desirable where media can be exchanged between adjacent storage units.
Libraries including the above elements are known in the art, but the storage arrangements for the individual media tend to be inconvenient. For example, in one such arrangement a row of magnetic tape cartridges is housed vertically across the width of the front of the library constructed to fit a standard 19 inch rack, with an incomplete second row being positioned rearwardly of the first row, the second row containing a drive for reading individual cartridges fed into it by a transport mechanism, the latter, which removes and returns individual cartridges from their storage positions in the racks and feeds them into and removes them from the drive, running on a track between the first and second rows. The transport mechanism is controlled to move along the track to a position on the track where a selected cartridge is to be removed from either the first or the second row. A drive mechanism on the transport mechanism then slides a selected cartridge in the appropriate direction from the row where it is stored and on to the transport mechanism. Thereafter, the transport mechanism is moved along the track to a position where the cartridge can be pushed by the drive mechanism into the drive. Changing cartridges is then the reverse of this process.
As will be appreciated, it is possible to arrange for all of the cartridges in the first row to be removed from the library by having them stored in a suitable carrier which could itself be loaded into it from the front of the machine. However, access to the second row of cartridges is much more difficult because it is on the opposite side of the track from the transport mechanism. The result is that rather than change the cartridges in the second row by reaching into the apparatus to gain access to them, all of the cartridges in both the front and second rows are changed by feeding them in an out of an access slot in the front of the machine. Although this avoids the problems with direct physical access to the second row, it seriously restricts the speed with which the cartridges can be changed as they all have to be fed in and removed one at a time through the same access port.
According to the present invention there is provided data storage units for storing a plurality of individual data storage media, the units comprising at least one removable magazine in which the individual data storage media can be stored within the units, the magazine being removable from the front of the units; at least one drive means for reading data from or writing data to individual data storage media, the drive means being positioned relative to the magazine(s) so that the storage media are fed therein and removed therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the media are removed from the magazine(s); and selector means for selectively removing media from the magazine in which they are stored, and feeding them into the drive means, and vice versa.
Data storage units in accordance with the present invention enable all of the magazines holding the data storage media within them to be inserted into and removed from the units, without the problems encountered hitherto with units in which one row of storage media is stored behind the selector mechanism, particularly if the selector means is used to remove individual data storage media from a pair of substantially parallel and opposing magazines.
Data storage units in accordance with the invention preferably include a pair of removable magazines which are substantially parallel to each other and are removable from the front of the units, the selector means being capable of selectively removing data storage media from the respective magazines and feeding them into the drive means, and vice versa, the feeding being in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the media are removed from the respective magazines. Removal of individual data storage media from either magazine by the selector means is preferably then in a direction substantially towards the other of said pair of magazines.
The individual data storage media are preferably stored substantially vertically within the magazines, and the drive means preferably receives the media for reading or writing in a substantially vertical plane. This enables a good use to be made of the space within the units, especially when they are constructed to fit into conventional 19 inch (482.6 mm) racking systems.
The units can be arranged to house a single magazine or a single pair of removable magazines. However, two or more pairs of magazines are preferably arranged in two or more layers, one magazine of each pair of magazines being positioned directly above a magazine in another pair to provide two vertical stacks, the selector means preferably being operable to select individual media from or feed individual media from the respective layers and into the drive means. This enables a large number of individual data storage media to be stored within an individual unit. For example, if each magazine can hold ten of such media, e.g. magnetic tape cartridges, one pair of magazines can store twenty of them, two pairs can store forty, and five pairs can store a hundred.
The drive means are preferably positioned within the units so that they are removable from the rear of the units. This facilitates maintenance of the units and more particularly it can avoid the necessity of removing units from racking systems to replace a drive.
Data storage units in accordance with the present invention preferably include two drives for reading data from or writing data to the data storage media for each pair of magazines. Where more than one layer of magazines is used, one or more drives can be provided for each or only some of such layers.
Although handed magazines could be used so that one only fits into a left hand aperture in the front of each unit and another only fits into a right hand aperture, it is preferable that all of the magazines are identical and interchangeable between different positions within the units.
The selector means preferably includes a reader, preferably a bar code reader, for reading identifying indicia on individual data storage media. This enables a computer to which the unit is connected to maintain an inventory of the individual media within the unit, and also to do so when two or more units are connected together and data storage media are passed between them.
If desired, data storage units in accordance with the present invention can include a cleaning device for cleaning the drive means, and the cleaning device is preferably fed into the drive means using the selector means. For example, it can be a cleaner cartridge stored within one of the removable magazines or more preferably within a dedicated position within the units themselves.
Maintenance of the inventory can be facilitated by the magazines including indicia indicative of empty storage positions therein. The reader on the selector means can then distinguish between an empty storage position and data storage media without identifying indicia.
Individual data storage units in accordance with the present invention preferably include control electronics for controlling movement of the selector means and other functions within the units even if overall control is effected by a computer terminal which provides access to the resulting library.
The present invention further provides electronic libraries comprising one or more data storage units according to the present invention which are under the control of a computer.
Where such libraries include two or more of such data storage units under the control of a computer, it is preferable to provide shuttle means which enables individual data storage media to be transferred between the individual storage units. The computer can then be arranged to maintain an inventory of where individual storage media are located within the respective data storage units.

Data storage unit having plural removable magazines


A composition for restoring or increasing tissue perfusion is provided. The composition includes polyethylene glycol polymers (PEG) with a molecular weight of 18,000-100,000 Da at a concentration of 5-20% by weight; PEG with a molecular weight of 1,000-10,000 Da at a concentration of 1-30% by weight; and water, wherein said PEG with a molecular weight of 18,000-100,000 Da and said PEG with a molecular weight of 1,000-10,000 Da are dissolved or dispersed in said water.

Resuscitation of trauma and shock patients with whole blood or blood products is considered the gold standard of fluid resuscitation. However, there are certain mechanisms of cell and tissue injury during shock that severely limits the effectiveness of any solution used to resuscitate shocked patients. While whole blood may be the best option when compared to other IV solutions like lactated ringers solution, it too is severely disadvantaged by the no-reflow phenomenon that occurs when ischemic tissues are reperfused.
Improved compositions and methods that alleviate this mechanism of tissue injury to allow the whole blood to easily pass through the capillary network in vital organs and tissue so the needed oxygen transfer can occur is needed in order to alleviate and reverse the metabolic effects of shock.

Compositions and methods for restoring or increasing tissue perfusion


A steel truss (10) spanning an opening (11) in a load-bearing CMU wall (111) is used as a structural support from which to hang hangers (12) having steel plates (13) on their lower ends. U-blocks (14) are placed on the hangers, and the space (20) between adjacent U-blocks (14) is filled with mortar. After the mortar hardens (typically 24 hours later), the trench formed by the hollow areas (15) in the U-blocks is filled with concrete, thus encasing the steel truss (the height of the truss is less than the distance from the lower interior of the U-blocks to the bottom of the CMUs above the U-blocks) and forming a steel-reinforced structural beam across the opening (11). CMUs (17) are then laid on top of the structural beam to continue the load-bearing wall above the opening.. The truss preferably has attached at each end thereof a steel saddle (16) which serves to center the truss in the U-blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to masonry construction. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for spanning openings in walls of masonry structures.
2. General Background of the Invention
When a doorway or other opening is needed in a building made of concrete masonry units (CMUs), usually one of two things is done. Either (1) a structural steel beam (such as an I-beam) is used to span the opening, with the CMUs later being laid on top of the structural steel beam, or (2) if one wishes not to have any exposed steel, one sets up a scaffolding or other form, lays U-blocks on the form, places reinforcing bars in the hollow part of the blocks, then fills the U-blocks with concrete, removing the forms after the concrete sets.
Using structural steel beams is disadvantageous in that the steel beams rust when exposed to the weather, so they must be frequently painted. The structural steel beams also expand and contract at a different rate from the masonry, often resulting in cracks in the masonry near the steel. The structural steel also tends to deflect more than the masonry can tolerate, unless the structural steel beam is made to be substantially taller or thicker, which makes it very heavy. Using a scaffolding is expensive and time consuming.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a method of and apparatus for spanning openings in walls in masonry structures without the use of exposed structural steel and without the expense (in both time and money) of building a scaffolding.


An automated system and method for the online settling of a transaction is provided. The system comprises a server comprising a rules based engine including rules established on behalf of a party to the transaction and genetic programming logic configured to employ the rules and determine a plurality of transaction settlement offer sets, each transaction settlement offer set based on a set of circumstances and comprising multiple simultaneously presentable and individually selectable offers, each offer configured to provide an appearance of settling the transaction. The genetic programming logic creates a description of a current transaction settlement offer set, analyzes behavior and characteristics of the current transaction settlement offer set, establishes a fitness of the current transaction settlement offer set, and modifies the current transaction settlement offer set to produce a new transaction settlement offer set. The new transaction settlement offer set is provided to the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to systems and methods for processing and resolving transactions, and more specifically to systems and methods for collecting debt and/or managing information relating to debt using a computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain types of financial transactions, and particularly the resolution of such financial transactions, entail complex, time consuming, and frequently expensive methods directed toward gathering information and facilitating resolution of the financial transaction. For example, debt resolution tends to require investigating the ability of the debtor to satisfy the debt, the terms under which the debt may be settled to the satisfaction of the creditor, and collection of the debt by typically telephoning or otherwise personally contacting the debtor and facilitating the resolution of the debt. Complexities arise in the debt resolution setting when certain restrictions are put in place, such as an inability for a debt collector to leave appropriate messages for the debtor at his or her place of work, issues regarding who may obtain a credit report and under what conditions a credit report may be obtained, and so on.
Another transaction resolution scenario involves the field of insurance claim settlements. Again, resolution of an insurance claim requires investigation or projection into the amount the claimant is willing to accept, the amount the insurer is willing to offer, and a mechanism for getting the insurer representative and the claimant to resolve the transaction. Typically the insurer's representative and the claimant and/or her representative meet face to face or by telephone to negotiate and settle on a satisfactory sum, based on a variety of factors including but not limited to the severity of the harm, the financial position of the claimant, the cost of financing the settlement, and other relevant factors.
Regarding debt settlement, the most effective method of debt recovery has in the past been via a direct phone call from the creditor (or its agency) to the debtor. This is perceived by debtors to be generally intrusive and hostile, as the creditor attempts to enforce collection of the debt through certain relatively intimidating verbal tactics.
The individual collector is typically paid on a commission, i.e. receives payment based on the amount collected from the debtor. Payment on a commission basis can be contradictory to the goals of the creditor and the abilities of the debtor to pay since the collector wants the highest amount paid to enhance her individual commissions, while the creditor seeks the highest overall recovery on the portfolio. Regarding the dichotomy between collecting the highest amount from an individual debtor and a highest overall recovery, a creditor can often recover more debt by recovering 30% of a $100 million portfolio at 70% settlement terms ($21 million) than by recovering 20% of the same $100 million portfolio at 90% ($18 million). Thus the use of overly aggressive tactics to collect one portion of a debt that adversely affect a creditor's ability to collect another portion of the debt, through word of mouth or other means, can limit the total overall recovery by the creditor.
Typical costs for recovering debt via collectors include salaries, commissions and operating and infrastructure costs (e.g., electricity, office space, furniture, desktop equipment and support, telephony equipment, operation and support, administrative support personnel, and accounting, etc.). Salaries and commissions are required not only for collecting the debt, but investigating the borrower and her ability to pay.
Debt collection is generally performed by entities that did not provide the funds but purchase the debt for a sum of money. These entities function solely for the purpose of collecting the debt, and as such have certain rights and restrictions on operation. When one of these entities seeks to collect a debt, the longer a debt remains delinquent, the debt increases due to interest fees and penalties. The overall the probability of recovery decreases over time. Large segments of debt fall "out of statute" and become legally unrecoverable after 7 years. Thus, contacting debtors and settling accounts must occur within specified time frames. A further complication is that debt buyers and sellers may not actively pursue accounts during the purchase, hold and sale of a debt portfolio.
Once an entity has purchased a debt and sends out notices of delinquency, the entity or its agency tries to contact the debtor, typically via expensive outbound dialer campaigns involving recorded messages. Changes in contact information present a significant problem in collecting a debt in today's society. Current skip-tracing information providers such as Lexis-Nexis, Accurint, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax return current phone numbers on only 25% of the accounts submitted. Thus, an average of 75% of the skip-traced debtors cannot be contacted via telephone. Current phone numbers must first be dialed in order to determine whether the telephone number is active and still used by the original debtor. Telephone numbers are constantly being reassigned and the cost of calling changed numbers remains high and is extremely inefficient.
In general, collectors typically have available the threat of litigation, posting of derogatory information on the debtor's credit bureau, and the offer of settlement at a reduced amount as their primary tools when dealing with the debtor. Collection practices generally are not optimized for best overall return. Rules of thumb are used for settlement amounts based on general past experience, but typically require some amount of investigation to, for example, establish whether reporting delinquent status to a credit bureau will have a measurable effect on a debtor and/or the ability for the debtor to pay a particular amount over time. The expense of the collection process does not allow for a great deal of tuning of the settlement offer to the individual debtor.
In other transaction resolution scenarios, including but not limited to insurance claim settlement, charitable pledging, political fundraising, and the like, certain activities are required that can increase costs and require personal presence, such as a person calling another on a telephone, as well as ascertaining ability or willingness to pay or be paid a certain amount, and so forth. Such requirements can be inefficient and in certain instances difficult, cumbersome, or outright unavailable.
Previous systems have sought to provide systems and methods to enable debt resolution, including but not limited to designs available from Apollo Enterprise Solutions, the assignee of the present application. Previous systems include U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/256,405, entitled "System for Resolving Transactions," Ser. No. 11/256,406, entitled "Method for Resolving Transactions", and Ser. No. 11/256,404, entitled "System and Method for Compiling Information for Resolving Transactions," all filed Oct. 19, 2005, inventors G. Christopher Imrey, et al., the entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference
These Apollo designs offer various ways of resolving transactions. These designs offer various ways for debtors and creditors to interact, but may not address all situations at all times for all debtors and creditors. For example, information may be available indicating an offer or set of offers is unacceptable to certain debtors, but such offers may be offered again and again to debtors in a specific set of circumstances. Changes in debt settlement conditions may occur over time, such that an offer being made today may have minimal usefulness three months from now, or even be outright unacceptable or even viewed as insulting or negatively provocative to certain debtors, thereby inhibiting settlement of individual transactions. Further, it would be beneficial to have information associated with the transaction or transaction settlement process available for review and consideration, such as via a graphical user interface.
In light of the above, it would be desirable to have a system and method that improves transaction resolution, such as debt settlement and collection processes, over systems and methods previously employed for such purposes.

System and method for resolving transactions employing goal seeking attributes


A main body, composed of a pair of L-shaped metal plates combined with each other in a back-to-back positional relation, is secured to a first wooden member with a U-shaped stopper by bolts and nuts. A second wooden member is secured with the first wooden member as a vertical slit made at the edge portion thereof receives the combined metal plates secured to the first wooden member, and joint bars are firmly inserted into holes and openings made through the second wooden member and the combined metals accordingly.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved metal device for joining a wooden member, e.g., a post, with another wooden member, e.g., a beam, in a wooden building.
A conventional device for joining wooden member, e.g., a post, with another member such as a beam and/or a girth have lacked reliability. It is because a joint operation of wooden members through use of the conventional device is troublesome. It is also because each post is subjected to have a large notch or cut in order to receive a beam or a girth.

Metal device for joining wooden members in wooden building


A press for the dehumidification of humid matter, in particular of residual waste is disclosed, which comprises a worm gear whereby the residual waste may be compressed mechanically. During transport with the aid of the worm gear, the humid matter is subjected to a drying medium, preferably pressurized air or a vacuum, whereby it is delivered from the press.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a press for the dehumidification of humid matter, in particular a press for the dehumidification of residual waste.
2. Description of the Related Art
DE 199 09 328 A1 describes a method for processing residual waste, wherein mechanically processed residual waste is biologically stabilized by an aerobic hydrolysis. In such an aerobic hydrolysis, water and air are supplied to the residual waste to be treated in counterflow, so that by cooperation of air and leaching fluid organic cells of the residual waste are broken up and cell water is released. The available carbon is decomposed to carbon dioxide, and the dissolved and acidified organic matter is transported off by the leaching fluid and also partly by the air. Through this aerobic hydrolysis a dumping method is actually realized in an accelerated manner.
The residual waste thus biologically stabilized has a relatively low proportion of dry substance, so this hydrolysis has to be followed by dehydration. In the solution known from DE 199 09 328 A1, this dehydration is carried out by a high-pressure press, for instance an extruder press. In a like extruder press the residual waste to be dehydrated is drawn in by a worm gear, compacted, and the pressed-out water is carried off.
It was found that the dry substance content of the residual waste dehydrated in this manner is still relatively low, so that comparatively high expenditure for post-drying of the residual waste is necessary.

Press for dewatering a humid substance, in particular residual refuse


The propylene production of a fluid catalytic cracking unit employing a large pore zeolite cracking catalyst, produces more propylene by adding a naphtha cracking riser and a medium pore zeolite catalytic component to the unit, and recycling at least a portion of the naphtha crackate to the naphtha riser. The large pore size zeolite preferably comprises a USY zeolite and the medium pore size is preferably ZSM-5. Propylene production per unit of naphtha feed to the naphtha riser is maximized, by using the 60–300° F. naphtha crackate as the feed.

The demand for light olefins, such as propylene and butylenes, and particularly propylene, is increasing faster than present plant capacity. A major source of propylene is from fluid cat cracking (FCC) processes. Fluid cat cracking is an established and widely used process in the petroleum refining industry, primarily for converting petroleum oils of relatively high boiling point, to more valuable lower boiling products, including gasoline and middle distillates such as kerosene, jet fuel and heating oil. In an FCC process, a preheated feed is brought into contact with a hot cracking catalyst, which is in the form of a fluidized, fine powder, in a reaction zone which comprises a riser. Cracking reactions are extremely fast and take place within three to five seconds. The heavy feed is cracked to lower boiling components, including fuels, light olefins, and coke. The coke and cracked products which are not volatile at the cracking conditions, deposit on the catalyst. The riser exits into a separator-stripper vessel, in which the coked catalyst is separated from the volatile reaction products and stripped with steam. The stream strips off the strippable non-volatiles and the stripped catalyst is passed into a regenerator in which the coke and any remaining hydrocarbonaceous material are burned off with air, or a mixture of air and oxygen, to form a regenerated catalyst. This regeneration heats the catalyst for the cracking reactions and the hot, regenerated catalyst is returned to the riser reaction zone. The process is continuous. Thus, a typical FCC cracking unit includes (i) a riser (ii) a separation-stripping vessel and (iii) a regeneration vessel. Some FCC units include two risers, so as to have two reaction zones for catalytically cracking the FCC feed, in association with a single separation-stripping vessel and a single catalyst regeneration vessel. Feeds commonly used with FCC processes are gas oils which are high boiling, non-residual oils and include straight run (atmospheric) gas oil, vacuum gas oil, and coker gas oils. Typical FCC cracking catalysts are based on zeolites, especially the large pore synthetic faujasites, such as zeolites X and Y. The olefins yield from the cracking reaction is limited by the process and cracking catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,172 discloses an FCC process with increased light olefin production. The process includes a cracking catalyst containing faujasite and ZSM-5 zeolite components, a first riser for cracking the FCC feed and a second riser for cracking naphtha produced in the first riser. Cracking the naphtha in the second riser produces more olefins and improves the naphtha octane. In all the embodiments, the second riser is associated with a separate or outboard vessel, and not with the separation-stripping vessel used with the first riser. While it is possible to build a new FCC unit with additional risers and vessels for increased light olefins production, it is extremely costly to add additional vessels to an existing FCC unit. Therefore, it would be beneficial to be able to increase the light olefins yield from an existing FCC unit, without having to add additional vessels to the unit.

Fluid cat cracking with high olefins production


A system for monitoring a section or a component of a line for the transport of hydrocarbons, for example a methane pipeline, installed in a hazard and/or limited access site, includes: a detector for detecting deformation (102,2) of the section (1) of the line or component in their installation area; a computerized central unit (3), provided with an interface for the deformation detector and connected thereto to receive data about possible deformations; a transmitter for remote transmission of data (4), connected to the computerized central unit (3) and a remote communication line (5) to transmit the data to one or more operating central stations or remote users authorized to control the methane pipeline; a stand-alone solar electric generator (10), connected to the detector, to the central unit (3) and to the transmitter for providing power needed for operation.

It is known that the hydrocarbons (mainly methane and petroleum or its derivatives) are transported from the production sites to the storage sites, and then to distribution and use sites, mainly by methane or oil pipelines, transport lines made up of underground, surface or pipelines. Every line is generally divided in sections, separated by compression or pumping stations, necessary over the long distances to restore sufficient pressure and flow of the hydrocarbons. Other components are provided along the line, such as flow shut-off valves, reduction units, etc. Many of these components, especially with regard to distribution lines, are installed inside closed structures, such as cabins of limited size and often just enough to accommodate the above components, and therefore difficult to access for maintenance.
The monitoring system proposed by the invention, which finds particular but not exclusive application in the monitoring of lines for the transport of hydrocarbons, is applied without distinction either to the lines for the transport of methane or to those for the transport of liquid hydrocarbons. However, for sake of descriptive simplicity, in the following, reference will be made to the methane pipeline, considering all the remarks valid also with respect to the oil pipeline and other types of lines for the transport of hydrocarbons.
Due to their nature, the methane pipelines cross territories having very different topographical and morphological characteristics, flat or mountainous, dry or very humid, with compact soils or at risk of subsidence, strongly anthropized or deserted and difficult to access, at least in a short time.
In any case, due to the importance of the continuity of the methane supply and distribution, ensuring that each single section of the methane pipeline is always operating and in perfect working order is essential, so as to avoid interruptions in the transport and distribution of the product, excluding completely exceptional and unpredictable cases. Even in these sporadic cases, however, immediate identification of the site and type of the problem is crucial, to intervene very rapidly to solve it and restore the flow of methane.

Monitoring system for a section or a component of a pipeline for the transport of hydrocarbons in a hazard site


A portable instrument includes a stylus for contacting a digitizer tablet or a computer touch screen to generate positional input data, as well as a bar code scanner for electro-optically reading bar code symbols. Data indicative of the symbols is downloaded to a remote host.

This invention relates to a bar code reader having an electronic stylus.
Optical readers, such as bar code readers, are now quite common. Typically, a bar code comprises a series of encoded symbols, and each symbol consists of a series of light and dark regions, typically in the form of rectangles. The widths of the dark regions, the bars, and/or the widths of the light spaces between the bars indicate the encoded information.
A bar code reader illuminates the code and senses light reflected from the code to detect the widths and spacings of the code symbols and derive the encoded data. Bar code reading type data input systems improve the efficiency and accuracy of data input for a wide variety of applications. The ease of data input in such systems facilitates more frequent and detailed data input, for example, to provide efficient inventories, tracking of work in progress, etc. To achieve these advantages, however, users or employees must be willing to consistently use the bar code readers. The readers therefore must be easy and convenient to operate.
A variety of scanning devices is known. One particularly advantageous type of reader is an optical scanner which scans a beam of light, such as a laser beam, across the symbols. Laser scanner systems and components of the type exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,297 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,248xe2x80x94which are owned by the assignee of the instant invention and are incorporated by reference hereinxe2x80x94have generally been designed to read indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, e.g., bar code symbols, particularly of the Universal Product Code (UPC) type, at a certain working range or reading distance from a hand-held or stationary scanner.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a prior art bar code reader unit 10 implemented as a gun shaped device, having a pistol-grip type of handle 53. A lightweight plastic housing 55 contains the laser light source 46, the detector 58, the optics and signal processing circuitry and the CPU 40, as well as a power source or battery 62. A light-transmissive window 56 in the front end of the housing 55 allows the outgoing light beam 51 to exit and the incoming reflected light 52 to enter. The user aims the reader 10 at a bar code symbol 70 from a position in which the reader 10 is spaced from the symbol, i.e., not touching the symbol or moving across the symbol.
As further depicted in FIG. 1, the reader 10 may include a suitable lens 57 (or multiple lens system) to focus the scanned beam into a scanning spot at an appropriate reference plane. A light source 46, such as a semiconductor laser diode, introduces a light beam into the axis of the lens 57, and the beam passes through a partially-silvered mirror 47 and other lenses or beam-shaping structures as needed. The beam is reflected from an oscillating mirror 59 which is coupled to a scanning motor 60 energized when the trigger 54 is pulled. The oscillation of the mirror 59 causes the reflected beam 51 to scan back and forth in a desired pattern.
A variety of mirror and motor configurations can be used to move the beam in a desired scanning pattern. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,798 discloses a rotating polygon having a planar mirror at each side, each mirror tracing a scan line across the symbol. U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,297 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,470 both employ a planar mirror which is repetitively and reciprocally driven in alternate circumferential directions about a drive shaft on which the mirror is mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,660 discloses a multi-mirror construction composed of a generally concave mirror portion and a generally planar mirror portion. The multi-mirror construction is repetitively reciprocally driven in alternate circumferential directions about a drive shaft on which the multi-mirror construction is mounted.
The light 52 reflected back by the symbol 70 passes back through the window 56 for application to the detector 58. In the exemplary reader 10 shown in FIG. 1, the reflected light reflects off of mirror 59 and partially-silvered mirror 47 and impacts on the light sensitive detector 58. The detector 58 produces an analog signal proportional to the intensity of the reflected light 52.
A digitizer circuit mounted on board 61 processes the analog signal from detector 58 to produce a pulse signal where the widths and spacings between the pulses correspond to the widths of the bars and the spacings between the bars. The digitizer serves as an edge detector or wave shaper circuit, and the threshold value set by the digitizer determines what points of the analog signal represent bar edges. The pulse signal from the digitizer is applied to a decoder, typically a programmed microprocessor 40 which will have associated program memory and random access data memory. The microprocessor decoder 40 first determines the pulse widths and spacings of the signal from the digitizer. The decoder then analyzes the widths and spacings to find and decode a legitimate bar code message. This includes analysis to recognize legitimate characters and sequences, as defined by the appropriate code standard. This may also include an initial recognition of the particular standard the scanned symbol conforms to. This recognition of the standard is typically referred to as autodiscrimination.
To scan a symbol 70, a user aims the bar code reader unit 10 and operates movable trigger switch 54 to activate the light beam 51, the scanning motor 60 and the detector circuitry. If the scanning beam is visible, the operator can see the scan pattern on the surface on which the symbol appears and adjust aiming of the reader 10 accordingly. If the light produced by the source 46 is marginally visible, an aiming light may be included in the optical system. The aiming light, if needed, produces a visible light spot which may be fixed, or scanned just like the laser beam; the user employs this visible light to aim the reader unit at the symbol before pulling the trigger.
The reader 10 may also function as a portable computer terminal. If so, the bar code reader 10 would include a keyboard 48 and a display 49, such as described in the previously noted U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,470.
In optical scanners of the type discussed above, the laser diode, the lens, the mirror and the means to oscillate the mirror all add size and weight to the handheld scanner. The photodetector and the associated processing circuitry also add size and weight. In applications involving protracted use, a large heavy handheld unit can produce fatigue. When use of the scanner produces fatigue or is in some other way inconvenient, the user is reluctant to operate the scanner. Any reluctance to consistently use the scanner defeats the data gathering purposes for which bar code systems are intended. Also, a need exists for small scanner units to fit into small compact devices, such as notebooks.
Thus, an ongoing objective of bar code reader development is to miniaturize the bar code reader as much as possible, and a need still exists to further reduce the size and weight of the scan unit and to provide a particularly convenient scanner system. The mass of the moving components should be as low as possible to minimize the power required to produce the scanning movement and to facilitate operation at high scanning speeds.
It is also desirable to modularize scanning components, so that a particular module can be used in a variety of different scanners. A need exists, however, to develop a particularly small, lightweight module which contains all necessary scanner components.
Smaller size scanning components tend to operate at higher scanning frequencies. In typical bar code scanning applications, however, the scanning frequency of the moving spot should be relatively low, typically 20 Hz or less. If the frequency increases, the speed of the spot as it passes over the indicia increases. The signals produced by the detector also increases in frequency, and consequently the bandwidth of the processing circuitry for analyzing the detector signals must be increased. Also, operation at higher scanning frequencies generally produces detector signals which include higher levels of noise, making accurate decoding more difficult.
Another series of problems has arisen in scanning bar codes which are difficult to read. Many bar codes are printed using relatively low quality printing techniques because the cost of printing such codes is low. The resultant bar codes, however, often include a number of printing defects. Also, even though printed without defects, bar code labels often become worn or damaged over time so that substantial portions of such codes become unreadable. Existing moving spot scanners produce a single scan line which remains stationary over the portion of the code at which the operator aims the scanner. If the scanned portion of the bar code contains one or more defects, the scanner typically cannot obtain a valid reading of the code. The defect may or may not be sufficiently evident so that an operator can recognize the defect and aim the scanner at a portion of the code which contains no defects. If the operator tries repeatedly to scan the code, by chance the operator may aim the scanner at a section of the code free of defects and obtain a valid read result. The need to repeatedly scan the code, at times for no apparent reason, tends to frustrate the operator and slows down data gathering operations requiring scanning of large numbers of codes. Although explained in terms of scanning defective or damaged codes, similar problems arise in scanning particularly small codes. Clearly, a need exists to develop a scanner which can extract valid information from small indicia and/or intact portions of bar codes or similar indicia having optical defects.
Further problems arise from association of the optical reader with other devices connected to a common computer system. In actual use, the device for reading optically encoded information typically connects to some form of computer. Often a need exists for entry of other data, in addition to that scanned by the optical reader. For example, in an inventory system using bar code readers, the operator scans an item and then enters the quantity of such items presently in stock. Consequently, in most systems using optical readers of the type discussed above, the system will include additional data entry devices coupled to the same computer. Separate data entry devices, however, are often in convenient to carry along in conjunction with a portable optical reading device. Also, the use of multiple data input devices requires use of several of the optional card slots of the computer and additional physical wiring connections. Furthermore, multiple input devices often create software problems directing the multiple data input streams to a single application program running on the computer.
To alleviate these problems, a number of optical readers incorporate a keyboard and an alphanumeric display to form an integrated data entry terminal. These integrated terminals have included both contact wand type bar code readers and pistol grip type moving spot scanners. The data entry capabilities of such integrated terminals, however, have been limited by the nature of the keyboard and display.
A number of other types of data entry devices is known, and in many applications provide more convenient or xe2x80x9cuser friendlyxe2x80x9d data entry operation than do keyboards and alphanumeric displays. For example, a mouse allows a computer operator to move a cursor to point at an option illustrated on a display screen. The operator then xe2x80x9cclicksxe2x80x9d a button on the mouse to select the particular option. The mouse can also provide graphical data input. U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,843 to Jones, et al., discloses a combination mouse and optical scanner, but the optical scanner scans characters or graphics data, not optically encoded information such as bar codes. The user manually scans characters by moving the mouse across the surface on which the characters appear.
A number of other keyboardless, data entry terminals has been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,496 to Sklarew, for example, discloses a terminal device having a flat transparent input screen for generating input information when an operator contacts the screen with a stylus. A display screen mounted below the input screen displays symbols and graphic information drawn by the stylus. The operator inputs information into the associated computer through pen strokes essentially as if writing on a tablet with a pen. U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,441 to Gombrich discloses a handheld terminal including a non-contact point source type bar code reader and a touch sensitive display screen.
From the above discussion, it should be clear that a need still exists to further develop various computer input devices integrated with means to scan optically encoded indicia which also provide convenient operation.
One objective of this invention is to provide a bar code reader which is more convenient and efficient to use when reading encoded information.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an integrated data entry terminal for optically reading encoded information and for convenient input of other forms of data.
More specifically, one objective is to combine a bar code reader with a display and touch sensitive type data entry terminal, particularly where the bar code reader is a moving spot scanner.
It is an objective to incorporate a bar code reader, for example, the moving spot scanner, and the stylus of a graphic data input device into a single handheld instrument.
The invention permits incorporation of a beam scanning module and an electronic stylus for input of positional data to a digitizer tablet or computer touch screen. In this aspect, the invention includes a pen shaped housing having a tapered tip at one end, an enlarged section at an end opposite the tapered tip, and an elongated body between the ends. A beam scanner module is located in the enlarged section of the pen shaped housing. This module emits a beam of light and directs the beam of light along a light path extending along an outer surface of the body of the pen shaped housing toward a target surface on which optically encoded indicia appears. The stylus may also include a writing nib mounted in the tapered tip of the pen shaped housing.
In the preferred embodiment, this electronic stylus provides positional data inputs to the digitizer/screen upon contact of the tip of the pen shaped housing to a surface of the digitizer/screen. A photodetector is mounted in the pen shaped housing, for sensing light reflected from the optically encoded indicia and producing an electrical signal representative of variations of light reflectivity of the optically encoded indicia. A manually actuatable switch permits the operator to activate the beam scanner module to initiate reading of the optically encoded indicia. The switch is mounted on a side surface of the body of the pen out of said light path at a point near the tapered tip. Consequently, the operator can activate the switch using the thumb or forefinger without obstructing the light path.

Electro-optical reader with electronic stylus


A substantially shelf-stable refrigerated yeast-raised pizza dough product comprises high-protein-content flour, water, at least one polyvalent fatty acid ester, and active yeast. The quantity of polyvalent fatty acid ester in the dough product is chosen to increase the period of time in which the dough product can be held at refrigerated temperatures substantially without diminishing sensory, rheological or other functional characteristics. A method of making a pizza dough product, a method of making a pizza, a method of making a pizza dough product from a pizza dough pre-mix, a plurality of dough balls, a pizza dough pre-mix, and a pizza itself provide similar advantages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dough products, and more particularly, to edible, refrigerated, yeast-raised pizza dough products for which an extended shelf life in the refrigerated state is desired.
2. Description of Related Art
Polyvalent alcohol fatty acid esters, such as sucrose fatty acid esters, also called "Sucrose Ester", have been known for many years. A process for making certain of these esters was described by Hass et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,990). Another process for making certain of these esters was described by Osipow et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,616). Goto et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,212) reported the use of certain of these esters as an agent for softening fabrics having excellent moisture absorbability. As noted in this disclosure, an object of this invention was to provide a harmless softening agent prepared by using a material useful as a food additive.
At least some of the polyvalent alcohol fatty acid esters of the present application have been approved for use in foods and are used as emulsifiers, surfactants or surface active agents in foods. These agents have been used in coffee-whitener, whipped topping, ice cream, ice milk, candies, margarine and other fat spreads, drinks, powdered drinks, boiled fish paste, noodles, salad oil, breads, biscuits, chewing gum, meat paste, bean curd, flour paste, and frozen dough. In breads, certain of these esters are stated to "prevent" the deterioration of starch, extend the shelf-life of the finished bread product, enhance its "tenderness" and increase its volume. Certain of the esters are also stated to "prevent" a change in the quality of the bread during freezing. In flour paste, it is stated that it is believed that certain of the esters prevent water-separation and extended shelf life. None of these products are yeast-raised refrigerated dough products, however and none are pizza-type products. Previous uses of esters have been in physical and chemical environments significantly different than a pizza-type product environment.
In yeast-raised refrigerated dough products, the yeast generally starts metabolizing when water is added to the dry matter, and continues to metabolize during refrigeration. The dough matrix is a matrix or system like none of the other food systems discussed above, because of presence of active yeast which is believed to actively metabolize sugars and carbohydrates within the dough matrix during refrigeration, and produce glutathione, which breaks down the protein structure. In the past, it has been particularly difficult to develop a suitable yeast-raised dough, suitable for pizza dough, which will retain its desirable characteristics for even a relatively short period of time, if it is refrigerated. It will be appreciated, therefore, that further improvements to yeast-raised dough products will make valuable contributions to the dough-making and culinary arts.
DK Esters are generally described in the documents entitled "Application of DK ESTER for Baked Goods", and "DK ESTER Sucrose Fatty Acid Ester", DKS International Inc., Overseas Division of Dai-Ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. which documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The use of esters, such as DK Esters, in various products is described in the forty-two U.S. patents listed in the Appendix of the above-identified provisional patent application. Each of the forty-two listed patents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


Provided are a data backup method, electronic device, and storage medium, the data backup method including: acquiring application data to be backed up and update frequencies of the application data in the terminal; generating backup priorities based on the update frequencies; transmitting the application data to be backed up to a server based on the backup priorities.

With popularization of terminals, cloud services corresponding to terminals are developed continuously. By backing up data to a cloud server, a risk of data loss can be avoided effectively, thus bringing more conveniences to users. At present, a user may apply for only one account, and the cloud service can be used on a plurality of terminals, such that the data of different terminals can be backed up to the cloud server conveniently, thus it is unnecessary to apply for a plurality of accounts repeatedly.

Data backup method, electronic device, and storage medium

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media that utilize a neural network having a long short-term memory encoder-decoder architecture to progressively modify a digital image in accordance with a natural language request. For example, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems utilize a language-to-operation decoding cell of a language-to-operation neural network to sequentially determine one or more image-modification operations to perform to modify a digital image in accordance with a natural language request. In some cases, the decoding cell determines an image-modification operation to perform partly based on the previously used image-modification operations. The disclosed systems further utilize the decoding cell to determine one or more operation parameters for each selected image-modification operation. The disclosed systems utilize the image-modification operation(s) and operation parameter(s) to modify the digital image (e.g., by generating one or more modified digital images) via the decoding cell.

Recent years have seen significant advancement in hardware and software platforms for editing digital images. Indeed, as the use of digital images has become more ubiquitous in daily life (e.g., with the prevalence of image-capturing mobile devices and the popularity of social media), so have systems that implement various techniques for editing digital images. Many conventional systems have implemented streamlined techniques to improve the accessibility of image editing for those with little background knowledge or experience or for those who wish to make edits on mobile devices having small screens that would otherwise hinder the editing process. To illustrate, some conventional systems enable users to provide a vocalized request, and the systems can modify a digital image based on the request. Although conventional image editing systems offer such natural language-based editing, such systems are often inflexibly limited to certain image-editing contexts, utilize models that require large amounts of data and processing resources to train, and/or produce inaccurate results by generating modified digital images having undesirable artifacts.

Performing global image editing using editing operations determined from natural language requests


Lymphocyte activation antigen HB15, and the human cDNA and gene sequences encoding HB15, are disclosed. HB15 is not expressed at detectable levels by circulating leukocytes but has a unique pattern of expression among tissues. HB15 is uniquely expressed by Langerhans cells within the skin and other subpopulations of dendritic cells. Also disclosed are antibodies reactive with HB15 and methods of using anti-HB15 antibodies, or other antagonists to HB15 function, to treat an immunological disorder, disease or syndrome.

Many of the cell-surface molecules which regulate immune responses contain conserved structural features similar to those found in immunoglobulin (Ig) . These molecules are encoded by genes that are presumed to have evolved from a common precursor and are therefore members of a large superfamily (Williams et al., Annu. Rev. Immunol 6:381-405 (1988)). Many of the Ig superfamily members are involved in cell-cell adhesion and signal transduction. While most members of this family contain multiple linearly-assembled Ig-like domains, several proteins have been identified that contain single Ig-like domains. Single Ig-like domain proteins that are known or assumed to be involved in cell-cell adhesion include: CD8.alpha. (Littman et al., Cell 40:237 (1985)), CD8.beta. (Johnson et al., Nature 323:74 (1986)), CD7 (Aruffo et al. , EMBO J. 6:3313 (1987)), Thy-1 (Williams et al., Science 216:696 (1982)), CD28 (Aruffo et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:8573 (1987)), CTLA-4 (Brunet et al., Nature 328:267 (1987)) and Po which is a structural protein of the peripheral myelin sheath (Lemke et al., Cell 40:501 (1985)). In addition, others associate with the antigen receptors of B and T lymphocytes forming multimeric signal-transducing complexes including; CD3 .gamma., .delta. and .epsilon. chains (Gold et al. , Nature 321:431-434 (1986) ; van den Elsen et al. . Nature 312:413-418 (1984)), B29 (Hermanson et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 85:6890 (1988)), and mB1 (Sakaguchi et al. , EMBO J. 7:3457-3464 (1988)).
Two single Ig-like domain containing proteins found on lymphocytes are preferentially associated with cellular activation and are known to be involved in mediating cell-cell interactions. CD28 is expressed much more on activated than nonactivated T and B lymphocytes (Turka et al., J. Immunol. 144:1646 (1990)), and CTLA-4 is expressed mostly, if not exclusively, by activated T and B lymphocytes (Brunet et al., Nature 328:267 (1987) ; Harper et al. , J. Immunol. 147:1037-1044 (1991)). The role of CD28 as a T cell receptor for the B7 molecule expressed by activated B cells has been recently identified (Linsley et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:5031-503 (1990); Freeman et al., J. Immunol. 143:2714-2722 (1989)), as has a similar role for CTLA-4 (Linsley et al., J. Exp. Med. 174:561-569 (1991)). As with CD28 and B7, most of the Ig-like domain-containing receptors interact with other members of the Ig superfamily present on other cells.

Lymphocyte activation antigen HB15, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily


The invention provides fixed-abrasive chemical-mechanical polishing processes which are effective in rapidly reducing thickness of oxide layers, especially siliceous oxides. The processes of the invention are preferably characterized by at least one step involving simultaneous use of a fixed-abrasive polishing element and an aqueous liquid medium containing an abrasive. Where the original oxide layer has topographic variation, the thickness reduction technique of the invention may be preceeded by topography reduction step using a fixed-abrasive and an aqueous medium containing a polyelectrolyte for at least a portion of the polishing process involving reduction in the amount of topographic variation (height differential) across the oxide layer on the substrate.

While a variety of materials configurations exist in integrate circuit structures, a common element for many integrated circuit structures is the dielectric-filled isolation trench. Isolation trenches are widely used to allow the compact arrangement of electrically active components making up the integrated circuit(s) without adverse effects on electrical operability.
When isolation trench structures are formed in a substrate (e.g., by etching), variation in trench depth often occurs between the various trenches formed on the same substrate level on different parts of the wafer. Typically, the variation may be on the order of about 10% of the intended trench depth. To ensure that all the trenches (across the entire wafer) are completely filled with dielectric isolation material, it is typically necessary to deposit sufficient dielectric material to account for the non-uniformity of trench depth.
The necessity to account for variation in trench depth results in an overfill of the shallower trenches and a fairly thick deposit over the wafer surface. Additionally, the dielectric material (typically an oxide) deposited to fill the trenches is typically conformal to some extent. Thus, the local step topography (step height) of the trenches is reflected at least to some extent in the upper surface of the dielectric deposited to fill the trenches. Large step height is normally encountered in combination with a high xe2x80x9cwithinxe2x80x9d wafer (overfill) thickness. The deeper (or higher aspect ratio) the trench to be filled, the greater the step height in the dielectric filling layer and the more overfill is required to ensure complete filling of the trench structures across the wafer.
Another use of dielectric oxides, such as silicon oxides formed by reacting tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and oxygen or ozone, is for so-called interlevel dielectric (ILD), e.g., between metal interconnects of aluminum/copper or tungsten typically for back end of the line (BEOL) wiring. A general discussion of interlevel dielectrics can be found in xe2x80x9cFundamentals of Semiconductor Processing Technologyxe2x80x9d by El-Kareh, Kluwer Academic Publishers, (1995), pages 565-571, which discussion is incorporated herein by reference. Silicon oxide layers and other insulators obtained by other processes may also be used as interlevel dielectrics. For example, other widely used materials for such purposes are boron and/or phosphorous doped silicate glasses.
Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) to remove dielectric materials has been widely used to improve the quality and manufacturability of integrated circuit device structures. Generally, the objective in polishing is to remove the deposited dielectric material across the wafer so it remains only within the trenches (or between conductive features, e.g., metal lines) and presents a planar surface for subsequent processing.
Often, a reactive ion etching process (to reduce step height and/or overall thickness in the deposited dielectric material) is required in combination with a conventional slurry chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process in order to obtain proper planarization. Reactive ion etch processes are not desirable from the point of cost and/or process control.
Conventional fixed-abrasive CMP (alkaline mediumxe2x80x94pH=10.5-12xe2x80x94using a fixed-abrasive) is generally selective to step height (i.e., capable of reducing step height differential), but where the overfill is substantial, fixed-abrasive CMP is not capable of performing the necessary material removal which results in a non-planar final surface. This deficiency limits use of fixed-abrasive CMP processes to structures with small (e.g., less than 200 xc3x85) variation in trench depth or oxide overfill.
Recent improvements to fixed abrasive CMP processes disclosed in U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 09/469,922, filed Dec. 22, 1999, now U.S. Pat No. 6,294,470 and 09/702,311, filed Oct. 31, 2000, have improved the ability to planarize structures with more substantial topography, however, once topography removal has been achieved, the reduction of the planarized layer thickness (e.g., to reach an underlying etch stop layer) can become a very slow process. This problem is especially apparent for highly overfilled structures.
It would be undesirable to perform the topography reduction and thickness reduction in separate tools. Thus, there is a need for improved fixed abrasive polishing processes which are capable of more rapidly reducing the thickness of subtantially planarized oxide layers to produce a substantially planar surface while avoiding the need for RIE etch back processing or other undesirable alternatives.
The invention provides fixed-abrasive chemical-mechanical polishing processes which are effective in reducing the thickness of oxide layers, especially siliceous oxides, and more especially substantially planar oxide layers. The invention also provides fixed-abrasive chemical-mechanical polishing processes which are capable of planarizing oxide materials with even where the starting oxide layer has significant topographical variation and significant overfill. The processes of the invention are preferably characterized by a step involving simultaneous use of a fixed-abrasive polishing element and an aqueous liquid medium containing an abrasive for at least a portion of the polishing process involving reduction in thickness of an oxide layer on the substrate.
In one aspect, the invention encompasses method of reducing thickness of an oxide layer on a substrate by fixed-abrasive chemical-mechanical polishing, the method comprising:
a) providing a substrate having an oxide layer on a first surface,
b) providing an aqueous liquid medium containing a first abrasive component,
c) contacting the oxide layer of the substrate with the aqueous liquid medium and with a polishing member, the polishing member containing a fixed-abrasive component therein, and
d) maintaining the contact of step c) while providing movement between the substrate and polishing member, whereby the oxide layer becomes reduced in thickness.
The oxide layer to be polished in step a) is preferably substantially planar. The oxide is preferably a dielectric material, more preferably silica or boron phosphosilicate glass (BPSG). Preferably, step d) is conducted until an underlayer is revealed to a desired extent.
In another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of polishing an oxide layer on a substrate by fixed-abrasive chemical-mechanical polishing, the method comprising:
a) providing a substrate having an oxide layer on a first surface, the oxide layer having (i) an overfill thickness across substantially all of the layer, and (ii) portions above the overfill thickness which have a height differential relative to each other, the thickness and height being measured from a reference plane parallel with a principal plane of the substrate,
b) providing a first aqueous liquid medium containing a polyelectrolyte,
c) contacting the oxide layer with the first aqueous liquid medium and with a polishing member, the polishing member containing a fixed-abrasive component therein,
d) maintaining the contact of step c) while providing movement between the substrate and polishing member, whereby the height differential becomes reduced,
e) providing a second aqueous liquid medium containing a first abrasive component,
f) contacting the oxide layer from step d) with the second aqueous liquid medium and with the polishing member, and
g) maintaining the contact of step f) while providing movement between the substrate and polishing member, whereby the overfill thickness is reduced.
Preferably, the first aqueous medium is substantially abrasive-free. If desired, the height differential reduction steps could be replaced with an alternative method for reducing height differential.
These and other aspects of the invention are described in further detail below.

Method to increase removal rate of oxide using fixed-abrasive

International Business Machines Corporation


A bioprocessing mixing vessel comprising a closed container comprising a rotatable impeller comprising a hub having extending arms, each arm comprising upper and lower edges, hub and terminal ends, arm outer and inner faces, and a length from the hub end to the terminal end, the terminal end further comprises a protrusion extending from the lower edge, the protrusion comprising first and second ends, protrusion outer and inner faces, and having a distance between the first and second ends, the protrusion outer face forming an angle in the range of from at least about 45° to about 90° with respect to the arm outer face, wherein the distance between the first and the second ends of the protrusion is about 25% to about 60% of the length from the hub end to the terminal end; and methods of using the mixing vessel, are provided.

The preparation of fluids, particularly solutions and suspensions in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, typically involves thorough mixing to provide the desired distribution of ingredients in the product. Many mixing operations are carried out in stainless steel vessels with a mixing impeller mounted near the base of the vessel, and the impeller can be operated as fluid is drained from the bottom of the vessel.
However, there is a need for improved impellers and mixing vessels including impellers.
The present invention provides for ameliorating at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art. These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description as set forth below.


A wireless device, and corresponding method, having a receiver configured to receive a signal having in-phase and quadrature components; a non-linear filter demodulator configured to translate noncoherently the in-phase and quadrature components into a phase domain signal; a coherence acquisition unit configured to estimate and correct at least one coherence parameter based on the in-phase and quadrature components and the phase domain signal; and a detector configured to detect information in the phase domain signal.

Low-power wireless sensor and actor networks (LP-WSAN) standards require low power and a simplified protocol. FIG. 4 illustrates a low-power wireless sensor and actor network 400 having a sensor 410 and an actor 420. The sensors are multifunctional devices that communicate untethered in short distances. The actors are resource-rich devices with higher processing and transmission capabilities, and collect and process sensor information and perform actions based on the information gathered.
The low power and simplified protocol requirements of LP-WSANs compromise performance, such as in packet error rate (PER). In the Bluetooth low energy (BT-LE) standard, for example, if there is one packet error, there are two additional packets transmitted—one packet informing that the previously sent packet was not received correctly, and another packet to repeat the operation. The result is an increased average energy per effectively communicated bit.
Many LP-WSANs are based on continuous phase modulation (CPM). CPM is a method for modulation of information where, in contrast to other phase modulation techniques in which the carrier phase abruptly resets to zero at the start of every symbol, the carrier phase is modulated continuously. In order for a CPM receiver to have a low PER, it requires perfect knowledge of modulation parameters. However, because of the laxity when constructing the receiver, the modulating parameters of peer transmitting devices are unknown, and moreover, vary between devices. This complicates construction of a coherent detector, which exploits knowledge of the carrier's phase and maximizes BER (bit error rate)/PER performance.
The optimal detection scheme for CPM to maximize performance is Maximum Likelihood Sequence Detection (MLSD). MLSD is a mathematical algorithm for optimally extracting useful information out of the CPM noisy received CPM signal. MLSD is only optimal if, and only if, the noise added to the received CPM signal is white and Gaussian. The complexity of implementing MLSD for CPM signals stems from its structure depending on the modulation index of the received signal. The modulation index determines the topology of the detection scheme, that is, the trellis structure, and can increase the number of states in the trellis exponentially. Moreover, estimation and equalization of the modulation index is nonlinear, making an MLSD implementation with variable modulation index capability not feasible.

Maximum likelihood sequence detection in the phase domain


The present invention relates to a multifunctional lighting apparatus for a bicycle, which includes: a lighting apparatus ascending/descending support unit detachably mounted on a steering unit of a bicycle; an ascending/descending movement body part vertically movably located in the lighting apparatus ascending/descending support unit; and a main lighting lamp unit located in the ascending/descending movement body part and irradiating light, and as a result, a lighting lamp unit can be located at a position desired by a driver by adjusting a height of the lighting lamp unit, thereby enhancing both satisfaction and safety in use.

In general, bicycles are used as a movement means on or a transportation means, as well as are used a lot as an economical and efficient exercise means.
In recent years, while the well-being boom with the unique age is a trend that the population using bicycles at night, as well as the daytime, the trend is rapidly increasing, and thus overflowing with various auxiliary supplies to pursue practical and convenience in bicycle life with the need for the lighting apparatus of the bicycle, but in the utilization, the uncomfortable elements that need to be improved remain everywhere.
In conventional bicycles, a separate headlight required for a night-time operation should be provided and mounted on a bicycle handle. In the case of the conventional headlight, a conventional flashlight is mounted on the bicycle handle and used by means of various holding devices, but as a specification is different according to the type of handlebar and handles of a majority of high-end bicycles are formed in a tapping shape in which thicknesses of both center portions and outer portions are different, there are a problem of removal such as occurrence of a clearance during driving and a problem that a position or direction of the headlight is not fixed as intended and there is a limit even in attachment of multiple bicycle convenience equipment, and as a result, there is a problem that various convenience requirements of a driver cannot be satisfied.
As prior art related to the present invention, Korean Patent Registration No. 1032885 'Bicycle Lighting Apparatus' is proposed.
Korean Patent Registration No. 1032885 'Bicycle Lighting Apparatus' has a problem that due to a feature that since light emitted by an LED module is reflected at specific angles through a plurality of reflection surfaces, respectively, efficiency of light and visibility securing are enhanced, the bicycle light apparatus has only a function to light up a road during night-time driving.
Further, Korean Patent Registration No. 1032885 'Bicycle Lighting Apparatus' has a problem that since the lighting apparatus is fixed to the handle bar of the bicycle by a fixing equipment, height control is impossible, and as a result, a lighting position is limited.

Multi-functional lighting device integrated with bicycle


A lamp mount assembly (9) includes: a centrally located glass stem (10) having a convex surface; upper and lower banding straps (11, 13) circumferentially encompassing, and crimped to, the centrally located glass stem (10), the banding straps (11, 13) each further comprising oppositely disposed crimp portions, a first of the crimp portions being an interlocking crimp portion (12a, 12b) and a second of the crimp portions being a solid crimp portion (13a), the interlocking crimp portion of the upper banding strap (11) overlying the solid crimp portion (13a) of the lower banding strap (13); and a pair of mount frames (14) disposed about the centrally located glass stem (10), the banding straps (11, 13) holding the mounting frames (14) in place about the glass stem (10), the mounting frames (14) having a coined, concave surface substantially matching the convex surface of the glass stem (10). The banding straps including oppositely disposed crimp portions, of the present invention, reduces breakage of the glass stem.

In the manufacture of metalarc lamps, it is necessary to properly orient and strap mount frames about a glass stem of the lamp. This banding procedure places a metal strap over the mount frames and the glass stem, thus holding the mount frames, with proper orientation, about the glass stem.
The original fabrication procedure hand-crimped the metal strap, resulting in a labor-intensive method. The strap was clinched at a single point about the glass stem and mount frames. In addition to being labor-intensive, this method was ineffective; the proper alignment of the frames about the glass stem was not always achieved. Another problem common to this earlier procedure was maintaining a small, compact configuration of the band around the glass stem, so that subsequent manufacturing processes could be accommodated. A further problem with the aforesaid procedure was its inability to maintain proper stem tolerances and hand crimping pressure. Stem breakage was a fairly common occurrence. Needless to say, the hand clinching of the strap about the lamp frames and glass stem was both costly and inefficient.
The present inventors have developed a new banding procedure that can be used for automatically crimping a new metalarc lamp mount assembly. The metal straps holding the mount frames about the glass stem comprises two banding pieces. The straps provide for proper alignment and radial orientation of the frames. The proper alignment results in part from a pair of pressure-relieving interlocks that are each clinched at opposite pole centers of the strap. The interlocks each comprise a fold-over configuration. Each interlocking portion of the strap allows for material to be pulled back from the fold-over configuration as it is being crimped. The pull-back of the material releases tension along the strap during crimping. The variability in glass stem diameters among lamp units is no longer a factor in banding strap tension. Thus, stem breakage is now substantially eliminated.
The crimps that are formed are very compact. The interlocking portions are physically as close as possible to the glass stem. This compactness resolves the inability of the prior hand procedure to control the final sub-assembly envelope diameter. In other words, the present inventive banding straps provide a more compact and uniform product.

Lamp mounting assembly with banding straps