A vehicular headlamp has a reflector which is so optically designed as to provide, by reflecting light from a light source, a basic beam pattern of approximately semicircular shape wholly disposed below the horizon, with a top edge cutoff extending horizontally. A front lens is stepped to produce a lower beam pattern by raising part of the basic beam pattern and by horizontally expanding the rest of the basic beam pattern. The top edge cutoff of the lower beam pattern is as clearcut as that of the basic beam pattern. Either of two different lower beam patterns required for vehicles keeping to the right and for those keeping to the left is producible merely by changing the optical design of the front lens.

This invention relates to electric lamps in general and, in particular, to a headlamp for motor vehicles designed to provide a lower beam pattern of clearcut outline.
A long familiar construction of vehicle headlamps was such that an electric bulb was disposed in from of a paraboloidal reflector, with the coiled filament of the bulb positioned approximately at the focus of the reflector and with the filament axis in alignment with the optical axis of the reflector. The front lens of the lamp was stepped to diverge the reflected beam, which was itself of circular cross section, generally horizontally, and to raise part of the reflected beam up to the horizon.
The lower beam pattern produced by this conventional method is unsatisfactory in the clarity of the delineation of its outline. The top edge cutoff of the beam pattern is particularly objectionable. Since the horizontally elongate lower beam pattern was produced by diverging the reflected beam of circular cross section, the top edgee cutoff of the resulting beam was not so well defined as could be desired. The light left unshaded above the top edge cutoff represents a source of glare which can to dazzle the drivers of other vehicles and so must be reduced to an absolute minimum.

Vehicle headlamp construction for a well defined lower beam pattern


Programmable logical blocks (3a to 3c) selected from a block library including information of a plurality of types of programmable logical blocks are disposed in a core region of a semiconductor integrated circuit (100). The degree of freedom of designing a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and the degree of integration are increased. A logic LSI is permitted to have redundancy to flexibly cope with design changes. This affords reduction in develop period and develop costs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit including programmable logical blocks.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently electronic circuit devices have progressed rapidly, and a tendency to develop high-performance and high-function devices for short periods of time has accelerated. A need exists for integrated circuit devices which are a key to the short-term development of electronic circuit devices having high performance and function. Based on such background, a semiconductor integrated circuit has been put to practical use which is known as a field programmable gate array (hereinafter referred to as an "FPGA") capable of achieving various functions by means of programs.
FIG. 31 is an arrangement diagram of the an exemplary FPGA of prior art. A semiconductor integrated circuit 1 comprises: I/O buffers 2 around the periphery of the chip; programmable logical blocks 300 in a core region surrounded by the I/O buffers 2; wires 4 for interconnecting the I/O buffers 2 and the programmable logical blocks 300; and switch matrices 5 for controlling the connection of the wires 4.
In the programmable logical blocks 300, a plurality of limited logical functions are arranged, and one of the logical functions is selectively achieved by a control signal applied from the exterior of the semiconductor integrated circuit 1. The switch matrices 5 are controlled by a program applied from the exterior of the semiconductor integrated circuit 1, whereby desired functions of the whole semiconductor integrated circuit 1 are provided.
With the semiconductor integrated circuit 1 that is the conventional FPGA constructed as described above, its achievable functions are restricted by the logical functions arranged in the programmable logical blocks 300 and by the wires connectable with the switch matrices 5. On the other hand, the logical functions arranged in the programmable logical block 300 are previously limited when fabricated. An attempt to reduce the restrictions on the functions achievable in the semiconductor integrated circuit 1 causes a large number of redundant portions included in the programmable logical blocks 300. Such redundancy is generated also in the wires 4 and switch matrices 5, resulting in substantial reduction in the degree of integration of the semiconductor integrated circuit 1.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and method of designing same


Method for determining the presence of a malady in a patient by measuring the degree of reaction of individual types of white blood cells (basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes) in the patient's blood. The degree of reaction of each type of white blood cells is determined by comparing the volumetric size distributions of the types of white blood cells before and after exposure to suspected reactants. Positive results of a change in the volumetric size distribution of the individual types of white blood cells in response to exposure to a specific reactant indicates the presence of a specific malady, such as an allergic reaction to the suspected reactant.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to the field of in vitro blood testing and, more particularly, to in vitro blood testing for determining the presence of a reaction in a patient's blood which would indicate whether the patient has a malady, such as an allergy, adverse reactions, sensitivity etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Blood tests for diagnosing whether a patient is suffering from any of a variety of maladies have been around for many years. For example, cytotoxic testing and scratch testing have been used to determine whether an individual is sensitive to suspected allergens. These tests had many drawbacks. In vivo tests, such as scratch testing, involved exposing living subjects to potentially hazardous allergens. Known in vitro diagnostic testing could also be unreliable and inconsistently reproducible.
Beginning in the 1980's, the inventor herein began to develop more consistently repeatable methods for in vitro testing for food sensitivities and other maladies whose presence could be indicated by reactions with blood cells. For example, the inventor's own prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,614,722; 4,788,155; 5,147,785; 6,114,174; and 6,200,815, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference as though set forth in full, disclose various methods of in vitro diagnostic blood tests.
Generally speaking, these patents are directed to methods and apparatus for detecting, measuring and evaluating responses of a patient's blood cells to exposure to potential reactants, such as suspected allergens, or other substances which could cause immune and/or none immune reactions. The inventor's prior work was based on his determination that blood cells (usually white blood cells, "wbcs", but also red blood cells, "rbcs", or platelets) react when in the presence of certain reactants. For example, when an individual is allergic to a particular food, if that individual's blood is exposed to that food, the blood reacts as though invaded by an infection—the blood cells may expand, release histamines, engulf the reactant or otherwise change size, including completely lysing, i.e., releasing of the cell's contents. By measuring the degree of size changes of the white blood cells, the nature and degree of reaction can be determined. The inventor's prior methods involved taking a sample of the patient's blood, and separating it into equal alequats of samples. One sample is not exposed to the potential reactants, or allergens, and that sample is used as a control sample. The other samples are exposed to differing potential reactants, or groups of reactants, and the cell counts of the control and test samples are compared to see if the test samples have different size distributions of blood cells than does the control sample.
But there are problems associated with the inventor's prior tests.
First, the blood cells that are the most sensitive to these type of reactions are the white blood cells. As described in the inventor's earlier work, and as is widely known, white blood cells and red blood cells are generally the same size, and red blood cells vastly outnumber white blood cells (by a multiple on the order of 500:1), so that attempts to measure reactions solely of the white blood cells in the presence of red blood cells is virtually impossible. The overwhelming number of red blood cells compared to white blood cells obscures any attempt to count white blood cells alone.
This problem is addressed in the inventor's prior work by lysing, i.e., destroying, the red blood cells by introducing a lysing agent into a sample of the patient's blood. After the red blood cells are lysed, the white blood cells may be counted. This leads to a different problem, however, since the same lysing agent that lyses red blood cells usually lyses white blood cells, as well, albeit more slowly.
Second, the inventor has now determined that different types of white blood cells exhibit different reactions to reactants, and that measuring the direction and degree of reactions of different types of white bloods may provide better information to permit more precise diagnoses for the patient. In prior testing, this pattern was not recognized, so that an increase in one type of white blood cell (e.g., monocytes) could mask a decrease in another type of white blood cell (e.g., eosinophils), so that the overall measurement could indicate no change in the overall size or distribution of white blood cells, while there were actually two different and complementary reactions, resulting in a false negative.


An automotive steering system includes a movable bracket attached to a stationary bracket via a connecting mechanism so as to move back and forth in an axial direction of a steering shaft, a steering column attached to the movable bracket and the steering shaft rotatably attached to the steering column. The positions of the steering shaft and a steering wheel are adjustable in the axial direction. The connecting mechanism includes a pair of flat pin guide surfaces extending in the axial direction and a connecting pin adapted to be inserted between the pair of pin guide surfaces. The pair of pin guide surfaces are provided at a transverse center of the movable bracket, whereas the connecting pin is provided on the stationary bracket and extends through the flat pin guide surfaces. The connecting pin is guided by the pair of pin guide surfaces to relatively move in the axial direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive steering system, and more particularly to an improved steering shaft attaching construction.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with a view to allowing the driver to operate the steering wheel in an eased posture, a number of automotive steering systems have been in use in which the position of the steering wheel can freely be changed. In the automotive steering systems of this type, the position of the steering wheel can optionally be changed according to builds of individual drivers, and known is, for example, a "steering wheel position adjusting apparatus" disclosed in JP-A-2000-16306 (hereinafter, referred to as a "related art (1)")
As illustrated in FIGS. 8A to 9, the related art (1) relates to an automotive steering system constructed as follows: A stationary bracket 101 is attached to a body of a vehicle. A movable bracket 102 having a downwardly faced U shape when viewed from the back is attached to the stationary bracket 101 so as to be interposed between a pair of left and right support side plates 101a, 101a of the stationary bracket 101 in such a manner as to move back and forth in axial directions of a shaft member 110a (corresponding to a steering shaft). Further, a steering column 110 is attached to the movable bracket 102, and the shaft member 110a is rotatably attached to the steering column 110. With this structure, the positions of the shaft member 110a and a steering wheel 115 provided on the shaft member 110a can be adjusted in the axial directions of the shaft member 110a.
A specific attaching construction of the movable bracket 102 to the stationary bracket 101 is as follows. Vertically elongate holes 104, 104 extending vertically are formed in the pair of left and right support side plates 101a, 101a of the stationary bracket 101. Horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 extending in the axial direction of the shaft member 110a are formed in a pair of left and right movable support side plates 102b, 102b of the movable bracket 102. Passing a fastening shaft 105 through these horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 and the vertically elongate holes 104, 104 can allow the movable bracket 102 to be attached to the stationary bracket 101 in such a manner as to move back and forth in the axial directions of the shaft member 110a.
According to the related art (1), the horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 formed in the movable bracket 102 can be displaced in the axial directions of the shaft member 110a relative to the fastening shaft 105 provided on the stationary bracket 101. This allows the movable bracket 102 to slide in the axial directions of the shaft member 110a.
However, the steering system disclosed in the related art (1) is constructed such that the fastening shaft 105 is fitted in the pair of left and right horizontally elongate holes 103, 103. The center of the left horizontally elongate hole 103 needs to match the center of the right horizontally elongate hole 103, and the width of the left horizontally elongate hole 103 needs to mach the width of the right horizontally elongate hole 103. Unless the required matching is attained, looseness and prizing are generated between the respective horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 and the fastening shaft 105. In this situation, it is not possible to obtain a smooth adjustment operating feeling when the position of the steering wheel 115 is adjusted. In order to attain the smooth adjustment of the steering wheel position, the dimensions of the left and right horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 need to be properly managed with respect to the center positions and widths thereof, thus increasing man hours for such management.
Furthermore, the thickness of the movable support side plates 102b, 102b is relatively small in which the horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 are formed. Since the movable support side plates 102b, 102b are thin, the contact area between the horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 and the fastening shaft 105 when fitted therein becomes small. As a result of this, since the surface pressure becomes relatively large, a certain consideration needs to be taken against wear.
In addition, the horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 are formed by press stamping, and therefore bars are generated thereon when the holes are so formed. Consequently, a certain consideration also needs to be taken not to produce a bad operation feeling due to prizing that would be generated when the fastening shaft 105 is caused to slide within the horizontally elongate holes 103, 103 in implementing a required adjustment.
In order to solve the above problems, a technology disclosed in JP-A-2000-16303 entitled a "steering system" (hereinafter, referred to as a "related art (2)") may be adopted.
As is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 in the unexamined patent publication, according to the related art (2), a column side bracket 173 having a downwardly faced U shape when viewed from the back is slidably fitted in a body side bracket 172 having a downwardly faced U shape when viewed from the back. Elongate holes 173a, 173b are formed in a pair of left and right side plates of the column side bracket 173, so that frame-like resin sheets 191, 192 are fitted in the elongate holes 173a, 173b, and a bolt 181 on the body side bracket 172 is passed through respective elongate holes in the resin sheets 191, 192.
According to the construction of the related art (2), even if a slight positional and/or dimensional error is generated with respect to the left and right elongate holes 173a, 173b, looseness and prizing that would occur between the bolt 181 and the elongate holes 173a, 173b can be absorbed to some extent.
In the related art (2), however, since components such as the resin sheets 191, 192 and bushes 183, 184 are used, the number of components has to be increased. In the event that the related art (2) so constructed is simply adopted to the related art (1), the construction of an automotive steering system resulting therefrom becomes complicated, and the number of components is increased, which results in an increase in costs. Thus, the simple incorporation of the related art (2) in the related art (1) is not totally advantageous.


The present disclosure proposes a method of fabricating a color filter. The method includes: forming a permeable film on a glass substrate and drying the permeable film; and covering a black mask with a first hollow area, a red mask with a second hollow area, a green mask with a third hollow area, and a blue mask with a fourth hollow area on the dried permeable film successively, and only one of the four masks being covered each time; putting the permeable film covered by the masks into a particle solution corresponding to a respective color successively for forming the color filter comprising a black shielding area, a red area, a green area, and a blue area. The color filter is fabricated in a simpler manufacturing process. The thickness of the black shielding area of the color filter is accordance to the thickness of the RGB primary color area.

A color filter is a crucial component for some devices such as an LCD, which is capable of showing colorful images. The color filter is an optical filter, which is used to show colors. The color filter exactly filters a desired small wave range of optical waves and reflects or absorbs undesired wave ranges of optical waves. A conventional color filter comprises a black shielding area and a red, green, and blue (RGB) area (i.e., a primary color area). The black shielding area is used for blocking light off. The RGB primary color area comprises a red area, a green area, and a blue area. Every three areas form a pixel. One or more than one of the three areas is/are selected to display the colors of the area through light so that the three areas can be mixed to form the corresponding colors. Usually, the process of fabricating the conventional color filter is as follows: photoresist coating→pre-baking→exposing→developing→post-baking. Based on the process, the black shielding area and the RGB primary color area are successively formed. This process is more sophisticated and spends more time. Besides, the RGB primary color area is thicker than the black shielding area for the color filter fabricated based on the process, which may cause a problem that the color filter and other layers in the LCD panel are disharmonious in the subsequent process of lamination.

Method of fabricating color filter, color filter, display panel, and display

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


A no-sepsis urinary catheter, comprising three lumens, each in fluid communication with a drainage tip for receiving urine from the bladder, a retention balloon for retaining the catheter within the bladder, and a microporous bacteriostasis balloon for the diffusion by osmosis of a pharmaceutical agent for the killing and prevention of bacteria growth within and around the bladder to preclude the development of sepsis therein.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a no-sepsis urinary drainage catheter, and more particularly, to a urinary drainage catheter having a drug delivery system comprising a microporous bacteriostatic barrier that diffuses a bacteriostatic fluid into the bladder by osmosis to effectively reduce the risk of sepsis in the bladder caused by the conventional Foley catheter.
2. Description of the Background Art
A urinary drainage catheter, such as the Foley catheter, is a hollow, tubular device commonly used in the medical profession for insertion into a patient's bladder via the urethral tract to permit the drainage of urine. Use of a urinary catheter is necessary for patients that are undergoing surgery, orthopedically incapacitated, incontinent, or incapable of voluntary urination. An unfortunate problem with catheterization, however, is the development of sepsis as a result of bacterial invasion in the bladder and urinary tract by pyrogenic organisms. Sepsis is potentially lethal and most prevalent in the elderly, where urinary tract and bladder infections become systemic very easily, especially if hygiene is poor and hydration of tissue is deficient. The risk of sepsis increases with the employment of urinary drainage catheters, wherein norma flora bacteria from feces or skin easily ascend into the bladder around the inserted catheter. In addition, residual urine in stasis around the retention balloon provide a culture medium at warm body temperatures that facilitate the growth of bacteria. Consequently, the bacteria is able to accumulate, multiply and become pathogenic in the bladder, eventually circulating into the kidneys and throughout the system, resulting in sepsis of the system. Because of this propensity to produce infection in the patient, medical practitioners often refuse to extend the use of catheters, despite their usefulness. Accordingly, physicians are plagued by the risk associated with catheter use, but they have yet to see a breakthrough.
Although attempts have been made to improve the catheter design, these efforts have been geared towards increasing patient comfort and finding new applications, such as treating prostrate diseases. For instance, a catheter having a lubricated outer sleeve, as disclosed by Conway in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,379, utilizes a catheter having a single lumen enclosed by a sleeve which together form an elongated lubricated cavity therebetween such that the sleeve may slide along the outer surface of the lumen to move independently with respect to the lumen. This independent movement of the sleeve relative to the lumen represents the object of the invention wherein it is intended to prevent irritation and chafing of tissue in the body portion passageways when a patient moves.
A drug delivery catheter, disclosed by Kalb in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,897, incorporates a three lumen catheter for draining fluid from the bladder and treating the prostrate gland. The Kalb catheter incorporates a porous membrane which lies adjacent the prostatic ducts so that medication may be transmitted along the lumen into a space between the catheter and a porous membrane for treatment of the prostrate. A path, however, is still created upon chamber insertion allowing the ascension of bacteria into and around the bladder. Thus, Kalb teaches a catheter that treats the male prostrate but continues to carry with it the risk of sepsis found with conventional catheters.
Accordingly, a need exists for a catheter that is not only insusceptible to sepsis causing side affects but that prevents and treats the same in both males and females. The instant invention is intended to address those problems left unresolved by the prior art by providing a no-sepsis urinary drainage catheter which is easily adaptable to the current medical field.


Method and apparatus are described for accelerating a printer carriage motor for variable durations depending upon the available time between a lateral carriage stop and the first data to be printed in a given swath. The printer's controller is programmed to preview buffered print data, to determine for each print swath when the first printable matter will be printed and to cause the carriage motor to accelerate a variably greater length of time until such printable matter is to be printed. The controller causes the printhead to prim such printable matter in each swath at variably higher speeds representing the amount of time the motor was accelerated.

In conventional printers, the maximum speed of a carriage-mounted, reciprocating printhead has been fixed by the distance available for the printhead to accelerate from either lateral stop to the near edge of the virtual image that is printable. For example, if the printer provides 0.5 inch for the printhead to accelerate, and if the maximum acceleration provided by the carriage motor is 100 inches/second.sup.2, then the top speed attainable by the printhead is 10 inches/second (ips). In order to increase printhead speed--and thus printed matter throughput-the carriage motor could provide more torque and acceleration, or the printer could provide more widely spaced stops, and thus wider margins, from which the printhead may accelerate to a higher top speed, or both. Either would be costly; both might be prohibitive.

Variable-duration printer carriage motor acceleration method and apparatus


A device and method for composting comprise an assembly of stackable rectangular double walled plastic sub-units. Each sub-unit has four panels which are engaged in an interlocking relationship. Each sub-unit has a plurality of protrusions extending from its top edge, and protrusion-receiving recesses in its bottom edge for receiving the protrusions from an adjacent sub-unit. The composter has a lid with a peripheral ridge on its under side for securely fitting around the top edge protrusions of the uppermost sub-unit. The lid has two half-portions which are centrally attached in a hinged relationship so as to allow opening half of the lid while the other half remains closed.

Waste disposal is rapidly becoming one of our society's most critical problems. An environmentalist recently commented that the United States waste stream could be cut by 25% if people composted their food and yard wastes. D. Stipp, Wall Street Journal, Feb. 21, 1991, page B1. In addition to the significant advantages of waste recycling, composting provides gardens with an exceptionally rich nutritional source without substantial expense.
Composting is a biochemical process in which organic substances are reduced from large volumes of rapidly decomposable materials to smaller volumes of materials which continue to decompose slowly. In this process, the ratio of carbon to other elements is brought into balance, thus avoiding temporary immobilization of nutrients. One of the many benefits of adding compost to the soil is that the nutrients in it are slowly released to the soil and are then available for use by plants. Decomposition will take place in soil if undercomposed organic materials are added to it, but in the breakdown process nutrients will be tied up and unavailable for plants to use. This may result in nutrient deficiencies and poor growth, especially if large amounts of undercomposed matter is added.
Prior composting methods have involved simply piling organic materials over the earth and letting them stand for long periods of time until the materials were sufficiently decomposed to be ready for use. This method does not require special tools, and minimal time and effort is required to initiate and oversee the process. However, there are disadvantages: ground space is utilized for extended periods; some nutrients will leach away due to exposure to rainfall; and disease producing organisms, weed seeds and insects are not controlled.
Over the years, as the composting process has been studied and become better understood, the major objectives have been elucidated and given rise to various designs for compost containers ("composters").
Heat retention is an important composting requirement, heat being generated by the respiration of microorganisms as they break down the organic materials. Heat retention is enhanced when the compost is held within a container. Composter lids help to further the heat retention objective. However, many existing composter containers have too many vents or holes allowing heat to escape and negating any substantial significant insulation effects resulting from the container. Prior compost manufacturers have tried to accomplish heat retention by lining the composter with an insulating material. However, the insulator must be non-biodegradable and must allow some aeration from the outside. Even if such materials are available, they add manufacturing complications and increase material costs.
Another important requirement for effective composting is frequent mixing. Because of heat transfer limitations, the center of the compost pile can become extremely hot. If it gets too hot, the microorganisms responsible for the decomposition process will die, the pile will cool, and the whole process will have to start over. Frequent turning and mixing of the pile helps to prevent the overheating problem. Additionally, since the temperature in an unturned compost will be uneven, i.e. hotter toward the middle of the pile, composting rates will vary throughout the pile. Due to heat loss around the margins, only the central portion of the pile is at the optimum temperature. The pile should be turned so that material which is on the outside is moved to the center. In this way, all the material will reach optimum temperatures at various times.
Compost mixing helps to achieve the objective of aeration, which is necessary for effective composting. The objective of aerating the compost competes with the objective of heat containment. If too much non-porous insulation is put around the compost pile to retain heat, it will prevent aeration and suffocate the composting process. On the other hand, if too much external air access is provided, the retained heat will readily escape. Most prior composters suffer from one of these two problems. Nevertheless, composters require some mixing in order to adequately aerate the inner portions of the compost.
Many prior composters are not designed to allow efficient mixing. One attempt to solve this problem involves providing a door or slat on the side of the compost container. However, this design only facilitates mixing of the compost which is adjacent to the opening. Another approach has been to put the compost in a bin which is equipped with a mechanical apparatus for rolling or rotating the bin. While this approach can yield good composting results, it requires extra mechanical parts which complicates production and maintenance.
While general composting goals have been understood in the art, no single compost design has been available prior to the present invention, which simultaneously addresses and adequately solves each of the design considerations of heat containment, mixing flexibility and aeration.


A hardware interface in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The hardware interface comprises data storage coupled to store and provide data; a data shifter coupled to the data storage to at least bit shift the data obtained from the data storage; and a control circuit coupled to the data storage and the data shifter for controlling a transfer of the data from the data storage and the data shifter. The control circuit comprises a state machine for controlling operation of the data storage and the data shifter; and the state machine is programmable responsive to code executable by a processor coupled to an auxiliary processing unit to adapt to the auxiliary processing unit.

Programmable logic devices ("PLDs") are a well-known type of integrated circuit that can be programmed to perform specified logic functions. One type of PLD, the field programmable gate array ("FPGA"), typically includes an array of programmable tiles. These programmable tiles can include, for example, input/output blocks ("IOBs"), configurable logic blocks ("CLBs"), dedicated random access memory blocks ("BRAMs"), multipliers, digital signal processing blocks ("DSPs"), processors, clock managers, delay lock loops ("DLLs"), and so forth. Notably, as used herein, "include" and "including" mean including without limitation.
One such FPGA is the Xilinx Virtex® FPGA available from Xilinx, Inc., 2100 Logic Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95124. Another type of PLD is the Complex Programmable Logic Device ("CPLD"). A CPLD includes two or more "function blocks" connected together and to input/output ("I/O") resources by an interconnect switch matrix. Each function block of the CPLD includes a two-level AND/OR structure similar to those used in Programmable Logic Arrays ("PLAs") and Programmable Array Logic ("PAL") devices. Other PLDs are programmed by applying a processing layer, such as a metal layer, that programmably interconnects the various elements on the device. These PLDs are known as mask programmable devices. PLDs can also be implemented in other ways, for example, using fuse or antifuse technology. The terms "PLD" and "programmable logic device" include but are not limited to these exemplary devices, as well as encompassing devices that are only partially programmable.
For purposes of clarity, FPGAs are described below though other types of PLDs may be used. FPGAs may include one or more embedded microprocessors. For example, a microprocessor may be located in an area reserved for it, generally referred to as a "processor block."
A more recent addition to FPGA architecture is the inclusion of an Auxiliary Processor Unit ("APU"). The APU provides a high-bandwidth interface between programmable logic of an FPGA and an embedded processor of the FPGA. Although, an APU is generally intended for coupling a co-processor to the embedded processor, it may be used for other applications.
In the APU provided in Virtex-4 FPGAs available from Xilinx, Inc. of San Jose, Calif., information may be read from or written to cache memory via an embedded processor and the APU of the FPGA. All types of information, such as addresses, data, instructions, control signals, and the like, are referred to hereinafter as data for purposes of clarity and not limitation. In an example, cache memory may be read a wordline at a time where each wordline is 128 bits long, namely a quadword at a time where each word is 32 bits long. However, there may be situations where data to be obtained from cache memory is not quadword-aligned.
A limitation of the APU interface is that high-bandwidth operation generally requires data to be quadword-aligned. Thus, the APU may indicate that a high-bandwidth operation is invalid if data is not quadword-aligned, or the APU may transfer the data from an incorrect location in memory. However, using embedded processor instructions to pre-align data consumes embedded processor cycles and complicates instruction programming.

Hardware interface in an integrated circuit


An as-cast gamma titanium-aluminide alloy, typically having a composition of from about 45.0 to about 48.5 atomic percent aluminum, is pre-HIP heat treated at a temperature of from about 1900.degree. F. to about 2100.degree. F. for a time of from about 50 to about 5 hours. The gamma titanium-aluminide alloy is thereafter hot isostatically pressed at a temperature of about 2200.degree. F. Hot isostatic pressing is preferably followed by a further heat treatment at a temperature of about 1850.degree.-2200.degree. F.

This invention relates to the thermal processing of metallurgical alloys, and, more particularly, to the heat treating of gamma titanlum-aluminide alloys.
Titanium aluminides are a class of alloys whose compositions include at least titanium and aluminum, and typically some additional alloying elements such as chromium, niobium, vanadium, tantalum, manganese, or boron. The gamma titanium aluminides are based on the gamma phase field found at nearly the equiatomic composition, with roughly 50 atomic percent each of titanium and aluminum, or a slightly reduced aluminum content to permit the use of other alloying elements. The titanium aluminides, and particularly the gamma titanlum-aluminide alloys, have the advantages of low density, good low and Intermediate temperature strength and cyclic deformation resistance, and good environmental resistance.
Gamma titanium aluminides have application In aircraft engines. They can potentially be used in applications such as low-pressure turbine blades and vanes, bearing supports, compressor casings, high pressure and low pressure hangars, frames, and low pressure turbine brush seal supports.
One area of continuing concern in the titanium aluminides, and particularly the gamma titanium aluminides, is their low-to-moderate levels of ductility. Ductility is the measure of how much a material can elongate before it fails, and is linked to other properties such as fracture resistance. The gamma titanium-aluminide alloys typically elongate at most only 1-4 percent prior to failure, and have a steeply rising stress-strain curve. Maintaining the strength and resistance of the material to premature failure is therefore highly dependent upon controlling the alloy ductility.
Gamma titanium aluminides are typically prepared by melting, casting, hot isostatic pressing to reduce the porosity resulting from the casting, and thereafter heat treating to achieve an acceptable ductility level. It has been found from experience that the preferred combination of hot isostatic pressing and heat treating temperatures for optimum ductility depends upon the aluminum content of the alloy. That is, different processing procedures have been developed for gamma titanium-aluminide alloys of different aluminum contents. Even then, however, the aluminum content is sometimes difficult to control and measure with the accuracy required in the selection of the preferred processing.
One solution to this problem has been to use a combination of a moderate hot isostatic pressing temperature of 2200.degree. F. followed by a high heat treating temperature of 2375.degree. F. that produces reasonably good ductility properties for a wide range of aluminum contents. Unfortunately, the high heat treating temperature In this processing requires a specialized furnace that is expensive and may not be economically available in all instances.
There is a need for an improved processing procedure for gamma titanium-aluminide alloys to attain good properties using readily available and economic processing facilities. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Processing of gamma titanium-aluminide alloy using a heat treatment prior to deformation processing


A method of forming patterns on a substrate, the method including: placing a mask having an opening defining a portion of one surface of a substrate on which patterns are to be formed on the substrate; forming a first modification layer in the opening by ejecting a surface modification ink onto a surface of the substrate through the opening; ejecting a target ink having droplets of sizes larger than those of a surface modification ink such that the target ink is distributed on the first modification layer in the opening; and removing the mask.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to methods of forming patterns on a surface of a substrate using an inkjet printing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an inkjet printing device prints an image by ejecting fine ink droplets to desired locations on a printing medium via nozzles of an inkjet head. Recently, inkjet printing devices are used in various fields, such as flat panel displays including liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), flexible displays including e-paper, printed electronics including metal wiring, organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), biotechnology, bioscience, or the like.
In using an inkjet printing device for manufacturing displays or printed electronic circuits, one of the most important technical objectives is to prevent an open-circuit or a short-circuit in wirings. Due to a difference between surface energies of ink ejected and a substrate to be printed on, ink droplets ejected onto the substrate tend to bulge. More specifically, as a surface tension of ink increases, ink droplets ejected onto the substrate bulge, and thus, ink may not be continuously printed. As the surface tension of ink decreases, ink droplets ejected onto the substrate are not well contained, and thus a short-circuit may occur between neighboring wirings.

Methods of forming patterns on a substrate


A method and apparatus for regulating the operation of a compressor system including a compressor moving a gas from an intake conduit through a discharge conduit to a gas storage reservoir are disclosed. In accordance with the method, an unload valve in an unload conduit connected to the discharge conduit is initially fully closed and an inlet valve in the intake conduit is initially fully opened. Then the inlet valve is closed by an amount necessary to maintain the discharge pressure at a design pressure level and at a gas flow rate between the design flow level and a minimum flow level. When the gas flow rate drops below the minimum flow level, the inlet valve is maintained in its last position and the unload valve is opened by an amount necessary to maintain the discharge pressure below a first pressure level set higher than the design pressure level. If the unload valve remains open beyond a position set point for longer than a first predetermined period of time, the unload valve is fully opened and the inlet valve is fully closed. Then if the system pressure drops below a second pressure level lower than the design pressure, the control steps discussed above are repeated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to surge control for compressors and, more particularly, to reducing the incidents of surge and improving turndown in centrifugal compressors or the like used in compressed gas systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of centrifugal compressors and the like in gas compression systems is well known in a variety of areas. For example, centrifugal compressors have been used to supply compressed air to one or more reservoirs which, in turn, supply the air to a plant, factory or other facility which requires a steady supply of pressurized air for tools, equipment, and the like. Such systems are normally designed to maintain a particular volume flow of air at a particular pressure. This is often referred to as the design point for the system.
Such a system will operate without the need for any particular control arrangement as long as the demand of the user of the compressed air remains at or near the design flow. A problem develops when the demand of the plant fluctuates, particularly when the demand for the pressurized air drops below the design flow level. As the flow drops, the discharge pressure of the compressor will tend to rise and the system may quickly reach the surge level for the compressor. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,620 which discusses the problems and characteristics of compressor surge.
A variety of arrangements have been suggested for controlling compressor surge as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,276,674, 3,424,370, 3,737,252, 4,046,490, 4,142,838, and 4,164,035. In a typical arrangement, the air flowing into the compressor is controlled by an inlet or throttle valve; excess air discharged by the compressor, as the discharge pressure increases beyond a maximum level, can be blown off by an unload valve or the like. As the system demand for the compressed air decreases, which is reflected in a decrease in current in a motor controlling the compressor, the inlet valve is gradually closed (i.e., throttled) to keep the system operating near the design pressure. However, use of an inlet valve alone has certain limitations since the system will eventually reach the surge line at lower flows and cause the compressor to go into an undesirable surge. Therefore, another control mechanism is needed whenever the flow approaches a particular minimum flow level, which is spaced a safe distance away from the surge line.
In accordance with another known system, the inlet valve is gradually closed until it reaches the minimum safe level for flow; the inlet valve is then not closed any further but remains frozen at the last position. Further reductions in air flow, as detected by a decrease in compressor motor amps, will cause the compressor discharge pressure to increase. When the discharge pressure reaches a particular maximum level above the design pressure, the unload valve, which was fully closed before that point, is fully opened and the inlet valve is fully closed. Thereafter, the control system monitors the system pressure in the reservoir to see if it drops below a particular minimum level. If so, the inlet valve is totally opened and the unload valve is totally closed in order to bring the pressure in the reservoir back up to a desired minimum level. The practice of modulating the unload valve to help control surge is also recognized in the art.
However, these systems have a number of problems. In particular, they use a high rise in compressor discharge pressure to determine whether to use a control other than throttling of the inlet valve. A risk is present in such a system that the compressor will accidentally go into surge. In addition, the minimum flow rate before using the unload valve must be spaced a large distance away from the surge line at the design pressure level to insure that surge is not reached. In addition, the characteristic curves for the operating system must be relatively steep in order to insure that surge is not quickly reached with a slight drop in flow rate. Thus, the design criteria for the compressor system becomes very crucial and the designer is given little design leeway. In addition, since the minimum flow rate must be a large distance from the crossing of the surge line with the design pressure line, the use of the inlet valve to control surge, which is more energy efficient than the use of the unload valve, is more restricted than is really needed.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to obtain a greater turndown in the control system, namely, more use of the inlet valve to control the system and prevent surge. It is also an object of the present invention to minimize the use of the unload valve for controlling the system and preventing surge. It is a further object of the present invention to control surge in the system but at the same time to reduce the inefficiencies of unloading large amounts of air from a running compressor and to recognize certain extreme fluctuations in demands on the system flow to minimize needless and energy inefficient operation of the compressor.

Compressor control system to improve turndown and reduce incidents of surging


A mandatory read message is determined by a server end from one or more group session messages in a temporary group of a number of temporary groups. A respective reading status associated with the mandatory read message is obtained by the server end for each group member of a plurality of group members in the temporary group. Whether a group dissolution condition is satisfied is determined by the server end and based on the respective reading status for each group member in the temporary group. In response to determining that the group dissolution condition is satisfied, the temporary group including deleting data associated with the temporary group is dissolved by the server end.

With extensive development of Internet technologies, instant messaging technologies bring much convenience to people's work and life. From the early ICQ and OICQ (widely used messaging tool QQ today) to the new generation of WeChat, Ding Talk, etc., the instant messaging technologies evolve towards a more user-friendly direction.
Most instant messaging supports group chat technologies in most cases. The group chat technology can allow users in the same group in real life to exchange and share information together, for example, a classmate group, and a company group. In a current group chat application, some simple multi-party chats often appear, for example, several colleagues are temporarily dragged to a group to talk about a key problem. However, such groups are not likely to be used subsequently. As a result, a server end needs to maintain many "zombie groups", complexity of group management is increased, and errors can easily occur.

Instant messaging group management method and apparatus


A fluid circuit for cell washing is provided that comprises a spinning membrane separator and a fluid management system comprising a cassette that defines the fluid pathways, and including internally mechanical valving, pressure sensing and air sensing for controlling flow through the fluid pathways, thus minimizing the volume of the fluid circuit. Additionally, the fluid circuit comprises syringes that are acted on by syringe pumps associated with the hardware component of the system to provide pressure for moving fluid through the circuit. Preferably, the syringes are connected directly to the cassette, or formed integrally within the cassette housing, thus further minimizing the volume of the fluid circuit.

A number of well-known therapies are currently practiced in which a targeted cellular blood component (e.g., red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) is separated from whole blood and stored for later infusion to a patient. The targeted cellular product (e.g., red blood cells or platelets) may be in a suspension that includes plasma and/or some other supernatant. As such, it is sometimes desirable to "wash" the cellular suspension (typically with saline) to remove the plasma/supernatant, as well as any non-target cellular material, prior to reinfusion.
Systems and methods for cell washing are exemplified by US 2013/0341291, US 2013/0092630, and US 2014/0199680, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Each of these published applications discloses cell washing methods utilizing systems and fluid circuits including a spinning membrane separator. Such systems include peristaltic pumps and pinch valves that act on tubing to direct flow within the fluid circuit.
The fluid circuits in the cited published applications have a relatively large internal volume, and thus require relatively large volumes of wash or flush media to clear processed fluid through the fluid circuit. While such systems and fluid circuits are capable of washing and reducing the volume of the targeted cellular component into final volumes of ranging from approximately 50 mL to 5,000 mL, there are instances in which smaller final volumes (e.g., 10 mL) are desired, such as when processing single-dose quantities of mononuclear cell products. Thus, it would be desirable to provide systems and methods for washing small volumes of cellular suspensions.

Cell washing system and methods for washing small volumes of cells


The present disclosure discloses a WIFI antenna device, the WIFI antenna device includes a carrier, a grounding portion, a first radiation portion, a second radiation portion and a third radiation portion which all are provided on the carrier. The first radiation portion, the second radiation portion and the third radiation portion are coupled to the grounding portion. The coupling portion couples an electrical signal to the first radiation portion, the second radiation portion and the third radiation portion. The first radiation portion, the second radiation portion and the third radiation portion convert the electrical signal into the radiation signal. The first radiation portion determines a low frequency resonance point of a radiation signal emitted by the WIFI antenna device. The second radiation portion determines a first high frequency resonance point of the radiation signal. The third radiation portion determines a second high frequency resonance point of the radiation signal.

With rapid development of electronic products, habits of consumers are correspondingly changed. Consumers' pursuit of beautiful appearances always is the direction and motivation that manufacturers are working on. In recent years, electronic products develop toward lightness and thinness and at the same time pursue a metal shell design. Laptops also pursue the metal shell design to meet market demand. However, this brings a difficulty to the design of an antenna.
The metal shell brings a great challenge for the antenna, since the metal shell will reduce a bandwidth and efficiency of the antenna. In addition, laptops become more and more thin, which also brings a challenge for the bandwidth of the antenna. Under the above conditions, if a conventional antenna design is used, such as a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA), an inverted F-shaped antenna (IFA) or a monopole antenna can not meet a broadband requirement of WIFI. A person skilled in the art has attempted to adopt the above conventional antennas, but these antennas cannot meet the broadband requirement of WIFI. Therefore, the present disclosure designs a unique antenna pattern to meet the broadband requirement of WIFI by using an indirect feed mode.
The description in background as above merely is used to provide a background art, and it does not admit that the description on the background art as above discloses the object of the present disclosure, and do not constitute a prior art of the present disclosure, and any description in background as above shall not be acted as any part of the present disclosure.


An apparatus for restricting movement of sand in an oil well has a production tubing, a working barrel positioned in the production tubing, a tubular member affixed an end of the working barrel, and a seal extending around the tubular member. The seal is of an elastic or an elastomeric material. The seal has an outer periphery contacting the inner diameter of the production tubing. The seal has a plurality of splits formed therethrough. Each of the splits has a generally V-shaped configuration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of oil in an oil well. More particularly, the present invention related to devices for preventing the movement of sand within the production tubing of an oil well.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
In many oil wells, in particularly those in fields that are established and aging, natural pressures decline to the point where the oil must be artificially lifted to the surface. Subsurface pumps are located down in the well below the level of the oil. A string sucker rod extends from the pump up to the surface to a pump jack device, or beam pump unit. A prime mover, such as a gasoline or diesel engine, or an electric motor, or a gas engine on the surface causes the pump jack to rock back and forth, thereby moving the string of sucker rods up and down inside the well tubing.
The string of sucker rods operates the subsurface pump. A typical pump has a plunger that is reciprocated inside of a barrel by the sucker rods. The barrel has a standing one-way valve, while the plunger has a traveling one-way valve, or in some pumps the plunger has a standing one-way valve, while the barrel has a traveling one-way valve. Reciprocation charges the chamber between the valves with fluid and then lifts the fluid up the tubing toward the surface.
During production of the formation fluid, mineral particles, often referred to as sand, may be swept into the flow path. The sand may erode production components, such as the downhole pump or sucker rod pump, the control valves on the surface, etc. in the flow path. When substantial quantities of sand are carried along as oil and/or gas is removed from a formation, the sand can eventually plug the openings into the interior of tubing by which the hydrocarbon production is withdrawn to the earth's surface. It is not uncommon for the pump itself to stick and/or the barrel to stick as a result of sand or other particulate matter becoming caught between the barrel and the plunger. The tolerances between the barrel and the plunger are close so as to effect a seal between the plunger and the barrel. If sand lodges therebetween, either the plunger or barrel will be cut or the plunger sticks in the barrel. The structure of such pumps makes them particularly prone to such damage because such pumps rely on a seal which is formed between the plunger and barrel by the leading edge of the plunger.
Generally, when the pump becomes "sanded in" in the production tubing, a very complicated procedure is required so as to remove the sanded-in components of the oil well. Typically, the production tubing would have to be removed so as to separate the pump from the tubing and to remove the sand accumulation. As such, it is important that sand be retained, as much as possible, in an area above the plunger and pump so as to prevent these problems from occurring.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to the prevention of sand movement in oil wells. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,526 issued on Oct. 8, 1963 to B. F. Schmidt, teaches a sand and gas deflector for oil well pumps. In particular, this patent describes an arrangement of baffles or deflectors attached to the production tubing which serve to guard against the entrance of sand from the well into the tubing through the inlet apertures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,739, issued on Aug. 1, 1978 to L. D. Hall, teaches a sand release apparatus for a pump. There is provided a pair of telescoped tubular members threaded into the pump just above the lower end where sands locks the pump. The pair of telescoped tubular members are pinned by a shear pin. When it is time to pull the pump, if there is undue resistance to its removal from the tubing string, the shear pin will shear so as to release the tubular members for telescoping movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,411, issued on Aug. 25, 1992 to J. H. Klaeger, shows a fluid pump that is used stripper wells. The pump avoids sticking and sanding problems caused in such wells by routing fluid through an annulus between the plunger and the barrel and out of exit ports in order to flush particulate matter with each stroke of the plunger. As the plunger of the pump is reciprocated, the lower bearing surface of the valve member of the traveling valve contacts the upper bearing surface of the valve member of the standing valve when the plunger is near the maximum extent of downward travel to force the traveling valve open and/or force the standing valve closed depending on fluid pressure conditions and whether the standing valve is stuck open.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,537, issued on Mar. 22, 1994 to C. W. Trainer, discloses a sand-separating producing-well accessory. The separator causes fluid bearing particulate matter to be accelerated. This acceleration causes the particulate matter to separate from the fluid because of the higher mass and greater inertia of the particulate matter. The fluid, after separation of the particulate matter, is drawn up through the pump. The particulates accumulate within a sand trap which can be pulled from the well and emptied as desired. A strainer is added after the initial inertia separation of particles from the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,218, issued on Nov. 28, 2000 to M. R. Safargar, provides an apparatus for reducing production of particulate material in a well. The apparatus has tubular conduits having openings therein which are protected by flow diversion shields. The flow diversion shields are arranged so that the flow of the production fluids into the tubular conduit is less than the gravitationally-induced falling rate of the particulate matter. This separates a majority of the particulate material from the production fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,690, issued on Aug. 14, 2001 to Fischer, Jr. et al., describes a downhole pump with bypass around the plunger. A bypass channel is provided between the barrel and the plunger so as to provide communication around the plunger and its one-way valve. The bypass channel is open when the reciprocal movement is near an end of the upstroke movement. When open, pressure across the plunger can equalize and gas inside the barrel chamber can vent around the plunger and/or pressure can equalize across the plunger one-way valve so as to prevent gas lock and minimize stress on the sucker rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,206, issued on Apr. 16, 2002 to R. J. Mills, discloses a method and apparatus for unblocking particulate plugs that develop, in a well. A valve is inserted in the production tubing above the pump in order to remove the plugs. The valve permits the well fluid to flow up past the valve but inhibits the well fluid from flowing down past the valve so that a majority of particles that settle from the well fluid when the pump is idle are trapped above the valve and do not plug the pump. A volume of well fluid trapped between the bottom of the valve and the top of the pump permits pressure waves induced by starting and stopping the pump to be generated. The pressure waves force fluids past the valve until the particles in the plug are resuspended so as to permit production to resume.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,390, issued on Sep. 16, 2003 to C. W. Kellett, teaches a particle separator for a fluid pump intake. This particle separator has a cylindrical body that is attachable to a pump by a flexible sleeve and has tangential slots directing intake fluid in a swirling manner about an inlet tube within the cylindrical body. The inlet has an enlarged outer diameter at its lower end which causes the swirling inlet fluid to accelerate in order to aid in particle separation.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0254839, published on Oct. 7, 2010 to K. Pulliam, describes a downhole sucker rod pump having a brush disposed between the downhole pump barrel and the well tubing to provide a seal which is not damaged during the insertion and/or withdrawal of the pump. The bush has a density and stiffness such that it provides a sufficient interference fit between the pump barrel and the well tubing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus that prevents sand and rust from collecting at the bottom of the annular space between the working barrel and the production tubing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus for an oil well in which minimizes the number of times that the pump has to be pulled for repair.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus which prevents an accumulation of sand on the pump and which avoids the pump from becoming stuck.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus for an oil well which allows hydrostatic pressures on opposite sides of the seal to equalize.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus for an oil well which conforms to irregular shapes of production tubing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus for preventing sand
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for a pump of an oil well which is easy to install, relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.

Seal apparatus for restriction of movement of sand in an oil well


An adaptive channel equalizer for a digital television receiver includes memory for storing channel characterization information for each received channel, from each time the channel is tuned to until the next time the same channel is tuned to. The stored information is retained even if operating power to the receiver is interrupted. Whenever operating power is restored to the receiver after interruption and whenever a channel is tuned to again after having tuned to another channel, the previously stored channel characterization for the currently tuned channel is retrieved from memory. The retrieved channel characterization is used to calculate initial filter coefficients for the adaptive channel equalizer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,765 issued Aug. 5, 1997 to D. J. Kim and entitled "CHANNEL EQUALIZER FOR DIGITAL TELEVISION RECEIVER HAVING AN INITIAL COEFFICIENT STORAGE UNIT" is incorporated herein by reference. Kim describes a digital television (DTV) receiver capable of receiving signal transmitted via any selected one of a plurality of transmission channels, which DTV receiver includes a particular type of channel equalizer. This type of channel equalizer comprises a channel equalization filter having adaptive filtering coefficients and circuitry for calculating the adaptive filtering coefficients of the channel equalization filter by decision-feedback methods using all symbol codes. Calculating the adaptive filtering coefficients of the channel equalization filter without initial information takes a considerable amount of time. Accordingly, this type of channel equalizer further comprises a memory for storing the adaptive filtering coefficients for each transmission channel during times another channel is tuned to and during times that portions of the DTV receiver do not receive power for operating. These adaptive filtering coefficients are reapplied to the channel equalization filter when a channel is re-tuned or when power for operating is restored to all portions of the DTV receiver. This facilitates "channel surfing" by a human using a DTV receiver provided with a viewscreen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,987 entitled "RAPID-UPDATE ADAPTIVE CHANNEL-EQUALIZATION FILTERING FOR DIGITAL RADIO RECEIVERS, SUCH AS HDTV RECEIVERS" and issued Jul. 15, 1998 to J. Yang, C. B. Patel, T. Liu and A. L. R. Limberg is incorporated herein by reference. Yang et alii concern themselves with digital television signals that include a training signal. Yang et alii teach that the training signal can be used to establish initial values of the adaptive filtering coefficients for the channel equalization filter, after which decision-feedback methods can be relied on. The establishment of the initial values of the adaptive filtering coefficients in reliance upon the training signal normally will bring them to desired values much faster than can be done using decision-feedback methods, and stalling of such "convergence" in false minima of the error-detection procedure is better avoided. Decision-feedback methods using all symbol codes, not just those in a training signal, are usually superior for continuing adjustment of the adaptive filtering coefficients once "convergence" has been achieved or substantially achieved. They better allow the tracking of dynamic multipath distortion.
The vestigial-sideband DTV signal that is the current standard for terrestrial DTV broadcasting is suited for use with the Yang et alii methods. This VSB DTV signal comprises data frames each composed of two fields. Each field is composed of 313 consecutive-in-time data segments. The initial data segment of each data field includes a data field synchronization code composed of a 511-sample pseudo-noise sequence (or "PN-sequence") followed by three 63-sample PN sequences. The middle 63-sample PN sequence is inverted in logic sense from one data field to the next. Portions of these initial data segments can be utilized as training signal.
While the Yang et alii methods can converge the adaptive filtering coefficients quite rapidly when multipath distortion is principally static in nature, initial convergence remains a problem when multipath distortion is dynamic. While dynamic multipath distortion usually abates after some time, tuning from one transmission channel to another will at times take longer than is desirable. Accordingly, it is attractive to store information from a time dynamic multipath distortion was not a severe problem, to be used to establish initial values of adaptive filtering coefficients when a channel is re-tuned or when power for operating is restored to all portions of the DTV receiver. Rather than storing adaptive filtering coefficients for each channel per U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,765, one may instead store the channel characterization of each channel it is first pointed out in this specification.

TV receiver equalizer storing channel characterizations for each TV channel between times of reception therefrom


An attachment for removably thermally contacting a heat sink with an integrated circuit chip located on a chip carrier which in turn is located on an integrated circuit card or board containing a body portion for contacting the chip, flange members extending from the body portion. Each of the flange members contains a pad-like member located at the end for contacting with the card or board. A compliant portion is present that extends away from the body portion for contacting the heat sink.

The prior art describes numerous package configurations for semiconductor chips. In fact, more recently, the cost of such packages has, in various instances, become greater than the cost of the chips. In order to overcome this cost problem, a technique known as TAPE AUTOMATED BONDING (TAB) packaging has been introduced. It is especially useful with lower costs, relatively low powered dissipation integrated circuits. TAB packaging involves the use of a web of material, generally called a carrier tape such as a polyimide, to carry electrically conductive leads which provide connections between the chip and a printed circuit card. The carrier chip is incremented past a number of operating stations, one of which places a chip on an inner-cluster of conductive leads. The inner-cluster is then bonded to connecting pads on the chip. The tape is then incremented to a station where the active face of the chip, including the inner-lead bonds, may be coated with a passivating material. The tape is then moved to a further station where the outer cluster of leads on the carrier tape is severed from the tape. The tape/chip combination is then registered with conductive pads residing on an underlying circuit board or card and the outer leads are bonded to the conductive pads. The circuit board or card/chip combination is then available for additional processing. TAB packaging is relatively inexpensive compared to the other package configurations now presently available.
One of the drawbacks of TAB packaging is that its use has for the most part been limited to low power dissipation circuits, since it is quite difficult to apply heat sinks to a TAB package structure. The primary, if not only, physical interconnection between a chip and an underlying circuit board in a TAB package is via bonds between the tape-carried outer leads and the underlying conductive pads on the circuit board. Attaching a heat sink to the chip in a TAB package is somewhat impractical since, in the event of mechanical vibration or strain, the chip will tend to pull away from the circuit board or card and the exerted forces may exceed the ultimate rupture strength of the lead bonds or the tape itself.
Another problem associated with employing heat sinks with TAB packages is supporting the heat sinks in a relatively inexpensive manner, while still retaining good heat dissipation characteristics. Physical interconnections to supports that are separate from the underlying circuit board have made removal of the circuit board difficult. Attempts to provide physical interconnections to the board itself have resulted in different problems. For instance, circuit boards are often subject to flexure when they are inserted or withdrawn from mating connectors, which can cause cracking, breaking or failure of inflexible physical connection to a heat sink.
Although, various prior art suggestions to provide heat dissipation have been employed, such are primarily suitable for relatively low power dissipating packages whereby the chips dissipate one watt or less per chip. For the most part, TAB structures that are designed to dissipate at least two watts per chip, have not had entirely satisfactory heat dissipating techniques provided to the structure. This is especially true when attempting to cool the underlying chips by simple natural convection airflow as contrasted to forced airflow or refrigeration. Even heat dissipating techniques that have been somewhat successful for the relatively high power dissipation circuit have not been entirely satisfactory. For instance, such are not readily removable from the chip without causing damage to the chip or circuitry or requiring higher head space than desired.

Attachment for contacting a heat sink with an integrated circuit chip and use thereof

International Business Machines Corporation


The present application provides a storage apparatus for storing data. The storage apparatus comprises storage means for storing data, committing means for committing the availability of a certain storage space to a source device, detecting means for detecting the availability of the certain storage space to produce a detection result, and communication means for informing the source device the detection result, whereby the source device takes corresponding action(s) according to the detection result. In this way, each storage device of a group is bound by its commitment, if it violates its commitment, it risks the loss of its file(s) stored on other members' storage space.

It is common practice for users to store data on storage media such as CD-ROMs, digital versatile disks (DVD), magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or magnetic hard disk drives. However, data stored on such storage devices can be lost due to fire, flood, theft, or any other event that adversely affects the storage medium. Therefore, it is often wise to generate a back-up copy of the data for storage at an off-site location in order to prevent destruction of both the original data and the back-up copy by the same catastrophic event.
Currently there are several methods to achieve the off-site backup. One example is to physically transport the storage medium containing the back-up copy to the back-up site. Such transportation may lead to further expense and opportunities for media damage. In addition, this method does not provide an efficient system and method for retrieving the stored data from the off-site location.
Another example is that a service provider provides an online centralized server for achieving the file data of its clients. But, prior online data storage systems are located at known sites on the Internet, and are therefore vulnerable to attack from malicious persons (i.e., hackers) attempting to access and/or modify data stored on such systems.
Still another example of the off-site backup is to form a group among a couple of friends/colleagues/relatives, and within this group each member could archive its data on others' storage device. The inefficiency of this solution is its limited sharing resources of storage capacity and its strong requirement of existing trust among group members.
Therefore, to address the inefficiencies of the above methods of off-site backup, there is a need to provide an improved apparatus/method for grouping a plurality of storage devices.


The present invention intends to reduce the contamination level of an introduction path, miniaturize a circuit board, and improve measurement accuracy by adjusting the number of molecules of a measurement target component to flow into an analysis part, and includes: a detector for detecting the concentration of the measurement target component contained in fluid; an introduction path connected to the detector to introduce the fluid into the detector; and a flow rate switching mechanism adapted to, depending on the concentration of the measurement target component, switch the flow rate of the fluid to be introduced into the detector.

As apparatuses adapted to analyze the concentrations of hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) contained in exhaust gas discharged from, for example, an internal combustion engine, there are ones using a hydrogen flame ionization analysis method (FID) and a chemiluminescence analysis method (CLD), respectively.
When a required range for measuring the concentration of a measurement target component is wide, such as in the case of FID or CLD, to deal with such a situation, the amplification factor of an amplifier for amplifying an analog signal outputted from a detector is switched. For example, when the concentration of a measurement target component is high, a small amplification factor is used, whereas when the concentration is low, a large amplification factor is used. In addition, when measuring a measurement target component of high concentration, the linearity between the analog signal outputted from the detector and the concentration tends to be lost, and therefore it is necessary to use a high order calibration curve coefficient.
When measuring a measurement target component of high concentration, the above-described measures may be taken; however, the following problems exist.
That is, a large amount of the measurement target component (molecules) flows into the detector, and consequently, an introduction path to the detector may be contaminated to increase a background level. Also, the amplifier is required to have multiple amplification factors, causing one of adverse effects on miniaturization of a circuit board. Further, as the concentration of the measurement target component increases, the linearity between the analog signal outputted from the detector and the concentration is lost, and therefore it is necessary to ensure the linearity by employing a high order calibration curve coefficient.

Fluid analysis apparatus and fluid analysis method


An assemblage of reference points arranged in a distorted pattern of rows and columns over a planar surface is used to precisely establish the coordinates of a particular situs on said surface by determining the location between said situs in relation to three of said reference points. The array is particularly useful in ascertaining the reference location of a swiveling coordinate measuring arm or other such spatial measuring device. A three-dimensional reference point array can be constructed from a similarly distributed matrix of reference points arranged in orthogonally-oriented layers of rows and columns. Positioning the probe of the measuring device over three closely located reference points is sufficient to automatically load the exact coordinates of the measuring device location into an associated data processing system.

This invention relates to spatial measurement devices and to coordinate grid patterns used as reference in connection with certain types of spatial measurement, and more particularly to reference point arrays used in connection with swiveling, coordinate measuring arms of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,148 issued Nov. 3, 1998, which patent is incorporated by reference in this specification.
A swiveling, spatial coordinate measuring arm has a limited reach in any direction of typically 1,500 mm, When taking measurements upon a large work piece such as an automobile, the arm must be moved to an number of locations. These locations must be precisely identified in reference to a large, volumetric coordinate system having a singular origin, also known as a global coordinate system. One of the most common and most practical methods of achieving global measurements with an articulated arm of limited reach is to define the location of the arm in relation to three known points in a surrounding reference grid or matrix. Each reference point on the grid or matrix carries a unique identification. Every time the operator moves the arm to a new location, the tip of the arm probe is successively positioned upon three identified points on the grid or matrix, each time the operator manually enters into the associated data processing system the unique identification of each reference point, the data processing system uses the three measurements to calculate the exact position in the arm. The coordinates of that position are then taken into account when determining the result of future measurements in reference to the global coordinate system. The manual entry by an operator of the three reference point identifications is not only time consuming, but is subject to human errors. Indeed, in a work environment, the labeling of a reference point identification may be difficult to read due to poor lighting conditions or obstruction by dust or debris. A single digit error in manipulating an entry keypad or keyboard can yield erroneous measurements.
This invention results from an attempt to eliminate the above-described weakness in the use of a swiveling spatial coordinate measuring arm or other similar spatial measuring devices on large work pieces.
The principal and secondary objects of the instant invention are to optimize the use of a swiveling, spatial coordinate measuring arm or similar spatial measurement device having a limited reach when making measurements over a large work piece that requires relocation of the measuring instrument, by providing a reference grid or matrix pattern whereby the displacement or relocation of the measuring instrument is automatically loaded into the associated data processing system through a simple maneuver which does not require any kind of human operation subject to human error; and to provide a new type of spatial reference pattern for use in these and other types of spatial measurements.
These and other valuable objects are achieved by laying out over the entire workplace, reference points in a distorted pattern of row and columns in which any triangle defined by joining three closely located reference points is unlike any other such triangle found anywhere else within the overall pattern. Consequently, in order to precisely determine the exact position of a measuring device after its relocation within the work space, it suffices to measure the positions of three closely spaced reference points. From the results of those three measurements, the associated data processing system can easily calculate the exact situs where the measuring device is positioned within a global coordinate system and offset all measurements accordingly.

Self-loading spatial reference point array


A high frequency cancer thermotherapy apparatus treats by generating a high frequency electric field between a pair of electrode parts which sandwich a patient and are disposed so as to be opposite to each other and perform a dielectric heating with respect to an affected part. The apparatus includes a bed having a bed part and a bed supporting part for liftably/lowerably and horizontally movably supporting the bed part, a gantry on which the electrode parts are mounted, and a high frequency generation and control part. A maximum-sized electrode part which can be mounted on the gantry includes an electrode plate having a diameter exceeding 300 mm and a pad attached on the electrode plate. The bed part includes an opening part formed such that the maximum-sized electrode part can pass from a vertical direction, a shutter which opens/closes the opening part, and a bed surface flatization device.

Conventionally, a technique that treats by performing the dielectric heating with respect to the affected part by means of the high frequency electric field generated between electrodes is known.
Although an apparatus which is called Thermotron (registered trademark)-RF8 and is manufactured by YAMAMOTO VINITA CO., LTD. is well known as a high frequency cancer thermotherapy apparatus using this technique (hereinafter, simply referred to as "a thermotherapy apparatus"), this thermotherapy apparatus was developed 30 years ago and is being used so far with hardly being improved.
Although the above Thermotron (registered trademark)-RF8 is an apparatus developed from a viewpoint of symptomatic therapy as a prognosis treatment apparatus of radiation treatment, recently, attentions are focused on a fact that as a matter of fact, a technique of necrotizing cancer cells by utilizing the principle of the dielectric heating using high frequency and heating the cancer cells up to 42.5° C. or higher has an effect of improving immune functions of normal cells, and the above matter draws attention as a therapeutic method that can change current cancer treatment.
Concretely, in the high frequency thermotherapy apparatus, although the cancer cells are necrotized by heating the cancer cells up to 42.5 degrees Celsius or higher (for example, around 45° C.), since a body temperature which is lower than the cancer cells is maintained according to a cooling action caused by blood circulation when the normal cells are heated, a fact is that surrounding normal cells are heated up to around 40° C. at the same time, attentions are focused on a fact that the above fact has an effect of improving the immune functions of the normal cells, regulating a microenvironment, preventing and/or reducing spreading of the cancer, and changing the surfaces of the cancer cells to a condition which raises the effect of drugs, and this matter draws attention as the therapeutic method that can change the current cancer treatment that depends only on three major symptomatic therapies which are called operative therapy, chemotherapy (anticancer agents) and radiotherapy.
Here, the configuration of a conventional thermotherapy apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 12.
FIG. 12 is an appearance diagram showing one example of the conventional thermotherapy apparatus and shows the configuration of an ultrashort-wave warming therapeutic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2. This ultrashort-wave warming therapeutic apparatus comprises a therapy table part 51 on which a patient as a subject to be treated lies down, a gantry 52 for irradiating the inside of a living body with a high frequency, a high frequency generation part 53 for generating the high frequency of a MHz band (for example, 8 MHz), and a control part 54 for controlling the driving of the ultrashort-wave warming therapeutic apparatus itself.
As shown in the example of FIG. 12, a main body central part of the gantry 52 is provided with a through hole 501, and an inside surface of the through hole 501 is provided with a supporting part 502 which is rotatable with respect to a gantry main body. Further, the supporting part 502 is protrusively provided with arms 506 and 507 which are expansible/contractible in a diameter direction, and the tips of the arms 506 and 507 are provided with disk-shaped electrode plate 508 and 509.
Electrode parts 504 and 505 comprise the above arms 506 and 507, the above electrode plate 508 and 509, and cooling pads 510 and 511 which are attached on the surfaces of the electrode plates 508 and 509 (the surfaces spliced on the living body). When performing treatment, the arms 506 and 507 of the electrode parts 504 and 505 are expanded/contracted so as to splice the electrode plate 508 and 509 on the patient.
The above cooling pads 510 and 511 are a cooling means which suppresses heating on the surface of the living body in the vicinity of the electrodes in the case that the affected part exists in a deep layer region of the living body, it is configured to circulate cooling water within the cooling pads 510 and 511, and it is possible to suppress the heating on the surface of the living body and relieve thermal pains inflicted on the patient under treatment by means of the cooling pads 510 and 511 (the above, refer to Patent Document 2).
Further, as an apparatus for ensuring maintenance support of a body position under treatment, for example, there is a conventional invention disclosed in Patent Document 3. The conventional invention disclosed in Patent Document 3 comprises an air mattress comprised of an assembly comprising a plurality of cells filled with air and a turnable backrest part so as to ensure the maintenance support of the body position of the patient while keeping various body positions. For example, in the case of performing treatment in a recumbent position, air is sent only to cells on one side of a width direction (or air is let out) so as to help a laterally facing treatment, and in the case that the affected part is an abdomen or the like, the backrest part is lifted only a predetermined angle so as to become a somewhat-get-up position. In addition, the conventional invention disclosed in Patent Document 3 has one aspect that employs a separately-excited oscillation method based on a first frequency and a second frequency and irradiates the affected part with a high frequency electric field of a high frequency corresponding to the depth of the affected part so as to eliminate the need for an electrode exchanging work performed in the conventional thermotherapy apparatus, for example, an exchanging work that temporarily interrupts operations in the middle of warming in the case that the affected part exists in both a surface layer and a deep region and then changes a combination of electrodes.
However, although the conventional invention disclosed in Patent Document 3 has one aspect of eliminating the need for the electrode exchanging work as described above, a pair of electrodes 508 and 509 exemplified in FIG. 12 generally uses electrodes which have different electrode sizes in accordance with the depth of the affected part to be treated. For example, in Thermotron (registered trademark)-RF8 which is manufactured by YAMAMOTO VINITA CO., LTD. in Japan, electrodes used for treatment have six kinds of electrodes whose diameter φ is 70 mm, 100 mm, 140 mm, 210 mm, 250 mm and 300 mm. Further, a lesioned part is treated in accordance with a combination of electrodes suitable for a part to be warmed, concretely, in the case of warming of a superficial lesioned part (superficial focus), the electrode of 70 mm or 100 mm in diameter and the electrode of 250 mm or 300 mm in diameter are used after making them to become opposed to each other, in the case of warming of a latent lesioned part (latent focus), the electrode of 140 mm in diameter and the electrode of 250 mm or 300 mm in diameter are used after making them to become opposed to each other, and in the case of warming of a deep-seated lesioned part, the electrode of 210 mm in diameter and the electrode of 250 mm or 300 mm in diameter are used after making them to become opposed to each other (refer to descriptions of "attentions relating to treatment" in Non-Patent Document 1).
Further, the therapy table part 51 exemplified in FIG. 12 can be adjusted in a range of its height approximately from 740 mm to 900 mm (in Non-Patent Document 1, from 770 mm to about 980 mm) by a lifting/lowering mechanism, and a predetermined position of the therapy table is provided with an opening part for lower electrode pass. Furthermore, during performing treatment in a supine position or a prone position, the procedure is that after performing setting of the opening part of the therapy table part, the patient is put on the therapy table, and then, after moving the therapy table to the through hole of the gantry and setting the electrodes, warming therapy is started (refer to descriptions of "dimension and weight of each part", "selection and combination of electrodes", etc. in Non-Patent Document 1).
In the treatment using the high frequency thermotherapy apparatus described as above, although the number of treatments and a treatment time are different depending on disease, for example, the treatment time (a warming time) of one time of treatment is about 40 minutes, and 5 to 10 times of treatment are performed at apace of 1 to 2 times per week (for example, refer to Non-Patent Document 2).

High frequency cancer thermotherapy apparatus


A hand held plier type tool for connecting type F connectors to coax cable includes tool-jaws with stations for crimping F connector ferrules as well as a station for gripping the end of the cable. A loosely assembled F connector and cable assembly is held in position by the cable gripping station where a clamp screw mechanism is employed to force the F connector's barb under the jacket of the coax cable. One embodiment of the tool includes too-jaws and clamp mechanism that are separate and replaceable to a set of plural handles.

Various plier type crimping devices have been devised for crimping Type F connectors to coax cable. As used herein, the term-"F connector" is used to describe Type "F" connector plugs as recognized by the National Electric Code and used as an industry standard coax cable terminator for connecting coax cable to various video and electronics equipment such as VCR's and TV's as well as signal distribution devices such as splitters, transformers, switches and amplifiers.
There are three steps (assembly operations) involved in the assembly of F connectors to coax cable: 1) preparing the end of the cable for assembly, 2) fitting the connector onto the prepared end of the cable, and 3) crimping the F connector permanently to the cable.
F connector crimping devices in the past have been specifically designed to crush the tubular portion of an F connector (hereinafter referred to as the "ferrule") over the outer jacket of the subject cable thus providing a permanently crimped interference fit assembly. Depending on the manufacturer of the F connector, the ferrule may be incorporated as the body of the connector or as a separate tubular ring, although providing the same purpose and required method of crimp.
These crimping devices generally involve hand held plier type tools that include specifically designed tool-jaws that close around the ferrule to form the ferrule properly around the coax cable. The tool-jaws may have round or hexagon crimping stations of different sizes to accept the ferrules of different size F connectors for various coax cable. Furthermore, the tool-jaws may be incorporated into the plier type tool as separate replaceable dies or can be manufactured as part of the plier body. Furthermore, these plier type crimping devices may be designed to pivot the tool-jaws about a single pin or can include multiple pivoting pins to provide a compounding action to increase the tool-jaw's closure force by moment action. Some crimping tools may also include coax cable outer jacket and inner shield and core stripping stations to prepare the end of the cable before assembly to the F connector.
Although the F connector crimp tools stated above are designed to effectively provide a means for the Ferrule crimping operation (step No. 3) and can include a means for assisting a user in the preparation operation (step No. 1) of the end of the cable for termination, these devices are deficient in assisting a user in the well known problems encountered in the initial assembly operation (step No. 2) of fitting the F connector onto the coax cable prior to crimping:
After the end of the coax cable is prepared for assembly to the F connector by removing a portion of outer jacket and inner shield and core, the F connector's barb must then be forcefully inserted under the coax cable's outer jacket by hand, a strenuous task, before the F connector can be crimped to the cable. This method of assembly is extremely difficult in most cases because the force required is substantial, and causes the cable to slip between the fingers.
Technicians in the growing communications industry who are required to perform several assembly operations per day routinely develop painful blisters on their fingers from both the gripping of the cable and also the gripping of the F connector. Gloves have been an impractical remedy to the solution because of the fine detail in the art of the three assembly operations as well as other considerations involved in a technicians duties. Furthermore, gloves do not reduce the amount of force required for the initial assembly operation, thereby still allowing the cable to slip between the fingers. Thus, even with gloves, assembly operation No. 2 remains a strenuous task.
Screw-on type F connectors that do not require the crimping of a ferrule have been developed in an attempt to eliminate the crimping operation and provide an alternate method of assembly. However, these screw-on type of F connectors are undesirable because they also require substantial gripping force resulting in blisters. In many cases they are impossible to assemble due to the variance in the outside diameters of the different types of coax cable. As a result, they have limited use.

Joining-crimping device for assembly of type F connectors to coax cable