An exemplary flow control assembly includes, among other things, a grille member and a flow control device having a plurality of bowed shutters adjacent the grille member. The bowed shutters are configured to move back and forth between a flow permitting position and a flow restricting position. An exemplary flow control method includes, among other things, moving a plurality of bowed shutters back and forth between a flow permitting position and a flow restricting position. The flow permitting position permitting more flow through apertures in a grille member than the flow restricting position.

Shutters can be used to regulate flow to various areas of a vehicle, such as radiators, condensers, and other systems. The shutters are actuated to regulate flow. In some vehicles, shutters are actuated to alter aerodynamic drag on the vehicle.
Flow to the shutters can move through a grille. Many grilles have curved surfaces and other complex styling features. The shutters, in contrast to the grille, are planar.

Vehicle grille flow control assembly and method


A device for displaying hockey pucks has a board member including at least one holding member for retaining a hockey puck on the board. Also, a second holding member for maintaining a hockey card on the board member may be included. The hockey pucks are positioned in the holding men,hers such that the display provides an overall aesthetic appearance enabling collectors to display their hockey puck collection.

The present invention relates to a display apparatus and, more particularly, to a device for displaying hockey pucks.
Collectors of various types of sports memorabilia or the like are faced with the difficulty of displaying their collections. Several types of display devices are available from picture frames to plexiglass boxes, however, these devices utilize a substantial amount of display space and are somewhat cumbersome. It would be desirable to have a display device which enables a neat display of one or several items.


An inflatable satellite bus is claimed for use with a mission payload. The inflatable satellite bus is comprised of a core adapted to receive a mission payload. There is an expandable shell attached to the core and substantially enclosing the core. The core has an attitude control device and a power system attached to the core and operated by a controller.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inflatable satellite bus for use with mission payloads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many satellites are composed of two main elements; the payload and the bus. The payload contained the equipment that was mission specific to the satellite's intended purpose. The bus provided support functions common to most satellites such as attitude control, power, and telemetry.
The separation of functions common to most satellites into a bus allowed for the development of a standard base to support a variety of satellites. One advantage to a standard bus is that the bus affords a known footprint for the satellite payload. While such an approach supports a standard that satellite manufactures may rely upon in preparing a payload, the footprint becomes a limiting factor in the design of satellites.
What is needed is a satellite bus that provides a more flexible base for the payload. While inflatable craft are known in the human habitat arena as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,010 to Schneider et al and U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,189 to Raboin et al, the present invention addresses the application of the principles of inflatable structures to operate as a bus for satellites.


Method of controlling at least one active headrest in a vehicle. The invention relates to a method of controlling an active headrest in a vehicle, in which the active headrest is triggered when predeterminable triggering conditions indicative of a vehicle collision exist, comprising the exceeding of a predeterminable collision threshold value by a characteristic variable indicative of a collision. According to the invention, the driving status of the vehicle is monitored for the presence of a reversing status and, if a predeterminable reversing status exists, the triggering of the active headrest is blocked or the collision threshold value is raised from an otherwise applicable normal value to a predeterminable maneuvering tolerance value, or the vehicle speed is sensed and the approach speed of objects approaching the rear of the vehicle is sensed, by an approach sensor system, and, if in reverse, the triggering of the active headrest is blocked or the collision threshold value is raised from an otherwise applicable normal value to a predeterminable maneuvering tolerance value if the sensed approach speed of objects approaching the vehicle lies below a predeterminable approach speed threshold.

The invention concerns a method of controlling an occupant-head protection system with one or more active head protection elements in a vehicle, in which the respective active head protection element is triggered when predeterminable triggering conditions indicative of a vehicle collision exist, comprising the exceeding of a predeterminable collision threshold value by a characteristic variable indicative of a collision. An active head protection element is to be understood here as meaning a protection element for the head of a vehicle occupant which is intended to prevent the known problem of the occurrence of a cervical vertebra whiplash syndrome in the case of a collision. Such protection elements may be in particular so-called active headrests in the form of pivotable headrests or head airbags, but also other suitable safety devices for avoiding the cervical vertebra whiplash syndrome, such as for example an actively downward-pivotable seat backrest. These protection elements can be actively controlled from an initial state into a different, occupant-head-protecting state when the triggering conditions concerned exist.
DE 196 47 660 A1 discloses a triggering device for active occupant restraining systems, such as belt pretensioners or airbags, in a motor vehicle. This triggering device is assigned an acceleration sensor, which in the event of a vehicle collision provides a deceleration signal. The triggering of at least one of the restraining systems takes place when a triggering threshold of the deceleration signal is exceeded. The triggering device is further connected to an object-sensing unit, with which obstacles within close range of the vehicle are sensed and the associated relative speed is determined. The triggering threshold is varied in dependence on the speed of the vehicle itself and the relative speed of sensed obstacles. In particular when no obstacle is sensed, the triggering threshold is raised as the speed of the vehicle itself falls.
DE 43 34 671 A1 discloses a restraining system with a restraining device and a central control unit. In the control unit, a central acceleration sensor and wheel-speed sensors of an antilock braking system (ABS) are assessed to decide on the triggering of the restraining device. Even in the case of initially small vehicle decelerations, the control unit initiates a triggering of the restraining device in the event that a relatively great wheel deceleration of at least one front wheel is established by means of the wheel-speed sensors. This is intended to achieve the effect that a triggering decision is reached in time in the control unit even in the case of problem crashes, for example soft collisions.
DE 37 37 554 A1 also gives a description of a triggering system for active occupant protection devices, such as belt pretensioners and airbags, in which, for increasing the system reliability, information from an ABS, such as for example wheel speed information, is also assessed.
DE 39 42 011 A1 discloses a device for triggering safety devices for occupants of a motor vehicle, such as airbags or belt pretensioners, in which an output signal of an acceleration sensor is assessed in an evaluation circuit to ascertain whether impact not relevant to triggering, in particular a "hammer blow", on the vehicle or an acceleration of the vehicle relevant to triggering exists. Furthermore, the evaluation circuit comprises a rear-collision detection circuit, it being intended that the safety devices are not triggered in the case of a detected rear collision.
DE 43 35 991 A1 discloses a device for triggering restraining means in a motor vehicle in which, along with acceleration-sensor signals, vehicle-dynamic movement and/or status data, such as speed, brake actuation, brake pressure etc., are assessed. These signals are fed to a central control unit, for example via a data bus, and influence a triggering algorithm in such a way that in the case of high vehicle speeds fast triggering of the restraining means takes place and in the case of steering maneuvers the direction of the collision to be expected is predetermined in particular.
In DE 88 16 763 U1 there is a description of a device for triggering restraining means, which has an acceleration pickup, the signals of which are evaluated in a control unit and, if appropriate, lead to the triggering of one or more restraining means. The control unit comprises means for establishing the direction of the acceleration acting on the vehicle and consequently for distinguishing between different types of collision. Depending on the established direction of the collision, selectively suitable restraining means are triggered and the others are kept deactivated. In particular, triggering of the restraining means provided there does not take place in the event of a rear collision.
EP 0 593 845 A1 discloses a head airbag with a triggering device, which is accommodated in the headrest of a seat. The triggering of the head airbag takes place on the basis of the signal of an impact sensor which is arranged at or in the vicinity of the rear of the vehicle and is thus able to detect impact acting on the rear region as the result of a collision.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,202 there is described an occupant restraining system in a vehicle, in which accident sensors, such as for example acceleration pickups, acceleration dynamometers, inertia sensors or the like, are constantly monitored and interrogated by means of a control device. This serves on the one hand for functional testing and on the other hand, if appropriate, for initiating the triggering of the restraining means. Since continuous monitoring of the faultless functioning of the accident sensors is time-intensive and adversely affects the response time of the occupant restraining system, the control unit evaluates not only signals from accident sensors but also data from additional sensors concerning the state of movement of the vehicle, such as for example wheel-speed or brake-pressure sensors. If these data indicate a situation where there is a risk of an accident, the functional monitoring of the accident sensors is suspended and an alarm status is established for the occupant restraining systems, in which the latter can trigger without delay.
In the conference publication "Airbag 2000", 3rd Int. Symp. on Sophisticated Car Occupant Safety Systems, Karlsruhe, Germany, Nov. 26 and 27, 1996, it is proposed under the title "Smart Restraint Management--An Innovative and Comprehensive Concept" by L. Grosch et al. to provide for an occupant restraining system in the front region of a vehicle a sensor which measures the approach speed of a collision obstacle. With this signal, the triggering threshold of a central accident sensor can be influenced to achieve earlier triggering of occupant restraining systems.
Under the title "Pre-Crash Sensors", in the same conference publication, H. Spies presents the concept of feeding to a central control unit for occupant restraining systems signals from obstacle approach sensors which are provided in the front region and the rear of a vehicle, signals from vehicle-dynamics sensors and vehicle data from an ABS system, but also data which concern the status of the door locking, etc. These data are evaluated in the central control unit, whereupon the occupant restraining systems are activated in such a way that they are fired step by step in a way corresponding to the accident situation and in this case the filling pressure in airbags can be adapted to requirements.

Method of controlling an active occupant-head protection system in a vehicle


A method for monitoring and reporting sound pressure level exposure for a user of a first communication device (104) is implemented in one embodiment when the device measures a sound pressure level (SPL) of the surrounding environment. The device stores at least the SPL measurement in a memory, producing an SPL exposure record, and displays a visual representation of the SPL exposure record on a display screen (212). In another embodiment, the SPL is measured by a second communication device (102) and combined with a known SPL for an output audio transducer (306) of the second device, producing a user sound exposure level. The user sound exposure level is transmitted to the first communication device. The user is notified when the user sound exposure level exceeds a predetermined threshold. A server (112) may also be used to track SPLs over time and recommend corrective action when exposure limits are exceeded.

Sound level exposure is a safety and preventative health concern for many environments. Exposure to extremely loud noises, even for a short period of time, can cause permanent hearing damage. Additionally, extended exposure to sound, even at modest levels, may cause hearing loss over time. In the workplace, regulatory agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and others, set standard allowable exposure levels and require employers to monitor the sound pressure levels (SPLs) in their employees' work environment. However, extreme sound levels incurred by recreational exposure have become increasingly alarming with the prevalent use of stereo headphones and earpieces. Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to overexposure as they do not realize the dangers caused by excessive sound levels. Currently, there is no method to monitor sound pressure level exposure for a user of an audio communication device.
Additionally, approximately 30 million people in the United States are exposed to hazardous occupational noise each year. Fortunately, noise-induced hearing loss can be reduced or eliminated by successful application of hearing conservation programs, protective devices, and engineering controls. Currently, employers are required to measure the noise level of their employee's work environment. The exposure measurement includes continuous, intermittent, and impulsive noise within the 80 dB to 130 dB range. Each measurement must be taken in a typical work situation and the employer must provide noise suppression devices to meet a standard noise rejection rating (NPR). Additional measurements are required whenever there is a change in the work environment, such as changes in production methods, different or additional equipment, or the introduction of additional workers in the current environment.
Presently, occupational SPL monitoring is accomplished using expensive external devices and the measurements are taken sporadically. Under typical circumstances, a person (e.g., employee or member of a company's occupational safety group) physically performs the measurement at a given time and place, using a dedicated monitoring device. However, noise levels in a given environment are not constant and will often change during the course of the day or from one point in the workplace to another. As a result, existing SPL monitoring schemes are not able to capture SPL exposure for a given individual on a continuous or regular basis. Additionally, certain employees may be encountering higher noise levels than others because they work different shifts or handle different tools. Therefore, even if an employer is complying with regulatory guidelines with respect to employee SPL exposure, certain employees may still be routinely exposed to dangerous levels of noise.
Therefore, a need exists for, among other things, a method for autonomously monitoring and reporting sound pressure level exposure that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

Method for autonomously monitoring and reporting sound pressure level (SPL) exposure for a user of a communication device


A power output stage for capacitive loads includes:                an energy storage inductance, having one end connected to a reference potential and an opposite end connected on the input side to a power supply connection and on the output side to a secondary energy storage capacitance;        a primary energy storage capacitance is connected upstream of the energy storage inductance on the input side, and connected on the input side via a primary switching element with a reference potential, and        a secondary switching element connected in series with the secondary energy storage capacitance (4), characterized in thatthe input of the power output stage is clocked by an additional switch.

Owing to the urgent need for fuel-saving engines, direct-injection Otto-cycle engines using lean combustion methods are currently being developed. The new generation of engines can achieve a mean fuel saving of up to 15%. Charge stratification is carried out in the combustion chamber when on partial load. This means that the combustion chamber is split into two zones, a first zone with a fuel/air mixture which is capable of being ignited in the vicinity of the spark plugs, and a second zone composed of air and residual gas, which surrounds the first zone and is thermally isolated from the walls of the combustion chamber. Stratification charging is dependent on an extremely late injection time during the compression phase of the engine, and on an extremely short injection time of typically 0.5 ms. As the engine load increases, a transition takes place to homogeneous operation. In this case, the fuel is actually injected during the induction phase, that is to say very early, in order to ensure good, thorough mixing of the air and fuel.
It is particularly advantageous to use piezo actuators or other electrostrictive actuators manufactured using a multilayer technique for operation of the injection valves, since they react with virtually no delay. The piezo actuators or electrostrictive actuators manufactured using a multilayer technique have a layer stack composed of a material whose extent changes when an external voltage is applied in the longitudinal direction. Injection valves which are operated by piezo actuators or electrostrictive actuators can be controlled independently of the piston movement and, furthermore, have the advantage that they can be used to achieve short switching times.
For circuitry purposes, the piezo actuator represents a capacitance which is charged by means of an external applied electrical voltage. Energy is therefore stored in the piezo actuator. Piezo actuators use, for example, switching processes at frequencies of between 10 and 500 Hz for charging and discharging.
The German patent application with the official file reference 101 47 168.8 describes a converter circuit by means of which the energy which is stored in the secondary energy storage capacitance can at least partially be transferred back to the primary energy storage capacitance. This is achieved by additionally fitting a primary energy storage capacitance on one side. The energy which is stored in the secondary energy storage capacitance can result in a current being built up via the energy storage inductance and the secondary energy storage capacitance to this primary energy storage capacitance, in particular by briefly closing a secondary switching element, which current flows again when the secondary switching element is subsequently opened after a short time, and thus charges the primary energy storage capacitance.
Since, for many applications, the power output stage shall be designed to be as compact as possible, all the components should be checked for volume reduction. However, the power output stages circuit that is shown in FIG. 2, corresponding to the prior art, requires each component to have specific minimum characteristic values, for internal matching. As before, the largest amount of space is in this case consumed by the inductances and capacitances. If, for example, the primary energy storage capacitance is reduced by reducing the nominal capacitance, then this leads to greater potential fluctuation during the charging and discharging processes, which in turn would result in a filter inductor with a higher current load.


The method according to this disclosure is a method for separating an unsaturated hydrocarbon having 2 or 3 carbon atoms and a halogenated unsaturated carbon compound formed by replacing at least one of hydrogen atoms included in the unsaturated hydrocarbon with a fluorine atom, from each other and is a method for selectively adsorbing either the unsaturated hydrocarbon or the halogenated unsaturated carbon compound by a porous coordination polymer that includes a metallic ion having a valence of 2 to 4 and an aromatic anion having 1 to 6 aromatic ring(s).

Halogenated unsaturated carbon compounds such as tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) are each widely used as a raw material of various types of chemical product such as a polymer material, and are extremely important industrial products for the industries. TFE is usually stored in a pressurized state. TFE is however highly unstable because TFE tends to polymerize, and special care needs to be taken for storage and transportation of TFE because TFE is explosive.
Various techniques have traditionally been developed to safely store and transport TFE. For example, Patent Document 1 describes methods for safely storing and safely transporting tetrafluoroethylene characterized in that tetrafluoroethylene is pressurized and dissolved into trifluoroethylene trichloride.
Patent Document 2 describes a method for stabilizing tetrafluoroethylene characterized in that perfluoroalkane having 1 to 5 carbon atom(s) is mixed with tetrafluoroethylene.
Patent Document 3 describes a method for transporting liquid tetrafluoroethylene in a container under pressure, and the method includes improvement including the fact that liquid carbon dioxide and the liquid tetrafluoroethylene are mixed with each other, and that carbon dioxide is present at an amount effective for preventing tetrafluoroethylene evaporated from the produced liquid mixture, from exploding at a temperature up to +25° C.
Patent Document 4 describes a shipping or storage container for long-term storage for tetrafluoroethylene, characterized in that the container includes tetrafluoroethylene in the form of a liquid mixture that includes tetrafluoroethylene and 35 to 65% by mol of hexafluoropropylene, and a gas space above the liquid mixture, and the gas space includes a mixture of vapors of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene from the liquid mixture.

Separation method for halogenated unsaturated carbon compound


A sheet feeding device comprising: a stacking member on which a sheet is stacked; a first conveying portion that conveys a sheet stacked on the stacking member; a second conveying portion that separates and conveys a sheet conveyed by the first conveying portion; a stopper member that stops a sheet whose front end is abutted against the stopper member at an upstream of the second conveying portion in a sheet conveying direction, wherein the stopper member can be at a first position where the sheet can be stopped and a second position where the sheet can pass the stopper member, and wherein the stopper member can move from the first position toward the second position such that a sheet conveyed by the first conveying portion reaches the second conveying portion while maintaining a state where the front end of the sheet is abutted to the stopper member.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that individually separates and feeds a sheet, and an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a printer, provided with the sheet feeding device.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a sheet feeding device mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, or a copying machine, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-249089 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-199559, there is used a separating mechanism that individually separates a sheet stacked in a storage case or the like. As the separating mechanism, a retard separating mechanism using a feed roller and a retard roller that form a pickup roller and a separation portion, and a separating mechanism using a separating member (a separation roller or a friction pad) and a feed roller serving also as a pickup and a feeding function are often used.
A paper feeder of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-249089 has a paper returning claw to perform a stable feeding operation. With this configuration, even when a sheet is staying near the separating mechanism, which may cause overlap feeding, an operation of the paper returning claw disposed on a sheet conveying path is appropriately controlled using a clutch or the like, so that a front end of the sheet is pushed back to an upstream side by the returning claw, and further to a sheet placing portion. This enables a continuous, stable feeding operation without overlap feeding.
In a sheet carrier of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-199559, after separation by a separating mechanism, the side restricting plates are moved, and a press contact of the friction member with the separation roller, which form the separating mechanism, is canceled. Then, based on the positional information of the side end of the documents, which is detected by a document side end detecting sensor provided on the side restricting plates, the movement of the side restricting plates is stopped. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent skew feeding or jamming of a sheet, irrespective of a positional variation of the side restricting plates or the variation in a sheet size.
However, in these conventional sheet feeding devices, due to the following reasons, skew feeding or jamming has occurred during sheet conveyance, and cost has been increased.
That is, in the paper feeder of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-249089, skew feeding during manual feeding is maintained by a side regulation plate provided on a stack tray and rigidity of the sheet. However, this depends on the rigidity, variations in a size width, and displacement of the stacking position of the stacked sheet, or an operation state of the side regulation plate by a user, inhibiting sufficient prevention of skew feeding. In some cases, feeding without regulation of the side regulation plate may cause skew feeding, jamming, wrinkles, scratches, or the like.
On the other hand, in the sheet carrier disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-199559, although it is possible to prevent skew feeding of a sheet, a position detecting portion and a moving portion for the side restricting plates are required, increasing cost.
Accordingly, it is desirable to prevent damage, wrinkles, scratches, jamming of a sheet due to skew feeding or rotation (fan) of the sheet during feeding of the stacked sheet, and to suppress a cost increase.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus


A pillow for use by the user of a head immobilizing device having a circular member and a plurality of longitudinally extending struts which pillow has a T-shaped slot which will accommodate said device while allowing unslotted portion to support the user's head.

A halo is an orthopedic device used to provide stability and rigidity to the neck and head of a person who is recovering from neurological surgery, most commonly a spinal fusion, necessitated because of an extreme injury to the neck, in most cases where a fracture to the neck has been sustained. The halo provides the stability by immobilizing the head and neck, effectively preventing any movement, either from side to side or from front to back, of the head and neck. The halo is attached to the person during the reparative surgery via four titanium screws, which are placed into the first layer of the skull. Made of a combination of metals, most frequently titanium and graphite, the halo weighs upward to 15 pounds, although this figure may vary depending on the combination of metals used in its construction. The halo is further attached to a vest worn by a person, said vest being constructed of durable plastic and being lined with either lambswool or synthetic wool padding. An adjustment means is provided at the side and bottom edges of the vest to enable the wearer to adjust the vest to an appropriate circumference for his/her waist and to allow for the placement of clothing underneath the vest. Typically, a person utilizing this device wears the halo from six to nine months, in order to allow for the full complete healing of a surgically repaired spine, although this length of time may vary depending on the severity of the initial injury and on the recuperative process specific to the individual.
During the convalescence of the patient, and given the severe nature of the injury initially necessitating the surgery, it is extremely difficult for the patient to sleep or rest while wearing the halo. No currently available pillow provides comfortable and appropriate support for the head of the halo wearer. While lying in either the supine or side position, the halo interferes with conventional and customary sleeping positions by preventing the head of a wearer from being supported by a pillow. A conventional pillow engages the halo frame and barely touches the head of a wearer. Thus, even while sleeping the wearer's head is supported by the screws and the halo frame which is not comfortable. Furthermore, the weight of the halo, in addition to its inflexibility, makes it extremely difficult for the wearer to sit for any significant period of time without suffering from stress and tiredness of the shoulders.
It thus becomes desirable to provide a pillow which simultaneously will accommodate the structure of a halo and will properly support the head and neck of a wearer to enable a recovering neurosurgical patient to sleep and rest comfortably during the convalescent period. Such a pillow also can prevent further stress to the injured region, and to the shoulders and chest of the person, while sleeping. Such a device may also serve to relieve the stress caused by a person's movement while awake, and may be used to support the head and neck while in a sitting position when the head of a wearer rests against the back of a chair. Also it is desirable to provide such a pillow which will accommodate a halo and properly support the head and neck when the wearer is in either the supine or side position while sleeping.

Pillow for supporting the head of a halo wearing user


A liquid container sealing construction comprises a container body having at least one open end surrounded by a marginal edge thereof and an end closure member closing the open end of the container body. The container body is coated on its inner surface with a heat sealable thermoplastic material. The end closure member includes a peripheral flange coated on its outer surface with a heat sealable thermoplastic material. The peripheral flange and the marginal edge jointly provide a contacting portion where they are intimately fused and united together by the heat sealable thermoplastic material, and also provide a portion where they are held out of contact with each other, the latter portion being located adjacent to the turned edge of the flange. There are also provided a method and apparatus for sealing the liquid container with the end closure member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid container sealing construction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous container structures shaped like a cylinder, a cone or a prism have been developed and used over the past years for containing therein liquids having a relatively high pH and a high permeability, such as milk, juice, oil, liquor, cleanser, or lactic acid beverage. The container bodies have been usually constucted of paper coated on its inner surface with a liquid-tight material. The top and bottom open ends of the liquid container are sealed by suitable end closure members. Various attempts have been proposed to prevent leakage through a region where the end closure members are sealed to the container body. One such effort is to bond a flanged end closure to the inside wall of container body with an adhesive, as shown in FIG. 9A of the accompanying drawings. According to another proposal as shown in FIG. 9B, a marginal extension of the container body is turned inwardly over the joined flange of the end closure member like a seam of a can to provide a more rigid joining construction. A still further prior sealing structure is shown in FIG. 9C and comprises a flat end closure member heat sealed or otherwise coupled to a flange extending radially outwardly of the container body.
The sealing construction illustrated in FIG. 9B however requires a tedious and time consuming process and hence, has poor machinability. The construction shown in FIG. 9C involves a complicated procedure of forming the flange on the container body. Furthermore, the latter construction has the drawback that the projecting flange of the container is unsightly and requires a wide floor space when a multiplicity of containers are to be transferred or stored.
It has been heretofore found that the container sealing construction of FIG. 9A is most preferable from the standpoint of machinability. A prior art process for manufacturing this container sealing construction, however, cannot be carried out economically because completely liquid-tight sealing construction are unable to be produced at is mass production rate.


A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that are executable by a computer in an information processing apparatus having a display device is provided. The computer readable instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to determine a format to display at least one setup item, which is required in order to accomplish a predetermined process, in the display device between an icon format, in which the at least one setup item is displayed in a figurative image containing a symbolic figure representing the at least one setup item, and a list format, in which the at least one setup item is displayed in a textual image containing text describing the at least one setup item. The computer readable instructions further cause the computer to control the display device to display the at least one setup item in the determined format.

Technical Field
An aspect of the present invention relates to a controlling program to be executed on an image processing apparatus having a display.
Related Art
An information processing apparatus having a display unit, which may display setup items that may be designated to execute various kinds of processes including a printing process and a scanning process to present to a user, is known. A setup item is a setting or preference that may be designated to satisfy a setup requirement in order to accomplish a process in the information processing apparatus. A setup requirement may include at least one setup item or a plurality of options of setup items to be designated. The at least one setup item may be displayed in a format of, for example, a list or an icon in the display unit. Through the setup items displayed in the icon format, the user may grasp contents of the settings intuitively when a quantity of the setup items is smaller. On the other hand, through the setup items displayed in the list format, the user may read through the list of options displayed in the display unit.

Controlling program and information processing apparatus


Immunoblotting systems and method are provided. In one embodiment, the method may be achieved by applying an antibody solution to a surface of a membrane having an optically detectable protein and a target protein transferred thereon, wherein the application of the antibody solution is guided by a signal emitted from the optically detectable protein; and detecting the target protein. Systems and other methods are also described and illustrated.

Blotting is a process used to transfer macromolecules from an electrophoresis matrix to a membrane for further analysis. Southern blotting is used for DNA analysis, Northern blotting is used for RNA analysis and Western blotting is used for protein analysis.
In Western blotting (or immunoblotting), proteins in a sample are separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and then transferred onto a membrane (e.g., nitrocellulose or polyvinylidene) by capillary action or electroblotting. After the proteins are immobilized on the surface of the membrane, the proteins are contacted with a primary antibody that specifically binds to a target protein. The bound primary antibody is then detected, for example, by contacting the primary antibody with a secondary antibody conjugated to a detectable label such as a fluorescent label. The detectable label is then visualized by optical techniques (i.e., techniques that measure emitted light).
Although immunoblotting provides useful information, the technique is time consuming, requires a high level of technical skill, is reagent intensive, has limited throughput, and is poorly suited for multiplexing.


A vehicle rear door control system includes a vehicle rear door, a keyfob sensor array, a movement detection sensor, a projector and an electronic controller. The keyfob sensor array is configured to detect proximity of an individual with an authorized keyfob. The movement detection sensor installed to the vehicle below the rear door. The projector installed proximate the rear door and aimed to project images to a ground surface rearward of the vehicle proximate the rear door. The electronic controller controls opening operation of the rear door in response to detection of the authorized keyfob and detection of a conforming gesture detected by the movement detection sensor. The electronic controller is further configured to operate the projector to project a position image to the ground surface alerting the individual to stand rearward of a portion of the positioning image during opening of the rear door.

Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to vehicle rear door control system. More specifically, the present invention relates to vehicle rear door control system that includes a projector that displays images and/or text messages for an individual making movement gestures in order to open the rear door.
Background Information
Many vehicles, such as passenger vans and SUVs, have rear doors that can be opened automatically in response to a movement gesture made by an individual standing near the rear of the vehicle.


A sintered self lubricating bearing comprising at least an area of the inner surface, with a permeability value reduced in respect to that of the remaining mass, the number of reduced permeability areas varying from one to two times the numerical value of the diameter expressed in millimeters.

The present invention concerns an improvement in sintered self lubricating bearings.
As known, the usual method of dimensioning of sintered self lubricating bearings is based upon the maximum admissible value of the product p.multidot.v wherein p is the acting pressure, as defined by the ratio between the load and the surface projected by the bush (inner diameter.times.length), and v is the peripheral velocity of the shaft.
The existence of a maximum value of such product p.multidot.v is a direct consequence of the existence of a surface porosity, in the inner wall of the bearings, which does not allow the build-up of a continuous film of lubricant in many cases wherein the average pressures exceed determined limit values. In cases of this kind, in fact, the lubricant interposed between the bush and the shaft is pushed towards the bush itself, tends to flow into the pores and therefore is "lost" for the purpose of its sustaining capacity.
On the other hand, the porosity of the bearings is an essential functional character of them, because it allows both the soakage "for life" and the circulation of oil through the walls according to the sense imposed by the pressure differences which are established when functioning.


An organic EL device comprising: an organic EL element; a first transistor that controls a drive current of the organic EL element in accordance with a brightness adjustment voltage; and a temperature correction circuit that corrects the brightness adjustment voltage in accordance with a temperature; wherein the temperature correction circuit includes: a second transistor that has a same temperature characteristic as the first transistor; a resistor element that is connected to the second transistor; and an operational amplifier that controls the second transistor such that a predetermined reference voltage and a voltage across the resistor element become equal to each other; wherein the temperature correction circuit corrects the brightness adjustment voltage in accordance with an output from the operational amplifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic EL [electroluminescence] device (organic EL display, organic EL light and the like).
2. Description of Related Art
An organic EL display is composed of mainly a panel portion, a source driver, and a gate driver. The panel portion includes pixel circuits whose number is equal to the number of pixels (the number of effective pixels in a color XGA [extended graphics aray]: 1024 lateral×768 vertical×3 colors). The pixel circuit is composed of a transistor and an organic EL element. The transistor is controlled to flow a desired drive current into the organic EL element, whereby it is possible to make the organic EL element emit light. The drive current flowing in the organic EL element and the brightness of the organic EL element are in a proportional relationship.
In the meantime, as examples of prior art relevant to the above description, there are JP-A-2003-330419 and JP-A-2005-157009.
The transistor included in the pixel circuit has a temperature characteristic and production unevenness, and the drive current flowing in the organic EL element varies under the influence of these; accordingly, it is hard to keep the brightness of the organic EL element constant.
In the meantime, conventionally, a structure is employed, in which various kinds of calculations and the like are performed based on temperature information obtained by a temperature sensor to correct a control voltage of the transistor; whereby the desired drive current is flowed into the organic EL element irrespective of the temperature to keep the brightness of the organic EL element at a desired value.
However, in the above conventional structure, the temperature sensor is necessary and an analog signal obtained by the temperature sensor is converted into a digital signal to perform a complicated logic calculation by means of a data table and the like.


The gamma crystalline modification of 2,2',2"-nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3',5,5'-tetra-tert-butyl-1,1'-biphenyl-2, 2'-diyl)phosphite] is obtained by crystallizing or recrystallizing said compound from an alkanol of 4 to 8 carbon atoms.. The gamma crystalline form is an effective process stabilizer for polyolefins, particularly polypropylene.

2,2',2"-Nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3',5,5'-tetra-tert-butyl-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2 '-diyl)phosphite] is a compound having the formula I ##STR1##
This compound of formula I is useful as a processing stabilizer for organic polymers as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,318,845 and 4,374,219. The compound of formula I is disclosed as being a white powder melting at 121.degree.-134.degree. C. As such, the powdery product has defects in terms of handling and apparent density, exhibiting poor flowability, meterability, storage stability, hydrolyric stability and compatibility in polymeric substrates and lubricating oils.
It has now been found that the compound of formula I can be obtained in a different crystalline modification as purified crystalline particles which exhibit acceptable properties in respect to handling, apparent density, flowability, meterability, storage stability, hydrolytic stability and compatibility in polymeric substrates and lubricating oils.
The new modification is characterized by a novel crystalline form, melting in the range of 178.degree.-185.degree. C. as given by the peak temperature of the endotherm recorded by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); and by an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained using Cu-K.alpha. which exhibits diffraction angles (2.THETA.) as seen below:
______________________________________ Peak No. Diffraction Angle ______________________________________ 1 5.4 2 6.3 3 8.8 4 9.9 5 10.3 6 10.8 7 11.7 8 13.8 9 14.8 10 15.5 11 16.1 12 17.0 13 17.7 14 18.4 15 20.2 ______________________________________
The instant invention also relates to a process for the preparation of this novel gamma crystalline modification of the compound of formula I.
The instant invention also pertains to a composition stabilized against thermal, oxidative and actinic induced degradation which comprises
(a) an organic material subject to thermal, oxidative or actinic induced degradation, and PA1 (b) an effective stabilizing mount (generally about 0.01 to about 5% by weight of the stabilized composition) of the gamma crystalline form of 2,2',2"-nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3', 5,5'-tetra-tert-butyl-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diyl)phosphite], characterized by melting in the range of 178.degree.-185.degree. C. and by an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained using a Cu-K.alpha. which exhibits diffraction angles (2.THETA.) as seen below: PA1 a) radical polymerisation (normally under high pressure and at elevated temperature). PA1 b) catalytic polymerisation using a catalyst that normally contains one or more than one metal of groups IVb, Vb, VIb or VIII of the Periodic Table. These metals usually have one or more than one ligand, typically oxides, halides, alcoholales, esters, ethers, amines, alkyls, alkenyls and/or aryls that may be either .pi.- or .sigma.-coordinated. These metal complexes may be in the free form or fixed on substrates, typically on activated magnesium chloride, titanium(III) chloride, alumina or silicon oxide. These catalysts may be soluble or insoluble in the polymerisation medium. The catalysts can be used by themselves in the polymerisation or further activators may be used, typically metal alkyls, metal hydrides, metal alkyl halides, metal alkyl oxides or metal alkyloxanes, said metals being elements of groups Ia, IIa and/or IIIa of the Periodic Table. The activators may be modified conveniently with further ester, ether, amine or silyl ether groups. These catalyst systems are usually termed Phillips, Standard Oil Indiana, Ziegler (-Natta), TNZ (DuPont), metallocene or single site catalysts (SSC). PA1 R.sub.12 is hydrogen; PA1 R.sub.14 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl or chlorine; PA1 R.sub.13 has the meaning of R.sub.12 or R.sub.14 or is a radical of the formula ##STR3## or --D--E, in which R.sub.16 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, alkyl having 2 to 18 carbon atoms which is interrupted by oxygen or sulfur, dialkylaminoalkyl having a total of 3 to 16 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl or phenyl which is substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl radicals together having at most 18 carbon atoms; PA1 n is 0, 1 or 2; PA1 the substituents R.sub.17, independently of one another, are hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, phenyl which is substituted by 1 or 2 alkyl radicals together having at most 16 carbon atoms, a radical of the formula --C.sub.2 H.sub.4 OH, --C.sub.2 H.sub.4 --O--C.sub.m H.sub.2m+1 or ##STR4## or together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a piperidine or morpholine radical; PA1 m is 1 to 18; PA1 R.sub.20 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 22 carbon atoms or cycloalkyl having 5 to 12 carbon atoms; PA1 A is alkylene having 2 to 22 carbon atoms which may be interrupted by nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur; PA1 R.sub.18 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, phenyl which is substituted by 1 or 2 alkyl radicals together having at most 16 carbon atoms, or is benzyl; PA1 R.sub.19 is alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; PA1 D is --O--, --S--, --SO--, --SO.sub.2 -- or --C(R.sub.21).sub.2 --; the substituents R.sub.21, independently of one another, are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.16 alkyl, the two R.sub.21 together containing 1 to 16 carbon atoms, R.sub.21 is furthermore phenyl or a radical of the formula ##STR5## in which n, R.sub.16 and R.sub.17 are as defined above; E is a radical of the formula ##STR6## in which R.sub.11, R.sub.12 and R.sub.14 are as defined above; and R.sub.15 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, chlorine or a radical of the formula ##STR7## in which R.sub.16 and R.sub.17 are as defined above, or R.sub.15 together with R.sub.14 forms a tetramethylene radical. PA1 Preference is given to those benzofuran-2-ones in which R.sub.13 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, chlorine or a radical of the formula ##STR8## or --D--E, in which n, R.sub.16, R.sub.17, D and E are as defined above, R.sub.16 is in particular hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl. PA1 Preference is given furthermore to those benzofuran-2-ones in which R.sub.11 is phenyl or phenyl which is substituted by 1 or 2 alkyl radicals together having at most 12 carbon atoms; R.sub.12 is hydrogen; R.sub.14 is hydrogen or alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms; R.sub.13 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, ##STR9## or --D--E; R.sub.15 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, ##STR10## or R.sub.15 together with R.sub.14 forms a tetramethylene radical, n, R.sub.16, R.sub.17, D and E being as defined at the beginning. PA1 Of particular interest are also those benzofuran-2-ones in which R.sub.11 is phenyl; R.sub.13 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms or --D--E; R.sub.12 and R.sub.14, independently of one another, are hydrogen or alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and R.sub.15 is alkyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, D and E being as defined at the beginning. PA1 Of special interest are finally also those benzofuran-2-ones in which R.sub.11 is phenyl; R.sub.13 is alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or --D--E; R.sub.12 and R.sub.14 are hydrogen; and R.sub.15 is alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, D being a group --C(R.sub.21).sub.2 -- and E being a radical of the formula ##STR11## the substituents R.sub.21 being identical to or different from one another and each being alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R.sub.11, R.sub.12, R.sub.14 and R.sub.15 being as defined. PA1 a) Organic acids, their esters, metal salts and anhydrides, e.g. N-oleoyl-sarcosine, sorbitan-mono-oleate, lead-naphthenate, alkenyl-succinic acids and -anhydrides, e.g. dodecenyl-succinic acid anhydride, succinic acid partial esters and amines, 4-nonyl-phenoxy-acetic acid. PA1 b) Nitrogen-containing compounds, e.g. I. Primary, secondary or tertiary aliphatic or cycloaliphatic amines and amine-salts of organic and inorganic acids, e.g. oil-soluble alkyl-ammonium carboxylates II. Heterocyclic compounds, e.g. substituted imidazolines and oxazolines. PA1 c) Phosphorus-containing compounds, e.g. amine salts of phosphonic acid or phosphoric acid partial esters, zinc dialkyldithio phosphates. PA1 d) Sulfur-containing compounds, e.g. barium-dinonylnaphthalene-n-sulfonates, calcium petroleum sulfonates. PA1 e) Derivatives of gamma-alkoxypropylamines described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 15783/1973; and PA1 f) Salts having the formula Y--NH.sub.3 --R.sub.10 CO.sub.2 -- in which Y is a group R.sub.11 X.sub.1 CH.sub.2 CH(OH)CH.sub.2 in which R.sub.10 and R.sub.11, independently, are e.g. alkyl and X.sub.1 is O, CO.sub.2, NH, N(alkyl), N(alkenyl) or S, these salts being prepared by mixing an amine Y--NH.sub.2 with an acid R.sub.10 CO.sub.2 H, as disclosed in DE-OS 3437 876 (German Offenlegungsschrift). PA1 g) Compounds having the formula EQU R.sub.12 --X.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --CH(OH)--CH.sub.2 NR.sub.13 R.sub.14 PA1 h) Compounds having the formula: ##STR13## in which R.sub.15, R.sub.16, R.sub.17 are, independently, hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.15 alkyl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.12 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.15 aryl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 aralkyl and R.sub.18 and R.sub.19, independently, are hydrogen, 2-hydroxyethyl or 2-hydroxypropyl, provided that R.sub.18 and R.sub.19 are not simultaneously hydrogen and, when R.sub.18 and R.sub.19 are each --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH, R.sub.15 and R.sub.16 are not simultaneously hydrogen and R.sub.17 is not pentyl. These compounds are described in EP Patent specification 0 252 007. PA1 The process for the preparation of the gamma crystalline modification of the compound of formula I is crystallizing or recrystallizing the compound of formula I from an alkanol of 4 to 8 carbon atoms. Preferably the alkanol is an n-alkanol of 4 to 8 carbon atoms; most preferably 1-butanol or 1-octanol. PA1 Some alkanols useful in the instant process are, for example, 1-butanol, sec-butyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, 1-pentanol, isoamyl alcohol, 1-hexanol, 2-ethyl-l-hexanol, 1-heptanol and 1-octanol. PA1 Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements are obtained on a TA Instrument Inc., 910 differential scanning calorimeter, with a 100 mL/min nitrogen purge, aligned aluminum pan, temperature scan at 5.degree. C./min to 230.degree. C. PA1 X-ray diffraction patterns are recorded on a Philips Norelco X-ray Diffractometer unit, using Cu-K.alpha. radiation with a nickel filter. All samples have a uniform particle size of 40 to 75 microns. This is the same particle size distribution obtained with the prior art compound of Example 3.
______________________________________ Peak No. Diffraction Angle ______________________________________ 1 5.4 2 6.3 3 8.8 4 9.9 5 10.3 6 10.8 7 11.7 8 13.8 9 14.8 10 15.5 11 16.1 12 17.0 13 17.7 14 18.4 15 20.2 ______________________________________
The organic material is preferably a polymer processed at elevated temperatures. Particularly preferred organic polymers are the polyolefins, especially polypropylene and polyethylene, and polyamides. Most particularly the organic polymer is polypropylene.
The compounds of this invention are very effective processing stabilizers for polyolefins than the prior an compounds both in preventing molecular weight changes as well as preventing discoloration.
In general polymers which can be stabilized include
1. Polymers of monoolefins and diolefins, for example polypropylene, polyisobutylene, polybut-1-ene, poly-4-methylpent-1-ene, polyisoprene or polybutadiene, as well as polymers of cycloolefins, for instance of cyclopentene or norbornene, polyethylene (which optionally can be crosslinked), for example high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), branched low density polyethylene (BLDPE).
Polyolefins, i.e. the polymers of monoolefins exemplified in the preceding paragraph, preferably polyethylene and polypropylene, can be prepared by different, and especially by the following, methods:
2. Mixtures of the polymers mentioned under 1), for example mixtures of polypropylene with polyisobutylene, polypropylene with polyethylene (for example PP/HDPE, PP/LDPE) and mixtures of different types of polyethylene (for example LDPE/HDPE).
3. Copolymers of monoolefins and diolefins with each other or with other vinyl monomers, for example ethylene/propylene copolymers, linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and mixtures thereof with low density polyethylene (LDPE), propylene/but-1-ene copolymers, propylene/isobutylene copolymers, ethylene/but-1-ene copolymers, ethylene/hexene copolymers, ethylene/methylpentene copolymers, ethylene/heptene copolymers, ethylene/octene copolymers, propylene/butadiene copolymers, isobutylene/isoprene copolymers, ethylene/alkyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene/alkyl methacrylate copolymers, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers and their copolymers with carbon monoxide or ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers and their salts (ionomers) as well as terpolymers of ethylene with propylene and a diene such as hexadiene, dicyclopentadiene or ethylidene-norbornene; and mixtures of such copolymers with one another and with polymers mentioned in 1) above, for example polypropylene/ethylene-propylene copolymers, LDPE/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), LDPE/ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers (EAA), LLDPE/EVA, LLDPE/EAA and alternating or random polyalkylene/carbon monoxide copolymers and mixtures thereof with other polymers, for example polyamides.
4. Hydrocarbon resins (for example C.sub.5 -C.sub.9) including hydrogenated modifications thereof (e.g. tackifiers) and mixtures of polyalkylenes and starch.
5. Polystyrene, poly(p-methylstyrene), poly(.alpha.-methylstyrene).
6. Copolymers of styrene or .alpha.-methylstyrene with dienes or acrylic derivatives, for example styrene/butadiene, styrene/acrylonitrile, styrene/alkyl methacrylate, styrene/butadiene/alkyl acrylate, styrene/butadiene/alkyl methacrylate, styrene/maleic anhydride, styrene/acrylonitrile/methyl acrylate; mixtures of high impact strength of styrene copolymers and another polymer, for example a polyacrylate, a diene polymer or an ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymer; and block copolymers of styrene such as styrene/butadiene/styrene, styrene/isoprene/styrene, styrene/ethylene/butylene/styrene or styrene/ethylene/propylene/styrene.
7. Graft copolymers of styrene or .alpha.-methylstyrene, for example styrene on polybutadiene, styrene on polybutadiene-styrene or polybutadiene-acrylonitrile copolymers; styrene and acrylonitrile (or methacrylonitrile) on polybutadiene; styrene, acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate on polybutadiene; styrene and maleic anhydride on polybutadiene; styrene, acrylonitrile and maleic anhydride or maleimide on polybutadiene; styrene and maleimide on polybutadiene; styrene and alkyl acrylates or methacrylates on polybutadiene; styrene and acrylonitrile on ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymers; styrene and acrylonitrile on polyalkyl acrylates or polyalkyl methacrylates, styrene and acrylonitrile on acrylate/butadiene copolymers, as well as mixtures thereof with the copolymers listed under 6), for example the copolymer mixtures known as ABS, MBS, ASA or AES polymers.
8. Halogen-containing polymers such as polychloroprene, chlorinated rubbers, chlorinated or sulfochlorinated polyethylene, copolymers of ethylene and chlorinated ethylene, epichlorohydrin homo- and copolymers, especially polymers of halogen-containing vinyl compounds, for example polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride, as well as copolymers thereof such as vinyl chloride/vinylidene chloride, vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate or vinylidene chloride/vinyl acetate copolymers.
9. Polymers derived from .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated acids and derivatives thereof such as polyacrylates and polymethacrylates; polymethyl methacrylates, polyacrylamides and polyacrylonitriles, impact-modified with butyl acrylate.
10. Copolymers of the monomers mentioned under 9) with each other or with other unsaturated monomers, for example acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymers, acrylonitrile/alkyl acrylate copolymers, acrylonitrile/alkoxyalkyl acrylate or acrylonitrile/vinyl halide copolymers or acrylonitrile/alkyl methacrylate/butadiene terpolymers.
11. Polymers derived from unsaturated alcohols and amines or the acyl derivatives or acetals thereof, for example polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl stearate, polyvinyl benzoate, polyvinyl maleate, polyvinyl butyral, polyallyl phthalate or polyallyl melamine; as well as their copolymers with olefins mentioned in 1) above.
12. Homopolymers and copolymers of cyclic ethers such as polyalkylene glycols, polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide or copolymers thereof with bisglycidyl ethers.
13. Polyacetals such as polyoxymethylene and those polyoxymethylenes which contain ethylene oxide as a comonomer; polyacetals modified with thermoplastic polyurethanes, acrylates or MBS.
14. Polyphenylene oxides and sulfides, and mixtures of polyphenylene oxides with styrene polymers or polyamides.
15. Polyurethanes derived from hydroxyl-terminated polyethers, polyesters or polybutadienes on the one hand and aliphatic or aromatic polyisocyanates on the other, as well as precursors thereof.
16. Polyamides and copolyamides derived from diamines and dicarboxylic acids and/or from aminocarboxylic acids or the corresponding lactams, for example polyamide 4, polyamide 6, polyamide 6/6, 6/10, 6/9, 6/12, 4/6, 12/12, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, aromatic polyamides starting from m-xylene diamine and adipic acid; polyamides prepared from hexamethylenediamine and isophthalic or/and terephthalic acid and with or without an elastomer as modifier, for example poly-2,4,4,-trimethylhexamethylene terephthalamide or poly-m-phenylene isophthalamide; and also block copolymers of the aforementioned polyamides with polyolefins, olefin copolymers, ionomers or chemically bonded or grafted elastomers; or with polyethers, e.g. with polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol or polytetramethylene glycol; as well as polyamides or copolyamides modified with EPDM or ABS; and polyamides condensed during processing (RIM polyamide systems).
17. Polyureas, polyimides, polyamide-imides and polybenzimidazoles.
18. Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and diols and/or from hydroxycarboxylic acids or the corresponding lactones, for example polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, poly-1,4-dimethylolcyclohexane terephthalate and polyhydroxybenzoates, as well as block copolyether esters derived from hydroxyl-terminated polyethers; and also polyesters modified with polycarbonates or MBS.
19. Polycarbonates and polyester carbonates.
20. Polysulfones, polyether sulfones and polyether ketones.
21. Crosslinked polymers derived from aldehydes on the one hand and phenols, ureas and melamines on the other hand, such as phenol/formaldehyde resins, urea/formaldehyde resins and melamine/formaldehyde resins.
22. Drying and non-drying alkyd resins.
23. Unsaturated polyester resins derived from copolyesters of saturated and unsaturated dicarboxylic acids with polyhydric alcohols and vinyl compounds as crosslinking agents, and also halogen-containing modifications thereof of low flammability.
24. Crosslinkable acrylic resins derived from substituted acrylates, for example epoxy acrylates, urethane acrylates or polyester acrylates.
25. Alkyd resins, polyester resins and acrylate resins crosslinked with melamine resins, urea resins, polyisocyanates or epoxy resins.
26. Crosslinked epoxy resins derived from polyepoxides, for example from bisglycidyl ethers or from cycloaliphatic diepoxides.
27. Natural polymers such as cellulose, rubber, gelatin and chemically modified homologous derivatives thereof, for example cellulose acetates, cellulose propionates and cellulose butyrates, or the cellulose ethers such as methyl cellulose; as well as rosins and their derivatives.
28. Blends of the aforementioned polymers (polyblends), for example PP/EPDM, Polyamide/EPDM or ABS, PVC/EVA, PVC/ABS, PVC/MBS, PC/ABS, PBTP/ABS, PC/ASA, PC/BT, PVC/CPE, PVC/acrylates, POM/thermoplastic PUR, PC/thermoplastic PUR, POM/acrylate, POM/MBS, PPO/HIPS, PPO/PA 6.6 and copolymers, PA/HDPE, PA/PP, PA/PPO.
29. Naturally occurring and synthetic organic materials which are pure monomeric compounds or mixtures of such compounds, for example mineral oils, animal and vegetable fats, oil and waxes, or oils, fats and waxes based on synthetic esters (e.g. phthalates, adipates, phosphates or trimellitates) and also mixtures of synthetic esters with mineral oils in any weight ratios, typically those used as spinning compositions, as well as aqueous emulsions of such materials.
30. Aqueous emulsions of natural or synthetic rubber, e.g. natural latex or latices of carboxylated styrene/butadiene copolymers.
31. Polysiloxanes such as the soft, hydrophilic polysiloxanes described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,467; and the hard polyorganosiloxanes described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,147.
32. Polyketimines in combination with unsaturated acrylic polyacetoacetate resins or with unsaturated acrylic resins. The unsaturated acrylic resins include the urethane acrylates, polyether acrylates, vinyl or acryl copolymers with pendant unsaturated groups and the acrylated melamines. The polyketimines are prepared from polyamines and ketones in the presence of an acid catalyst.
33. Radiation curable compositions containing ethylenically unsaturated monomers or oligomers and a polyunsaturated aliphatic oligomer.
34. Epoxymelamine resins such as light-stable epoxy resins crosslinked by an epoxy functional coetherified high solids melamine resin such as LSE4103 (Monsanto).
In general, the compounds of the present invention are employed in from about 0.01 to about 5% by weight of the stabilized composition, although this will vary with the particular substrate and application. An advantageous range is from about 0.05 to about 3%, and especially 0.05 to about 1%.
The stabilizers of the instant invention may readily be incorporated into the organic polymers by conventional techniques, at any convenient stage prior to the manufacture of shaped articles therefrom. For example, the stabilizer may be mixed with the polymer in dry powder form, or a suspension or emulsion of the stabilizer may be mixed with a solution, suspension, or emulsion of the polymer. The resulting stabilized polymer compositions of the invention may optionally also contain from about 0.01 to about 5%, preferably from about 0.025 to about 2%, and especially from about 0.1 to about 1% by weight of various conventional additives, such as the materials listed below, or mixtures thereof.

Gamma crystalline modification of 2.2',2"-nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3',5,5'-t'-biphenyl-2,2'-diyl) phosphite]


An improved apparatus for forming and cutting spirally formed pipe, particularly spiral pipes having a diameter of approximately one inch or less, is disclosed. The device for slitting the spiral pipe into sections includes a first knife that is positioned inside the spiral pipe and a second knife positioned outside of the pipe. A support sleeve is also positioned outside of the pipe and is in a fixed radial position with respect to the pipe. The inner and outer knives and the support sleeve move axially with the pipe as the pipe is severed.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for producing spirally formed pipe, particularly spiral pipes having a diameter of approximately one inch or less.
A large potential for small diameter spiral pipes exists in the filter market, such as automobile oil filters. These filters typically have a perforated inner metal cylinder that is approximately one inch in diameter. Because pipes such as those used in oil filters need to be accurately and cleanly cut in large quantities, a pipe forming and cutting apparatus capable of fast and accurate cuts is necessary.
There are several known ways to form and cut a pipe. A pipe may be formed by spirally or helically winding a continuous strip of metal, and joining adjacent edges of the wound strip to form a spiral lockseam in the pipe. In some pipe forming and cutting machines, the spirally formed pipe is cut by moving a knife outside the pipe into an overlapping position with a knife inside the pipe. Other types of spiral pipe forming and cutting machines use multiple knives or rotate the knives around the pipe to cut the pipe into sections.
The accuracy of a cut depends upon minimizing the deflection of the pipe when the cutting knife or knives are engaged. In some pipe forming and cutting machines, the pipe may be supported by one or more rollers, opposite the outside knife, to counteract the force of the knives engaging in a cut. The support roller may be pneumatically or hydraulically driven to move the roller into and out of a support position.
Support rollers, while providing support against deflection in the direction of the force of the cutting knife, do not provide support for lateral deflection of a pipe during the cutting process. Rollers tend to require numerous parts as well as pneumatic or hydraulic systems that may be both costly and bulky. Furthermore, the pipe cutting process may be slower and less accurate than desired due to the time necessary to move the support rollers into a supporting position against a pipe. Accordingly, a pipe forming and cutting machine is necessary with improved lateral pipe support while cutting and that is both faster and more accurate.

Apparatus for forming and cutting spiral pipe


A process is disclosed for producing CF.sub.3 CH.sub.2 CF.sub.3 and/or CF.sub.3 CH.dbd.CF.sub.2 from at least one ether compound selected from the group consisting of compounds having the formula (CF.sub.3).sub.2 CHCF.sub.2 OR and compounds having the formula (CF.sub.3).sub.2 C.dbd.CFOR (wherein R is an alkyl group of the formula C.sub.n H.sub.2n+1 and n is an integer from 1 to 6) by contacting the ether compound(s) with water at an elevated temperature of at least about 75.degree. C. The reaction of ether compound(s) with water may be employed in connection with a process for producing tetrafluoroethylene and/or hexafluoropropylene by pyrolysis, where by-product perfluoroisobutylene is reacted with an alkanol to produce the ether compound (s).

Tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene are commonly manufactured by high temperature pyrolysis. In these manufacturing processes, minor amounts of highly toxic perfluoroisobutylene are typically produced. This material can be reacted with alkanols to form ethers. Typically, perfluoroisobutylene is reacted with methanol to convert it to two less toxic ether compounds, (CF.sub.3).sub.2 CHCF.sub.2 OCH.sub.3 (herein designated "ether A" and (CF.sub.3).sub.2 C.dbd.CFOCH3 (herein designated "ether B") (see, e.g., European Patent Publication No. 0 002 098). While ether A and ether B are much less hazardous than the perfluoro compound from which they are prepared, they still are generally disposed of as waste product. There is interest in developing means for productive use of ether materials such as ether A and ether B.

Production CF.sub.3 CH.sub.2 CF.sub.3 and/or CF.sub.3 CH.dbd.CF.sub.2 by the conversion of fluorinated ethers


A system for producing low-cost, 3-D stereoscopic encoded images in which encoded images are produced by capturing multiple parallax angle views of a scene, separating each view into narrow rectangular segments, interleaving these segments and displaying the resulting image on a flat surface. The image is placed at the focal plane of a lenticular sheet, and the interleaved segments of the image are aligned with the lenticules of the lenticular sheet. When the encoded image is viewed through the lenticular sheet a 3-D image is formed. The 3-D stereoscopic encoded image may be formed on a computer-driven printer, on a photographic emulsion or on a video display terminal. The image may be a single still rendering or it may represent a frame of a motion picture.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of 3-D stereo imaging and, more particularly, to producing low-cost, 3-D stereo encoded images on computer-driven printers, on photographic emulsions, and on video display terminals using a computer or other encoding device. The 3-D stereo encoded images thus produced are viewed through a separate lenticular sheet to produce a 3-D image.
2. Description of Related Art
The production of 3-D stereo representations by forming an image on a sheet bonded to a lenticular laminate is now known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,826 discloses a method for exposing lenticular photographic print material from multiple film negatives each representing a different parallax view of a subject to produce a 3-D stereo image.
Methods for producing hard-copy 3-D images from a computer printer are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,343 discloses a computer-driven printer for producing self-aligned stereo images using a special paper, which is bonded to a sheet of polarizing material. The resultant sheet is viewed through polarized glasses to reveal a 3-D image.
Known methods of producing 3-D images have several drawbacks. For example, because the underlying image and the viewing sheet must be precisely aligned, the production of these images has required that the printed image be bonded with the viewing sheet. This means that the resulting laminate is expensive to produce, and the laminate is much thicker than the underlying picture, making it cumbersome to package where multiple images in a single publication are desired, for example, in a calendar or a book. Further, special equipment and expertise are required to produce these images, making their production inconvenient for the casual user.
Where a polarizer sheet is used, special spectacles must be worn to separate right- and left-eye images. This adds expense, makes viewing more cumbersome, and limits the number of viewers that can observe the three dimensional image at one time. Such a system would be impractical for an advertising display.

Method and apparatus for producing three-dimensional graphic images using a lenticular sheet


Apparatus is provided for analyzing the structure of light burst activity ich is generated by a particular light source, such as a group of bioluminescent organisms. The apparatus includes a photon detector for detecting discrete photons of light occurring proximate to the source during each sampling time in a series of sampling times, and further includes a counter coupled to the photon detector for providing successive photon counts, a photon count being the number of discrete photons detected by the photon detector during one of the sampling times. A pulse height analyzing device is coupled to the counter for providing a distribution of the photon counts over the sampling time series.

The invention disclosed and claimed herein generally pertains to the field of techniques and apparatus for analyzing light burst activity, that is, the emission of light in the form of discrete bursts, pulses or flashes, which are of extremely short duration. More particularly, the invention pertains to the above field wherein analysis is accomplished by detecting and counting discrete light photons produced by a light burst source during successive time intervals in a series of intervals, and then providing a probability distribution function of photon counts over the series.
A source of light burst activity which is of special interest is the bioluminescent life, and particularly the microorganic life, which is found in natural bodies of seawater. One reason for such interest results from proposals which are presently being made for a system which is intended to communicate through an ocean body by means of laser light signals. Because light signals passing through a seawater environment are subjected to a high degree of attenuation, the effects of bioluminescence on signal reception at a receiver in the environment may be very significant.
In studying the phenomenon of bioluminescence in seawater, certain questions have been posed. One such question is whether the emission of a light burst by one bioluminescent creature in seawater in some way causes nearby creatures to emit light, or whether adjacent creatures act independently of one another. Other questions are related to the structure or pattern of light emission, such as whether light emissions occur continuously or are separated by time intervals, or whether the intensity of light bursts is continuous or variable over time.
The applicant, through his invention, discloses a tool which is considered to be extremely useful for providing information pertinent to the above questions. However, the applicant does not intend to limit his invention to applications related to the analysis of bioluminescent light emissions. It is anticipated that the invention could also be useful in analyzing the structure of sparking activity, or virtually any other sort of light emitting activity in which emissions are of very short duration, emission occurring over a period of time.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Compounds of formula (I) have muscarinic M3 receptor modulating activity; Formula (I) wherein A is an oxygen atom or group —N(R12)—; (i) R1 is C1-C6-alkyl or a hydrogen atom; and R2 is a hydrogen atom or a group —R5, —Z—Y—R5—Z—NR9R10; —Z—CO—NR9R10; —Z—NR9—CO—R5; or —Z—CO2H; and R3 is a lone pair, or C1-C6-alkyl in which case the nitrogen atom to which it is attached is a quaternary nitrogen and carries a positive charge; or (ii) R1 and R3 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a heterocycloalkyl ring, and R2 is a hydrogen atom; or a group —R5, —Z—Y—R5, —Z—NR9R10, —Z—CO—NR9R10, —Z—NR9—CO—R5, or —Z—CO2H, in which cases the nitrogen atom to which it is attached is a quaternary nitrogen and carries a positive charge; or (iii) R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a heterocycloalkyl ring, said ring being substituted by a group —Y—R5, —Z—Y—R5, —Z—NR9R10; —Z—CO—NR9R10; —Z—NR9—CO—R5; or —Z—CO2H and R3 is a lone pair, or C1-C6-alkyl in which case the nitrogen atom to which it is attached is a quaternary nitrogen and carries a positive charge; R4 is a group of formula (a), (b), (c) or (d); is an C1-C6-alkyl, aryl, aryl-fused-cycloalkyl, aryl-fused-heterocycloalkyl, heteroaryl, aryl(C1-C8-alkyl)-, heteroaryl(C1-C8-alkyl)-, cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl group, and the remaining variables are as defined in the specification.

Anti-cholinergic agents prevent the passage of, or effects resulting from the passage of, impulses through the parasympathetic nerves. This is a consequence of the ability of such compounds to inhibit the action of acetylcholine (Ach) by blocking its binding to the muscarinic cholinergic receptors.
There are five subtypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), termed M1-M5, and each is the product of a distinct gene and each displays unique pharmacological properties, mAChRs are widely distributed in vertebrate organs, and these receptors can mediate both inhibitory and excitatory actions. For example, in smooth muscle found in the airways, bladder and gastrointestinal tract, M3 mAChRs mediate contractile responses (reviewed by Caulfield, 1993, Pharmac. Ther., 58, 319-379).
In the lungs, muscarinic receptors M1, M2 and M3 have been demonstrated to be important and are localized to the trachea, the bronchi, submucosal glands and parasympathetic ganglia (reviewed in Fryer and Jacoby, 1998, Am J Resp Crit Care Med., 158 (5 part 3) S 154-160). M3 receptors on airway smooth muscle mediate contraction and therefore bronchoconstriction. Stimulation of M3 receptors localised to submucosal glands results in mucus secretion.
Increased signalling through muscarinic acetylcholine receptors has been noted in a variety of different pathophysiological states including asthma and COPD. In COPD, vagal tone may either be increased (Gross et al. 1989, Chest; 96:984-987) and/or may provoke a higher degree of obstruction for geometric reasons if applied on top of oedematous or mucus-laden airway walls (Gross et al. 1984, Am Rev Respir Dis; 129:856-870). In addition, inflammatory conditions can lead to a loss of inhibitory M2 receptor activity which results in increased levels of acetylcholine release following vagal nerve stimulation (Fryer et al, 1999, Life Sci., 64, (6-7) 449-455). The resultant increased activation of M3 receptors leads to enhanced airway obstruction. Thus the identification of potent muscarinic receptor antagonists would be useful for the therapeutic treatment of those disease states where enhanced M3 receptor activity is implicated. Indeed, contemporary treatment strategies currently support regular use of M3 antagonist bronchodilators as first-line therapy for COPD patients (Pauwels et al. 2001, Am Rev Respir Crit. Care Med; 163:1256-1276)
Incontinence due to bladder hypercontractility has also been demonstrated to be mediated through increased stimulation of M3 mAChRs. Thus M3 mAChR antagonists may be useful as therapeutics in these mAChR-mediated diseases.
Despite the large body of evidence supporting the use of anti-muscarinic receptor therapy for treatment of airway disease states, relatively few anti-muscarinic compounds are in use in the clinic for pulmonary indications. Thus, there remains a need for novel compounds that are capable of causing blockade at M3 muscarinic receptors, especially those compounds with a long duration of action, enabling a once-daily dosing regimen. Since muscarinic receptors are widely distributed throughout the body, the ability to deliver anticholinergic drugs directly to the respiratory tract is advantageous as it allows lower doses of the drug to be administered. The design and use of topically active drugs with a long duration of action and that are retained on the receptor or in the lung would allow reduction of unwanted side effects that could be seen with systemic administration of the same drugs.
Tiotropium (Spiriva™) is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist currently marketed for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, administered by the inhaled route.

Additionally ipratropium is a muscarinic antagonist marketed for the treatment of COPD.

Other muscarinic receptor modulators have been referred to. For example: U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,922 describes muscarinic modulators based upon a [2.2.1]azabicycloheptane ring system. EP418716 and US005610163 describe various [3.2.1]azabicyclooctane ring systems. WO06/017768 describes [3.3.1]azabicyclononane ring systems. [2.2.2]azabicyclooctane systems (quinuclidines) have been previously described, for example in US2005/0209272 and WO06/048225. [3.1.0]azabicyclohexane systems have been described in, for example in WO06/035282. [3.2.1]azabicyclooctane systems have been described in for example WO06/035303.
The class of β2 adrenergic receptor agonists is well known. Many known β2-agonists, in particular, long-acting β2-agonists such as salmeterol and formoterol, have a role in the treatment of asthma and COPD. These compounds are also generally administered by inhalation. Compounds currently under evaluation as once-daily β2 agonists are described in Expert Opin. Investig. Drugs 14 (7), 775-783 (2005). A well known β2-agonist pharmacophore is the moiety:

Also known in the art are pharmaceutical compositions that contain both a muscarinic antagonist and a β2-agonist for use in the treatment of respiratory disorders. For example, US2005/0025718 describes a β2-agonist in combination with tiotropium, oxotropium, ipratropium and other muscarinic antagonists; WO02/060532 describes the combination of ipratropium with β2-agonists and WO02/060533 describes the combination of oxotropium with β2-agonists. Other M3 antagonist/β2-agonist combinations are described in WO04/105759 and WO03/087097.
Also known in the art are compounds possessing both muscarinic receptor antagonist and β2-agonist activity present in the same molecule. Such bifunctional molecules provide bronchodilation through two separate modes of action whilst possessing single molecule pharmacokinetics. Such a molecule should be easier to formulate for therapeutic use as compared to two separate compounds and could be more easily co-formulated with a third active ingredient, for example a steroid. Such molecules are described in for example, WO04/074246, WO04/089892, WO05/111004, WO06/023457 and WO06/023460, all of which use different linker radicals for covalently linking the M3 antagonist to the β2-agonist, indicating that the structure of the linker radical is not critical to preserve both activities. This is not surprising since the molecule is not required to interact with the M3 and β2 receptors simultaneously.

Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-7-ylamine derivatives and their uses


A method and apparatus in a source node for transmitting data to a target node. Responsive to a request to transmit data to the target node, a determination is made as to whether a selected period of time has passed without data transmitted from the source node being received by the target node. Responsive to detecting the selected period of time has passed without data transmitted from the source node being received by the target node, a determination is made as to whether space is available in the target node to receive the data. Responsive to a determination that space is unavailable in the target node, generating an indication that the target node is blocked is generated.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for transmitting data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing transmission of data from a source to a destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two basic types of communications connections are employed between processors and between a processor and a peripheral. These types of connections are known as channels and networks. A channel provides a direct or switched point-to-point connection between communicating devices. This type of connection is typically employed between a processor and a peripheral device. The primary task of the channel is to transport data at the highest possible speed with the least delay. In contrast, a network is an aggregation of distributed nodes, such as workstations, file servers, and peripherals. Typically, in a network a node contends for the transmission medium and each node must be kept free of error conditions on the network. A traditional channel is hardware intensive and typically has lower overhead than a network. Conversely, networks tend to have relatively high overhead because they are software intensive. Networks, however, are expected to handle a more extensive range of tasks as compared to channels. In a closed system, every device addressed is known to the operating system either by assignment or pre-definition. This configuration knowledge is important to the performance levels of channels. Fibre Channel is a channel-network hybrid containing network features to provide the needed connectivity, distance, and protocol multiplexing along with enough traditional channel features to retain simplicity, repeatable performance, and guaranteed delivery. Fibre Channel has an architecture that represents a true channel/network integration. Fibre Channel allows for an active intelligent interconnections scheme, called a fabric, to connect devices. A Fibre Channel port manages simple point-to-point connection between itself and the fabric. A xe2x80x9cportxe2x80x9d is a hardware entity on a xe2x80x9cnodexe2x80x9d with a node being a device connected to a network that is capable of communicating with other network devices. Transmission is isolated from control protocol. As a result, different topologies may be implemented. Fibre Channel supports both large and small data transfers.
The demand for flexible, high performance, fault-tolerant storage subsystems caused host adapter, disk storage, and high-capacity drive manufacturers to adopt Fibre Channel (FC) as a standard. This serial standard cuts cabling costs, increases data rates, and overcomes distance limitations commonly associated with a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI). Fibre Channel can carry SCSI protocols, and as a result offers an ideal upgrade for work stations, servers, and other systems requiring high availability and/or high bandwidth. Fibre Channel has become increasingly important as companies are seeking to provide faster and easier access to data for various clients. The Fibre Channel Standard (FCS) as adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), provides a low cost, high speed interconnect standard for workstations, mass storage devices, printers, and displays.
Current Fibre Channel data transfer rates exceed 100 megabytes (Mbytes) per second in each direction. Fibre Channel data transfer rates also may be scaled to lower speed, such as 50 Mbytes per second and 25 Mbytes per second. This technology provides an interface that supports both channel and network connections for both switched and shared mediums. Fibre Channel simplifies device interconnections and reduces hardware cost because each device requires only a single Fibre Channel port for both channel and network interfaces. Network, port to port, and peripheral interfaces can be accessed though the same hardware connection with the transfer of data of any format.
In sending data from a source node to a destination node, the source transmits data from a bus, such as a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, to a buffer for transfer onto a Fibre Channel system, which is connected to the destination node. Data is sent serially on Fibre Channel systems. As a result, data currently in a buffer must be sent before additional data may be loaded. Currently, if data cannot be sent because the destination is not accepting additional data, then this data must be removed to send data to another destination. This loading and dumping of data increases the overhead in transferring data between various nodes on a Fibre Channel system.
Additionally, in some cases, a source node will attempt to transmit data to a destination node on a network that has receive buffers that are full or unable to receive data. In such a situation, presently known devices will continue to attempt to send data to this node. In the case of a Fibre Channel system that includes an arbitrated loop, such a device will continue to hold the arbitrated loop and freeze the entire network, preventing data transfers by other devices to other destinations.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have an improved method and apparatus for transferring data between nodes in which the reduction in network efficiency, caused by a device continuing to transmit data to a node that is not accepting data, is reduced.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus in a source node for transmitting data to a target node. Responsive to a request to transmit data to the target node, a determination is made as to whether a selected period of time has passed without data transmitted from the source node being received by the target node. Responsive to detecting the selected period of time has passed without data transmitted from the source node being received by the target node, a determination is made as to whether space is available in the target node to receive the data. Responsive to a determination that space is unavailable in the target node, an indication that the target node is blocked is generated.

Method and apparatus for transmitting data to a node in a distributed data processing system


Provided is a substrate processing apparatus and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which are hard to cause a defect in processing a substrate owing to that a pressure inside a process chamber is not kept constant, and which enable a better processing of a substrate.

The present invention relates to a substrate-processing device for performing a process of a substrate including oxidization of a substrate surface of a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate and the like, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including the step of performing such process of a substrate.
A technique used for a substrate-processing device and a substrate-processing method of this type has been known, and the technique includes a process chamber for processing a substrate, a supplying line for supplying a reactive gas into the process chamber, and an exhaust line for exhausting the process chamber.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Device for processing a substrate, method of processing a substrate and method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A vehicle includes a traction battery comprising a plurality of cells. The vehicle also includes a plurality of power converters each electrically coupled between a corresponding group of cells and an electrical bus. A controller is programmed to satisfy a current demand of the electrical bus by operating a subset of the power converters to each draw a current that exceeds a threshold corresponding to a power converter efficiency exceeding a predetermined efficiency. Power converters not assigned to the subset are operated at zero current.

Hybrid-electric and electric vehicles distribute energy to various components that are connected to a high-voltage electrical bus and a low-voltage electrical bus. Sources of energy include a battery that is connected to the high-voltage bus and a generator that is also connected to the high-voltage bus. The vehicles generally include a single power converter for transferring energy from the high-voltage electrical bus to the low-voltage electrical bus.

System and method for selecting converters to pass non-zero current in distributed converter system


A power supply filter capable of functioning with low power supply voltages includes a resistor-capacitor circuit coupled to a power supply line and a transistor for providing power to a target circuit, such as a phase-locked loop circuit, coupled between the resistor-capacitor circuit and the power supply line. The resistor-capacitor circuit is coupled to a charge pump controller to keep the transistor in a saturation state. The charge pump controller receives at least one clock signal that is coupled to at least one capacitive circuit. The at least one capacitive circuit includes at least two capacitors in series with a biased middle node located between the at least two capacitors in order to provide immunity to time dependent dielectric breakdown, the middle node coupled to approximately half the power supply line. A method of filtering noise from a power supply includes providing an N-channel source follower circuit coupled between the power supply and a target circuit, the N-channel source follower circuit including a resistor-capacitor circuit and a transistor with a threshold voltage. The method also includes maintaining the transistor in a saturation state through placing a charge pump in the N-channel source follower circuit, the charge pump receiving a first clock signal and a second clock signal, and allowing the voltage provided to a target circuit to exceed the voltage of the power line minus the threshold voltage while maintaining the transistor in a saturation state.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to power supply filters. More particularly, the present invention relates to power supply filters used in phase-locked loop circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
An important part of any computer system is the microprocessor. Today's microprocessors are continually improved to increase the speed and lower the voltages at which computer systems operate. As the execution speed of microprocessors has reached and exceeded 200 MHz and continues to increase, the importance of maintaining a high fidelity timing signal becomes increasingly important.
Microprocessors typically use a clock distribution system to supply timing signals to the various microprocessor operating circuits. The clock distribution system buffers timing signals and supplies timing signals having a suitably accurate frequency and duty cycle and minimum phase error. In high speed microprocessors, the accuracy of frequency and duty cycle reproduction becomes increasingly important. One technique for supplying an accurate timing signal involves generation of a clock signal by a phase-locked loop (PLL) and distribution of the clock signal over the large area of the integrated circuit, while maintaining the clock skew to a specified tolerance throughout that area.
A highly accurate timing signal is achieved by ensuring a constant power supply to the PLL and strict limitation of noise to the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) within the PLL. Noise in the power supply to the VCO results in jitter that greatly reduces the effective frequency of which the processor can operate. Present day and future microprocessor operating speeds are only attained if the noise in the power supply is highly limited.
Conventional integrated circuits typically use an RC filter to attenuate the power supply noise on an external dedicated VDD line coming into the integrated circuit chip dedicated VDD for the PLL. The RC filter typically includes a variable resistor or potentiometer element for manually adjusting the characteristics of the filter. One problem with conventional integrated circuits and RC filters is that the PLL circuit typically has dual countermanding requirements of a high voltage requirement and a large amount of filtering to the input power supply voltage. A suitable RC filter for the demands of power supply filtering uses a large resistance and typically a large capacitance. The large resistance causes a voltage drop that reduces the power supply level. Thus, only small resistor values are usable which makes the RC filtering ineffective.
Thus, a drawback of current power supply filters is that they fail to provide adequate filtering at lower VDD voltages because the resistance needs to be small. What is needed is a power supply filter that functions at low power supply voltages.

PLL power supply filter (with pump) having a wide voltage range and immunity to oxide overstress