A motor vehicle operating device has a display device, an operating element and a control device, which are mutually coupled and set up such that an operating element symbol that corresponds to the operating element with respect to its outline shape is displayed on the display device. Navigation through a hierarchical menu structure displayed on the display device can take place or takes place by use of the operating element. The operating element can be operated corresponding to a plurality of operating degrees of freedom. Different groups of operating degrees of freedom are enabled for the navigation at different locations of the hierarchical menu structure. Those operating degrees of freedom enabled at the current location of the menu structure are displayed on or at the operating element symbol.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle operating device.
Increasingly, modern motor vehicles have an operating device constructed separately from a display device in the area of the center console. Such an operating device is known, for example, from European patent document EP 0893750 B1. In this case, the operating device has a switching element which can be bidirectionally rotated about its axis of symmetry and which, in addition, is disposed in an axially movable (pushable) and tiltable or slidable manner. As a result, by means of a rotating, pushing and/or tilting/sliding of the switching element, for example, menu items can be marked and selected or parameters can be set on a display device.
It is now an object of the invention to provide an improved motor vehicle operating device.
This and other objects are achieved by a motor vehicle operating device according to the invention having a display device, an operating element and a control device which are mutually coupled and set up with respect to the hardware and/or the program such that the display device shows an operating element symbol, which corresponds to the operating element with respect to the outline shape (for example, a circle).
By use of the operating element, a navigation can take place through a hierarchical menu structure displayed on the display device. In this case, navigation also includes the selecting or marking of menu levels or menu items or the setting of parameters within a menu level or a menu item.
The operating element, such as a rotary push element or a rotary, push, slide (swivel) element, can be operated corresponding to a plurality of operating degrees of freedom (or operating actions). At different locations, for example, menu items or menu levels of the hierarchical menu structure, different groups of operating degrees of freedom are enabled for the navigation and, in particular, cause a further navigation through the hierarchical menu structure or a further operation.
Groups of degrees of freedom are, for example:                Group 1: Movement to the right        Group 2: Movement to the left        Group 3: Movement in the upward (or forward) direction        Group 4: Movement to the right and left        Group 5: Movement to the right and left and in the upward direction        Group 6: Movement to the right and in the upward direction        Group 7: Movement to the right and rotating        Group 8: Movement to the right and left, and in the upward and downward (or rearward) direction, etc.
All or some of the operating degrees of freedom enabled at the current location of the menu structure (for example, movement to the right, tilting, sliding or rotating) are displayed on or at the operating element symbol, for example, by the display of arrow symbols.
The driver thereby recognizes which operating actions are currently possible or active. As a result, the reliable, fast and error-free navigation through a menu structure is facilitated, particularly during the drive. This advantage is still intensified by the following further developments.
Operating degrees of freedom (particularly pushing), which are enabled at every location of the menu structure are preferably not or never displayed, particularly by arrow symbols.
Preferably, operating degrees of freedom not enabled at the current location of the menu structure are not displayed.
A further development provides that a selection of a menu item from a plurality of menu items, which can be made based on a rotating degree of freedom of the operating element, is displayed, wherein a line is displayed extending from the operating element symbol in the direction of a selected menu item representation, which is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations.
The menu item representation, which is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations and in whose direction the line display extends that starts from the operating element, advantageously takes place in a highlighted manner.
An operating action corresponding to the rotating degree of freedom preferably has the effect that, starting from the operating element symbol, a line is displayed in the direction of a menu item representation which is adjacent to the menu item representation presently selected and which is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations (no longer in the direction of the menu item representation selected so far).
An operating action corresponding to the rotating degree of freedom preferably has the effect that the menu item representation which is adjacent to the menu item representation selected so far (i.e., the menu item presently selected) and is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations and in whose direction the line display extends which starts from the operating element, is displayed in a highlighted manner. The menu item representation selected so far no longer takes place in a highlighted manner.
In the case of the simultaneous representation of different menu levels, of which one menu level is active (or selected; marked, for example, by a highlighted representation of the menu level), the operating element symbol is preferably always displayed in a manner assigned to the active menu level. The operating element symbol is, for example, displayed in the proximity of the active menu level, completely or partially superimposed on the active menu level and/or in a void of the menu level representation provided for this purpose.
It is particularly preferred that, as a result of a movement of the operating element in a direction which, starting from the display of the operating symbol, corresponds to the direction of a representation of a further menu level, the further menu level will become active (the previously active menu level will become inactive) and the operating element symbol will be displayed in a manner assigned to this now active menu level.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


The endoscope treatment system includes an endoscope treatment tool that has an operating section including a distal end and a proximal end, and a sheath that is connected to the distal end of the operating section and is formed with a lumen into which the guide wire is capable of being inserted; a guide wire holder that has a tube member, in which the guide wire is accommodated, and that is circumferentially wound; and a fixing member that couples the operating section to the guide wire holder so that the distal end and the proximal end of the operating section are located outside the circumference of the guide wire holder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope treatment system.
2. Background Art
In the related art, treatment tools to be used together with endoscopes are known. For example, a high-frequency incision tool used for duodenal papilla sphincter muscle dissection (EST) is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-275785. Additionally, in EST, it is known that a guide wire is inserted into the bile duct (or pancreatic duct), a high-frequency incision tool is removed after the insertion of the guide wire, and a basket, forceps, or the like is guided to the bile duct (or pancreatic duct) along the guide wire.
As an example of a system of inserting the guide wire, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2008-80047 discloses a system in which a storage portion that stores a guide wire inserted into a treatment target region is attached to a treatment tool.


A semiconductor device may be protected from over-voltages via a comparator-controlled, high-current FET coupled to the semiconductor device output and between circuit devices that carry high voltages. A three-terminal, N-channel field effect transistor (FET) may have its source coupled to the output of the semiconductor device to be protected from over voltage. The FET drain may be connected to the load to be driven by the semiconductor device. A transistor, or other voltage comparator, may be configured and connected in order to compare the voltage on the FET drain to a Vmax reference voltage. When a voltage on the FET drain exceeds Vmax, the comparator output may shut down the FET, thereby isolating the semiconductor device, which is connected to the FET source, from the overvoltage on the FET drain.

Many electronic devices in motor vehicles operate at voltages less than the vehicle's battery voltage. By way of example, an audio amplifier of an entertainment system, might require a nominal power supply voltage of 5 volts. If the amplifier's transistor output is connected to vehicle speakers by wires that are routed along or adjacent to other conductors that can carry the vehicle's battery supply voltage, a possibility exists that the battery supply voltage carried in adjacent wires might be inadvertently connected or "shorted" to the output stage of the audio amplifier. When a semiconductor is exposed to a voltage that exceeds its maximum rated voltage, it is often damaged or destroyed.
Some semiconductor circuits can be protected from overvoltage using a Zener diode connected between the semiconductor device and a reference potential. Others may use a protection circuit that disconnects the device when a Zener voltage of a Zener diode is exceeded. A Zener diode, however, will only conduct when an applied reverse bias voltage is great enough to trigger its breakdown, and this voltage cannot be accurately controlled. A Zener diode is, therefore, unable to protect against possible voltages that are less than its breakdown voltage. Another problem with using a Zener diode to protect a semiconductor from overvoltage is that its response time may be slow. It can also interfere with analog and digital signals as well as radio frequency signals output from a semiconductor. A circuit that is able to protect the output stage of a semiconductor from overvoltages without having the problems of a Zener diode or other methods would be an improvement over the prior art.

Overvoltage protection method using exposed device supply rail


A pump is provided which is specifically designed for the pumping of abrasive particulates, such as a pump employed in the bottom of an oil well. Within a cylindrical housing, one or more pumping stages are provided to pressurize the particulate containing fluid to move the fluid axially through the housing and into a centrifugal type particulate separator mounted on the same shaft as that which drives the pumping stages. The separator effects the division of the fluid into two radially adjacent, axially moving fluid streams with the inner stream being relatively free of particulates and the outer stream containing most of the particulates. A second pump operated by the common pump shaft is employed to increase the pressure of the clean fluid stream above that of the pressurized particulate containing stream and conduit means are then provided for supplying portions of the pressurized clean fluid to each of the bearings and seals contained in the pumping stages and to labyrinth type seals employed in a thrust dummy on the shaft which offsets the thrust reaction forces of the pumping stages.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to submersible pumps employed in many industrial applications to pressurize fluid containing significant amounts of particulates. Such pumps are often used in the bottom of an oil well wherein the fluid being pumped from the well contains a substantial amount of sand or other particulate matter.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Submersible pumps heretofore employed in oil wells or other pumping applications involving fluids containing significant quantities of abrasive particulate matter have been plagued with the rapid destruction of the bearing and seal components of the pump by the abrasive action of the particulates contained in the fluid. It is a practical impossibility to effect a complete sealing of each pump bearing and each pump seal from at least exposure at one axial end or the other to the fluid containing the abrasive particulate matter. Accordingly, the prior art has had to resort to the use of exotic materials and expensive bearing and seal constructions in order to minimize the abrasive effects of such particulates.
Such submersible pumps must necessarily be of restricted diameter in order to permit them to be inserted within the oil well casing. Hence, a further problem has been encountered in providing means for neutralizing the thrust reaction force produced by the operation of the pumping stages of the pumping apparatus.

Pumping apparatus for fluids containing abrasive particulates


For handling thin panes of glass or similar work pieces and products in conveyance systems, machining installations, and the like, by means of pneumatic forces, a device is proposed that is characterized by two plates (1, 2) with flat surfaces on at least one side, arranged parallel to each other at a distance (D) sufficient to hold the pane of glass (3) without contact, where the plates (1, 2) have a multitude of gas passages (4), and all the gas passages (4) of a plate (1, 2) can each be connected to a gas delivery device through one or more ducts, etc. to generate an excess pressure or a vacuum, and where at least some of the gas passages (4) are arranged in pairs opposite each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a device for handling thin panes of glass or similar work pieces and products in conveyor systems, machining installations, and the like by pneumatic forces.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Thin plate glass is used on a large scale to produce displays, where scratches, inclusions, deposits, etc. larger than approximately 10 .mu.m are seen as defects because they cause intolerable local distortion of the image in the finished display. Therefore, extensive control measures must be provided to detect and reject products that cannot be used.
Since there are also high demands regarding the flatness and parallelism of the plate glass used for window displays, the manufacturing process usually includes a surface polishing step. This makes it possible to eliminate many defects but it makes production considerably more expensive. There have therefore been great attempts to eliminate the polishing operation.
In recent plate glass manufacturing processes, the demands for flatness and parallelism of the glass surfaces can be maintained to a better extent on drawn or floated raw glass, so that polishing can be eliminated because of the cost advantages. However, this also eliminates the possibility of eliminating defects. On the other hand, plate glass in the thickness range of 30 to 300 .mu.m for small display formats cannot currently be polished or it can be polished only at a high cost. Current projections indicate that formats up to 650.times.1000 mm with a plate glass thickness of 50 .mu.m can be expected. In addition, the specifications with regard to the size of defects and the number of defects per unit of area have become increasingly more strict with the newer display grades of glass, e.g., field emission display (FED), plasma display panel (PDP), plasma addressed liquid crystal (PALC), thin film transistor (TFT) or super twisted nemetic (STN), so that glass manufacturers are forced to comply with stricter requirements to be able to offer a technically and economically acceptable product.
An indispensable manufacturing step is formatting the raw glass, which is manufactured in large plates or as a wide strip for economic reasons. Formatting therefore includes cutting to the desired display size, including processing of edges and comers, which may optionally be followed by a final cleaning.
A device for conveying glass in the form of a plate or a strip is already known from German Patent DE 1,756,070 B2, where the glass rests on a cushion of gas at a distance from a lower structure and can be conveyed horizontally relative to the lower structure without coming in contact with it. The lower structure is provided with slots side by side for the passage of the gas, although the slots are designed alternately as gas discharge and exhaust slots and are connected to appropriate pressure and vacuum sources. This generates an alternating field of mutually opposed forces which a thin pane of glass cannot withstand. Furthermore, only one of the two glass surfaces, at best, can be protected from soiling.
Furthermore, European Patent EP 336,332 B1 discloses a device for gripping, stacking and unstacking plate glass as well as conveying it, where vacuum grippers, which are known from another technology, are used. However, suction grippers cannot be used with glass below a certain minimum thickness because thin plate glass would sag in the area of the vacuum grippers or could even break in the worst case. Furthermore, vacuum grippers are not suitable for holding very thin plate glass for machining such as cutting, grinding and/or polishing because they result in uneven gripping, which cannot be maintained uniformly in the machining area. Moreover, the vacuum grippers do not prevent soiling of the glass surfaces in conveyance and machining.

Device for handling thin panes of glass and fragile work pieces


A storage controller for cache management that includes a cache memory and a cache management module. The cache management module to, on receipt of region specification requests from hosts, extract from the region specification requests cache rules for management of regions of data storage of a storage array, and on receipt of data operation requests from hosts, process the data operation requests based on the extracted cache rules.

Computing systems may include hosts capable of communicating with storage systems to write data to and read data from the storage systems. The storage systems may include cache memory that may store the data in a manner so that subsequent requests for that data may be retrieved in a faster manner.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to 3D visualization of object volumes and provide a method, system and computer program product for fast 3D visualization of object volumes without image reconstruction by direct display of acquired sensor data. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for fast 3D visualization of object volumes without image reconstruction can be provided. The method can include acquiring a 3D dataset from an scanner of a 3D object volume, slicing the acquired sensor data without image reconstruction to produce a sequence of 2D images in Radon space and playing back the sequence of 2D images in a movie player to provide a rotating view of the 3D object volume.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer imaging and more particularly to three-dimensional visualization of object volumes.
Description of the Related Art
Computer imaging, synonymously referred to as digital imaging, is a field of computer science relating to the acquisition and manipulation of digital imagery. In the study and practice of computer imaging, images can be acquired either directly (being the data acquired from one or more sensors), or acquired indirectly (being produced through a computed transformation of the acquired sensor data), and stored digitally in memory. The images can be stored in raster form as bitmapped graphics, or in vector form through one or more representative expressions. Once stored, images can be manipulated to enhance the images or to derive new images. Computer imaging generally encompasses a wide field of application ranging from design and computer graphics, to medical systems, to machine vision. Computer imaging has particular application to medical imaging though other emerging fields include imaging of cargo and vehicles for homeland security.
Three-dimensional (3D) visualization is a part of computer imaging the refers to the rendering of real world 3D objects into some form of computerized 3D representation, whether it be projected on a two-dimensional (2D) computer screen, or viewed through immersive virtual reality equipment. Volume visualization is a form of 3D visualization where physical objects modeled in 3D can be studied and examined in greater detail and the modeled objects further can be manipulated in order to, for example, provide visual confirmation of the content of a visualized volume, test scientific hypotheses in relation to a visualized volume, to simulate a process relating to the visualized volume, or to practice a medical procedure on a portion of the visualized volume. Current applications of this type include medical imaging, surgical teaching and planning, geophysical sensing, homeland security and weather modeling.
Volume visualization is widely-used in biomedical imaging for displaying of 3D volumetric images of object volumes. In the case of tomographic imaging including positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, computed axial tomography (CT) and X-ray tomography, and also Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), volume visualization is used in applications such as cancer diagnosis, magnetic resonance angiography imaging (MRA) and other cardiac and neurological vasculature imaging, the evaluation of breast implant morphology, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Currently, the time-consuming, computationally intensive processing that is required for MRI and tomographic volumetric visualization severely limits its practical and clinical application. In addition, the problem is exacerbated by the growing size of MRI and tomographic images, resulting from on-going improvements in the resolution of MRI and tomographic scanners.
For volume visualization on standard 2D computer displays, two major imaging techniques include Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) and Volume Rendering (VR). The three basic steps common to both techniques include first the reconstruction of images from acquired sensor data, second the computation of a set of 2D projections of the 3D sensor data, and third a graphical display of a "movie", where each frame is a 2D projection image, giving the viewer the perception of a rotating 3D object on the 2D screen. In as much as the images acquired from sensor data must be reconstructed, both methods are known to be computationally expensive. Furthermore, as both methods are lossy in nature, the addition of image reconstruction noise cannot be avoided, resulting in low quality 2D projection images, which in turn result in low quality visualizations.

Fast three-dimensional visualization of object volumes without image reconstruction by direct display of acquired sensor data

International Business Machines Corporation


According to this invention, an SOI semiconductor device having a thin semiconductor film (15) formed on an insulating film (12) includes a semiconductor substrate (11), the insulating film (12) having a recess portion (13a, 13b) and formed on the semiconductor substrate (11), and a conductor (14a, 14b) buried in the recess portion (13a, 13b). In addition, the SOI semiconductor device further includes the semiconductor film (15) formed on the insulating film (12), and an impurity region (16) formed in the semiconductor film (15) and electrically connected to the conductor (14a, 14b).

Conventionally, an SOI MOS transistor has a sectional structure shown in FIG. 1 or 2. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a silicon substrate; 2, an SiO.sub.2 film; 3, a monocrystalline silicon film; 4, an n.sup.+ -type region; 5, a gate insulating film; 6, a polysilicon gate; and 7, a depletion layer.
FIG. 1 shows a MOS transistor wherein the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is relatively thick, i.e., a non-depletion region is left under a channel region. In this case, since a gate electric field is applied to both the gate oxide film 5 and the depletion layer 7, the field intensity of a channel region is increased. For this reason, in the MOS transistor, the field effect mobility of electrons is decreased since the crystallinity of the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is inferior to that of the silicon substrate (bulk silicon) 1, and current drivability is disadvantageously degraded.
FIG. 2 shows a MOS transistor wherein the thickness of the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is relatively small, about 500 .ANG., i.e., an entire portion under the channel region is depleted. In this case, a depletion layer formed in the monocrystalline silicon film 3 reaches the underlying SiO.sub.2 film 2. For this reason, a capacitance between the monocrystalline silicon film (p-type, in general) 3 and the n.sup.+ -type region 4 is decreased, and the field effect mobility of electrons is advantageously increased to be 900 to 1000 cm.sup.2 /V.multidot.S which is larger than 1.5 times that of a bulk MOS transistor.
In a MOS transistor having the relatively thin monocrystalline silicon film 3, when the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is further thinned, the field effect mobility of electrons can be closed to the mobility (1,350 cm.sup.2 /V.multidot.S) of electrons flowing through the silicon substrate. This is described in "Characteristic Analysis of High-Performance SOI.multidot.MOSFET Using Thin Film SOI" by Makoto Yoshimi, et al., transactions (silicon material.device) of the Institute of Electronics and Communication Engineers of Japan, SDM 87-154, pp. 13-18, Jan., 1988.
As shown in FIG. 3, when a contact hole reaching the n.sup.+ -type region 4 serving as a drain or source is formed in an insulating interlayer 8 by anisotropic etching such as RIE (Reactive Ion Etching), as the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is thinned, a probability of etching the SiO.sub.2 film 2 to form a contact hole extending through the n.sup.+ -type region 4 is increased. In this case, compared with a case wherein a contact hole does not extend through the n.sup.+ -type region 4, the area of the contact portion between the Al electrode 9 and the n.sup.+ -type region 4 is decreased by .pi.r.sup.2 -2.pi.rd=.pi.r.sup.2 (1-2d/r) where r is the radius of the cylindrical contact hole and d is the thickness of the monocrystalline silicon film 3. In this case, r>2d must be satisfied. That is, as the thickness d of the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is decreased, the area of the contact portion between the Al electrode 9 and the n.sup.+ -type region 4 is decreased, thereby disadvantageously increasing its contact resistance. Note that, when wet etching is performed by NH.sub.4 F or the like in place Of RIE, the above-mentioned excessive extension of the contact hole can be prevented. However, a margin for contact alignment must be sufficiently obtained. This adversely affects high integration.
When the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is thinned, a diffusion layer formed thereon must also be thinned, thereby increasing the resistance of the diffusion layer wiring. For this reason, even when the monocrystalline silicon film 3 is thinned to increase the field effect mobility of electrons so as to increase the current drivability, a high-speed operation as an integrated circuit cannot be expected. Therefore, the diffusion layer wiring cannot be used. The wiring of the integrated circuit must comprise only an Al wiring film and a gate polysilicon layer, and a degree of freedom of design is limited, thereby disadvantageously increasing the pattern.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-speed, high-performance, and high-quality SOI semiconductor device which is manufactured without increasing a contact resistance and a wiring resistance of a diffusion layer even in an SOI.multidot.MOS integrated circuit having a thin monocrystalline silicon film.

SOI semiconductor device with a wiring electrode contacts a buried conductor and an impurity region


An color ink jet recording apparatus with a plural recording heads, comprises: a plural caps corresponding to the recording heads; a plural cap opening/closing drive units; a single negative pressure suction unit communicating with the respective caps through ink suction passages; a plural passage communicate/interrupt units for communicating or interrupting the respective ink suction passages; a plural air open/interrupt units; a capping control unit for controlling each passage communicate and interrupt unit to communicate the ink suction passage corresponding to the recording head to be capped and controlling the corresponding air open/interrupt unit to open the corresponding air opening passage, and in this state, for controlling the corresponding cap opening/closing drive unit to cover the nozzle surface of the recording head to be capped with its corresponding cap; and jet performance recovery control unit, after the nozzle surface of the recording head to be capped is covered by the capping control unit, for controlling the air open/interrupt unit to interrupt the air opening passage and controlling the passage communicate/interrupt unit to interrupt the ink suction passages corresponding to other recording heads than the recording head whose jet performance is to be recovered, and for controlling the negative pressure suction unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink jet performance maintaining device for effective use in a color ink jet recording device which includes a plurality of recording heads.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An ink jet recording apparatus normally includes an ink jet performance maintaining device which is used to maintain the ink jet performance of the recording apparatus.
The jet performance maintaining device, by covering the nozzle surfaces of recording heads with their caps when not in printing, restricts evaporation of ink volatile material from the nozzle portions of the recording heads when not in printing, prevents printing troubles caused by the failure to jet ink due to the increased ink viscosity, and effectively prevents dust floating in the air from attaching to the nozzle jet surfaces.
Further, the jet performance maintaining device of this type, after a recording head or an ink tank is replaced with a new one, initially fills the new recording head or ink tank with ink, or, in the maintenance thereof, removes thickening ink, dust, air bubbles and the like filled in the nozzle of the recording head so as to be able to restore the ink jet performance thereof. Also, the jet performance maintaining device includes, besides the caps for covering the nozzle surfaces of the recording heads, a negative pressure suction pump connected in communication with the caps and an exhaust ink tank connected in communication with the negative suction pump, whereby the thickening ink and the like existing in the recording heads can be sucked and collected through the caps.
A color ink jet recording apparatus, in fact, requires a plurality of recording heads respectively used to jet their corresponding color components of ink, and therefore, the jet performance maintaining device must include a plurality of caps respectively corresponding to the recording heads, and also must be able to exert a negative pressure suction force, with the recording heads being covered (that is, capped) with their corresponding caps so as to perform a jet performance recovery processing.
In this case, in a system which uses negative pressure suction pumps corresponding in number to the caps, there arises such a fundamental technical problem that the jet performance maintaining device itself is complicated. For this reason, there can be expected a system in which a single negative pressure suction pump is used in common and is connected with the respective caps via a communication tube, thereby being able to simplify the structure of the jet performance maintaining device.
However, if a jet performance recovery processing is performed in the above system, then the ink contained in all of the recording heads is sucked and collected at the same time. In other words, even when the jet performance recovery processing is to be executed only on the recording head for jetting black ink, the ink from the recording heads for jetting other color ink than the black ink will also be sucked and collected wastefully.
To solve the above problem, there has been already provided a system which additionally includes on its negative pressure suction pump side a communication system selector used to switch the communication systems of the respective caps (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei 2-1325).
However, in the system of the above-mentioned type, the additional provision of the communication system selector complicates the structure of the negative pressure suction pump. Further, since the negative pressure suction pump and ink suction passages respectively in communication with the caps must be switched and selected, there arises such a technical problem that it is difficult to secure the airtightness of the ink suction passages.
Also, it is true that the addition of the communication system selector makes it possible to selectively perform a jet performance recovery processing on one of the recording heads but, for example, when the jet performance recovery processing is to be performed on all recording heads, the jet performance recovery processing must be sequentially executed on the recording heads one by one, which produces a new technical problem that the time necessary to perform the jet performance recovery processing is increased.
Further, while the recording heads are not in printing, if there is executed a capping operation to close tightly the nozzle surfaces of the recording heads with the corresponding caps, then the volumes of the caps are decreased only slightly with the elastic deformation of the respective caps. This raises a problem that a very slight positive pressure will be inevitably applied to the nozzle surfaces of the recording heads, which may move back the ink existing in the nozzles.
At that time, since the recording head is kept in a state where ink is not filled in the nozzle, when the capping operation is released and a recording head printing operation is executed, there is a possibility of producing a printing failure that the ink cannot be jetted surely.


Marine apparatus comprising a boat including a wall extending generally in the fore and aft direction and having therein an air outlet opening, a propulsion unit mounted on the boat and including a propeller shaft, an engine drivingly connected to the propeller shaft, and a cover surrounding the engine and having therein an air inlet opening, and a duct communicating between the air outlet opening and the air inlet opening.

The invention relates to marine propulsion devices, and more particularly to arrangements for supplying combustion air to outboard motors.
It is known to use flexible conduits extending between the transom of a boat and the cover or shroud of an outboard motor for supplying combustion air to the engine of the outboard motor. Examples of known arrangements are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ Blanchard 4,371,348 Feb. 1, 1983 Stevens 4,375,356 Mar. 1, 1983 Payne 4,395,238 Jul. 26, 1983 Makihara, et al. 4,927,392 May 22, 1990 ______________________________________
Attention is also directed to the duct arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,619.
Attention is also directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,629 titled "Pivotal Air Induction for Marine Propulsion Unit".

Arrangement for supplying combustion air to an outboard motor


An oral photography system and method can include: a chassis, the chassis including a chassis base and a vertical chassis extension, the vertical chassis extension extending upward from the chassis base, the vertical chassis extension including a device clamp having a tightening extension coupled to a top clasp and a bottom clasp, the top clasp and the bottom clasp configured to hold an imaging device perpendicular to the vertical chassis extension, a diffusion panel attachment coupled to the vertical chassis extension, and a light panel attachment coupled to the vertical chassis extension; a diffusion panel releasably affixed to the diffusion panel attachment; and a light panel releasably affixed to the light panel attachment.

Photographic and video records for use in medical and dental procedures is becoming more important as the ability to capture, store, and analyze these records increases. The single lens reflex camera produces good images but, due to many problems, has failed to provide a useable solution suitable for broad application within the health care industry.
One problem with the single lens reflex camera is the weight. The heft of the camera itself can make it difficult for smaller professionals to maneuver the camera in place and, once there, to maintain stability.
Another problem with the single lens reflex camera is the width of the camera and lens. The width of the camera can make precise angles and tight quarters a challenge.
The size and weight of the single lens reflex camera are only compounded when the camera is used in conjunction with a lighting apparatus. Some lighting apparatuses use a removable diffuser that is either flush with the front surface, resulting in minimal diffusion of light, or a magnetic mount offset diffuser which falls off in real life use.
With the rise in the use and reliance on video in the medicine and dentistry, it is critical that solutions be found to these problems. Solutions have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any complete solutions, and solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art. Thus, there remains a considerable need for devices and methods that can reduce weight and width of a photography system for allowing broad application within the health care field.


Methods and apparatuses disclosed herein involve network-side operations that include adjusting scheduling or reporting times of a wireless device, to accommodate acquisition of neighbor-cell System Information, SI, by the device while operating under conditions of enhanced coverage with respect to the neighbor cell. Further disclosed are network-side operations that include determining the repetition level to be used for transmitting SI, for providing enhanced coverage to one or more wireless devices. Additionally, disclosed device-side operations include configuring the autonomous gaps used in a SI acquisition procedure, in dependence on the number of repetitions determined to be needed for acquiring the SI of a neighbor cell, while the device is operating under enhanced coverage with respect to the neighbor cell.

Efforts to evolve wireless communication networks for supporting new types of devices and their associated applications include so called "enhanced coverage" techniques, with an eye towards extending network coverage for devices situated in challenging signal environments. Consider Machine Type Communication, MTC, devices, for example, such as networked sensors or meters. Such devices oftentimes operate in indoors installations, such as in basements or other areas where it is difficult to receive wireless signals from the network within the signal-level ranges associated with "normal" coverage scenarios.
Here, it shall be appreciated that wireless communication networks and the devices intended for operation in such networks are designed to work with defined ranges of received signal strength and those ranges define the "normal" coverage provided by the network. Enhanced coverage allows devices to operate with lower-than-normal signal levels, which effectively extends the coverage area of the network, albeit with certain additional challenges.
For example, it is recognized herein that the System Information, SI, acquisition procedure defined in the Third Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP, Release 12 specifications for "Category 0" User Equipments, UEs, will not work for a UE operating as an enhanced MTC, eMTC, device according to the enhanced-coverage provisions of the 3GPP Release 13 specifications. A key difference in this case involves the number of "repetitions" needed by the eMTC device to acquire the SI of a neighboring cell, in instances where the eMTC device is operating under enhanced coverage with respect to the neighboring cell. Because of the lower than normal received signal strength associated with its operation under enhanced coverage, the eMTC device needs multiple receptions of the neighbor-cell SI.
In turn, "tuning" the radio circuitry of the eMTC device to the neighbor cell for multiple reception instances extends the time during which the eMTC device is not available for scheduled transmissions in its serving cell(s). For example, the eMTC device may be a low-complexity device that is not capable of full duplex operation and is not capable of tuning to more than one cell at a time. Here, typical items of SI needed to determine the Cell Global Identifier, CGI, of the neighbor cell include the Master Information Block, MIB, and the System Information Block 1, SIB1, and the contemplated SI acquisition may involve intra-frequency, inter-frequency, or inter-RAT acquisition, where "RAT" denotes Radio Access Technology. As a further problem, neighbor-cell SI reporting may be delayed in cases where the reporting device is operating under enhanced coverage with respect to the involved cell.

Configuration of autonomous gaps based on repetition level in enhanced coverage


An apparatus for slitting paper having a plurality of pairs of cutting elements disposed transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the web and a pair of arcuate support boards extending about one row of slitter elements to a point closely adjacent the overlap of the slitter elements to provide an arcuate path of travel for the web as it passes through the cutting area. The arcuate support boards are mounted for rotation about transverse axes to facilitate rotation of the boards away from the cutting elements and thus provide access to such cutting elements for adjustment and maintenance.

This invention relates to slitting stations for paper and the like and more particularly to a method of providing for the stable and accurate positioning of the paper as it passes through the cut point.
One common support means for a traveling web to be slit longitudinally is what is known as the wrap around slitter. An example of this type of slitter can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,633. This type of machine generally utilizes a plurality of slitter bands and spacer tubes disposed on a single shaft or axis. The direction of travel of the web is changed by wrapping the web around the slitter bands. While this system provides firm support for the web in the area of the bands, there can be a tendency, particularly with respect to lightweight sheets or webs, for the web to draw down into the gap between the bands thus causing distortion and irregularities in the web. Further, the axial adjustment of the slitter bands and thus the adjustment of the width of the slit web is limited in this type of slitter.
Another type of slitter, known as a kiss type slitter, is usually used for high speed operation. Examples of such slitters can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,143,024 and 3,785,232. In this type of slitter, a generally straight run or flat portion of the web is provided by passing the web over a pair of spaced apart rollers or support boards to change direction of the web and provide a flat draw or run of web in the slitter area. Heretofore these web support means have been spaced apart sufficiently to permit access to both top and bottom slitters and have provided substantially straight run of web. While this type of slitter usually accommodates infinite adjustment of slitters along the width of the web and provides for easy adjustment of slit width, the web can have a tendency to flutter or vibrate through the flat draw area, thus causing some irregularities in the slit.
The present invention provides a method and means for overcoming the above noted deficiencies. In accordance with the present invention, arcuate support board means are specially designed to wrap around one slitter element and extend to a point closely adjacent the overlap of the slitter elements and provide for an arcuate path and thus a stiff run of the paper right at the cut point. This generally arcuate configuration of the paper in the area of the cut point provides stability and avoids flutter which can be experienced in a substantially flat run of paper. In order to permit and facilitate ready access to the slitter elements, the support boards are pivotally mounted on a support table in such manner that they can be rotated away from each other and the slitter elements which they surround. The slitters can then be infinitely adjustable in a known manner along the support shaft. This also provides easy access to the slitters for maintenance.
It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide accurate support for a traveling web through a slitter station without inhibiting the lateral adjustability of the blades.
Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.
The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which can be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth in the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.


A diaphragm pump including an eccentric circular cam or crank shaft, a connecting rod rotatably connected at one end to the eccentric circular cam or crank shaft, a pair of diaphragms each having one surface serving as pressure receiving surface, center disks mounting the central portions of the pair of diaphragms on the opposite sides thereof, a first housing cooperating with one of the diaphragms and the center disks to define a first discharge chamber, a second housing cooperating with the other of the diaphragms and the center disks to define a second discharge chamber, a third housing cooperating with the pair of diaphragms and the center disks to define a suction chamber, a connecting member connecting the other end of the connecting rod to the center disks in the radial center and in the middle of the thickness thereof in order to minimize any swinging movement of the center disks which would otherwise be caused by reciprocatory swinging movement of the connecting rod, and guide means for guiding the center disks for preventing any swinging movement thereof.

This invention relates to diaphragm pumps, and more particularly to diaphragm pumps of the type suitable for use with engines for supplying secondary air thereto.
In one prior type of diaphragm pumps, movement of an eccentric cam on an engine is converted by a lever into reciprocatory movement which in turn is transmitted to a diaphragm of the pump through a shaft. This type of diaphragm pump is well known as fuel pump or vacuum pump. In this type of diaphragm pumps, the lever is urged at one end thereof against the eccentric cam by a spring and connected at the other end thereof to the shaft in such a manner that the lever exerts a one-way force on the shaft to push the latter either upwardly or downwardly, so that the diaphragm can be returned to its original position by the spring. When this type of diaphragm pump is used as fuel pump, the diaphragm is actuated by the spring in a discharge stroke to produce a predetermined discharge pressure of 0.2 to 0.3 kg/cm.sup.2 and discharge a small amount of fuel. When this type of diaphragm pump is used as air pump for supplying secondary air to the engine, a return spring for diaphragm in a single-acting diaphragm pump should have a setting load sufficient to cause the pump to produce a discharge pressure of 0.5 to 0.6 kg/cm.sup.2 and to deliver an amount of discharge ten times as much as the discharge of the fuel pump. Thus the force required for the drive lever to push or pull the shaft directly connected to the diaphragm is equal to or higher than the total pressure due to the discharge pressure plus the setting load of the return spring plus inertia. Therefore, the force for driving the driving lever is intermittent and very large to exert a high load on the engine. Also, a surface pressure produced between the diaphragm and the adjacent parts is large, resulting in reduced durability of diaphragm.
There have been proposed a double-acting type diaphragm pump having a large discharge at low revolution, being compact in size and having a single flat or pan-shaped diaphragm. In this type of diaphragm pump, the diaphragm moves repeatedly in the normal and reverse directions to produce noise, and is less durable. The maximum number of revolutions of the diaphragm pump is limited to about 2000 rpm., so that it is impossible to supply a required discharge of secondary air.


A lid actuated device foot lifts a device to facilitate cooling. The device foot includes a device lid, and at least one lifting cam coupled to the device lid through a hinge. The lifting cam rotates about the hinge on an axis and has an eccentric contact surface capable of contacting a supporting surface. The device is thus lifted when the device lid is moved to a first position corresponding to an operational state thereby rotating the lifting cam about the axis. The contact surface is non-lifting when the device lid is in a second position corresponding to a non-operational state of the device.

Thermal management has been a persistent issue with virtually all electronic devices including portable computers. Many solutions exist to the thermal issue depending on the device configuration and the typical manner of use of the device. Passive cooling, active cooling and a combination of passive and active cooling may be employed depending on the mode of operation of the device or system. For example with stationary equipment, thermal management may take the form of an auxiliary cooling system and the like designed to promote cooling taking into account the stationary nature of the equipment. At one extreme, systems producing large amounts of heat may be cryogenically cooled by routing a coolant such as liquid nitrogen throughout the heat generating areas of the system. More often, systems are provided with passive structures such as high surface area heat sinks constructed of materials such as aluminum with high thermal conductivity and additionally may contain fans or the like to draw hot air out of the enclosure.
Problems arise however, in that if fan exhaust ports, or surfaces designed to conduct heat to the atmosphere, are blocked such that they cannot exhaust, or conducting surfaces are not exposed to circulating air, thermal energy can quickly build within enclosures causing component failure or, in the extreme, catastrophic damage such as fire, meltdown, or the like.
Some systems such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,554, issued on Jan. 30, 2001 to Cipolla et al., rely on an extensive redesign of the entire enclosure, or alternatively on an external supplemental enclosure having spring loaded posts raising the heat generating portion of the device such that passive cooling is enhanced. Obvious disadvantages of the system of Cipolla et al. include the expense of the additional components such as latches, posts, springs and the like. In addition the relatively complex mechanism would be more likely to experience failure.
Other systems, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,327 issued on Nov. 21, 1995 to Cheng, rely on supporting legs each of which may be directly and independently rotated to the support position on a central pivot. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,592 issued on Aug. 1, 2000 to Seo, et al. legs are also described which may be directly operated and rotated into position to support the computer enclosure in an elevated position. However, a user may forget to operate the legs defeating the elevation of the enclosure.
It should be noted that disadvantages are present in the above described systems notably that direct, manual operation of one or more of the legs may be overlooked during operation of the system frustrating the beneficial effects thereof. Accordingly, it would be desirable in the art for a device foot, leg, raising mechanism or the like, which could be deployed in a manner which would not rely on direct manual operation but rather would raise an enclosure associated with a device sufficiently to facilitate cooling every time the device is operated.

Device foot incorporating lid-actuated extension member


Aptamers that bind to and antagonize programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). Also provided herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising such anti-PD-1 aptamers and methods for using the same for promoting T cell proliferation, treating cancer or infectious diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Cancer cells may regulate host immune system to evade from immune surveillance. Several approaches had been developed to reactivate the immune system in tumor microenvironment and restore T cell ability to eradicate cancer cells. One of these approaches is immune-checkpoint targeting based on blocking the receptors that normally inhibit the immune response, such as Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and Programmed death 1 (PD1). Ipilimumab, an antagonistic antibody (mAb) against CTLA-4, was approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma in 2011 by FDA. Recently, inhibitory antibody against PD-1 was proved in clinical trial to be effectively in treatment of melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
PD-1 is named for its highly express on dying cells and involve in the process of program cell death. PD-1 is a type I transmembrane protein containing extracellular domain belongs to immunoglobulin superfamily and intracellular domain containing an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM). Similar to CTLA-4 receptor, PD-1 is also a powerful inhibitory receptor that inhibits T cell activation. However the signaling pathway analysis reveals that PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibit T cell activation by distinct mechanism and dual treatment of CTLA-4 and PD-1 antagonistic antibody can induce a synergistic effect. Moreover, compare to CTLA-4 that only express on T cell, PD-1 majorly express on activated T cell, B cell and macrophage. The boarder distribution of PD-1 receptor suggests it might be involved in more widely role in immune regulation. All these finding indicated that molecules which capable to block PD-1 pathway might hold a great potential in anticancer immunotherapy.
Aptamers are short DNA or RNA molecules that are capable of forming secondary structure or even complex three-dimensional structures. Aptamer technology has progressed tremendously since its discovery in the early 1990s. Aptamers have several advantages that make it suitable for therapeutic application, including lower molecular weight that allows it easier to penetrate through tissue than antibody, low cost in chemical synthesis, established modification methods and high stability. It is therefore of great interest to develop suitable aptamers having high affinity to a target protein.

Antagonistic PD-1 aptamer and its applications in cancer therapy related applications


A hyperacuity printing system for rendering halftoned image data on a recording medium. The system includes comprising a data source for supplying grayscale input image data and a writing device for writing grayscale output image data onto the recording medium. Also included is halftoning circuitry for transforming the grayscale input image data into the grayscale output image data, the halftoning circuitry including a lookup table for providing the grayscale output image data described as halftone dots arranged as a continuum from a lowest intensity value to a highest intensity value of the grayscale input image data. Finally, included is a modulating device coupled between the halftoning circuitry and the writing device for converting the grayscale output image data from the halftoning circuitry into a form which can be utilized by the writing device.

This invention relates to halftoning, and more particularly, to halftoning in a hyperacuity printer.
Various optical and electronic techniques have been proposed for transforming continuous tone and other types of variably shaded monochromatic and polychromatic images (collectively referred to herein as "toneart images") into halftone images. To simplify this disclosure, substantial portions of the following discussion focus on monochromatic halftoning, but it is to be understood that the same general teachings apply to the halftoning of the color separations of polychromatic images. The halftoning of black and white "grayscale" images is a convenient example of monochromatic halftoning, so it is noted that the term "grayscale" is used herein as a generic descriptor for the tones that can be produced by mixing any two reference colors together in any desired proportions.
As is known, a halftone image is a binary image that is composed by writing "halftone dots" into a spatially periodic, two dimensional, tiled array of dimensionally identical "halftone cells." These halftone cells spatially correspond in the halftoned output image to respective small, spatially distinct areas of the source image. Furthermore, the surface area of the dot that is written into each of the halftone cells is modulated in accordance with a suitable measure of the perceived or "average" grayscale level of the spatially corresponding area of the source image (this "dot area" parameter typically is expressed by referring to the percentage of the halftone cell area that is filled by the halftone dot that is written therein). Thus, halftoning imparts an illusion of shading to the halftoned image because the halftone dots are written at a spatial frequency (usually called the "screen frequency") that exceeds the cyclical acuity of the human eye at normal viewing distances (a conservative rule of thumb is that the human eye is insensitive to cyclical contrast variations that occur at a spatial frequency in excess of about 40 cycles per degree within the field of view).
As will be appreciated, halftoning is an important tool for preserving the shaded appearance of toneart images that are printed using binary printing technologies. Optically screened lithographic halftoning processes have established a challenging benchmark for the imaging fidelity that can be achieved by printing halftoned images on high gamma, photosensitive recording media (i.e., a recording medium having a steeply sloped exposure vs. contrast characteristic). Modern xerographic printers utilize high gamma photoreceptors to print lineart images that approach the fidelity of lithographically printed lineart. Heretofore, however, the electronic halftoning processes that have been available for use in xerographic printers have not had sufficient imaging fidelity to enable xerographic printers to effectively compete with lithographic printing processes in the printing of high fidelity halftoned images. Xerographic printing has made significant inroads into the lithographic printing market because of its cost advantage and the improvements in its imaging fidelity. This trend is expected to continue, but it clearly will be necessary to further improve the fidelity of electronic halftoning for xerographic printers to become a fully acceptable alternative to lithographic printers for the printing of halftoned images.
Some workers have proposed electronic halftoning techniques that more or less directly emulate angularly oriented optical halftone screening functions. See, for example, Perriman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,911, which issued Dec. 14, 1976. Others have focused on modulating the size of the halftone dots that are written into tiled arrays of electronically generated halftone cells at a selected screen angle. See, for example, Hell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,033, which issued Aug. 29, 1972 and Gall et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,489, which issued Feb. 12, 1985. This invention builds on these electronic halftone generators with their x/y addressable table look-up memories for tracking the scan spot as it scans across each of the electronically generated halftone cells at the selected screen angle.


An intermediate structure unit for a secondary cell according to the present invention is the intermediate structure unit for a secondary cell having a secondary cell and a test structure unit on a common substrate. Each of the secondary cell and the test structure unit includes a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. A plurality of layers are layered at the secondary cell between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. The plurality of layers include at least a metal oxide semiconductor layer and a charging layer. A party of the plurality of layers is formed at the test structure unit between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.

Patent Documents 1, 2 discloses a quantum cell that is an all-solid-state physical secondary cell. The quantum cell disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2 has a structure, for example, that a first electrode, a charging layer, a p-type metal oxide semiconductor layer, and a second electrode are layered on a substrate. The charging layer is a layer capable of capturing electrons obtained through photoexcited structural change caused on a particle-like n-type metal oxide semiconductor that is covered with an insulating material.
In Patent Documents 1, 2, electrical characteristics of a cell are to be measured. In Patent Document 1, electrical characteristic values are measured by an electrode probe being contacted to a measurement position on an external surface of at least one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode. For example, a voltage source and a current source are arranged to be selectively connectable to the electrode probe and a voltage meter is connected thereto. Charging-discharging characteristics and the like are evaluated based on measured voltage with the voltage meter, charging-discharging time, and the like during charging-discharging and at the time of fully-charged. In this manner, determining quality of a cell and specifying a failure position are performed.
An evaluation apparatus of Patent Document 2 evaluates characteristics of a charging layer of a cell while contacting a semiconductor probe to a charging layer of a quantum cell during manufacturing. Specifically, similarly to a quantum cell, a semiconductor probe in which a metal oxide semiconductor layer and an electrode layer are layered is prepared. Then, the semiconductor probe is intimately contacted to the charging layer of the quantum cell during manufacturing after the charging layer is layered. According to the above, the quantum cell during manufacturing becomes operable as a cell. Accordingly, it is possible to evaluate electrical characteristics of the charging layer of the quantum cell during manufacturing.

Intermediate structure unit for secondary cell and method for manufacturing secondary cell


The novel valve of this invention is for use in internal combustion engines. With advanced engine technology of today, prior art valves are not suitable because of wear problems. The valve of this invention provides a valve stem texture that is smooth enough to cause minimal wear on contacting parts while at the same time rough enough to retain sufficient oil to lubricate the parts. This is accomplished by having a stem surface with a surface peak height of Rp 4.0 to 15.0 and cross hatching on the affected surface portions. The cross hatching has a depth having an Rvk value of up to 30 micro-inches.

Today's advancements in internal combustion engines have required equal improvements in many component parts. For example, because of the stringent environmental emission government standards, many of the prior art engines required new and improved engine valves that would minimize the amount of oil permitted to enter the valve guide or combustion chamber. At the same time, however, proper lubrication of the valve train and valve wear remain primary concerns for today's advanced engines.
The mating surfaces of the stem of an engine valve in an internal combustion engine presents a wear concern if the metallurgical structure and roughness profile of the stem are such that galling or abrasion between the mating surfaces occurs. As the auto industry has evolved, both engine durability and emission control requirements have placed additional burdens on engine valve finishes.
An early advance in the art was to chrome plate engine valves on a mass production basis. Initially, chrome thickness of 0.00015 to 0.00025 inches with a hardness of Rockwell C 65 was sufficient to prevent galling on the exhaust valve stems of V8 engines. "Galling" is defined as an action approaching cold welding, such action causing adjacent surfaces to have a tendency to stick to each other.
Since that time, the stems of millions of automotive engine valves (particularly exhaust valves) have been plated with hard chrome to minimize galling. The process became more popular in the mid 1970's when emission standards were specified for U.S. automobiles.
When chrome is applied to engine valve stems, it is very hard and resides on the stem surface with microscopic nodules and unevenness. These characteristics can cause valve guide and valve seal wear. In the late 1970's and early 1980's these nodules were identified as the primary cause of valve guide wear and premature engine failure. Chrome nodules were identified as the source of the problem. It was at this time that polishing an engine valve was proposed so that a maximum peak height of the nodules was under 32 Rp micro inches after plating and polishing. This development became the standard industry procedure in the 1980's for eliminating guide wear and/or galling of the valve stem on North American-produced engines.
There have been prior art valves that have been concerned with valve treatment to improve wearability and performance of engine valves. Some of the prior art features are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,569,455 (Burwell); 1,599,172 (Goodbrake); and 3,345,976 (Pope, et al.).
Burwell teaches the use of an annular oil groove 16 which is formed in the upper valve stem portion. The oil groove 16 is normally located just below an asbestos wiper; when the valve is opened, oil will be carried by groove 16 to the asbestos wiper. Groove 16 is in communication with spiral grooves 17 which are provided around the valve stem to a point adjacent to the lower end of the valve guide. Nowhere is Burwell concerned with the surface smoothness of the valves to prevent abrading and wearing. Burwell's objective is merely to lubricate the valve and is not concerned with a long-wearing valve adapted for today's advanced internal combustion engines nor is he concerned with emission problems. Naturally, Burwell's patent in 1926 could not have suggested the problems or solutions for today's complex engine and valve requirements.
Goodbrake (U.S. Pat. No. 1,599,172) also discloses the use of a spiral groove 6 of about one-sixteenth of an inch deep. Again, Goodbrake's invention is concerned with 1926 engine problems and is not directed to 1992 present day high-tech valve-engine concerns or emission standards. At the time of Burwell and Goodbrake's inventions, proper lubrication was believed to be solely responsible for preventing valve wear and galling. Today we know that valve surface imperfections and nodules are primary causes of galling and of seal and valve guide wear. Nowhere does Goodbrake suggest investigating surface smoothness to minimize seal and valve guide wear.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,976 (Pope, et al.) shows a valve for an internal combustion engine having an annular longitudinal groove 11b which connects the flats 21 and 20 so that the lubricant flows down one of the flats 20, 21. The flow of lubricant in Pope is greater in volume than would normally occur. The increase volume alledgedly insures frequent change of the lubricant volume located in the annular recess 11b and renewal of lubricant in the flats 20 and 21. Longitudinal grooves such as those suggested by Pope could cause accelerated wear on seals and valve guides as will be later discussed.
With today's strict emission standards for internal combustion engines, none of the lubricating expedients suggested by Burwell, Goodbrake or Pope, et al would suffice. For example, the 1/16 inch groove of Goodbrake would hold far too much oil and would likely cause oil to enter the combustion chamber causing severe emission problems.
Cross hatching of the present invention is far superior in today's engines than the above spiral or longitudinal grooves because of lead-in problems possible with spiral and longitudinal grooves. Additionally, cross hatching aids in low engine idling and cold starting conditions.
Recently, after 1965, engine manufacturers have introduced tighter valve tolerance requirements and introduced new valve seals in an effort to reduce emissions and restrict the flow of excess oil down the valve stem and into the combustion chamber. As these emission standards became more stringent and valve seal design became more sensitive to seal abrasion and seal wear, more advanced methods and technology were researched to produce a mating surface on the valve stem that would provide good wear properties on the valve guide and the seal.
It has been determined that the microscopic texture of the valve stem surface caused the wear and could be reduced to a plateau-like surface and therefore be controlled to support an oil film in the remaining cross hatched micro valleys.


An integrated circuit has an integrated circuit core formed with an application core circuit portion, a code generating circuit portion for generating a customer-specific code assigned to the integrated circuit, a proprietary code provider portion adapted to be set by the customer for providing a proprietary code, and a matching circuit portion having inputs connected to the code generating circuit portion and the proprietary code provider portion to receive the customer-specific code and the proprietary code therefrom, and an output connected to the application core circuit portion. The matching circuit portion asserts the application core circuit portion upon detection of a match between the customer-specific code and the proprietary code. A plurality of application bonding pads and code setting bonding pads are provided on the integrated circuit core. The application bonding pads are connected to the application core circuit portion and the proprietary code provider portion. The code setting bonding pads are connected to the code generating circuit portion, and are programmed by selectively connecting each of the code setting bonding pads to a reference potential to enable the code generating circuit portion to generate the customer-specific code assigned to the integrated circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the design of integrated circuits, more particularly to a method for fabricating a customer-configured integrated circuit, and to a customer-configured integrated circuit for exclusive use by a customer.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is not unusual for integrated circuit vendors and manufacturers to provide the same functional type of integrated circuit to competing customers. In order to guard against piracy among competing customers, integrated circuit vendors and manufacturers need to develop customer-configured integrated circuits. In this way, customers can use the customer-configured integrated circuits that function in the same manner but have different configurations in the development of their own application systems. Therefore, unscrupulous customers can be prevented from copying the designs of others, and from producing and selling copied designs that use the customer-configured integrated circuits.
Conventionally, there are three methods available for programming an integrated circuit. First, a hard-wired programming scheme, such as a fixed functional setting in the functional design stage, is available to specify a particular function or configuration. However, this scheme suffers from lack of flexibility, and integrated circuit vendors and manufacturers incur a tremendous increase in production management costs because different mask layers are required, and because different raw products are produced when fabricating different customer-configured integrated circuits. Second, a software programming scheme is available in which a system driving software can change the programming of the integrated circuit anytime during the operation of the application system. While this scheme offers flexibility, it cannot provide sole protection and proprietary use for integrated circuits of the same functional type. Third, a non-volatile programming scheme is available in which a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory, is programmed by the user. Information in the non-volatile memory does not get lost when the application system is turned on or off. Since the configuration of the integrated circuits shipped to all customers is fixed, sole-protection or proprietary use is weak because the programmed information can be easily stolen.
Customers need customer-configured integrated circuits for exclusive use so as to protect themselves from piracy. On the other hand, integrated circuit vendors and manufacturers require a simple production process to supply different customer-configured integrated circuits of the same functional type to different customers so as to incur little overhead. As such, the conventional integrated circuit programming schemes are inadequate for both the customers and the integrated circuit vendors or manufacturers.

Method for fabricating a customer-configured integrated circuit and customer-configured integrated circuit for exclusive use by a customer background of the invention


An improved pick for playing stringed musical instruments such as guitars, banjos and the like comprising a generally flat pick body sized and configured to be grasped between the thumb and forefinger of a player and including a first end, a second end and surrounding sidewalls that define a tear drop shape, and further including picking means comprising an enlarged, substantially bullet nose shaped portion at the first pick body end for plucking the strings of the musical instrument. The improved pick of this invention further comprises gripping means disposed along the pick body's upper and lower surfaces which preferably comprise a plurality of small, cone shaped members arranged in rows. In a most preferred embodiment, the pick body of the invention will have a wedge or aerodynamic shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved pick used to play stringed instruments such as guitars, banjos, mandarins, and the like, and is specifically adapted to limit movement of the pick within a player's fingers during the playing of the instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
In playing a musical instrument such as a guitar, a banjo or the like, musicians frequently utilize a pick to pluck the strings of the instrument. As is commonly known, the pick is a small object which is typically held by the musician between his thumb and forefinger. At one time or another, nearly all musicians encounter difficulties with maintaining a firm grip on the pick. For example, a musician's hand may become tired by the repeated striking of the strings during play of the instrument such that his grip on the pick is loosened. As another example, the musician may begin to sweat while playing the instrument and as this occurs some perspiration often reaches or forms on his hands and fingers. Unfortunately, because picks known in the art are smooth, flat and ultra-thin, as the musician sweats the pick's surface becomes wet and slippery, causing the fingers to slide about on the pick. In either situation, the musician encounters difficulty in controlling the pick's position between the fingers and perhaps worse, is likely to lose and often does lose the pick entirely. The result frequently is an untimely interruption during the playing of a tune during which the musician locates another pick and arranges it in hand.
It would therefore be highly advantageous to musicians who utilize picks for guitars and the like to enable them to use a pick for extended periods of time, thereby minimizing the number of picks which are lost during play as well as the resulting number of interruptions. The improved pick of the present invention is designed specifically to enable the prolonged use of a single pick during the playing of a stringed musical instrument. Thus, the pick of the present invention is adapted to reduce the fatigue that most musicians feel during the repeated striking of the strings on a musical instrument and is further adapted to provide a gripping surface so as to prevent sliding of the fingers on the pick during play.

Pick for musical instruments with improved grip


Embodiments of a system and method are disclosed for adjusting the execution of a multi-media performance in response to a live performance. Embodiments track and receive data regarding elements of the live performance, analyze the live performance data, determine the pace of the live performance, and use this data to appropriately execute elements of the accompanying multi-media performance. Some embodiments may perform this analysis and adjustment automatically. Certain embodiments may use voice detection devices, motion detection devices and musical detection devices to track the live performance. The live performance may be analyzed in relation to an electronic script, which may contain instructions related to the execution of the multi-media elements.

The image of live actors interacting with animated or prerecorded images and sound is commonplace. In film or television, the coordination between the various images and sounds is largely achieved in the editing room, or as the result of repeated rehearsal until the timing of the combined performance is exact. In such cases, the combined image is recorded and, therefore, each viewing is identical. With pre-recorded images, unfortunately, there is no mechanism to adjust the flow of the presentation to allow for variations in the performance or the audience response. All aspects of the performance are predetermined and therefore the presentation is passive to the audience's reaction. The use of pre-recorded audio and visual material in live performance is also commonplace in theatre, music, and business presentations. Again, however, there are significant limitations with the ability to manipulate the pre-recorded material and electronic media in coordination with the live performance.
Visuals effects, sounds and other media can be linked together, but such synchronization capabilities are currently limited and typically include significant manual intervention. For example, a technician may, in response to some aspect of a live performance, manually trigger video, sound and lighting changes together. Once triggered, the various effects typically run for a fixed time.
It is therefore necessary for the performers to have rehearsed their timing exactly and for the related media and control signals to have been pre-recorded and matched together exactly. For instance, once an actor has embarked on a dialogue in such circumstances, there is no mechanism to adjust the pace and/or timing of other media employed concurrently in response to variations in the actor's performance or the audience's response. Accordingly, it is believed that the use of pre-recorded media in live performance has been restricted to highly rehearsed and short sequences. What is needed is a system and method of controlling multi-media presentation elements which accounts for variations in live performance.


A whipstock adapted for insertion into a wellbore through a tubing string having a smaller diameter than the wellbore casing or the open hole portion of the wellbore includes a setting mechanism comprising extendable legs which engage the wellbore wall to bias the whipstock into a position of inclination of the whipstock guide surface relative to the wellbore axis. The setting mechanism includes an actuating rod which may be actuated by a conventional downhole tool setting device to extend and retain the legs in their extended position. Cooperating ratchet means and tensionable couplings on the setting mechanism including a frangible coupling part permit actuation of the whipstock to its set position and retrieval of the setting device. The whipstock is releasable from the setting device by an adaptor having cooperating ball keys engageable with an adaptor actuating shaft and the upper end of the whipstock body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a whipstock for oil and gas wells, particularly adapted for insertion into a well through a tubing string and including setting mechanism for positioning the whipstock guide surface after placement of the whipstock at a predetermined depth.
2. Background
The increased use of coilable tubing for performing well operations including "sidetracking" or drilling deviated wells from an existing wellbore has increased the need for a whipstock which may be inserted through a tubing string and then actuated to a set position upon exiting the lower end of the tubing string so that casing milling tools and drilling tools may be properly guided.
Improvements in drilling and coring operations and improvements in whipstocks for performing operations to drill and core with coiled tubing through existing well tubing strings are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 07/752,704 and 07/752,705, both filed in the U.S. Pat. and Trademark Office on Aug. 30, 1991 and both assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Although application Ser. No. 07/752,705 discloses and claims a whipstock which may be inserted through a tubing string and set to provide proper orientation of the tool guide surface after exiting the lower end of the tubing string, the present invention provides further improvements in whipstocks which are particularly advantageously used for the methods described in the above-referenced patent applications as well as other applications where whipstocks may be required.


The disclosed embodiments provide a system that generates sound primitives to facilitate sound recognition. First, the system performs a feature-detection operation on sound samples to detect a set of sound features, wherein each sound feature comprises a measurable characteristic of a window of consecutive sound samples. Next, the system creates feature vectors from coefficients generated by the feature-detection operation, wherein each feature vector comprises a set of coefficients for sound features detected in a window. The system then performs a clustering operation on the feature vectors to produce feature-vector clusters, wherein each feature-vector cluster comprises a set of feature vectors that are proximate to each other in a feature-vector space that contains the feature vectors. After the clustering operation, the system defines a set of sound primitives, wherein each sound primitive is associated with a feature-vector cluster. Finally, the system associates semantic labels with the set of sound primitives.

Field
The disclosed embodiments generally relate to the design of automated systems for recognizing sounds. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to the design of an automated system that uses human input to facilitate an inferential technique that recognizes non-speech sounds based on patterns of sound primitives.
Related Art
Recent advances in computing technology have made it possible for computer systems to automatically recognize sounds, such as the sound of a gunshot, or the sound of a baby crying. This has led to the development of automated systems for detecting corresponding events, such as gunshot-detection systems and baby-monitoring systems. However, these existing systems are presently unable to detect higher-level events that are associated with collections of related sounds. For example, the sound of a baby crying followed by the sound of a human voice and then silence might indicate that a person has taken care of a crying baby. Detecting such higher-level events is a complicated task because the related sounds might occur in different sequences or at the same time.
Hence, what is needed is a system for detecting higher-level events that are associated with patterns of related sounds.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Employing user input to facilitate inferential sound recognition based on patterns of sound primitives


The appliance comprises a rotatably mounted plate with clamps, a vertical pillar, an arm mounted on this pillar, which arm is pivotable in a horizontal plane above said plate. A bar extending downwards from said arm carries at its lower end a guiding wheel and a pressure wheel. An eccentric is mounted between the vertical pillar and the pivoting arm and permits to pivot the arm for adjusting the position of the pressure wheel at a small distance from the rim of a wheel clamped in the clamps.

Appliances are well known for fitting a tire on a wheel and for removing a tire from a wheel, which comprise a horizontal rotatably mounted plate with clamps that can be moved towards the center of the plate in order to clamp the wheel, a vertical pillar on which is provided an arm with an oscillating motion in a horizontal plane above the aforesaid plate and in the aforesaid arm a bar, the level of which is adjustable, having at its lower end a small guiding wheel for separating the bead of the tire over the wheel rim, and also a small pressure wheel for driving the bead of the tire into the groove of the wheel rim, which pressure wheel is located along the circumference of the wheel.
In a known appliance there is provided on the vertical pillar a bracket in which is being screwed an adjusting screw with a small handwheel; the free end of said screw presses against the pivoting arm. After the arm has been turned so that the side of the small pressure wheel contacts the wheel rim, the adjusting screw is being turned so that the arm, and thus the small pressure wheel, parts and is set at a small distance from the wheel rim, resulting in the small wheel not being able to rub against the rim and damage it when the plate rotates.
This adjusting screw, however, has a drawback in that it is necessary to have the small handwheel make several revolutions before the small pressure wheel reaches the desired position. Thus, adjustment of the small pressure wheel cannot be achieved rapidly.

Mechanism for adjusting the position of the tool carrier arm of an appliance for fitting a tire on the rim of a wheel and for removing a tire from the rim of a wheel


A high-speed industrial door includes a door leaf having a plurality of stiffening profiles and a flexible curtain. Each stiffening profile extends crosswise relative to a lateral passing over the door leaf and connects two hinge elements assigned to one another. A flexible curtain is fixed to each stiffening profile. This makes it possible to provide a high-speed industrial door that can be operated at speeds faster than 3 m/s while involving little engineering complexity and low costs.

This application is the US national phase of international application PCT/EP2003/003149 filed 26 Mar. 2003 which designated the U.S. and claims benefit of DE 102 36 648.9, filed 9 Aug. 2002, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a fast-moving industrial gate with a gate body covering the gateway and having on either side a strap hinge with a multiplicity of hinge members that are interconnected such that they may be oriented at a relative angle, which are guided by rollers in lateral guides guiding the gate body free of contact.
2. Related Art
Fast-moving rolling gates employing coiling of the gate body above the gateway are known in practical use. These are, for example, rolling gates wherein a hanging of plasticized PVC or of a similar soft synthetic material is coiled on a coiling shaft in the customary manner and may be reeled off for closing the gateway. Such rolling gates were found to be excellently suited in practical use and are variously utilized as they may be furnished at low cost, and the gate body having the form of a hanging may moreover entirely or in parts be made transparent. Thus, e.g., the area on the other side of the gate body is also visible to a forklift driver, so that impediments or dangers may largely be avoided even if this rolling gate is to be passed through from both sides at the same time. It is another advantage of such plasticized PVC rolling gates that the gate body has a very low weight, so that the energy consumption for operating the gate may be kept low, and the dynamic loads during opening and closing of the gate are also limited. Therefore velocities of approx. 2 m/s are readily possible with the like rolling gates, so that they are also suited as a temporary closure between two consecutive passages.
The turns of the gate body having the form of a hanging in the case of such plasticized PVC rolling gates do, however, come to lie directly on each other in the coil and are accordingly scratched and soiled. Hereby the transparency of the hanging is degraded considerably in the course of time. Another drawback of these rolling gates is that this hanging, although usually held by the lateral edges in vertical guides, tends to bulge in the center region at higher wind forces owing to stretch of the material in the center region. From a certain wind load upwards, or even in the event of some other manual influence, the lateral edges of the hanging may come free from the vertical guides of the gateway. Damage to the hanging may then occur, and it moreover generally turns out to be problematic to reintroduce the hanging into the guides. It is a further drawback in such a plasticized PVC rolling gate that it moreover is usually not capable of being combined with a safety system in the manner of a gate light barrier as known, e.g., from DE 197 39 543 A and DE 197 39 544 A. The like gate light barriers generate accurately in the plane of closure of the gate a "light curtain" allowing to recognize obstacles free of contact, and thus avoid a collision. Owing to the flexibility and the thin wall of the hanging, however, this safety system can hardly be employed with such rolling gates including a flexible hanging, for the controls of the safety system detect the leading edge of the hanging and utilize it for recognizing an obstacle in the further path of closure of the gate.
Moreover from practical use a design for a rolling gate including a flexible hanging has become known, wherein several hanging segments are combined in order to form the flexible gate body. The edges of the hanging segments have a reinforcement strip-type configuration and each engage a respective connecting member coupling two hanging segments with each other. The hanging thus made up of several pieces is customarily coiled on a coiling shaft in the lintel. The arrangement of the connecting members within the hanging does, however, result in considerable irregularities that are of particular importance during the coiling process. This known rolling gate may therefore only be operated at a very low velocity of clearly less than one meter per second, and is moreover very noisy because clearly audible clattering noises occur when two connecting members meet in the coil. Such a rolling gate is generally not suited for fast-moving operation.
From practical use moreover a fundamentally different system for a fast-moving industrial gate is known, wherein a gate body formed of a multiplicity of aluminum lamellae that are interconnected such that they may be oriented at a relative angle is guided free of contact in the lintel range of the gateway. Thus the German patent applications DE 40 15 214 A, DE 40 15 215 A, and DE 40 15 216 A disclose a construction in which the lamellae of the gate body move with lateral rollers in guide rails. These are deflected at the top end of the gateway towards the inside of the gate into a straight guide section; following another downward deflection by 180 degrees they are again guided back in a straight line and then optionally again guided to the rear following a 180-degree upward deflection. This results in an elongate coil in which the lamellae of the gate body do, however, not lie on top of each other but are guided free of contact in a spaced-apart relation by the rollers in the guides. Lip seals are moreover arranged at the guides, which are contiguous with the gate body and thus establish a wind-tight closure for the gateway.
Another example for such a fast-moving industrial gate is known from DE 199 15 376 A1, wherein the lamellae are formed of extruded plastic and may be made transparent completely or only in a partial area. As these lamellae are formed of GRP or PMMA, for instance, they have a lower weight in comparison with conventional lamellae of aluminum. The use of these plastic lamellae of a pliant material is made possible, in accordance with this known industrial gate, in that the lamellae in the range of the gate lintel move into a spiral section having a continuously curved spiral shape, so that the dynamic loads of the gate body can be kept within limits. This industrial gate has been found to be very advantageous for many applications in practical use. Thus it is possible to reliably achieve high velocities of up to 3 m/s, while it is at the same time also possible to make the gate body substantially continuously transparent.
This industrial gate with plastic lamellae does, however, also suffer from drawbacks. Namely, these lamellae have such a low strength in comparison with aluminum lamellae that they are hardly suited for gate widths exceeding four meters. In addition, these plastic lamellae have a shorter lifetime than conventional aluminum lamellae. In particular it has been found that from a certain gate size upward, cracks may develop in the range in which the strap hinges are fastened to the lamellae. Another drawback in this design lies in the fact that the lamellae are extruded as a whole, so that there are limits to variation in terms of material. In particular the provision of these lamellae is connected with a considerable expense in terms of production technology and therefore relatively expensive. Moreover it is not possible to modify the constructional shape of the lamella without considerable expense; this requires the production of a new extrusion die for each case. Furthermore the transparent area in this known plastics lamella is not clear as glass owing to the production process, as in particular small but clearly recognizable processing traces in the direction of extrusion are unavoidable.
On the other hand the fast-moving industrial gate in accordance with DE 199 15 376 A1 is characterized by its capability of sustaining high wind loads, exemplary tightness, model reliability and high availability. Nevertheless in practice an even faster and yet affordable system is being demanded, which does, however, manage without any reductions of the advantageous properties of the known gate systems.
From U.S. Pat. No. 2,311,470 another gate closure in the manner of a lamellar shield is known, the gate body of which includes on either side a strap hinge with a multiplicity of hinge members that are interconnected such that they may be oriented at a relative angle, which are guided by rollers in lateral guides guiding the gate body free of contact. The gate body comprises a multiplicity of lamellae interconnected by means of rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible connecting strips which are affixed on the mutually facing longitudinal edges of the lamellae in positive engagement. Moreover the single lamellae extend transversely to the lateral guides across the gate body to thereby connect two respective associated hinge members.

High-speed industrial door with a flexible curtain

EFAFLEX Tor-und Sicherheitssysteme GmbH & Co. KG