A mold-type semiconductor laser device comprises a metallic support plate, a semiconductor laser chip carried by the support plate, a resinous molded body for sealing the laser chip; and a transparent plate attached to the molded body in opposed relation to a front cleavage face of the laser chip. The support plate has a positioning face which is substantially parallel to the front cleavage face of the laser chip and comes into direct contact with the transparent plate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to laser devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a laser device of the type which utilizes a semiconductor laser chip sealed in a molded body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A semiconductor laser chip used in a laser device is known to be adversely affected by humidity or other external factors. Therefore, it has been conventionally proposed to enclose the semiconductor laser chip in a resinous molded body for protection. This type of laser device is called "mold-type semiconductor laser device" and disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 64-28882 for example.
For the convenience of explanation, reference is now made to FIGS. 23 and 24 which illustrate a prior art mold-type semiconductor laser device.
As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the prior art laser device comprises a metallic support plate 21 integral with a first lead 22. A mount 23 is attached on the support plate 21, and a semiconductor laser chip 24 is attached on the mount 23. The laser chip 24 has a front cleavage face 24' for emitting a coherent output laser beam E".
The first lead 22 is flanked by second and third leads 25, 26, and the laser chip 24 together with the support plate 21 and the mount 23 is enclosed in a transparent resinous molded body 27 with the respective leads 22, 25, 26 projecting partially from the molded body 27. A glass plate 28 is attached to the molded body 27 in opposed relation to the front cleavage face 24' of the laser chip, so that the output laser beam E" passes through the glass plate.
In such a laser device, it is known that the laser beam emission performance is influenced by the spacing L (see FIG. 24) between the glass plate 28 and the front cleavage face 24' of the laser chip 24. Further, the laser beam emission performance is also affected by the orientation of the glass plate 28 relative to the front cleavage face 24' of the laser chip 24. Thus, it is necessary to appropriately select the spacing L and orientation of the glass plate 28 in relation to the laser chip 24.
However, with the arrangement of the prior art laser device, the glass plate 28 is attached only to the molded body 27, so that the position and orientation of the glass plate 28 relative to the laser chip 24 is influenced by dimensional errors of the molded body 27. Thus, even if the laser chip 24 is accurately mounted on the support plate 21, the position and orientation of the glass plate 28 will be inappropriate when the molded body 27 is formed improperly, consequently resulting in deterioration of the laser beam emission performance.


A method for returning a voice mail message for a subscriber of a voice mail service. The method includes the steps of accessing the voice mail service on a second calling line on the public switched telephone network, playing a first voice mail message for the subscriber, the first voice mail message having been received on a first calling line from a source and the first calling line number having been recorded, receiving a call back indication from the subscriber, automatically generating a call to the source, connecting the subscriber to the first calling line, monitoring the call to determine when the call is terminated, and returning the subscriber to the voice mail service.

In this age of communication, the speed of information delivery can affect the outcome of business negotiations and influence national and international politics, as well as affect the well-being of individuals. Communication devices such as wireline and wireless telephones, facsimile transmitters, voice mail systems and pagers are used to speed communications between parties. However, the delivery speed of communications is hampered by the assignation of identification numbers such as telephone numbers to particular locations, rather than to particular individuals. Thus, a caller attempting to deliver a communication to a particular party by telephone will succeed only if the party is located at the site of the called telephone.
If the party is not located at the called site, the caller has the option of trying to deliver the communication to another location by calling a different telephone number. For this option, the caller must possess or obtain other telephone numbers of the telephones at the site where the called party may be located. The caller also has the option of repeatedly calling the first telephone number until the called party returns to the site of the first telephone. This option is, at least, inefficient. The necessity of resorting to either of these options because of the assignment of a telephone number to a location causes delay in delivering communications. Of course, the caller may abandon the attempt to deliver the communication, an option which results in inconvenience and in some cases, negative consequences.
The same delay disadvantages are applicable generally to communication by facsimile transmitters, voice mail systems and pagers, which also are assigned identification numbers by location rather than by person. Moreover, a person who uses multiple communication devices must keep track of and distribute multiple identification numbers for his/her communication devices. For example, an individual who uses a facsimile transmission machine, a voice mail system and a pager and who has an office telephone, a home telephone and a mobile phone must keep track of and distribute at least six different identification numbers. In addition, the person has to keep track of security numbers such as PIN numbers for each device. Anyone trying to reach this person in an emergency would require access to all of these identification numbers and would be lucky to reach the person at the location first contacted.
The prior art has sought to minimize the delay in delivering communications through call forwarding systems. In such a system, a telephone call placed to a first telephone number is forwarded automatically to a second telephone number. A disadvantage of this system is that the first telephone must be used to program the system to forward the call. Thus, if a salesperson wants to have sales calls forwarded from the office to another location such as home or a mobile phone, the office telephone must be used to program the system to forward the call. Upon return to the office, the office telephone must be used to reprogram the system to remove the call forwarding feature. Another disadvantage of call forwarding systems is that the called party may not be located at the site of the second telephone number because the called party has completed the business at that site and is returning to the office or moving to another site. Advanced communication delivery options such redirection to another location, to a voice mail system or to a pager are unavailable generally. Yet another disadvantage of call forwarding systems is the lack of called party selectivity in accepting the forwarded calls. For example, the salesperson does not have the ability to distinguish between sales calls which have been forwarded and administrative or routine calls which also have been forwarded. Thus, the salesperson is disturbed at the forwarded location by all calls made to the office telephone.
Other prior art systems have sought to minimize the delay in communication delivery through the assignment of an identification number based on the person rather than the location of the communication device. These identification numbers are generally known as personal numbers. In personal number systems, efforts at communication with a particular person are directed to the personal number rather than to a plurality of identification numbers associated with a site where the party may be located. One prior art system uses an operator to answer calls made to a personal number. The operator has information regarding the location and telephone numbers of the called party and has instructions regarding the transfer of such calls. The operator forwards information regarding the received telephone call to the called party pursuant to such instructions. Among the disadvantages of this system are the incidence of human error by the operator, the delay in obtaining and dialing the other telephone number, and the high cost of employing the operator as well as the need to provide continuous updates of telephone numbers and instructions to the operator.
In another prior art personal number system, a caller who places a telephone call to a personal number of a particular party is forwarded automatically to a telephone number supplied by the party. However, telephone calls to the party are completed only so long as the party provides the system in a timely manner with a proper destination telephone number.
None of these prior art personal number systems provide features that otherwise speed the delivery of important information such as call screening features or provide communication delivery options such as facsimile transmitters, voice mail systems, or pagers.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus that speed the delivery of communications between parties.
Further, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus that provide a subscriber with a personal number as a contact number for receipt of all communications including wireline, wireless, facsimile transmissions and pagers.
There is also a need in the art for a method and apparatus which minimize the number of identification numbers and security numbers for communication devices associated with an individual.
In addition, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus that speed the proper delivery of communications by including features such as call announcement, call screening, facsimile transmitters and receivers, voice mail services and pagers.
Furthermore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus that speeds the proper delivery of communications in a flexible, readily understandable, easy-to-use and cost efficient manner.

Method for automatically returning voice mail messages


The present invention relates to a high-efficiency circuit-equipped light emitting board, which is made so as to be usable as advertisement boards and signs, and can be used either indoor ones or outdoor ones. The light emitting board includes inner and outer frames, a display board, light emitting diodes, and a driving circuit for making the light emitting diodes to produce light. The display board allows light to travel through it, and has words, patterns, characters, drawings or signs adhered thereto. The display board is disposed between the frames in such a way that users can easily substitute it with a different one. And, the present board is watertight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-efficiency circuit-equipped light emitting board, more particularly one, which is made in such a manner as to be used as advertisement boards and signs, either indoor ones or outdoor ones, with easy-to-replace nature, and which is watertight, and has low electricity consumption, good resistance to high and low temperature, and long lifespan for using.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, road signs, doorplates, advertisement boards and so on, have to equipped with additional illumination so that information thereon can be clearly seen in the dark. However, such additional illumination itself and installation thereof cause increase to cost of the signs, and occupies space, not very convenient and economical to use.
To overcome the above disadvantages, another information providing equipment has light source integrated with a panel, which allows light to travel through, and has words, signs and so on, adhered to it, and has a box for holding the light source and the panel therein. Such information providing equipment is a big size because fluorescent tubes, starters and so on together are relatively big that have to be used on it. And, the panel is joined to the box in a secure manner, not able to be easily substituted with a different one according to the user's needs. Therefore, such information providing equipment is still not convenient to use.
In both of above ways, gas-filled fluorescent tubes and bulbs are used as the light source to occupy much space. And, use of fluorescent tubes and bulbs will add to the cost of maintenance because the average lifespan of bulbs for using is five hundred hours, and that of gas-filled fluorescent tubes is four thousand hours. Furthermore, such tubes and bulbs are not suitable for using outdoors in cold weather.
In recent years, light emitting diodes have been used in industry for making license plates of cars easily visible in light of the fact that light emitting diodes are small in size, consume less power, and have relatively long life spans for using. However, common light providing devices having LED for car license plates are equipped with large and complicated circuits or IC for activation and control thereof. Consequently, manufacturing cost is relatively high, and has many parts added to the maintenance cost of such light providing devices. Furthermore, use of light emitting diodes is still limited to car license plates.

High-efficiency circuit-equipped light emitting board


An apparatus for forming a plurality of individual books in a predetermined sequence includes a main conveyor having a plurality of spaced collating stations for receiving signatures. A plurality of feeders selectively feed signatures to the spaced collating stations as the main conveyor moves the plurality of spaced collating stations past the plurality of feeders to form the plurality of individual books in the predetermined sequence. A rejector rejects a defective book from the sequence of books leaving a space in the sequence of books. A reorderer causes the plurality of feeders to rebuild the rejected book. A first transferor transfers the sequence of books to a second conveyor to convey the sequence of books away from the main conveyor. The first transfer means is inhibited from transferring the reordered book from the main conveyor to the second conveyor. A second transferor transfers the reordered book to the second conveyor downstream from the first transferor and into the space in the sequence of books where the defective book was rejected from so that the books are in the predetermined sequence.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for forming a plurality of individual books in a predetermined sequence, and more specifically, to an apparatus which forms individual books in a predetermined sequence and which rejects and reorders a defective book and puts the reordered book into the sequence of books in the space the defective book was rejected from.
A known apparatus for forming a plurality of individual books in a predetermined sequence is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,076. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,076 a main conveyor with a plurality of spaced collating stations receives signatures. A plurality of feeders selectively feed signatures to the spaced collating stations to form the plurality of individual books in the predetermined sequence. A reject means rejects a defective book from the sequence of books leaving a space in the sequence of books. A reorder means causes the plurality of feeders to properly rebuild a rejected book upstream of the space where the book was rejected, such that the reordered book is out of sequence.
A first transfer means transfers the sequence of books from the main conveyor to an accumulator means. When the reordered book is conveyed to the first transfer means, the first transfer means is inhibited and does not transfer the reordered book to the accumulator means. The accumulator means conveys the sequence of books away from the main conveyor and back to the main conveyor to bypass a portion of the main conveyor on which the reordered book is conveyed. The accumulator means transfers the sequence of books back to the main conveyor system so that the reordered book is in the space in the sequence of books where the defective book was rejected from so that the books are in the predetermined sequence.

Method and an apparatus for forming a plurality of individual books in a predetermined sequence


A method is provided for limiting the inflow of formation water during a well turn around to maximize polymer recovery after a hydraulic fracturing treatment of a formation. The method includes a step for selectively blocking the pore structure in a water-bearing zone and not blocking the pore structure of a hydrocarbon zone at the formation face; performing a hydraulic fracturing treatment using a fluid having a polymer; and turning the well around to recover the polymer. There is also provided a method of acidizing, preferably matrix acidizing, a formation having a hydrocarbon zone and a water-bearing zone. The method includes a step for selectively blocking the pore structure in the water-bearing zone at the formation face to selectively retard migration of acid into the water-bearing zone; and injecting acid into the formation, wherein the acid is diverted from the water-bearing zone to the hydrocarbon zone as a result of the selective blocking step. When the water-bearing zone contains a residual amount of hydrocarbon residues, the method further includes injecting a mutual solvent prior to the step for selectively blocking.. In these methods, the step for selectively blocking preferably forms a plug of a viscous fluid in the pore structure of the water-bearing zone at the formation face. The viscous fluid preferably has at least a viscoelastic surfactant capable of forming a worm-like micelle in an aqueous environment, a water-soluble salt to effect formation stability, and an aqueous carrier fluid.

In the recovery of hydrocarbons from subterranean formations, particularly in such formations wherein the wellbore also traverses water-bearing zones, the desire is to facilitate the movement of hydrocarbons to the wellbore so that the hydrocarbons may be pumped from the well. At the same time, there is a corresponding desire to limit the movement of formation water into the wellbore and production thereof. In order to enhance the effectiveness of some of these methods for increasing (or stimulating) hydrocarbon production, the proper placement of stimulation fluids, for example, acidizing and/or fracturing fluids, at the hydrocarbon zones and minimizing the loss thereof into the water zones is desirable.
Acidizing is used to stimulate hydrocarbon production from a well. There are two types of acidizing treatments: (1) matrix acidizing and (2) fracture acidizing with the difference between them relating to injection rates and pressures. Fracture acidizing is acidizing at injection rates above fracture pressure. Fracture acidizing is used for creating cracks or fractures in the formation to increase the available flow area and thereby increase well productivity. Acidizing at injection rates below fracture pressure is termed matrix acidizing. Matrix acidizing is primarily used for damage removal and to restore the permeability to original reservoir permeability or higher. The damage is primarily skin damage caused by drilling, completion and workover fluids and precipitation of deposits from produced water or oil (such as scale). Removal of severe plugging in carbonate and sandstone formations can result in very large increases in well productivity. Oil well flow behavior is greatly affected by the geometry of radial flow into the wellbore. The pressure gradient, for example, psi per foot, is proportional to the flow velocity and is very small at large distances from the wellbore. At points close to the wellbore, the flow area is much smaller and the flowing pressure gradient is much higher. Because of this small flow area, any damage to the formation close to the wellbore, say within 20 feet thereof and sometimes within as little as 3 feet therefrom, may be the cause most of the total pressure draw down during production and thereby dominate well performance.
Since the acidizing fluids do not discriminate between hydrocarbon and water bearing zones, an undesired result may be obtained wherein the production of formation water is increased. Thus, there is a need to direct acidizing fluids away from water bearing zones and preferably also limit the amount of formation water produced once the well is "turn around."
Further, at the end of a conventional hydraulic fracturing operation, it is necessary to bring back to the surface as much as possible of the hydraulic fluid components such as polymer, typically a galactomannan polysaccharide, broken polymer components, salts, typically ammonium chloride, potassium chloride and tetramethyl ammonium chloride, and fluid, typically a brine, pumped into the formation during treatment. This process of bringing the fluid back to the surface after the treatment is termed "turning the well around". This process lasts from the moment fluid is begun to be brought back until the gas or oil is produced in sufficient quantities for sale. The well turn around process can last from hours to several days. During this period, it has historically been possible to recover approximately one third of the polymer and fluid pumped during the hydraulic fracturing treatment.
In the case of low permeability (less than about 1 md) dry gas reservoirs (that is, gas reservoirs which produce hydrocarbons and little or no formation water), it is possible to dramatically improve the recovery of polymer and fluid during the well turnaround period by increasing the rate at which the fluids are brought back to the surface. This has been documented in two published field studies. SPE 31094 (D. Pope, L. Britt, V. Constien, A. Anderson, L. Leung, "Field Study of Guar Removal from Hydraulic Fractures: presented at the SPE International Symposium on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, La., Feb. 14-15, 1995) provided the first demonstration that increased flowback rate results in increased polymer recovery which results in increased well productivity. This was taken further in SPE 36468 (A. J. Anderson, P. J. N. Ashton, J. Lang and M. L. Samuelson, "Production Enhancement Through Aggressive Flowback Procedures in the Codell Formation" presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Co., Oct. 6-9, 1997) where polymer recovery was increased to more than 60% of the amount pumped during the treatment and 90 day cumulative production was increased by more than 50% over those of offset wells with less aggressive flowback rates. Similar results have been observed in other low permeability dry gas wells. (See, for example, SPE 30495, P. R. Howard, M. T. King, M. Morris, J. P. Feraud, G. Slusher, S. Lipari, "Fiber/Proppant Mixtures Control Proppant Flowback in South Texas" presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Tex., Oct. 22-25, 1995.)
The flowback pattern from this type of formation is very distinctive. This is illustrated in FIG. 1. This figure presents a graph of the concentration of the polymer, in this case guar, in samples of fluid flowed back to the surface after the hydraulic fracturing treatment of a dry gas well as a function of the time between the start of the flowback and when the sample was collected. The concentration of polymer in these samples is equal to or greater than the concentration of guar pumped during the treatment and is relatively constant over time. This behavior continues for months after the turn around period is over and the well is in production.
However, in recent studies relating to oil wells, we have discovered and demonstrated that the inflow of formation water during the well turn around period is detrimental to the ability to maximize the polymer recovered after a hydraulic fracturing treatment of a gas or oil well and to efforts to maximize well productivity. As a result, we have identified that there is a need to control the inflow of this formation water during the well turn around stage in order to be able to maximize well productivity.

Methods for limiting the inflow of formation water and for stimulating subterranean formations


A method for pre-positioning the driveshaft sections of an axially adjustable driveshaft assembly prior to installation within a vehicle to facilitate the installation process. An installation tool is provided with first and second members which are movable relative to one another. Reference indicia are provided on one or both of the members such that mounting surfaces provided thereon can be spaced apart from one another by a predetermined amount. The mounting surfaces of the installation tool are mounted on separate sections of the driveshaft assembly. Then, the driveshaft sections are moved relative to one another until the reference indicia provided on the installation tool are properly aligned. When such alignment is achieved, the overall axial length of the driveshaft assembly is approximately equal to the desired length between the engine/transmission assembly and the axle assembly. Then, the installation tool is removed, and the driveshaft assembly is installed in the vehicle. Because the overall axial length of the driveshaft assembly has been pre-positioned to the desired length, little or no adjustment thereof will be required to install the driveshaft assembly within the vehicle.

This invention relates in general to a method for installing a driveshaft assembly within a vehicle so as to transfer rotational power from an engine to an axle assembly. In particular, this invention relates to a method for pre-positioning the components of an axially adjustable driveshaft assembly prior to installation within such a vehicle to facilitate the installation process.
In most land vehicles in use today, a driveshaft assembly is provided for transmitting rotational power from an output shaft of an engine/transmission assembly to an input shaft of an axle assembly so as to rotatably drive one or more wheels of the vehicle. A basic vehicular driveshaft assembly includes a hollow cylindrical driveshaft tube and a pair of universal joints. A first one of the universal joints is connected between the output shaft of the engine/transmission assembly and a first end of the driveshaft tube, while a second one of the universal joints is connected between a second end of the driveshaft tube and the input shaft of the axle assembly. The universal joints provide a rotational driving connection from the output shaft of the engine/transmission assembly through the driveshaft tube to the input shaft of the axle assembly, while accommodating a limited amount of angular misalignment between the rotational axes of these three shafts.
In some instances, the driveshaft assembly must also accommodate a limited amount of relative axial movement between the engine/transmission assembly and the axle assembly. To accomplish this, it is known to divide the driveshaft tube into two separate driveshaft sections and provide an axially adjustable connection therebetween. Typically, the axially adjustable connection is embodied as mating male and female splined members provided on the two driveshaft sections. The male and female splined members cooperate to provide a rotational driving connection between the engine/transmission assembly and the axle assembly, while allowing a limited amount of relative axial movement therebetween. The splined connection between the two driveshaft sections is typically covered by an exterior seal, such as a flexible convoluted boot, which extends thereabout to prevent the entry of dirt, water, and other contamination. The splined connection may also have an interior sealing structure, such as a plug, for preventing contaminants from entering through the hollow yokes or driveshaft sections into the region of the splined members.
Typically, the driveshaft assembly is manufactured in one location, then shipped to another location for assembly into the vehicle. During assembly into the vehicle, the driveshaft assembly is initially positioned within the vehicle. Then, the ends of the driveshaft assembly are secured to the engine/transmission assembly and the axle assembly. When the driveshaft assembly being installed is axially adjustable, it is necessary to extend or retract the two driveshaft sections such that the overall length of the driveshaft assembly is approximately equal to the length between the engine/transmission assembly and the axle assembly. This extension and retraction of the driveshaft assembly is usually performed manually. In the past, the installer initially positioned the driveshaft assembly within the vehicle, then manually extended or retracted the components thereof to the desired length. It has been found that this manual extension and retraction is awkward to perform when the driveshaft assembly has been positioned within the vehicle. Furthermore, because of close manufacturing tolerances, a vacuum effect may render the manual extension and retraction of the driveshaft sections even more difficult when the driveshaft assembly is positioned within the vehicle. Inasmuch as the splined connection between the two driveshaft sections is covered by the flexible boot as described above, it has not been feasible to pre-adjust the overall length of the driveshaft assembly prior to installation within the vehicle. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method for pre-positioning the driveshaft sections of an axially adjustable driveshaft assembly prior to installation within such a vehicle to facilitate the installation process.

Method for facilitating the installation of an axially adjustable driveshaft assembly in a vehicle


Exemplary systems for detecting water include: a light source positioned to transmit thermal radiation through a sample; a lens assembly positioned to: receive the thermal radiation transmitted through the sample; and focus the transmitted thermal radiation onto a filter positioned between the lens assembly and a detector; and a cooling subsystem for cooling the filter and the detector to a temperature below that of the sample. The filter (1) selectively transmits first portions of the thermal radiation received from the lens assembly and characterized by a wavelength at least partially overlapping a predefined water absorption band and/or a predefined water absorption line; and (2) selectively blocks second portions of the thermal radiation received from the lens assembly and characterized by a wavelength outside the predefined water absorption band and/or the predefined water absorption line. Methods for detecting presence of water in a sample are also disclosed.

The ingress of water into various materials, such as photovoltaic modules and display materials such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), quantum dots, etc. is known to cause performance loss related to corrosion, mechanical stress and optical transmittance degradation of encapsulating materials, typically polymers. It is estimated that 2% of photovoltaic modules fail within 8 years of operation and that 16% of these failures are related to encapsulant degradation. Due to the long lifetime of modules (30 years) this problem is difficult to avoid even by using low water diffusivity materials. Mitigation approaches include the use of moisture barriers (glass) for the front and back sheet of the module as well as sealing the edges with desiccant filled polymers.
To evaluate durability and resistance to water ingress, conventional techniques involve incubating the sample in hot, damp conditions for an extended period, such as 85 centigrade and 85% humidity for a period of 1000 hours.
After incubation, measurement of water content can be accomplished using one of two conventional techniques. First, measurement may be accomplished destructively by taking samples from different sections of the module. Second, measurement may be accomplished by using colorimetric reporters such as calcium films that exhibit a change in optical properties upon interaction with water.
Destructive evaluation has the downside that it is time consuming and measurement on the same module cannot be repeated, limiting the amount of collected data. Colorimetric tests, while non-destructive, can undesirably alter diffusion kinetics, may present additional issues related to integration with the fabrication processing, and cannot be performed on existing deployed modules unless those modules already contain appropriate reporter compounds.
There is therefore a need for fast, non-destructive and in-situ evaluation method of water ingress that can reliably evaluate the presence of water in various materials.

Non-destructive, in-situ evaluation of water presence using thermal contrast and cooled detector

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


A container formed by wrapping a slotted flexible sheet about rigid end panels having projections that extend through the slots. The projections include stacking projections which engage recesses in the end panels of adjacent stacked containers and support projections at the corners. The support projections engage each other when the containers are stacked to provide resistance to lateral loading. At least one end of the flexible sheet terminates in the top panel and engages a wedge-shaped projection on the end panels to lock that end of the sheet in place. The other end may be similarly locked in place or may overlap the first end and be held in place by a tab and slot arrangement. Alternatively, the other end portion of the sheet may include a lid which is held in place by mechanical tabs, while intermediate edges spaced from the end engage the wedge-shaped projections.

Articles such as produce ideally should be packaged in containers which protect the contents against bruising or other damage during shipment and handling. They should also present an appealing appearance so that they can be used as retail packages after reaching their final destination, and should be economical as well.
One container used for this purpose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,290 and comprises rigid end panels about which a flexible cover sheet is wrapped in order to form the bottom, side and top panels. The end panels include stacking projections on their upper or lower edges and stacking recesses on their opposite edge. When the containers are stacked, the projections from one container fit into the recesses of the next higher or lower container in an attempt to stabilize the stack. The flexible sheet is provided with slots for receiving the stacking projections and for receiving the corners of the end panels. In order to hold the end edges of the flexible sheet in place, the end panels are provided with angled slots into which the folded end edges of the sheet fit. Alternatively, in the embodiment in which the stacking projections extend upwardly, the edges of the sheet are held in place by a shoulder on the stacking projection which engages the end of the associated slot in the sheet.
Although the container disclosed in the patent includes certain desirable design features, it has been found to be lacking in some respects. Stacks of containers may at times be subjected to lateral loads which can be severe enough to cause the stacks to tip over despite the resistance of the stacking projections. In addition, the folded edges of the flexible cover sheet which fit into the angled slots in the end panels require extra amounts of sheet material which add to the cost of the construction. The alternative arrangement in which the sheet ends are held in place by the engagement of slots in the sheet with shoulders on the stacking projections is also not as satisfactory as desired due to the fact that the edges of the sheets are not positively secured. Forces tending to move the slots out of locking alignment with the stacking projections can cause the edges of the top sheet to be pulled away from their original position. Further, the shipping container is often too large to be used as a container for retail sales.
The main object of this invention is to provide a container which makes use of the basic design concept described above, but improves the container in the areas discussed.


A current controller for a multi-level current mode driver. The current controller includes a multi-level voltage reference and at least one source calibration signal. A comparator is coupled by a coupling network to the multi-level voltage reference and the at least one source calibration signal. A selected voltage is applied from the multi-level voltage reference and a selected source calibration signal is applied from the at least one source calibration signal to the comparator.

Computer systems and other electronic systems typically use buses for interconnecting integrated circuit components so that the components may communicate with one another. The buses frequently connect a master, such as a microprocessor or controller, to slaves, such as memories and bus transceivers. Generally, a master may send data to and receive data from one or more slaves. A slave may send data to and receive data from a master, but not another slave.
Each master and slave coupled to a prior bus typically includes output driver circuitry for driving signals onto the bus. Some prior bus systems have output drivers that use transistor-transistor logic ("TTL") circuitry. Other prior bus systems have output drivers that include emitter-coupled logic ("ECL") circuitry. Other output drivers use complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor ("CMOS") circuitry or N-channel metal-("NMOS") circuitry.
While many prior buses were driven by voltage level signals, it has become advantageous to provide buses that are driven by a current mode output driver. A benefit associated with a current mode driver is a reduction of peak switching current. In particular, the current mode driver draws a known current regardless of load and operating conditions. A further benefit is that the current mode driver typically supresses noise coupled form power and ground supplies.
A known current mode driver is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,883 (the "'883 patent"), which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The '883 patent discusses an apparatus and method for setting and maintaining the operating current of a current mode driver. The driver in the '883 patent includes an output transistor array, output logic circuitry coupled to the transistor array and a current controller coupled to the output logic circuitry.
For one embodiment, the current controller in the '883 patent is a resistor reference current controller. The current controller receives two input voltages, vTERM and vREF, the latter of which is applied to an input of a comparator. VTERM is coupled by a resistor to a node, which is in turn coupled to a second input of the comparator. The voltage at the node is controlled by a transistor array, which is in turn controlled in accordance with an output of the comparator.
When the transistor array is placed in the "off" state, i.e. there is no current flowing through the transistors of the array to ground, the voltage at the node is equal to vTERM. In addition, by using the output of the comparator to adjustably activate the transistor array, the '883 patent shows that the voltage at the node may be driven to be approximately equal to the reference voltage, vREF.
Knowing the value of vREF and vTERM, the current mode driver of the '883 patent therefore provides a binary signaling scheme utilizing a symmetrical voltage swing about vREF. Specifically, in a first current state (the "off" state), the current mode driver is not sinking current and the signal line (or bus line) is at a voltage, v0=vTERM, representing a logical "0." In a second current state (the "on" state), the current mode driver is sinking current to drive the voltage on the signal line (or bus line) to be:V0=VTERM−2(VTERM−VREF).The second state therefore representing a logical "1."
While the above techniques have met with substantial success, end users of data processing systems, such as computers, continue to demand increased throughput. Whether throughput is expressed in terms of bandwidth, processing speed or any other measure, the bottom line is the desire to get a block of data from point A to point B faster. At the same time, however, it is desirable to achieve such increases without requiring deviation from known semiconductor fabrication techniques.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a multi-level current mode driver having a plurality of source calibration signals


A process interface of a process gas analyzer operating by a transmitted light method includes a purging tube, which extends between an optoelectronic element and an interior of a plant part carrying a process gas, wherein the purging tube is closed off, at its end opposite from the optoelectronic element by a window, in the vicinity of which a purging gas feed enters the purging tube, where an annular part is arranged in the interior of the purging tube opposite the entrance of the purging gas feed and is coaxial in relation to the purging tube, and the part has a convex outer side, the vertex line of which divides the entrance of the purging gas feed into a smaller region, open toward the window, and a larger region, open toward the interior of the plant part.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process interface of a process gas analyzer operating by a transmitted light method, comprising a measuring head, which contains an optoelectronic element emitting or receiving light and is mounted on a process flange of a plant part containing or carrying a gas to be analyzed, a purging tube, which extends through the process flange between the optoelectronic element and the interior of the plant part, a window, closing off the purging tube at the end opposite from the optoelectronic element and separating the optoelectronic element from the interior of the plant part, a purging gas feed, entering the purging tube in a region close to the window, and an annular part, arranged in the interior of the purging tube opposite the entrance of the purging gas feed and coaxial in relation to the purging tube.
2. Description of the Related Art
EP 2 428 793 A1 discloses a conventional process interface.
In the case of gas analyzers operating by a transmitted light method, the light of a light source is passed through the gas to be analyzed and subsequently detected. In the case of a laser spectrometer, for example, the light is generated wavelength-selectively and is detected in a broadband range. As a difference from this, in the case of a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas analyzer, for example, the light is generated in a broadband range and is detected wavelength-selectively. In the case of in-situ process gas analyzers, the light source and the detector are accommodated in different measuring heads, which are mounted on process flanges on diametrically opposite sides of a plant part containing or carrying the process gas to be measured (for example, an exhaust gas line, or vessel, flue). In order that the light source and the detector do not come into contact with the process gas, which is often aggressive, hot and contains dust, they are arranged behind windows. The window closes off one end of a purging tube, which at its other, open end enters the gas-carrying plant part and is flushed with a purging gas. The purging gas is chosen such that its spectral absorption lines lie outside the absorption lines of the process gas that are used for the measurement. The purging gas leaves from the open ends of the opposing purging tubes, so that the length of the measuring path for the absorption measurement of the process gas is determined by the distance between the open ends of the two purging tubes.
The greater the throughflow of purging gas, the more effectively it succeeds in keeping the windows free from contaminants from the process gas. However, a high consumption of purging gas entails correspondingly high costs and influences the measurement on account of the great quantities of purging gas that get into the measuring path between the opposing purging tubes.
The conventional process interface disclosed in the aforementioned EP 2 428 793 A1 has a purging gas feeding unit with a tubular flange entered by a purging gas feed. Pushed into the flange is a purging ring, which contains a system of interconnected grooves, in order to distribute the purging gas uniformly around the circumference, and finally conduct it via bores into the interior space of the tube. The bores are aligned such that they conduct the respective stream of gas away from the window to be purged. This is intended to ensure a homogeneous, virtually swirl-free inflow, so that the required quantity of purging gas can be reduced. Since the window is not flushed directly, when steam is used as the purging gas it may condense on the window.
DE 1 993 225 U describes a purging air attachment for the protection of optical surfaces, in the case of which an annular part arranged in the interior of the purging tube opposite the entrance of the purging gas feed and at a distance from the window forms between itself and the purging tube an annular gap that is open in the direction of the window and closed in the direction of the interior of the plant part. The purging gas is conducted completely to the window and deflected there, so that the stream of purging gas is subsequently in a swirled state. Turbulences disturb the measurement, in particular the measurement with a laser, and require a higher consumption of purging gas to achieve the same purging effect in comparison with an undisturbed homogeneous purging gas flow.
It is known from DE 10 2004 018 534 B4 to conduct the purging gas into the purging tube through a porous wall. Here, too, turbulences of the purging gas flow through the purging tube occur.
A process interface with a long purging tube is likewise known from EP 2 169 385 A1.

Process interface of a process gas analyzer operating by the transmitted light method


A four-bit FinFET memory cell, a method of fabricating a four-bit FinFET memory cell and an NVRAM formed of four-bit FINFET memory cells. The four-bit memory cell including two charge storage regions in opposite ends of a dielectric layer on a first sidewall of a fin of a FinFET and two additional charge storage regions in opposite ends of a dielectric layer on a second sidewall of the fin of the FinFET, the first and second sidewalls being opposite one another.

The need to remain cost and performance competitive in the production of semiconductor devices has caused increasing device density in integrated circuits in order to increase the bits per unit area ratio. As physical density increases become ever more expensive and difficult to accomplish, new ways of increasing the number of bits a memory cell device can store without further increasing device density have been proposed. Therefore, there is an ongoing need for ever more efficient ways of increasing device density and for increasing bit counts per memory cell device.

International Business Machines Corporation


Provided are WLAN system management procedure and a station supporting the procedure. In the management procedure, a station receives one or more event request frames each of which includes zero or more event request elements, wherein each of the event request elements comprises an event type field for specifying the event type of an event request. After reception, if the station moves to a different Extended Service Set (ESS), the station cancels all outstanding event requests of the event request frames and deletes all pending event report frames and event data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless local access network (WLAN), and more particularly, to a WLAN system management procedure and a station supporting the procedure.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development in information communication technology, a variety of wireless communication technology has been developed. A WLAN permits wireless access to Internet in specific service areas such as home or companies or air planes by the use of portable terminals such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, and a portable multimedia player (PMP) on the basis of the radio frequency technology.
These days, thanks to the increased availability of WLANs, portable terminal users such as laptop computer users are able to perform their tasks with increased mobility. For example, a user can take his laptop computer from his desk into a conference room to attend a meeting and still have access to his local network to retrieve data and have access to the Internet via one or more modems or gateways present on the local network without being tethered by a wired connection. Similarly, business travelers commonly use their portable terminals to gain access to their email accounts, to check if there is any unread email, and to read and send email.
In the initial WLAN technology, a data rate of 1 to 2 Mbps was supported by the use of frequency hopping, spread spectrum, and infrared communication using a frequency of 2.4 GHz in accordance with the IEEE 802.11. In recent years, with the development of the wireless communication technology, 54 Mbps in maximum can be supported by applying the orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) technology, etc. to the WLAN. In addition, the IEEE 802.11 has developed or is developing wireless communication technology for improvement in the quality of service (QoS), compatibility of an access point (AP) protocol, security enhancement, radio measurement or radio resource measurement, wireless access in vehicular environment, fast roaming, mesh network, inter-working with external networks, wireless network management, and the like.
The wireless network management procedure for a WLAN provides protocols relevant to the wireless network management, such as allowing a non-AP station or an access point (AP) to collect a variety of information on the wireless network or diagnosing problems of the wireless network. For example, the wireless network management procedure includes an event reporting procedure, a diagnostic reporting procedure, a presence service procedure, a base service set (BSS) transition management procedure, a flexible broadcast multicast service (FBMS) procedure, a traffic filter service (TFS) procedure, and a sleep mode procedure.
The event reporting procedure serves to diagnose states of a network in real time. The even reporting procedure in a WLAN defines a variety of events such as a transition event, a robust security network association (RSNA) event, a peer-to-peer link event, and a system log event as event request/report elements. Event request/report elements other than the system log event define various types of sub-elements. STAs supporting the event reporting procedure should store the last 5 events for the event report elements supported by the STAs after they are associated with an extended service set (ESS).
In the event reporting procedure, when a received event request frame includes requests for the transition event, the RSNA event, and/or the peer-to-peer link event and each event request includes one or more sub-elements, a requested STA contains available event report elements corresponding to a specified condition in an event report frame. On the other hand, when the specified event request does not include any sub-element, the requested STA contains all the available event report elements in the event report frame.
A station can be connected to plural stations and receive plural event request frames from one or more stations. An event request frame and an event report frame include a dialog token to identify the event request/report exchange. When receiving a new event request frame having a different dialog token before completing the process of previously received event request frames, a reporting station responses to only the latest received event request frame. Accordingly, when receiving a new event request frame before completing the process of previously received event request frames, the reporting station stops processing the present event request frame.
A network conditions between plural stations can vary and various events can occur in the stations. Accordingly, the stations can be exposed to various situations for event request and report. When a reporting station responses to only the latest received event request frame, it is not possible to properly cope with various situations and to efficiently manage a WLAN system. For example, when a station with wrong intention continuously transmits new event request frames to a reporting station, the reporting station cannot perform an event reporting procedure with another station.
Also, before completing the process of previously received event request frames, a station can receive another event request frame having the same dialog token. However, it is not clearly defined how to process the newly received event request frame. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of efficiently managing a WLAN system in various situations of a network.
On the other hand, the diagnostic procedure in the wireless network management procedure is to provide a means for diagnosing complex network issues and debugging a problem. For example, an AP or STA intending to collect information on a network or to solve a problem specifies a diagnosis type and transmits a diagnostic request frame to the associated stations or their neighboring stations. As the diagnostic request type, manufacture information, operating parameter, capability, and configuration profile are prescribed. When the diagnosis fails or the diagnosis service is not supported, the STA having received a diagnostic request frame collects or measures necessary information based on the request and transmits the collected or measured result along with a diagnostic report frame. In some cases, before completing the diagnostic report in response to the received diagnostic request frame, the reporting STA may receive another diagnostic request frame. In this way, when continuously receiving diagnostic request frames, it is important how the reporting STA should process the continuous diagnostic request frames.

Wireless local access network system management procedure and station supporting the procedure


Certain anti-viral compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods related thereto are disclosed.

Nucleoside analogues mimic endogenous nucleosides, exploiting cellular metabolism and becoming incorporated into both DNA and RNA. This property makes nucleoside analogues effective at inhibiting viral replication and stopping cancer cell proliferation. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is an enzyme that catalyzes the replication of RNA from an RNA template. Specifically, it catalyzes synthesis of the RNA strand complementary to a given RNA template. Viral RdRPs play essential roles in viral genome replication and transcription. While a number of nucleoside analogues have been developed for the treatment of viral infections, including HBV, HCV and SARS-CoV2 infections, there still exist a need for nucleoside analogues that are more effective in treating viral infections.

Nucleoside derivatives and methods of use thereof


A medium supply device includes a medium cassette that accommodates a medium, a dial that is rotatable around a predetermined rotation shaft, an angle-holding part to hold the dial, a subsidiary arm including arm parts that are independently displaceable, and a detection switch with switch parts that are pressed by arm parts of the subsidiary arm. The dial includes a display part on which display elements illustrating a medium size are arranged in a circumferential direction around the rotation shaft, a rotation lock part configured to be locked by the angle-holding part, and a projection formation part that includes projection parts configured to press the arm parts of the subsidiary arm in a circumferential direction around the rotation shaft. The projection parts selectively contact and displace the arm parts in accordance with the rotation angle of the dial to selectively press the switch parts of the detection switch.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, a sheet size detection mechanism is used so that sizes of sheets that are accommodated in a sheet supply cassette are recognized on an apparatus main body side.
The conventional sheet size detection mechanism includes a signal output drum provided in the sheet supply cassette. The signal output drum includes a plurality of projections in an axial direction thereof. In addition, a plurality of detection levers are located in the apparatus main body to which the sheet supply cassette is installed to face the plurality of projections of the signal output drum (see JP Laid-Open Patent Application No. H8-34525 (e.g. see columns 0013, 0014, FIGS. 6 and 7).
However, in the above-discussed conventional art, since the plurality of projections and the plurality of detection levers are each arranged in the axial direction of the signal output drum, when a setting number of the sheet sizes increases, a size of the signal output drum in the axial direction needs to increase, which results in the prevention of downsizing of the apparatus main body.

Medium supply device and image forming apparatus


A manipulator device (4) arranged to move a hose manifold (13) as one or more hoses (12) is/are being connected to and disconnected from pipelines (11) arranged on a marine riser (1), the manipulator (4) being fixed to an undercarriage (3) which is movable relative to a working well (21).

1. Technical Field
A manipulator device is described, arranged to move a hose manifold as one or more hoses is/are being connected to and disconnected from pipelines arranged on a marine riser at a floating field installation with one or more well centres.
2. Related Art
Between a marine riser which is anchored to a seabed and a floating installation moving with the waves, fluids are carried in hoses. Conventionally, one end of the hoses is connected to the riser via pipe bends, so-called goosenecks, near to a telescopic riser element. The other end of the hoses will be firmly connected to the floating installation, hanging in a loop down around the upper portion of the riser. The connection of hoses is, to a great degree, carried out manually by means of one or more operators hanging on a belt in the so-called moon-pool area, called the working well in the further description, the operations being greatly exposed to the influence of wind and waves and also adjacent structures.
Mechanical systems are also known, for example the ROPS (Remote Operated Pull-in System) from Sub Sea Services AS, Stavanger, Norway, in which the hoses are connected to a hose manifold provided with several goosenecks, each connected to a hose, and in which quick-release couplings provide for releasable connection between the gooseneck and a pipe socket on the riser. In the connection phase, the hose manifold is manoeuvred by a first manipulator which is arranged on the riser, and the hose manifold is moved towards or away from the riser by means of a second manipulator arranged near the working well.
The prior art technique entails hoses and handling equipment taking up space around the riser centre and the working well, which is obstructive to handling other equipment to be used in the well operations.
The invention has for its object to remedy or reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art, or at least provide a useful alternative to the prior art.
The object is achieved through features which are specified in the description below and in the claims that follow.

Device for handling hoses of a working well for a drilling rig


HLA-E chimeric molecules for providing nonhuman mammalian cells resistant to cytotoxic human NK cells, nucleotide sequences encoding these chimeric molecules, and nonhuman mammalian cells and nonhuman mammals transformed with such nucleotide sequences are disclosed herein. The HLA-E chimeric molecules of the invention contain a peptide that reforms all or part of the signal peptide region, α1 domain and/or α2 domain of HLA-E, and a nucleotide sequence of the invention encodes a HLA-E chimeric molecule. A transformant incorporating a nucleotide sequence of the invention expresses HLA-E efficiently.

Organ transplantation is a very useful therapeutic method. Organ transplantation is classified into allotransplantation and xenotransplantation, which have their own merits and demerits. The human-to-human allotransplantation is an established method, but it is limited in the number of donors. Xenotransplantation from nonhuman mammal (for example, swine) to human is multiple in selection of grafts, but it is always accompanied by specific rejections such as hypoacute rejection (HAR) and acute vascular rejection (AVR).
To overcome such specific rejections of xenotransplantation, various methods have been proposed, such as a method of expressing human complement inhibitor in nonhuman mammals (for example, patent document 1), a method of decreasing Galα1,3Gal sequences (hereinafter referred to as α-Gal antigen) of non-reducing terminals of sugar chains not existing in primates or humans but existing in nonhuman mammals (for example, patent document 2), and a method of knocking out genes of α1,3 galactosyl transferase responsible for generation of α-Gal antigen (for example, non-patent documents 1 and 2).
[Patent document 1] Japanese unexamined patent publication No. H11-239430
[Patent document 2] Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2002-291372
[Non-patent document 1] Science 2002, 295, 1089
[Non-patent document 2] Nat. Biotechnol. 2002, 20, 251
When a graft of nonhuman mammal is transplanted on human recipient, if the HAR can be overcome, the latter's antibody (anti-α-Gal antibody, etc.), complement, platelet, or natural killer (NK) cell may adhere to the former's cell, and the cell may be activated. The activated cell releases various cytokines, dissociates heparin, produces gaps against adjacent cells, exposes collagen of basement membrane, induces blood clotting reaction, closes blood vessels, and necrotizes grafts of nonhuman mammal (non-patent document 3). Such rejections are known as acute vascular rejections (AVR), and so far no method has been known to suppress efficiently the cytotoxicity of NK cell known as one of AVR factors.
[Non-patent document 3] Xenotransplantation 1998, 5, 169
NK cell adheres target cells by way of two types of receptors. They are killer cell activating receptor for inducing cytotoxicity, and killer cell suppressing receptor for suppressing cytotoxicity by recognizing the own MHC class I molecule. When the signal from the former surpasses the signal from the latter, the target cell is necrotized, but when the signal from the latter surpasses the signal from the former, the target cell is not necrotized.
The human cell expresses HLA class I molecules (HLA-A, -B, -C, -E, -F, -G), and hence the human cell is not damaged by human NK cell. On the other hand, sine the nonhuman mammal cell does not express HLA class I molecules, it is damaged by human NK cell. Hence, a new method has been developed to avoid cell damage by human NK cell by transforming the nonhuman mammal cell by genes of human HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, or HLA-G (patent document 3). However, HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C are polymorphic, having 175, 344, and 90 alleles respectively, and it is not practical to prepare nonhuman mammal cells applicable to each HLA.
On the other hand, HLA-E and HLA-G are not polymorphic, and it has been attempted to use HLA-E and HLA-G. As a result, it is relatively easy to express HLA-G on the surface of nonhuman mammal cell, but suppression of cytotoxicity by human NK cell is low, and to the contrary it is found not easy to express HLA-E on the surface of nonhuman mammal cell, but suppression of cytotoxicity by human NK cell is high (non-patent document 4).
For the purpose of increasing the HLA-E expressing amount on nonhuman mammal cell surface, it has been attempted to use base sequence for coding the HLA-E, β2 microglobulin and HLA-A2 leader peptide (Val-Met-Ala-Pro-Arg-Thr-Leu-Val-Leu) (SEQ ID NO: 91), or base sequence for coding the leader peptide of HLA-G (Val-Met-Ala-Pro-Arg-Thr-Leu-Phe-Leu) (SEQ ID NO: 92). However, the HLA-E expressing amount by these transformants and the suppression of cytotoxicity by NK cell were not sufficient (non-patent document 5).
[Patent document 3] Japanese unexamined patent publication No. H11-510698
[Non-patent document 4] Transplantation Proceedings 2000, 32, 939
[Non-patent document 5] Transplantation 2002, 73, 1582


A system and method are provided for inspecting cooling holes of a completed, lasered, and deburred turbine airfoil. The cooling holes are covered with a very porous tape before placing the turbine airfoil into an air fixture that has a metered amount of fluorescent liquid dripped into the airline. The atomized fluorescent liquid flows through the turbine airfoil internal cavities, exiting through the open cooling holes, where it is absorbed by the porous tape. A pattern will appear on the tape surface, in the area of the open holes, indicative of the presence of not-through or plugged cooling holes.

The present invention relates to gas turbine engines, and, more specifically, to turbine airfoils.
In the manufacture of turbine airfoils, it is often necessary to drill cooling holes through the outer airfoil walls entering the internal air passages. These holes provide a source of cooling air to the airfoil surface during engine operation. Several techniques, such as laser beam drilling, electro-discharge machining, or electro-steam drilling, are used to drill turbine airfoil cooling holes. After the drilling process, the cooling holes must be inspected to determine if they are open to the internal cavities. Methods used to inspect for holes that are not properly drilled through or are plugged include pin-check, by inserting a pin wire into the cooling holes; waterflow inspection; and black light inspection using a beam blocking wax and a fluorescent penetrant mixture.
With the incorporation of laser drill methods that do not require the use of beam blocking wax, manufacturing has become more limited by manual pin-check. Manual insertion of pin wires into 100% of the cooling holes on 100% of all parts processed by laser drilling not only adds cost to the manufacturing process due to the time needed to perform this task, but the pin-check method also presents ergonomic concerns due to repetitive hand motion.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an inspection technique that overcomes some of the manufacturing and other limitations of existing cooling hole inspection methods.

Fluorescent inspection of airfoil cooling holes


A memory cell array comprises memory cells disposed at intersections of a plurality of first lines disposed in parallel and a plurality of second lines disposed intersecting the first lines. The memory cell includes a variable resistance element.

In recent years, resistance changing memory has been receiving attention as a successor candidate of flash memory. A memory cell in a resistance-changing memory includes a variable resistance element and changes between a high-resistance state and a low-resistance state to store data based on that resistance state. In many cases, the resistance-changing memory is configured by disposing such a memory cell having a variable resistance element, at intersections of a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines (cross-point type).
Such a cross-point type resistance-changing memory has the following problem, namely that depending on a distance between a selected memory cell which is to be a target of a write operation (set operation) or an erase operation (reset operation), and a driver circuit of that selected memory cell, a parasitic resistance changes, whereby voltage application conditions differ. Such a difference in voltage application conditions, as well as increasing a load on the memory cell and deteriorating data storing characteristics, leads to reduce a performance of a memory device.

Resistance changing memory with a first driver closer than a second driver

Abstract: A set operation-dedicated first driver circuit, when executing on the memory cell a set operation for switching a memory cell from a high-resistance state to a low-resistance state, supplies a voltage to the first lines. A reset operation-dedicated first driver circuit, when executing on the memory cell a reset operation for switching the memory cell from a low-resistance state to a high-resistance state, supplies a voltage to the first lines.

Abstract: A length of a wiring line between the set operation-dedicated first driver circuit and the memory cell array is longer compared to a length of a wiring line between the reset operation-dedicated first driver circuit and the memory cell array.


The present disclosure relates to an adaptive, free-space optical system. The system may have a controller and a digital micromirror (DMM) array responsive to the controller. The digital micromirror may include a plurality of independently controllable micromirror elements forming a receiver for receiving optical signals from an environmental scene. At least two of the plurality of independently controllable micromirror elements are steerable in different directions to receive optical signals emanating from two or more locations within the environmental scene. A beam steering subsystem forms a portion of the micromirror array and is in communication with the controller for receiving control signals from the controller. A detector is used to receive an incoming free space optical signal imaged by at least one of the micromirror elements.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Laser detecting and ranging systems ("Lidar" systems) are growing in popularity as new applications for their use present themselves. A Lidar system can provide an effective means to maintain awareness of nearby objects in a scene being imaged by the system.
One particularly challenging application lies with collision avoidance. In a collision avoidance application the nearby environment must be first scanned. Potential objects identified in the environment (scene) must then be interrogated by the system to determine if they are specific objects of concern. If they are so identified, then the objects of interest are tracked using further system resources. Thus the system moves through three distinct modes: acquisition, identification and tracking. Carrying out these three different modes places significant competing resource demands on the system, to the extent that conventional technologies have a difficult time supporting all three modes. For example, gimballed optics are excellent for identification and tracking in benign environments, but do poorly at scanning due to their slow motion response times. Micro-scanners tend to be much faster and scan well but often lack the large aperture or fine precision needed for initial identification of important objects in the scene and then closely focused tracking of specific, important objects.
Accordingly, further developments and improvements in optical tracking systems are needed to optimize carrying out the three distinct operations of initial low resolution scanning of a scene, identification of important object so interest, and more closely focused (e.g., higher resolution) tracking operations. There is a further need for the system to be able to carry out these important operations more quickly, more effectively, and with better power efficiency than previously developed optical scanning systems.

System and method for adaptive optical tracking with selectable tracking modes

The Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A key fob for use in a remote keyless entry system of a vehicle includes a transmitter housing having at least one user operable button thereon indicative of remote keyless entry functions associated with the vehicle for transmitting function requests when the user operable buttons are depressed. A cover is retained on the transmitter housing and is slidably movable between an open position exposing the buttons and a closed position wherein the buttons are covered by the cover. Compression springs are coupled between the transmitter housing and the cover such that the springs urge the cover toward the open position, while a catch mechanism selectively and releasably secures the cover in the closed position against the bias of the springs.

The present invention relates to remote keyless entry systems for vehicles, and in particular to a key fob of a remote keyless entry system.
Remote keyless entry (RKE) systems for vehicles enjoy wide use today, with RKE systems adding additional functions over and above the more conventional lock/unlock, trunk release and alarm functions. Such functions may include, for example, power door open/close and remote engine start. Typically, the conventional key fob transmits a vehicle function request whenever a button is pressed, whether inadvertent or not.
In addition, some RKE systems employ a passive key fob where certain vehicle functions are performed based on, for example, the proximity and direction of movement of the key fob relative to the vehicle, rather than only reacting to the actuation of a button. While most functions are performed on these passive devices without the need to press a button, there may be buttons on them for the infrequent occasion when the user wishes to activate a vehicle function outside of the normal passive activation parameters. But again, inadvertent pressing of a button can cause a vehicle function to be performed even when the operator does not wish it to be.
For some, a RKE function being performed when a button is inadvertently pressed is a significant annoyance. For example, when a key fob is in ones pocket or purse, an alarm or trunk release button may be inadvertently pressed, causing the key fob to transmit the requested vehicle function even if not desired by the one carrying the key fob. One may then have to pull out the key fob and press the button again or go over to the vehicle to counteract the inadvertent vehicle function performed.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a way to limit the potential for inadvertently actuating the buttons on a key fob while still allowing for quick and easy access to the buttons when desired by the user.


The digital camera includes an image pickup unit, an image storing unit, an image display unit, a reference image designating unit with which one or more of at least partial areas of an image to be referenced for image compositing are designated as a reference image area and an image compositing unit which produces a composite image such that a reference image within the reference image area is displayed as superposed on an image being presently photographed. The image processing method attaches first identification information to one or more of at least partial areas of the specified image and designated area information upon photographing, attaches second identification information to an image in an shooting frame to be composited with the reference image and prepares image data for a composite image obtained by compositing the image with the reference image based on the first and second identification information as well as the designated area information.

This invention relates to a digital camera and an image processing method for preparing composite images such as composite prints obtained by compositing images of two or more subjects.
Digital exposure is a technology by which image information recorded on a film is read photoelectrically and converted to digital image data which are then subjected to various steps of digital image processing before image recording is carried out. This technology has recently been commercialized as the digital photoprinter which generates characters and other image data by image data processing and combines them with the image data of film images, thereby facilitating the production of composites of the film images with the characters, etc.
In the recently developed digital electronic still camera (hereunder referred to simply as the digital camera), an image captured by shooting is recorded as digital image data in a recording medium such as the internal memory built in the digital camera or an IC card and on the basis of the recorded digital image data, the captured image is displayed on a printer or monitor or a composite image is created within the camera. A model is known that can make a single composite by pasting a template to an image taken with the digital camera. Exemplary templates include images such as frames and illustrations and characters such as those in calendars and greeting cards.
If desired, digital image data may be input into the digital photoprinter direct from the recording medium in the digital camera by an image input means so that compositing and various other steps of image processing are performed in the digital photoprinter.
Various methods of image compositing have been known in the art. To mention one approach, an image taken by an image pickup means and additional information as received by a dedicated means from an external device are stored in separate regions and images are presented on a display means as switched between an individual image and a composite. Another approach is for assembling two consecutive images into a panoramic image and involves comparing the overlaps of the two images in lightness and correcting them to have a lightness match.
Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (kokai) No. 304227/1198 discloses a digital camera in which the subject being photographed is Presented on the display unit of the camera and overlaid with an already recorded image to facilitate shooting from a fixed position; the disclosed camera has another feature of adding a splice mark to the displayed image so that a big enough panoramic picture can be taken easily. Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (kokai) No. 142682/1993 discloses a digital camera which, when caking a panoramic picture, shifts an already recorded image horizontally so that an end of it is displayed within the viewfinder of the camera to facilitate registration for the picture to be taken next.
According to another method, a plurality of photographed images are composited by image processing with personal computers or the digital photoprinter using commercial image processing software such as Adobe's Photoshop®.
However, these prior art methods have had various problems. Consider, first, the case of creating a composite image by pasting a template to a picture taken with the digital camera; usually, the template is preliminarily stored in the camera or recording medium as image data under such conditions as to produce an appropriate output image but the picture is not necessarily an appropriate image and often requires retouching of density, color and gradation due to unsatisfactory exposure conditions, shooting light source and subject's scene. Unless the template is simple enough, it is difficult to distinguish between the template and the picture in the composite and the template image and the pictured image cannot be retouched independently of each other. On the other hand, if one attempts to retouch the whole composite image, the template which has been appropriate is not so any longer. This problem can be dealt with by checking the picture on the liquid-crystal screen of the digital camera, making the necessary adjustments and taking another picture of the scene but this approach is not practically feasible since the photographer either misses the shutter release opportunity or spends an undesirably long time before the final composite is output.
Consider next the case where the picture taken with an image pickup means and the additional information received from an external device are presented on a display means as switched between an individual image or a composite. If a personal computer (PC) is wired as the external device, the picture may be clipped from the composite with a template on the PC screen and subjected to subsequent image processing but this simply requires a lot of manpower. What is more, the image retouched on-screen does not always agree in quality with he image from an output device, indicating the inadequacy of retouching on the display device of the PC which is not calibrated for the output image. The third approach of compositing two consecutive images by matching them in lightness has the problem of limited applicability to the purpose of compositing a photographed image with a preliminarily stored template image.
The digital camera disclosed in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent application (kokai) No. 304227/1998 is primarily intended for achieving registry in taking pictures from a fixed position or shooting a panoramic picture and therefore unsuitable for selecting more than one subject in a scene to create a composite image. The digital camera disclosed in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (kokai) No. 142682/1993 is also unsuitable for assembling two or more subjects since its principal objective is to achieve registry in taking a panoramic picture by simply presenting an end of the photographed image.
The use of commercial image processing software on a personal computer or digital photoprinter tends to produce composite images that do not look natural if individually photographed images of subjects are to be assembled.

Digital camera and method for compositing images


A filling system of a packaging machine is set forth that reduces the mixing of product and air during the filling of the container with a flowable material such as low fat milk. The fill pipe of the filling system has an elliptical cross-section which provides for a reduced velocity of the flowable material entering the container while allowing for an increased production time of the packaging machine. The fill system is especially adopted to fill containers having a rectangular cross-section. Connected to the fill pipe is a nozzle with flaps designed to substantially conform and engage with the sidewalls of a container. When the flaps are urged to an open position, the mixing of air and product is inhibited as the flowable material is dispensed into the container through the nozzle and as a moving mechanism is operated to relatively move the container and nozzle from a first to a second position. The fill pipe has an elongate body, an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end is in flow communication with the fill pump and may have a circular cross-section. The outlet end is in flow communication with the nozzle and has an elliptical cross-section. The cross-section of the elongate body gradually transforms from a circular cross-section at the inlet end to an elliptical cross-section at the outlet end.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for filling containers, and more particularly, to a filling system including a fill pipe with an elliptical cross-section.
2. Description of the Related Art
Packaging machines are known that integrate the various components necessary to fill and seal a container into a single machine unit. This packaging process, generally stated, includes feeding cartons blanks into the machine, sealing the bottom of the cartons, filling the cartons with the desired contents, sealing the tops of the cartons, and then off loading the filled cartons for shipping.
Trends within the field of packaging machines point toward increasingly high capacity machines intended for rapid, continuous filling and sealing of a very large number of identical or similar packaging containers, e.g., containers of the type intended for liquid contents such as milk, juice, and the like. One such machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,812, issued Feb. 6, 1996, and entitled "Packaging Machine." The machine disclosed in the '812 patent includes a plurality of processing stations, each station implementing one or more processes to form, fill and seal the containers. Each of the processing stations is driven by one or more servomotors that drive the various components of each of the processing stations. Other such machines include the TR-6.TM. and the TR-8.TM. packaging machines available from Tetra Rex Packaging Systems, Incorporated of Buffalo Grove, Ill.
The increased throughput and decreased size requirements of packages on their packaging machines have increased the demands that are placed on the fill systems that are employed. Various apparatus and corresponding methods for filling containers, such as gable-top containers, have therefor been devised for these machines. In accordance with one of the more popular filling methods, the container is lifted from a conveyor to a fill pipe by means of a lifting mechanism. The container lifting mechanism gradually lowers the container as product is dispensed through the fill tube. The container then again engages the conveyor where it is transported to a top sealing station.
Alternatively, the filling and top sealing operations may be performed at a single location within the machine. In such instances, the container may be top sealed after it has been lowered from the fill pipe. Such a method and apparatus are shown and described in the foregoing '812 patent, and, further, in U.S. Ser. No. 08/315,414, filed Sep. 28, 1994, and entitled "Control System For A Packaging Machine."
One problem encountered when attempting to increase the speed with which a container is filled with product relates to the foaming and turbulence that occurs as a result of air and product mixing in the container. Generally stated, foaming increases as the speed with which the container is filled increases. When foaming is excessive, the product splashes into the sealing areas of the container resulting in improper sealing in subsequent sealing operation and/or contamination of the sealing area resulting in a reduction in the hygiene of the seal than would otherwise be obtained. The rate at which the container may be filled is thus limited by the foaming that occurs for a given fill rate. This problem is exacerbated with containers having a rectangular cross-section. A reduction in the velocity of the flowable material flowing through a fill pipe with a circular cross-section would lead to a reduction in the number of units produced per hour which is not a viable solution to the problem.

Fill system including a flexible nozzle for reducing the mixing of product and air during container filling


Described herein are compositions and methods of treating and/or preventing inner ear conditions by administering to a patient in need thereof a modulator of a metabotropic glutamate receptor.

There are several conditions of the inner ear including noise-induced hearing loss, age-induced hearing loss (e.g. presbycusis), tinnitus and others. Presbycusis is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most individuals as they grow older. About 30-35 percent of adults between the ages of 65 and 75 years have a hearing loss. It is estimated that 40-50 percent of people 75 and older have a hearing loss.
The loss associated with presbycusis is usually greater for high-pitched sounds. For example, it may be difficult for someone to hear the nearby chirping of a bird or the ringing of a telephone. However, the same person may be able to hear clearly the low-pitched sound of a truck rumbling down the street.
There are many causes of presbycusis. Most commonly it arises from changes in the inner ear of a person as he or she ages, but presbycusis can also result from changes in the middle ear or from complex changes along the nerve pathways leading to the brain. Presbycusis most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally. Because the process of loss is gradual, people who have presbycusis may not realize that their hearing is diminishing.
With presbycusis, sounds often seem less clear and lower in volume. This contributes to difficulty hearing and understanding speech. Individuals with presbycusis may experience several of the following: The speech of others seems mumbled or slurred. High-pitched sounds such as "s" and "th" are difficult to hear and tell apart. Conversations are difficult to understand, especially when there is background noise. A man's voice is easier to hear than the higher pitches of a woman's voice. Certain sounds seem annoying or overly loud. Tinnitus (a ringing, roaring, or hissing sound in one or both ears) may also occur.
Currently, treatment options for presbycusis include treatment of postulated underlying causes, such as hypertension; hearing aids or a cochlear implant; assistive listening devices, such as telephone amplifiers; and removal of earwax. There are no clinically proven remedies for hearing loss.

Treatment and/or prevention of inner ear conditions by modulation of a metabotropic glutamate receptor


An apparatus and method for separating, harvesting and primary dewatering microalgae biomass from a microalgae solution by destabilization thereof with addition of kinetic energy thereto is disclosed. The method to overcome the energetic barrier preventing a fluid-solid separation comprises injecting the microalgae solution in an electrolytic system comprising an electrocoagulation reactor generally comprising an anode module and a cathode module, the anodes and the cathode(s) being adapted to be electrically connected to perform electrolysis, thus separating, harvesting and primary dewatering microalgae biomass. Such process is generally achieved by providing a DC electric current, between the anodes and the cathode(s), to perform the separation of the biomass in the solution, in preparation the following process steps of for liquid/solid separation and primary dewatering.

Sustainable development focuses on operational efficiency while promoting the minimization of environmental, social and economic impacts, demands a better utilization of our natural resources, especially the non-renewable ones. It is evident that the continued use of fossil fuels is no longer viable due to the depletion of global resources (Brennan and Owende, 2009). A promising solution to energy supply in the long-run is biofuels, and particularly those produced from microalgae. In addition to offering a solution that minimizes climate change by reducing CO2 emissions, which is ultimately achieved when the CO2 is metabolized by the microalgae in their growth and reproduction cycle. Such processes are more particularly generated through photosynthesis. Furthermore, microalgae are a rich source of valuable amino acids, proteins, pigments, vitamins, and antioxidants. Accordingly, microalgae offer key advantages over traditional feed stocks, such as fast photosynthetic growth rates and high lipid content, which can ultimately be converted into biofuels. The energy efficiency of microalgae had been reported to be 30 to 100 times greater than the energy efficiency of terrestrial plants. Also, as other biofuel sources (e.g. corn or sugar cane) the culture of microalgae does not necessarily compete with food supply.
Today, microalgae harvesting and dewatering remains a major obstacle to industrial-scale production of biofuels (Pienkos Darzins, 2009; Uduman et al, 2010). Although, several technologies for the separation of microalgae biomass are known, they still require large capital investments and/or large operational expenditures. The challenge of cost-efficient harvesting and dewatering of microalgae resides in their small size and low concentration in the culture medium. Existing harvesting and dewatering technologies such as centrifugal recovery and filtration require a relatively high amount of energy. Therefore, there is an interest in finding innovative methods for harvesting and dewatering microalgae with lower capital expenses (CAPEX) and operational expenses (OPEX).
Electrocoagulation and/or electro-floatation can be a competitive way to perform harvesting and primary dewatering of microalgae biomass as they both allow the destabilization of the suspended microalgae, followed by their aggregation into settleable and/or floatable flocs. The negative charge at the surface of microalgae creates repulsive forces between negatively charged particles, which cause them to remain suspended in solution. These repulsive forces can be weakened and cancelled by adding cations into the solution and thus lowering the charge of the microalgae. Cations of magnesium can be injected into the solution by electrolysis using a sacrificial anode made of a magnesium-based alloy. Simultaneously, gas bubbles produced at the electrodes lift the flocs towards the exit of the reactor. Moreover, many species of microalgae have a natural tendency to float since their cells contain relatively large quantities of low density lipids, which accelerates the floatation process.
Extraction of microalgae cells contents may be done using electrocoagulation, through the electric fields that helps permeating the cellular membrane. Lysis of the microalgae is driven by the oxidation process and by hydroxyl radicals that are a by-product of electrocoagulation. Electrolysis produces various oxidants, including hydrogen peroxide, ozone, chlorine, and chlorine dioxide. This method can be performed without the use of toxic solvents and chemicals. In addition to this, recent studies have demonstrated that electrocoagulation could also be used to discolor molecules when this is desired, and again without the use of toxic solvents and chemicals.
Microalgae typically range in size from 1 to 100 μm and they behave similarly to colloidal particles. As previously mentioned, freshwater and marine species of microalgae can be destabilized by making attractive forces between particles greater than the naturally occurring repulsive forces amongst them. Overall, the stability of particles in solution results from the sum of attractive van der Waals forces and of electrostatic forces responsible for the repulsion of particles, as well of residual forces originating from the steric effect of solvent molecules.
Coagulation can be achieved by chemical or electrochemical means. Chemical coagulation has been successfully used for decades, but it has a few shortcomings, which include risks for health and safety posed by the handling of hazardous chemicals and costs associated with the handling and treatment of the generated sludge that may contain relatively high levels of heavy metals. Moreover, traditional coagulation and flocculation techniques may use chemicals that are proven to be less effective in saline conditions.
Although the principles at works in electrocoagulation resembles that of traditional coagulation, there are some key differences between the two processes. Flocs generated by electrocoagulation differ from those generated by chemical coagulation because they tend to contain less bound water and to be more easily filterable. Moreover, harvesting and primary dewatering of microalgae using the magnesium-based alloy anodes enables one to maintain the heavy metal concentrations, particularly for Al and Fe, below the desired levels. Regarding the steps of extracting of microalgae, electrocoagulation and electro-floatation eliminates the use of organic solvents.
Electrocoagulation generates flocs from suspended solids, which ultimately aggregate together to settle or float in a liquid/solid separation tank. Currents of ions and charged particles created by the electric field in the reactor promote collisions amongst ions and particles of opposite signs that migrate in opposite directions, leading to an electrolysis induced coagulation.
Electrolysis reactions taking place at the surface of the electrodes are accompanied by generation of micro bubbles of hydrogen at the cathode(s) and of oxygen at the anode(s). These micro bubbles can further drive the upward movement of the microalgae flocs towards the exit of the reactor through floatation.
Applied electric current to a solution drives Faraday reactions at the interface between the electrodes and the treated solution, which leads to the establishment of chemical concentration gradients in the reactor. Depending on the design of the reactor and of the flow rate conditions in the reactor, a particular threshold of electro-kinetic energy can lead to the electrolysis of water, with the simultaneous development of pH gradients and with the transfer of electrolytic dissolution of the anode producing metal ions (Mg2+, etc.) or cations of the electrolyte from the anode to the cathode. The main electrolysis reactions taking place in the reactor include the following:
At the cathode, the main reaction is:4H2O+4e−→2H2+4OH−  (Equation 1)
The increase in hydroxyl ions can increase the precipitation of metal hydroxide. The pH of the cathode's region is basic. The following equations describe the chemical reactions at the anode:2H2O→O2+4H++4e−  (Equation 2)
If the anode is made of magnesium:Mg→Mg2++2e−  (Equation 3)
There is a growing interest for electrocoagulation to be used to discolor molecules when this is desired without the use of toxic solvents and chemicals. It does so rather economically by eliminating the trace amounts of chlorophyll that are present in the microalgae cells while performing the treatment. Currently, this is mainly done using activated carbon or discoloration agents, which are both expensive techniques.

Apparatus and method for harvesting and dewatering of microalgae biomass