Described is an article comprising a biaxially textured metal substrate and a layer of palladium deposited on at least one major surface of the metal substrate; wherein the palladium layer has desired in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic orientations, which allow subsequent layers that are applied on the article to also have the desired orientations.

This invention relates to biaxially textured metal articles useful for subsequent fabrication of other articles, such as superconductive articles. More particularly, this invention relates to an article comprising a biaxially textured metal substrate and a layer of palladium deposited on at least one major surface of the metal substrate; wherein the palladium layer has desired in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic orientations.
Current research in the area of high temperature superconductivity includes use of thin-film materials deposited on metal or coated metal substrates. Many of these applications require the substrate and any buffer layers to have certain in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic orientations to allow for and enhance the conductivity of the superconductive layer(s) deposited on the substrates and buffer layers. The grain boundaries between crystals in the conductive layer of some classes of superconductors should be minimized to enhance the superconductivity of the layer, which is based upon minimizing the grain boundaries in the substrate and buffer layers.
YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO), where x is a number between 0.05 and 0.5, is an important superconducting material for the development of superconducting current leads, transmission lines, motor and magnetic windings, and other electrical conductor applications. When cooled below their transition temperature, superconducting materials, such as YBCO, have no direct current (DC) electrical resistance and carry DC electrical current without heating. One technique for fabricating a superconducting wire or tape is to deposit a YBCO film on a metallic substrate. Superconducting YBCO has been deposited on biaxially textured metals, and is adversely affected by diffusion of ion species between the YBCO and the metal substrate. To carry high electrical current and remain superconducting, however, the YBCO films must also have substantially uniform in-plane orientation, with effectively no large-angle grain boundaries caused by epitaxial growth on substrates having non-uniform crystal orientation. Such grain boundaries are detrimental to the current-carrying capability of the YBCO material. Therefore, a multilayered buffer stack is used between YBCO and the biaxially textured metal substrates to minimize adverse formation of impurities and undesired phases.
Nickel is commonly used as the biaxially textured metallic substrate upon which the multiple buffer layers and the YBCO are deposited. A common set of buffer layers that are applied between the nickel and the YBCO layer include a layer of yttrium-stabilized zirconium (YSZ) sandwiched between two layers of cerium oxide (CeO2). The first layer of CeO2 in the buffer layer can be deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering of CeO2 from a ceramic target onto the surface of the nickel while the YSZ layer and second CeO2 layer are typically RF sputtered. The RF sputtering process is quite slow, therefore making the production of the superconducting material using such a process an even slower process.
The inventor recognized that a need exists for an article upon which to ultimately deposit YBCO, and any necessary buffer layers, which permits use of faster deposition processes for applying layers to the substrate. The inventor also recognized that the article should allow for effective replication of a biaxially textured, crystalline, metallic substrate that has the proper in-plane and out-of-plane crystalline orientations to allow for efficient superconductivity of the YBCO layer. High critical current densities (Jc), representing good superconductivity, can only be obtained for YBCO films that are oriented with a high degree of both in-plane and out-of-plane crystalline texture. In addition, the inventor recognized the need for the article to be able to be quickly coated with the buffer layers to result in more rapid production of superconducting material. In effect, the inventor was looking for a substrate that would allow for production of the superconducting material in a continuous process and at a high rate of speed. The inventor recognized that reactive sputtering, rather than RF sputtering, would be an efficient and rapid way of coating the subsequent layers on the biaxially textured metal substrate, and ultimately recognized the need for a barrier layer of palladium (Pd) on the metal substrate to allow for reactive sputtering to be used. The inventor further recognized that desired in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic orientations of the biaxially textured metal substrate were able to be replicated in the subsequent layers when a layer of Pd was coated on the biaxially textured metal substrate prior to the barrier layers and superconducting layer(s). The inventor also recognized that preferably the layer of Pd was up to about 11 nanometers thick. The inventor further recognized that the Pd layer would allow reactive sputtering to be used because the layer would act as a barrier between the metal substrate and the oxide layer that is subsequently applied to the substrate, while also allowing replication of the desired crystallographic orientations of the biaxially textured metal substrate.
The present invention provides an article comprising: a biaxially-textured metal substrate; and a layer of palladium deposited on at least one major surface of said metal substrate; wherein at least about 90% of the crystals of said palladium layer have an out-of-plane crystallographic orientation of (002), and wherein at least about 85% of said crystals of said palladium layer have an in-plane crystallographic orientation with respect to the metal substrate that is cube-on-cube or at least about 85% of said crystals of said palladium layer have an in-plane crystallographic orientation with respect to the metal substrate that is 45 degree rotated.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the metal that comprises said substrate is nickel (Ni), a nickel alloy or copper. In another embodiment, the nickel is a high purity nickel foil. In yet another embodiment, the nickel foil is from about 20 to about 60 micrometers thick.
In another preferred embodiment, the layer of palladium is up to about 11 nanometers thick. In yet another preferred embodiment, the layer of palladium is up to about 8 nanometers (nm) thick.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least about 95% of the crystals of said palladium layer have the out-of-plane crystallographic orientation of (002). In a further preferred embodiment, at least about 99% of the crystals of said palladium layer have the out-of-plane orientation of (002).
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least about 90% of said crystals of said palladium layer have an in-plane crystallographic orientation with respect to the metal substrate that is cube-on-cube or at least about 90% of said crystals of said palladium layer have an in-plane crystallographic orientation with respect to the metal substrate that is 45 degree rotated. In a further preferred embodiment, at least about 94% of said crystals of said palladium layer have an in-plane crystallographic orientation with respect to the metal substrate that is cube-on-cube or at least about 94% of said crystals of said palladium layer have an in-plane crystallographic orientation with respect to the metal substrate that is 45 degree rotated.
Another embodiment of the invention is an article useful for making a superconductive article comprising: a biaxially-textured metal substrate; and a layer of palladium deposited on at least one major surface of said metal substrate; wherein at least about 90% of the crystals of said palladium layer have an out-of-plane crystallographic orientation of (002), wherein at least about 85% of said crystals of said palladium layer have an in-plane crystallographic orientation that has either an average of about 0 degrees or an average of about 45 degrees, and wherein said superconductive article comprises said article, which is a substrate for layers that further comprise said superconductive article.
Additional embodiments of the present invention are described in the detailed description of the invention or the claims, which are below.
An advantage of at least one embodiment of the present invention is that the layer of Pd on the Ni allows for proper replication of the desired crystalline structure of the biaxially textured metal substrate, while at the same time providing a barrier so that reactive sputtering may be used to apply the subsequent layers on the metal/palladium substrate quickly and efficiently.
Further advantages of the present invention are described in the detailed description of the invention below.

Biaxially textured metal substrate with palladium layer


An image pickup apparatus having an image capturing unit capturing an image, a first recording unit temporarily recording an original image signal output from the image capturing unit, a processing unit performing predetermined signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, and an instructing unit instructing the processing unit to capture a still image. When the processing unit is instructed to capture a still image by the instructing unit while performing moving image signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, the processing unit may cause the first recording unit to record the original image signal output from the image capturing unit. In addition, the processing unit may read out the recorded original image signal from the first recording unit and perform still image signal processing upon the read out original image signal while suspending the moving image signal processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image pickup apparatuses, image processing methods, and programs, and, more particularly, to an image pickup apparatus, an image processing method, and a program capable of capturing high-quality moving images and still images without requiring separate configurations for processing moving images and still images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Even if a digital still camera and a digital video camera have the same image capturing function, scanning formats adopted for an image pickup device included in the digital still camera and for an image pickup device included in the digital video camera are typically different from each other. A scanning format suitable for capturing still images is adopted for the image pickup device included in the digital still camera, and a scanning format suitable for capturing moving images is adopted for the image pickup device included in the digital video camera.
For example, an image pickup device having a few million pixels or more is used in digital still cameras that mainly capture still images. In order to record high-resolution still images using such an image pickup device, the sequential scanning (progressive format) in which scanning is performed every 1/30 second or more is adopted for the image pickup device.
On the other hand, as a scanning format for an image pickup device used in digital video cameras that mainly capture moving images, the interlaced scanning (interlace format) in which interlaced scanning is performed every 1/60 second is often adopted so as to increase the dynamic resolution of a subject.
Under the above-described situation in which an appropriate scanning format is selected according to the purpose of image capturing, the case in which a single system records both a moving image and a still image will be considered.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-44531 discloses a technique that allows a user to simultaneously capture a still image and a moving image, as well as, achieve a high-resolution still image.
If a system giving priority to the quality of still images records a moving image without using the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-44531, the progressive scanning format suitable for capturing still images is adopted for an image pickup device included in the system. That is, a moving image is recorded using images obtained from the progressive scanning in which scanning is performed every 1/30 second or more, whereby a dynamic resolution is decreased.
In contrast, if a system giving priority to the quality of moving images records a still image, the interlace scanning format suitable for capturing moving images is adopted for an image pickup device included in the system. That is, IP conversion is performed upon a moving image portion obtained at the moment when a user gives a still image recording instruction by pressing a shutter button, whereby a single still image can be obtained. In this case, however, since basic image processing performed upon a signal output from the image pickup device such as color difference correction, gamma correction, etc. is not processing suitable for still images, but processing suitable for moving images, the obtained still image is often inferior in quality to a still image captured by a digital still camera.
In order to prevent the deterioration in the quality of still images, there is an apparatus capable of generating a moving image signal and a still image signal from a single output from an image pickup device using two paths, a path in which processing dedicated to moving images is performed, and a path in which processing dedicated to still images is performed. However, since such a single system includes two configurations in which similar processing is performed, a circuit size and power consumption are generally increased. In addition, this leads to a disadvantageous increase in cost.
In order to achieve both a moving image recording function and a still image recording function using a pair of an image pickup device and a single processing path, and, as well as, to obtain high-quality moving images and still images, entire operation switching such as switching between scanning formats for the image pickup device is required.
However, if the entire operation switching is performed, that is, operation switching from a scanning format suitable for moving images to a scanning format suitable for still images is performed when a still image recording instruction is given during moving image recording, no moving image signal can be supplied from the image pickup device during the still image recording. Accordingly, the moving image recording becomes chronologically discontinuous.
In order to prevent the above-described discontinuity, and to obtain a high-quality still image without reducing the quality of a moving image, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-44531, the technique in which an imaging signal having a resolution higher than that of a moving image is output every N times (N≧2) of a moving image capturing cycle has been proposed. However, according to the technique, a high-resolution still image cannot be obtained in a remaining (N−1) frame period in which the high-resolution imaging signal is not output.
It is desirable to provide an image pickup apparatus, an image processing method, and a program capable of capturing high-quality moving images and still images without requiring separate configurations for processing moving images and still images.

Image pickup apparatus, image processing method, and program


Catheterization of the heart is carried out by inserting a probe having electrodes into a heart of a living subject, recording a bipolar electrogram and a unipolar electrogram from one of the electrodes at a location in the heart, and defining a window of interest wherein a rate of change in a potential of the bipolar electrogram exceeds a predetermined value. An annotation is established in the unipolar electrogram, wherein the annotation denotes a maximum rate of change in a potential of the unipolar electrogram within the window of interest. A quality value is assigned to the annotation, and a 3-dimensional map is generated of a portion of the heart that includes the annotation and the quality value thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cardiac physiology. More particularly, this invention relates to the evaluation of electrical propagation in the heart.
2. Description of the Related Art
TABLE 1Acronyms and AbbreviationsCFAEComplex Fractionated Atrial ElectrogramECGElectrocardiogramEGMElectrogramFIRFinite Infinite ResponseIIRInfinite Impulse ResponseLATLocal Activation TimeWCTWilson Central Terminal
Cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation are an important cause of morbidity and death. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,951, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,963, both issued to Ben Haim and PCT application WO 96/05768, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose methods for sensing an electrical property of heart tissue, for example, local activation time, as a function of the precise location within the heart. Data are acquired with one or more catheters having electrical and location sensors in their distal tips, which are advanced into the heart. Methods of creating a map of the electrical activity of the heart based on these data are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,542, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,496, both issued to Reisfeld, which are incorporated herein by reference. As indicated in these patents, location and electrical activity is typically initially measured on about 10 to about 20 points on generate a preliminary reconstruction or map of the cardiac surface. The preliminary map is often combined with data taken at additional points in order to generate a more comprehensive map of the heart's electrical activity. Indeed, in clinical settings, it is not uncommon to accumulate data at 100 or more sites to generate a detailed, comprehensive map of heart chamber electrical activity. The generated detailed map may then serve as the basis for deciding on a therapeutic course of action, for example, tissue ablation, to alter the propagation of the heart's electrical activity and to restore normal heart rhythm.
Catheters containing position sensors may be used to determine the trajectory of points on the cardiac surface. These trajectories may be used to infer motion characteristics such as the contractility of the tissue. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,096, issued to Ben Haim, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, maps depicting such motion characteristics may be constructed when the trajectory information is sampled at a sufficient number of points in the heart.
Electrical activity at a point in the heart is typically measured by advancing a multiple-electrode catheter to measure electrical activity at multiple points in the heart chamber simultaneously. A record derived from time varying electrical potentials as measured by one or more electrodes is known as an electrogram. Electrograms may be measured by unipolar or bipolar leads, and are used, e.g., to determine onset of electrical propagation at a point, known as local activation time.
However, determination of local activation time as an indicator of electrical propagation becomes problematic in the presence of conduction abnormalities. For example, atrial electrograms during sustained atrial fibrillation have three distinct patterns: single potential, double potential and a complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE's). Thus, compared to a normal sinus rhythm signal, an atrial fibrillation signal is extremely complex, as well as being more variable. While there is noise on both types of signal, which makes analysis of them difficult, because of the complexity and variability of the atrial fibrillation signal the analysis is correspondingly more difficult. On the other hand, in order to overcome the atrial fibrillation in a medical procedure, it is useful to establish possible paths of activation waves travelling through the heart representing atrial fibrillation. Once these paths have been identified, they may be blocked, for example, by appropriate ablation of a region of the heart. The paths may be determined by analysis of intra-cardiac atrial fibrillation signals, and embodiments of the present invention facilitate the analysis.

Double bipolar configuration for atrial fibrillation annotation


The invention is a method of producing a cross-linked polymeric support having a multimodal pore structure, which comprises providing a degradable initiator molecule; providing an organic phase comprising said initiator molecule, radically polymerizable monomers and a porogen in a solvent; providing an aqueous phase comprising a transition metal catalyst; suspension polymerization of the organic phase by adding a ligand, co-ordinating to the transition metal in the aqueous phase to produce a cross-linked polymeric support having a primary pore structure and comprising initiator molecule; and subjecting the support obtained to degrading conditions to remove the initiator molecule from within the support to produce a cross-linked polymeric support having a secondary pore structure in addition to the primary pore structure.

Cross-linked, porous polymeric supports, such as particles, are useful as adsorbents in methods for separation and purification of organic and inorganic materials, such as in chromatographic separation and filtration methods. Further applications of such supports are e.g. as microcarriers for cell culture and as supports for solid-phase peptide or DNA synthesis. The supports should be chemically compatible to organic solvents over a wide range of pH and should have a desired shape, size, and porosity and surface area.
The porosity, and the nature of the pores, are properties that have been shown to be of specific importance in chromatographic methods for purification of target molecules, since an increased porosity will result in an increased surface area and accordingly a potentially increased binding capacity.
Furthermore, a general problem in chromatography, adsorption processes, heterogeneous catalysis etc where porous particles are used, is that the mass transport rate is strongly dependent on the particle size. Rapid mass transport can be achieved by decreasing the particle size, but small particles will also increase the backpressure of the packed beds. Hence, a trade-off must be made between the mass transport rate and the pressure-flow properties. One way to improve the mass transport in a porous particle is to increase the total pore surface. Hierarchical pore structures have for example been suggested, wherein large feeder pores from the particle surface open into a network of smaller pores with a large surface available for adsorption.
One way of providing such a pore system has been disclosed by EP 0 222 718 (Mosbach and Nilsson), which suggests to solve the above-discussed mass transport problem by introducing cavities in their particles. More specifically, EP 0 222 718 discloses a method, wherein a solid cavity-generating compound is added to an aqueous solution comprising a matrix material, emulsifier is added, particles are formed by dispersion and finally said cavity-generating compound is leached out to leave behind cavities in the particles. An illustrative cavity-generating compound is calcium carbonate, and an illustrative added amount thereof is up to 10% by weight, corresponding to 3.6% by volume. However, at such low amounts of cavity-forming compound, the pores will not make contact with each other, resulting in a closed-cell porous structure.
A specific technology for creating very small cavities in a polymer particle using a removable target compound is known as molecular imprinting. As the name implies, molecules are used as targets and are more specifically coupled to a polymeric chain via hydrogen bonding. The molecules used are for example drug targets, such as alkaloids, and the cavity left can be described as an imprint of the used target molecule and is accordingly limited to isolation of that same molecule kind. Moreover, molecular imprinting is limited to applications wherein microdimensional pore systems are desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,263 (Carter et al) discloses how materials degradable by heating can be used in a process for forming an integrated circuit device. Porous organic polysilica, which is a dielectric material, is first dissolved in a solution of a decomposable polymer. The mixture obtained is heated in order to condense the organic polysilica. Finally, the decomposable polymer is decomposed uniformly, e.g. by exposure to radiation, within the matrix of the condensed rigid organic polysilica. The product obtained has improved mechanical toughness, crack resistance and dielectric properties. Consequently, the product can also be used as a protective coating for optical articles, such as glasses, contact lenses and solar reflectors.
WO 01/09204 (Symyx Technologies) discloses a method of producing controlled-architecture polymers. More specifically, the disclosed architectured polymers are comprised of polyacrylamide repeating units having properties that are advantageous in electrophoretic separation systems, since the sieving capability of the partially branched or cross-linked polymer will be enhanced as compared to linear non-cross-linked polymers having the same repeating unit. However, sieving is not an essential property for polymer supports intended for use as chromatographic matrices, since other properties such as the above-discussed available surface area and mass transport are then of much greater importance. The method utilises living-type or semi-living type free radical polymerisation.
At the moment, free radical suspension polymerisation is the most widely used technique in the preparation of synthetic polymer supports for heterogeneous catalysts, ion exchange resins, chromatography media, peptide synthesis etc. Pore structures are then mainly provided by incorporation of a porogen and/or control of the level of cross-linking in the resin.
Atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP), which is a metal/ligand catalysed polymerisation, has offered a relatively new perspective on the synthesis of polymeric resins. One of the advantages with ATRP is that it provides a high degree of control over the polymerisation process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,548 (Matyjaszewsk et al) describes in detail conditions and components used in an ATRP process for preparing plastics, elastomers, adhesives, emulsifiers, or thermoplastic elastomers.

Polymeric support having novel pore structures


Packaged garments having prefastened, refastenable seams oriented in a certain position can preserve fastener performance. Such refastenable seams are particularly suitable for side seams on pant-like disposable garments. Prior to or during packaging of the garment, the refastenable seams are prefastened and positioned such that any fastening components lie flat in a plane perpendicular to a plane in which front and back panels of the garment lie. When the garment is compressed and packaged, the fastening components remain flat and do not become creased or crushed.

Pant-like disposable garments, such as adult incontinence wear, infant and children's diapers, swim wear and training pants, typically have adhesive or mechanical fasteners on the sides for donning and removal, or else rely on a stretchable waist opening and leg openings to slide on and off the wearer.
Refastenable seams, including, for example, mechanical fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners, have been found to be particularly beneficial when used in conjunction with pant-like disposable garments. Refastenable seams allow for the garment to be easily applied and removed, as well as periodically opened to check for exudates and closed if no exudates are found. For example, pant-like, "pull-on" style disposable garments can have one or more prefastened, refastenable side seams. Such prefastened, refastenable side seams perform at least two useful functions. First, they maintain the garment in a pant-like configuration during donning and removal. Second, they allow for easy inspection of the internal condition of the garment while on the wearer, and allow for refastening if it is not yet necessary to remove the garment. One means of providing a prefastened, refastenable side seam in a pant-like disposable garment is through the use of a mechanical fastener, such as a hook material.
For vending purposes, it is common for pant-like disposable garments to be stacked and placed within compressed packaging. In certain packaging techniques, it is common for the conventional, bonded side seams of the garments to be disposed outside of the stack of garments in a generally uncontrolled manner, rather than being purposefully tucked within the stack of garments. The conventional, bonded side seams of garments stacked in the former manner can press tightly against the wall of the package due to the compressed nature of the package configuration. These conventional, bonded side seams do not use refastenable fasteners and accordingly are not negatively impacted by this compressive force. This untucked and generally uncontrolled packaging technique would be unsuitable for garments having refastenable seams employing mechanical fasteners such as hook components, however, because the hook material can become tightly compressed between the central portion of the stack of garments and the package wall, leading to creasing/crushing of the hook material. Damage to the fastener material may lead to inferior fastener performance (lower peel and/or shear values than uncreased fasteners). Products with severe and/or multiple fastener creases tend to be most apt to pop open during application and wear.
There is a need or desire for pant-like disposable garments having prefastened, refastenable side seams packaged in a way such that the compressive forces exerted by the package walls do not interfere with fastener performance.

Fastener orientation for packaged garments having refastenable seams


An apparatus for manufacturing aluminum alloy strip for a lithographic printing plate supports includes a filter, a launder connected to the filter, a liquid level controller connected to the launder, and a melt feed nozzle connected to the liquid level controller. The liquid level controller includes a step to trap settled particles within an aluminum melt which forms the alloy strip. The launder has a length L (m) which satisfies the condition 4≧L≧V×270×1.2×D, where V is the flow velocity in meters per second of the aluminum melt in the launder and D is the depth in meters of the aluminum melt in the launder.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing aluminum alloy strip for use in the production of lithographic printing plates. The invention also relates to an apparatus for manufacturing such aluminum alloy strip. The invention further relates to aluminum alloy strip for use in the production of lithographic printing plates which is obtained by such a method.
Methods of manufacturing aluminum alloy strip for lithographic printing plates by a continuous casting process typically include a casting step which involves melting an aluminum starting material, subjecting the resulting aluminum melt to filtration treatment, feeding the filtered melt via a melt feed nozzle to a pair of cooled rolls, and solidifying and concurrently rolling the aluminum melt by means of the pair of cooled rolls so as to form an aluminum alloy strip; a cold rolling step; an intermediate annealing step; a finish cold-rolling step; and a flatness correcting step to give an aluminum alloy strip having a thickness of from 0.1 to 0.5 mm. Because these operations are simple, compared with conventional methods of manufacturing aluminum alloy plate for lithographic printing plates that include a direct-chill casting step, a scalping step, a heat soaking step, a heating step and a hot rolling step, the yield is excellent with little loss, the continuous casting process is less subject to fluctuations in the different steps, and the initial equipment costs and running costs are low. On the other hand, because black streaks and other defects specific to continuous casting processes tend to arise, cast strip thus obtained is often unfit for use in the production of lithographic printing plates and other materials which must have a high surface quality.
When continuous casting is carried out, a titanium and boron-containing aluminum alloy is added to the aluminum melt. The TiB2 particles that arise from the titanium and boron-containing aluminum alloy which has been added to the aluminum melt and melted act as a grain refiner. TiB2 particles are, individually, lamellar particles having a size of 1 to 2 μm and a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 μm, but they readily form agglomerates. If agglomerates having a particle size of 100 μm or more (referred to herein as "coarse TiB2 particles") are incorporated into the cast strip, when the cast strip is subjected to rolling or annealing or both and finished into a sheet, intermittent black streak-like defects sometimes arise on the surface of the sheet. Such defects are referred to as "black streaks."
For example, the present inventors earlier disclosed, in JP 3549080 B, a method of manufacturing a lithographic printing plate support which includes a step in which an aluminum melt obtained by the addition of a titanium and boron-containing aluminum alloy is filtered using a filtration tank, then is continuous cast and rolled. In this step, the aluminum melt passes successively through a pre-filter chamber within the filtration tank, a filter which blocks the passage both of single particles 10 μm or larger in size composed of compounds of the titanium and boron present in the titanium and boron-containing alloy and of agglomerates having a particle size of 10 μm or more resulting from the agglomeration of a plurality of such single particles, and a post-filter chamber. At the same time, the pre-filter chamber, the filter and the post-filter chamber are heated by a heater. The same patent publication also discloses, as the filter used in the foregoing method, an aggregation of heat-resistant particles having a size of 5 mm or smaller, and a ceramic tube filter obtained by sintering heat-resistant particles having a size of 0.5 to 2.0 mm.
However, it is known that even with the use of such a fine filter medium, when casting is carried out for a long period of time (i.e., when carrying out continuous casting, such as the casting of more than 50 metric tons), black streaks arises.
In this connection, the inventors have also earlier disclosed in JP 11-47892 A, as a way of preventing black streaks, a continuous casting and rolling apparatus which feeds a melt from a melt feed nozzle to a casting and rolling means, where the melt is then cast and rolled to form a cast strip. This apparatus has formed, at the bottom of a launder through which the melt flows to the melt feed nozzle, a recess in which impurities present in the melt are allowed to settle. The recess has a depth which is from two to five times the depth of the launder, and the recess is open for a length in the direction of flow which is from one to ten times the depth of the launder. However, even when such an apparatus is used, during casting for a long period of time (i.e., during continuous casting, such as the casting of more than 50 metric tons), coarse TiB2 particles which have not settled in the recess become incorporated into the cast strip, leading to the undesirable formation of black streaks.
In addition, the inventors have disclosed in JP 11-254093 A, as a way to prevent black streaks by modifying such a recess, a method of manufacturing aluminum strip using a continuous casting and rolling apparatus provided with, at the bottom of the launder for the aluminum melt, a recess that is notched at a front top edge thereof in the direction of flow, and also a method of manufacturing aluminum strip using a continuous casting and rolling apparatus provided with, at the bottom of the launder for the aluminum melt, a recess that is notched at a back top edge thereof in the direction of flow. However, even using this method, when casting is carried out for a long period of time (i.e., during continuous casting, such as the casting of more than 50 metric tons), black streaks cannot be prevented from forming.
The inventors thus further modified the recess and disclosed in JP 2000-24762 A, as a method for preventing black streaks, a continuous casting and rolling apparatus which feeds the melt from a nozzle to a casting and rolling means, and carries out continuous casting and rolling at the casting and rolling means. The apparatus has, in the recess, a stirring means which agitates the melt in the vicinity of the recess, thereby preventing stagnation in the flow of the melt. However, even with the use of such an apparatus, when casting is carried out for an extended period of time (i.e., during continuous casting, such as the casting of more than 50 metric tons), coarse TiB2 particles that have already settled within the recess swirl up again and are carried downstream, leading to the formation of black streaks.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing aluminum alloy strip for lithographic printing plates


A vehicle grab handle is provided to assist entry into the vehicle, such as an RV, semi tractors, emergency vehicles, utility vehicles, construction equipment and agriculture equipment and other vehicles. The handle includes a pair of spaced apart end bases and a grab bar extending between the bases. A keypad is provided in one of the bases to provide keyless entry into the vehicle or other controls of the vehicle. An LED is provided in the opposite end base so as to illuminate the grab bar. Multiple LEDs having different colors may be provided, with electrical circuitry connected to the door lock and to a vehicle alarm so that solid or blinking lights and different colored lights provide a visual display corresponding to the locked or unlocked status of the door, the activated or deactivated status of the alarm, or status of other vehicle accessories including diagnostics.

Grab handles or bars are commonly used on vehicles which require a person to step up into the cab or coach, such as in recreational vehicles (RVs), tractors for semi-trailer trucks, emergency vehicles, and utility vehicles. Typically, such grab bars are mounted to the side of the vehicle adjacent the door to facilitate and assist a person climbing into the vehicle. Illuminated grab handles are also known, which use an LED or other light source to illuminate an acrylic or clear plastic portion of the grab bar at night. Such grab bars are relatively simple in construction, and serve a single function of allowing a person to see and grab the bar. Conventional grab bars have no communication with the door lock and/or alarm of a vehicle.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved vehicle grab handle for use with RVs, semi tractors, emergency vehicles, utility vehicles, construction equipment and agriculture equipment and other vehicles.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved grab handle having a keypad for keyless entry into the vehicle.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved grab handle providing different colors to indicate different status of door locks, vehicle alarm, or other settings of the vehicle including diagnostics for equipment troubleshooting.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved vehicle grab handle having electrical circuitry which changes LED flashing, either number of times, activation time or frequency to identify the status of the door locks, vehicle alarm, or other settings of the vehicle including equipment diagnostics.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved vehicle grab handle which is illuminated and has a keypad for keyless entry.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved vehicle grab handle which is economical to manufacture, easy to install, and durable, safe, and effective in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

Illuminated vehicle grab handle with keypad for keyless entry


A user of a storage system can upload files for a media asset, which can include a high quality media file and various related files. As part of the upload process, the storage system can extract metadata that describes the media asset. The user can specify one or more lifecycle policies to be applied for storage of the asset, and a rules engine can ensure the application of the one or more policies. The rules engine can also enable the use of simple media processing workflows. A filename hashing approach can be used to ensure that the segments and files for the asset are stored in a relatively random and even distribution across the partitions of the storage system. As part of the lifecycle for the asset, the high quality media file can be moved to less expensive storage once transcoding of the asset or another such action occurs.

Users are increasingly obtaining content in digital form, often downloading or streaming that content from a remote service. The content is often uploaded in a high quality format, and transcoded into various other formats appropriate for playback on various types of devices. The storage of the high quality version along with the transcoded versions can be quite expensive in some storage systems, and it can be difficult to associate the various versions and enable customers to manage their various assets.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A digital-to-time converter (DTC) and methods of calibrating the same reduces or mitigates nonlinearity and thus improves DTC performance. A slope of a voltage signal of the DTC is calibrated using a capacitor and a comparator. Capacitance of the capacitor and/or maximum current of a current source is adjusted to configure the comparator to output a signal during a second phase when a reference voltage signal is at or above a first level and below a second level. Calibrating gain of the DTC includes adjusting a time difference between an output signal of the DTC set at a first digital code value and the output signal of the DTC set at a second digital code value to be one period of a clock signal input to the DTC. Calibrating integral nonlinearity of the DTC includes measuring a time period for each of multiple digital code values of the DTC.

A DTC including a phase interpolator is a key building block in many applications. For example, a DTC may be used in a Phase Lock Loop (PPL) system. In another example, a DTC may be a component of a fractional output divider (FOD), which may be used at the output of a Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) oscillator to generate a required output frequency.
In an FOD, the DTC synthesizes fine time edges by interpolating between input clock edges. A particular synthesized edge output may be determined based on the input from a digital controller. The accuracy of a DTC depends on several parameters including input clock frequency, output clock frequency, number of interpolated edges, and jitter requirement.
Beyond a certain accuracy level, DTC performance is limited by, for example, component mismatch, process, temperature and supply voltage variations, as well as analog impairments. In the context of a BAW system, jitter performance of the BAW oscillator is dominated by the FOD. The requirements may be quite tight (e.g., <125 femtoseconds of jitter with area and power constraints). A DTC with high-performance level is needed in this and other applications.
A solution is thus desirable.

Dual slope digital-to-time converters and methods for calibrating the same


A retractable hook assembly for mounting on a surface including a bracket member having front side with a retracting groove and at least one positioning channel. The assembly also includes a back side adapted for mounting on the surface, and a hook member having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end may have at least one projection adapted to engage the positioning channel when the hook member is in an extended position. The front side of the bracket member may be adapted to receive the hook member into the retracting groove when in a retracted position thereby concealing the hook member.

There are a wide variety of supports or hooks available, but these traditional hooks are often unattractive and project a way from the surface that they are mounted on. More specifically these hooks can either cause damage to other surfaces when other objects or surfaces bump into the hooks. For example, a hook projecting from the wall behind a door can often protrude a significant distance so that if a door is opened it can swing back and hit the hook thereby damaging the door. Protruding hooks can also result in injury if someone knocks into them.
Prior art supports or hooks have been devised to address the noted problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,579 issued on Aug. 29, 2000 to Huang relates to an a hook device which includes a panel having a compartment defined therein. A hook includes a first section pivotally connected to the panel and a second hooked section removably received in the compartment. An elastic member is provided for moving the second hooked section of the hook outside of the compartment. A push button is provided for releasably retaining the second hooked section of the hook in the compartment.
Harris is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,845, which issued on Sep. 14, 1999. This patent relates to flush, mountable valet having a hanger arm and a support arm. The hanger arm and support arm are retained within a longitudinal channel extending the length of the valet housing. A flat or flush profile is achieved.
Ott is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,250, which issued on Mar. 12, 1976. This patent relates to a foldable support, adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall which includes an elongated vertical housing, and an arm having an end portion pivotally mounted on a lower portion of the housing and adapted to be selectively moved between a raised position at which the arm is concealed within the housing, and a lowered position at which the arm projects horizontally outwardly therefrom. The housing has a channel-shaped transverse cross-section formed by a pair of transversely-spaced vertical flanges separated by an intermediate vertical web. The pivoted end portion of the arm has a U-shaped cross-section provided with a pair of trunnions which are journalled in a pair of bearing openings provided in the housing. When the arm is moved to the lowered position, an object, such as a clothes hanger, may be hung therefrom.
Thus a hook assembly that is retractable when not in use so as to not cause injury, is attractive when mounted so as to fit in with home decor, can hold a significant amount of weight, and conceals the hook when not in use is desirable.

Retractable hook assembly for mounting on a surface


A reclining chair has a seat and a chair back both tiltably carried on a base. The chair back is provided with lever means for tilting the seat as the chair back is tilted. The lever means contacts the seat at a point which moves in response to the tilting of the chair back. Advantageously, the seat includes a contact portion, adapted for engagement with the lever means, which is configured to provide a predetermined displacement of the seat in response to displacement of the chair back.

The present invention pertains to reclining chairs and, more particularly, to a chair wherein the seat and chair back recline in unison.
Reclining chairs are generally considered to be more comfortable than non-reclining seating, especially when one will be sitting for a lengthy period of time. For this reason, such chairs enjoy substantial popularity in both residential and public or commercial settings. Existing reclining chairs suffer however, in that they are often comparatively expensive, so as to make them unacceptable for use in a conference center or auditorium where a large seating capacity is required. In addition, the mechanisms of such chairs tend to be rather bulky, causing the chairs in which they are incorporated to be awkward, especially for people of short stature, and aesthetically unpleasing. This size problem is compounded by the inability to stack existing reclining chairs atop one another or to fold them for compact storage when the chairs are not in use. Finally, in most existing reclining chairs of the type wherein both the seat and the chair back recline, the tilting of the seat is excessive relative to the tilting of the chair back, whereby the chair is not ergonomically correct.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel reclining chair which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is a primary object to provide a reclining chair which is comparatively inexpensive and is ergonomically correct.
It is yet another object to provide such a chair wherein the reclining mechanism is compact, whereby the chair may be configured in such manner as to be comfortably usable by people of short statute and to be aesthetically pleasing.


Methods and systems for microsegmentation of data networks are provided herein. Exemplary methods include: receiving a high-level declarative policy; getting metadata associated with a plurality of containers from an orchestration layer; determining a low-level firewall rule set using the high-level declarative policy and the metadata; and configuring by a plurality of enforcement points a respective virtual switch of a plurality of virtual switches to process packets in accordance with the low-level firewall ruleset, the virtual switches being collectively communicatively coupled to the plurality of containers, such that network communications between a first group of containers and a second group of containers of the plurality of containers are not permitted, and communications between containers of the first group of containers are permitted.

A hardware firewall is a network security system that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. A hardware firewall generally creates a barrier between an internal network (assumed to be trusted and secure) and another network (e.g., the Internet) that is assumed not to be trusted and secure.
Attackers breach internal networks to steal critical data. For example, attackers target low-profile assets to enter the internal network. Inside the internal network and behind the hardware firewall, attackers move laterally across the internal network, exploiting East-West traffic flows, to critical enterprise assets. Once there, attackers siphon off valuable company and customer data.


The disclosure relates to radioelectrical antennas and more particularly to the radomes for such antennas. The external face of the radome is fitted out with a device for the removal of streaming water that comprises gutters inclined downwards so as to recover the streaming water and remove it towards the lateral edges of the radome. A device of this kind prevents the collection of water towards the bottom of the antenna. The thickness of this collection of water has a detrimental effect on the precision of the orientation of the antenna pattern. Application in particular to antenna radomes for aircraft landing assistance elevation stations or for plane radar antennas.

The invention relates to radioelectrical antennas and more particularly in such antennas to the electromagnetic window called the radome exposed to atmospheric conditions and crossed by radioelectrical waves.
The problem that is resolved by the invention shall be explained in the context of a radome for an antenna used in a system for landing assistance for aircraft 22 (FIG. 1), a system better known as the MLS or microwave landing system.
A landing assistance system of this kind for a runway 10 comprises (FIG. 1) an azimuth station 12 placed at the end of a track along its axis 18 and an elevation station 14 placed slightly after the beginning of the runway to the side.
The azimuth station 12 sends out radioelectrical waves in a radiation pattern in the vertical plane that shifts in azimuth between -40.degree. and +40.degree. with respect to the vertical plane 16 containing the axis 18 of the runway 10. This shift is achieved in proportion to time in steps of five-thousandths of a degree. This is shown by the drawing of FIG. 2 for a small number of steps;
The elevation station 14 too sends out radioelectrical waves but does so according to a radiation pattern that shifts in elevation angle from 0.9.degree. to 15.degree. in proportion to time in steps of five-thousandths of a degree. This is shown in the drawing of FIG. 3 for a small number of steps. One of these radiation patterns in elevation contains the axis 20 of descent of the aircraft 22 towards the landing point on the runway 10. The values of the steps that have been indicated here above by way of an example show the precision with which the positions of the different planes of radiation must be known, in such a way that all causes of error must be eliminated.
One of these causes of error is rain which streams down the radome of the antenna of the elevation station 14. For, an elevation station of this kind is formed by an emission antenna 30 (FIG. 4) positioned on a pedestal 32. This antenna is placed in a shelter 34 that contains the emitter and its control elements which are not shown. The lateral side of the shelter 34 facing the antenna 30 has an aperture 36. In this aperture 36, there is placed a plate 38 that is transparent to the radioelectrical waves emitted by the antenna. This plate is called a radome. For example, the dimensions of such a radome for an elevation station are 1.20 m in width and 4 m in height.
With a radome height of this kind it will be understood that, in the event of heavy rain (storms), the water that streams from the top to the bottom of the radome has a thickness that increases as and when the base of the radome is approached. This modifies the overall characteristics of the radome. This sheet of water, which is thicker at the bottom than at the top, constitutes a sort of prism or electromagnetic lens that has two types of effects on the radioelectrical waves that cross it:
the introduction between the top and bottom of the radome of a phase gradient achieving an undesirable transfer function applied to the phase relationship of the antenna; PA1 the homogeneous mismatching and attenuation of the radome creating standing waves between the radome and the antenna and modifying the relationship of distribution of the antenna. PA1 the aiming precision of the beam, PA1 the revival of minor lobes in the antenna pattern, PA1 the gain of the antenna.
These disturbances affect the performance characteristics of the antenna chiefly with respect to three parameters:

Antenna radome with device for the removal of streaming water


A low profile orthopedic device is used to fix and stabilize bones to correct anomalies in skeletal structure occurring naturally or by trauma. Bone screws are screwed into bones by application of torque. Clamps are movably attached to the screws. Each clamp includes a compression ring. A connecting rod connects several screws through slots in the clamps. The clamps are tightened to hold the rod and the heads in a pre-selected position by linear movement of the compression rings.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to orthopedic surgery and, in particular, to devices and prosthesis for stabilizing and fixing bones and joints of the body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Published U.S. Application, US 2003/0149487 A1, published Aug. 7, 2003, teaches the use of a linear movement to apply compressive forces to connect components of an artificial hip joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,906 issued Sep. 30, 2003 to Young teaches a spinal rod attached to a spinal anchor by a clamp. The clamp is tightened about the anchor by a collet screwed into the clamp. The rod is held in the clamp by a split ring that is reduced in size by the collet. The anchor is placed in the bone by torque and the collet is tightened by additional torque.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,063 issued Aug. 26, 2003 to Kumar et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,062 issued Aug. 26, 2003 to Bailey et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,565 issued May 20, 2003 to Yuan et al, U.S. Pat. No. RE 37,665 issued Apr. 16, 2002 to Ralph et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,798 issued Nov. 12, 2002 to Howland and U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,834 issued Dec. 17, 1996 to Errico et al teach a spinal rod coupled to several bone anchors by clamps that require additional torque to be applied to the assembly after the bone screw has been seated in the bone.
In normal practice, the bone screws are each anchored in the bone with a specific amount of torque that approaches the ultimate sustainable force between the screw threads and the bone. The bone screws are then connected together by a rod having sufficient stiffness to maintain the desired skeletal orientation. The connection between the rod and the bone screws must be strong enough to be immobile.
All these prior art spinal fixation devices result in additional torque applied to the assembly, and thereby to the bone screw, to tighten and lock the rod to each of the bone screws. The additional load may strip the purchase between the bone and the threads of the bone screw. To prevent such a result, some tool must be used to counter the torque of locking the rod and the screws. The use of an anti-torqueing tool requires additional coordination by the surgeon or surgeons to prevent slippage.
What is needed in the art is a system for connecting a rod and an embedded bone screw using compressive forces rather than torque.

Bone fixation system with low profile fastener


Disclosed is a coating for inhibiting the formation of scales on one or more surfaces of a component used in the production of subsurface fluids. The coating comprises a diamond-like carbon structure doped with a dopant, such as silicon, titanium, fluorine, oxygen, or chromium. The dopant comprises between about 10% and about 40% of the coating by atom.

Many articles used in industry are exposed to harsh environments. For example, tools used in a wellbore or other downhole environment in the drilling industry are often exposed to corrosive fluids, which may cause hard scales of inorganic or organic compounds such as CaCO3, BaSO4, CaSO4, SrSO4, and asphaltene to build up on the surfaces of the articles. These compounds may, for example, exist in the form of colloidal dispersions stabilized by other components in the subsurface fluid. They will often precipitate upon pressure, temperature, and compositional changes in the oil resulting from blending or other mechanical or physicochemical processing. Such precipitation occurs in pipelines, separators, and other equipment. Once deposited, scales can interfere with the normal function of the articles and cause disruption to the system and/or process in which the articles are used and may necessitate repairs or replacements. Exploration and production companies presently use remediation tools, such as abrasive jets and mechanical tools, to remove the scales. However, the techniques require costly well intervention, add up to non-productive time, and are sometimes not feasible. Accordingly, an alternative method of preventing scale-related fouling or lengthening equipment uptime through scale minimization is continuously sought.


Systems and methods are provided for fabricating a preform for a fuselage section of an aircraft. The method includes advancing a series of arcuate mandrel sections in a process direction through an assembly line, laying up fiber reinforced material onto the arcuate mandrel sections via layup stations, uniting the series of arcuate mandrel sections into a combined mandrel; and splicing the fiber reinforced material laid-up onto the arcuate mandrel sections.

Large composite parts, such as those spanning tens of feet, occupy substantial space within a factory floor. Preforms for these parts are laid up on a layup mandrel in a stationary work cell. The work cell includes an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machine, comprising a massive end effector for a large robot arm. The end effector proceeds traverse the cell and to add fiber-reinforced material on a tow-by-tow basis. Thus, the lone AFP machine traverses the entire layup mandrel singularly according to an optimized layup pattern.
Present techniques for fabricating large composite parts therefore require a substantial amount of time in order for the layup mandrel to be indexed and then for a preform to be laid-up. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.

Composite assembly for unhardened fuselage components


A system and method for automatically documenting a condition of a property and generating a request for return of a security deposit is described. In one embodiment, a method for automatically documenting a condition of a physical space includes determining an initial condition of one or more inspected elements in a physical space. The method also includes obtaining a current condition of the one or more inspected elements in the physical space. The method includes determining changes between the initial condition and the current condition for each of the one or more inspected elements. The method further includes generating a report documenting the changes of the one or more inspected elements in the physical space.

Inspections are common for apartments and other rental properties. Before a new tenant moves in an inspection is performed (by the tenant, property manager, landlord or another party) to determine if there is any existing damage. During the inspection, the tenant makes note of possible issues or damage on a form that is submitted to the landlord, manager, or owner of the apartment/space. By noting pre-existing damage the tenant can inform the landlord, manager or owner of issues that pre-date the new tenant and therefore are not the financial responsibility of the tenant. In many situations, tenants provide a security deposit prior to moving in. Any costs from damage to the property caused by the tenant may be subtracted from the security deposit, with any remainder being returned to the tenant at the end of the rental term. It is therefore in the financial interest of a would-be tenant to make sure an inspection is performed with any pre-existing damage noted in detail.
When the tenant is preparing to leave the property at the end of the lease, an exit inspection is typically conducted in order to compare the condition of the property with the original condition detailed in the inspection previously conducted at the move-in. Oftentimes, however, the tenant does not have sufficient time to document the property condition for the exit inspection or may not remember which areas of the property need to be documented based on the original inspection. As a result, many tenants fail to request a return of their security deposit.
There is a need in the art for a system and method that addresses the shortcomings discussed above.

Rental deposit advocate system and method

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


An airbag cover includes an airbag cover main body extending along a surface that faces a front passenger in a vehicle for covering a passenger airbag, a tear line provided at the airbag cover main body for splitting the airbag cover, and a deployment door provided at the airbag cover main body and defined by the tear line. The deployment door is split and deployed along the tear line by pressure of a deployment and inflation load of the passenger airbag. A low-rigidity region and a high-rigidity region are provided at the deployment door to provide different flexural rigidities.

The present invention relates to a construction technique of an airbag cover mounted to a front passenger airbag provided in a vehicle.
An example of a known passenger airbag apparatus is Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-1635. In the passenger airbag apparatus, an airbag cover for covering the passenger airbag has a tear line for splitting the airbag cover. In case of a vehicle collision, the airbag cover is split along the tear line, and a deployment door is deployed, so as to allow the passenger airbag to be deployed and inflated to the outside of the airbag cover.
Generally, the design of such an airbag apparatus is required to be able to smoothly split the airbag cover along the tear line when the passenger airbag is deployed and inflated, and promptly restrain a front passenger.
In light of the above circumstances, in an airbag cover for covering a front passenger airbag provided in a vehicle, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique effective for smoothly splitting the airbag cover along a tear line when the passenger airbag is deployed and inflated in case of a traffic accident.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Airbag cover, instrument panel, and airbag apparatus


An anti-locking hydraulic brake system in which the pedal is brought into a variable position during a brake pressure control action. A correcting variable is determined in such a way that any pressure rating in the power chamber is correlated with a position of the power piston, the correlation between the pressure and the position roughly corresponding to the ratio of pressure and position during a noncontrolled braking action.

It is described in the first-mentioned publication that during a control action the power piston of the master cylinder is brought into a defined position which guarantees that a sufficient volume of pressure fluid remains in the master cylinder so that the vehicle still can be braked to a sufficient extent in the event of failure of the pumps. The defined position is referred to by "B" in the publication. In the course of a control action, the power piston, and hence the pedal, are brought into a defined position which is independent of the pedal effort being brought to bear by the driver. The relation between the pedal travel and the brake pressure and, respectively, master cylinder pressure during a non-controlled braking action which is known to the driver is, thus, lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,364 suggests accomplishing the pedal positioning by variation of the delivery volume of the pump, and particularly to change the drive power of the pump motor. It is known from the French specification to vary the effective output of a pump in an anti lock system in that, with the drive power of the pump motor remaining constant, a by-pass between the pressure side and the suction side of the pump is opened so that the pump delivers in a circuit, and effective fluid delivery into the brake circuit does not take place.

Electrohydraulic control apparatus for anti-lock brake system


A garment diaper detector for detecting wetness conditions in diapers or undergarments comprising a capacitive sensor located within a housing and affixed to the exterior surface of the garment being monitored. The sensor is comprised of two substantially solid, coplanar conductor plates affixed to a common substrate and has a very high dynamic range. The inside of the garment becomes wet, the capacitance between the spaced conductors rises above a predetermined value whereupon the detector provides an output to a transmitter or an alarm. When the garment is being changed, the detector is removed from the exterior surface of the garment for reuse on the next. In one embodiment of the invention, multiple, uniquely addressed wetness detectors are employed to monitor the wetness conditions in a plurality of garments, such as in a hospital or nursing home. When a garment becomes wet, that unique address is transmitted to a central monitoring station which dispatches a care giver to change the garment. Additionally, the central monitoring station may be equipped with a modem which communicates the address of wet garments to pagers worn by care givers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a wetness sensing device for diapers and other undergarments to enable the prompt changing of the same when they become wet. In its particular aspects, the present invention relates to a reusable device containing a non-contacting capacitive sensor mounted on the external surface of any type of diaper and a transmitter for relaying the presence of a wetness condition to a remotely monitored station.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the primary causes of diaper rash is, of course, that diaper wearers frequently wet their diapers and, for one reason or another, remain in bodily contact with the wet diapers for prolonged periods before they are changed. While some diaper wearers may be able to communicate the presence of a wetness condition, a significant number of wearers, including infants and the aged, are not. Even then, by the time a communicative diaper wearer realizes the wetness, the effect of the wetness condition may have already caused or exacerbated a skin irritation.
The number of aged persons is increasing primarily due to improved health care. This has caused a corresponding increase in the number of bed-ridden patients, many of which wear disposable undergarments. For example, in care facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes, it is estimated that approximately 30% of the patients are bed-ridden or otherwise incontinent and are thus required to wear diapers of some sort. For such patients, the timely changing of diapers is both an issue of comfort and hygiene.
It is desirable for a care provider to provide for both the comfort and hygiene of its patients. However, without the aid of electrical sensors, attendants in such a care facility must physically inspect for the presence of wetness in the diapers of their patients. This is often done according to a pre-determined schedule, regardless of the patient's urination schedule. Therefore, a patient who appears dry during a scheduled check may soon thereafter soil their diaper and be left to lie in the wet or soiled diaper until the next scheduled inspection. Also, checking on a predetermined schedule is both inefficient use of the attendants' time and leads to inconveniencing the patient more often than is necessary. Additionally, depending upon the amount of urination and how long since the discharge, the diaper may not appear to be wet to the attendant inspecting it, thus leaving the wearer in contact with a soiled garment.
Electrical alarm devices have previously been proposed as a means for informing an attendant that a wet diaper condition has occurred so that the diaper can be changed and the wearer's skin cleansed thus increasing comfort and reducing the likelihood of irritation. One example of such a proposed alarm device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,123 issued to Bass. Bass shows a resistive-type of wet garment alarm system that employs a diaper formed with a pair of spaced conductive screens having an electrolyte disposed therebetween and a transmitter for producing a radio signal. The transmitter is electrically coupled to the screens and is adapted to produce a radio signal when the resistance between the screens falls below a predetermined level.
In use, the transmitter of Bass is secured to the upper waist portion of an infant's diaper, and the diaper is secured to its wearer with the pair of conductive screens positioned at the crotch portion of the diaper. When the diaper is wet by the wearer, urine flows into the crotch portion of the diaper and electrically bridges the space between the conductive screens thus reducing the resistance between the screens. This reduced resistance, in turn, actuates the transmitter to produce a radio signal for activating a remote alarm to alert a parent or attendant to the wet diaper condition.
Another system for detecting and signaling a wet diaper condition is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,001, issued to Mahoney, wherein a garment clip houses a resistive-type moisture detector and alarm. The garment clip is adapted to be clipped onto an exposed edge of a diaper or other garment to be monitored. An elongated strip of material is detachably connected at one end to the clip and is sized to be positioned in a region of the diaper subject to wetness such as, for example, the crotch region. The strip of material includes a pair of embedded spaced electrodes that are coupled to the detector/alarm. When urinated upon by the wearer of the undergarment, a partial electrical short circuit occurs between the electrodes at some point along the strip of material. This short circuit is detected by the moisture detector, which activates the alarm to provide an audible indication of urination by the infant or wearer.
Yet another wetness detector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,264 issued to Okada et al. wherein a capacitive-type sensing unit is composed of a water permeable upper sheet, a water impermeable lower sheet, a pair of metal layers placed inside the diaper between the upper and lower sheets longitudinally through the crotch area, and an informing unit for powering the capacitor and processing the wetness detection signal. When the wearer urinates, wetness penetrates the permeable layer and affects the electrostatic capacitance of the capacitively-coupled metal layers in the diaper. The sensor is separated from the informing unit when the diaper is changed and is disposed of with the diaper.
A similar system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,014 issued to Chia, wherein a safety pin with spaced electrical conductors is coupled to a resistive-type detector and alarm device attached to a diaper. When urine bridges the space between the electrical conductors of the safety pin, a detection circuit is completed, which, in turn, activates the alarm. The Chia device further includes a circuit to delay the sounding of the wetness alarm to ensure that it does not interfere with an infant's normal urination cycle.
Another wetness sensing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,145 issued to Johnson. Johnson shows a capacitive-type sensor with interleaved conductive plates of a sensing capacitor mounted on the outside of a housing which is then affixed to the external surface of the diaper being monitored. When the inside of the diaper becomes wet, the capacitance of the sensor changes and provides a signal to actuate a local alarm.
While these and similar devices have been somewhat successful in signaling a wet diaper condition, they still tend to exhibit numerous problems and shortcomings inherent in their respective designs. For instance, several of these devices include a pair of conductive electrodes built into the material forming the diaper itself. Such a configuration is shown in the patents of Bass and Okada et al. Obviously, manufacture of these types of diapers can be relatively expensive since special diaper forming machinery must be developed and implemented. Another common problem with prior art devices is that the detecting strips that reside in the diaper are configured as integral non-detachable elements of the detector and alarm circuits. With such a configuration, the entire device often must be discarded when the sensing strip becomes worn, which is inefficient and wasteful. Also, manufacturing the detection devices and alarms in some prior art devices can become complicated and costly. Finally, the mere fact that conductive electrodes must extend into the diaper to detect resistive or capacitive changes when the wearer wets is objectionable to many and, under the proper condition, may result in a mild shock to the wearer.
Of the capacitive types of detectors, the fact that the sensor may be located on the inside of the diaper is affected with the same problems as the intra-diaper resistive-type sensors. Requiring that the conductive plates of the capacitor to be disposed of with each diaper is also wasteful and expensive. Additionally, the device disclosed in Johnson teaches that the interleaved conductive plates of the sensing capacitor are mounted on the outside of a housing directly against the exterior surface of a diaper. Mounting of the sensor of the Johnson device directly against the surface of the diaper is necessary because of relatively high capacitance, i.e., low sensitivity, of the capacitive sensor design. This is undesirable since the plates may come into contact with the skin of the wearer thus triggering a false wetness condition. Additionally, the exposed capacitive plates are subject to becoming easily soiled since they are directly exposed.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing and heretofore unaddressed need for a sensitive wet diaper detector and alarm system that is usable with a conventional disposable or non-disposable diaper, is remotely monitorable, is inexpensive to produce, easy and convenient to use, does not necessarily require that conductive electrodes extend into the diaper itself, and that does not require expensive and bulky housings that must be secured to a wearer's garments. It is to the provision of such a wet diaper detector and monitoring system to which the present invention is primarily directed.


A system and method of shifting a clock frequency of an integrated circuit device from a first frequency to a second frequency, including alternating between the first frequency and the second frequency according to a dithering pattern, the alternating occurring for a predetermined number of cycles; and setting the clock frequency to the second frequency after the predetermined number of cycles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of integrated circuits. In particular, the present invention is directed to a clock dithering system and method during frequency scaling.
2. Background of the Invention
As micro-electronic devices become smaller and smaller, power consumption has become a critical concern for micro-electronic designers. In order to provide for low power consumption in microprocessors, designers have provided for dual frequency systems in which the clock of the system is set at a low frequency when the amount of information to be processed is small and set at a high frequency when the amount of information to be processed is large. The low frequency setting allows for lower power consumption during low usage states. However, changing the frequency back and forth between low frequency states and high frequency states creates a significant amount of power noise in the system due to the sudden changes in current requirements. These power fluctuations on the processor itself create noticeable performance problems.
Prior attempts to reduce this noise generation include turning off portions of the processor or stopping clocks while changing the frequency. However, this solution also halts any information handling during the frequency change. Another method of changing the frequency includes gradually changing the frequency input into a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit. Due to the characteristics of most PLL's, changing the frequency using this method takes a significant amount of time to complete and the range of frequency change is greatly limited by the boundaries of the PLL.
Clock dithering has been used to constantly modulate a frequency signal for the purpose of reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI) emitted from electronic devices. Such EMI may interfere with other electronic devices in the vicinity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,260 to Cruz-Albrecht describes the use of a non-periodic signal to modulate the period of a clock signal in order to reduce the size of spikes of electromagnetic radiation generated by a circuit that uses the clock signal. In another example, clock frequency modulation is described as a method of reducing EMI (See "Frequency Modulation of System Clocks for EMI Reduction," by Cornelis D. Hoekstra, Hewlett-Packard Journal, August 1997). However, the clock dithering in these applications has been a constant modulation of the clock frequency to reduce interference with other devices and does not address the in-system noise generated during the change of a clock from a first frequency to a second frequency.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and a method of changing the frequency of an integrated circuit device from one frequency to another quickly while reducing on-system noise and having the ability to process information during the frequency change.

Clock dithering system and method during frequency scaling

International Business Machines Corporation


A bolster for a railroad car truck is described as having a generally hollow, box-like construction between its opposing ends which are transformed into I-shaped sections which are rigidly secured to the sideframes. The box-like frame provides the stiffness or rigidity necessary to resist high vertical and longitudinal loads which can cause the bolster to bend during operation of the truck. The I-shaped sections are relatively more flexible than the box-like frame to accommodate or absorb the twist loads that are encountered while being rigid enough to resist the loads that can cause the bolster to bend.

The invention relates to railroad car trucks or bogies which are generally fabricated from a number of rigid metal parts, and especially to the bolsters which are connected between the sideframes of the trucks. More particularly, the invention relates to bolsters which are used in rigid H-type frames and Ladder-type frames which are employed in dual axle and triaxle trucks of heavy freight cars. It is important that the bolster and its end connections with the sideframes of such trucks be rigid to resist bending of the bolster under high vertical and longitudinal loads imparted to the bolster through the sideframes and resisted at the center of the bolster, as the truck moves along a railroad track. Incongruent as it may seem, the bolster ends connected to the sideframes should also be relatively flexible to accommodate twisting loads which are imparted to the bolster through the sideframes as the truck moves, for example, over wavy or uneven sections of railroad track. The invention is directed to the provision of a bolster which meets both of the requirements indicated above.
Briefly stated, the invention is in a bolster which has a generally hollow, box-like frame or construction which terminates short of the opposing bolster ends which are connected to the adjacent sideframes. This particular bolster construction is extremely rigid and able to resist the aforementioned bending stresses or loads which are highest at the center of the bolster. The box-like construction at each end of the bolster is transformed into a more flexible I-shaped section which is secured to an adjacent sideframe of the truck. The I-shaped section provides the necessary flexibility and rigidity to meet both of the loading conditions mentioned above.

Bolster of a railroad car truck with varying cross-sectional shape to provide less torsional rigidity at ends


A shocking cooler includes an ice chest cooler which has a lid and lower portion. A first conductor is located within the bottom portion and extrudes from one of the side interior surfaces of the ice chest cooler. A second conductor is located near a lower lip region, and is separated a distance from the first conductor. The first conductor and second conductor are joined to a power supply at alternate connections (either positive (+) or negative (−)) by connection cable(s). The power supply is connected to a switch, which allows the shocking ice chest cooler to be turned on or off. Water is introduced to the ice chest cooler, and is in contact with the first conductor. When a burglar attempts to reach into the ice chest cooler, his hand is immersed into the water, thereby completing the circuit and issuing an electrical shock.

The invention applies to coolers. More specifically, the invention applies to consumer coolers such as portable ice chests. Embodiments are directed towards such a cooler which has a shocking mechanism which will send an electric shock into the water or ice stored within the cooler. The shocking mechanism can be controlled by a remote.
Ice chest coolers are commonly used to store and to keep refrigerated drinks and food for later use. It is common for such ice chest cooler to be filled with ice or other liquid. The ice typically melts within the cooler, forming a body of water within the interior of the ice chest cooler. It is desirable to provide a deterrent against unwanted intrusion and theft of the contents. Therefore, it would be an advantage to provide for an ice chest cooler with a shocking deterrent system which is capable of protecting its contents from theft, especially when water or other liquid is introduced to the cooler.


A data communication frame is formed by a preamble portion (PREAMBLE) for demodulation and synchronization, a frame information portion (FC) containing a data type of the frame, a frame length portion (FL), and a data body portion (DATABODY) composed of more than one data packet combined together. If a request to transmit a packet is made from an upper layer, a communication apparatus 10 concurrently performs a process of calculating a frame length the frame would have if combining of the packet is performed and a process of transmitting the preamble portion and the frame information portion. The frame length depends on packets, while the preamble portion and the frame information portion do not depend on packets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus and a communication method, and, more particularly, to a communication apparatus and a communication method which employ a data communication frame formed by combining a plurality of packets.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, when incorporating packets (e.g., IP packets) provided from an upper layer or packets (e.g., ethernet frames) provided from another protocol inside abridge into a frame in the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer of a data communication system, a header containing control information, such as a destination address, a source address, a frame type, etc., is always assigned to the head of each packet. From the viewpoint of the upper layer, however, this header information is overhead, and may be a factor for decreasing packet transmission efficiency.
Methods for reducing overhead to reduce the decrease in the packet transmission efficiency are proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-123118 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-69642. In these methods, as illustrated in FIG. 13, headers (H1 to H4) specific to respective packets (P1 to P4) are not provided, but instead, a plurality of packets are combined together and then a single header (H) is assigned to a group of packets (i.e., a frame) thus obtained.
When the above-described methods of combining a plurality of packets for transmission are applied to a communication system which employs, as a medium, an air (wireless), a power line, or the like, the following problem arises.
In communication systems which employ, as a medium, an air (wireless), a power line, or the like, it is difficult to accurately grasp whether another communication apparatus is currently transmitting data, and it is impossible to determine the end of a frame. Therefore, for example, in the case where header portions are transmitted at a low rate and data portions are transmitted in a highly efficient manner by employing a modulation system (e.g., Discrete Multi Tone (DMT)) specific to communication apparatuses that communicate with each other, data collision may occur.
One conceivable method to solve this problem is to write within a header a period of time required (or the number of symbols to be transmitted) for completing the transmission of a frame containing a plurality of packets, by adopting a conventional method of adding to a header portion the information of a period of time (in microseconds) required (or the number of symbols to be transmitted) for completing the transmission of a frame and thus reporting the information to a communication apparatus on the receiving end. This conventional method is disclosed in IEEE Std 802.11, "Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications".
In order to implement this method, it is necessary to calculate the total transmission time for a frame containing combined packets (or the total number of symbols to be transmitted) before transmitting the frame. However, it is impossible to calculate in advance the total transmission time for a frame (or the total number of symbols to be transmitted) in the case of a system in which an optimal value of a modulation parameter is dynamically selected for each pair of communication apparatuses that communicate with each other in accordance with transmission path fluctuation (e.g., a system that employs DMT in multicarrier transmission, in which transmission path fluctuation is regularly examined, and each time transmission path fluctuation is examined, an optimal modulation parameter is selected), and in the case where packets to be combined together may have various data lengths.
Therefore, it is necessary to repeatedly perform, when transmitting a frame, a process of obtaining a current modulation parameter and the data length of a current packet stored in a buffer and, after adding the packet to the frame, carrying out calculation with respect to combining of packets. Therefore, as the number of packets to be combined together increases, the time required for calculating the total transmission time (or the total number of symbols to be transmitted) becomes longer. As a result, the interval between the completion of the transmission of a frame and the start of the transmission of the next frame becomes long (i.e., the interframe gap becomes large). In other words, the transmission efficiency of the communication system as a whole becomes reduced, despite the intention to improve the transmission efficiency by combining packets.
In addition, in order to avoid conflict between a plurality of communication apparatuses, an interframe gap specific to a system should be set. At this time, the value of the interframe gap specific to the system should be the period of time required for completing calculation with respect to the maximum number of packets that can be combined together, even in the case where only a small number of packets are actually to be combined together. This is an inefficient operation.

Communication apparatus and communication method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A feed pump pumps fuel from a fuel tank. A filter portion includes a filter element for removing foreign matter contained in the fuel discharged from the feed pump. A high-pressure pump pumps the filtered fuel to the internal combustion engine. A return passage is connected with a passage between the filter element and the high-pressure pump for partially returning the filtered fuel to the fuel tank. A priming pump portion has an inlet port, which is connected with the return passage, and an outlet port, which is connected with the filter element. The priming pump portion draws fuel from the fuel tank to supply the fuel to the filter element when being operated.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,901 B2 (JP-A-2006-207499) proposes a fuel feed apparatus configured to pump fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine outside the fuel tank. The present fuel feed apparatus includes a feed pump, a filter portion, and a high-pressure pump. The feed pump pumps fuel from the fuel tank. The filter portion includes a filter element for removing foreign matter contained in the fuel discharged from the feed pump. The high-pressure pump draws the fuel filtered through the filter portion and pressurizes the fuel to discharge the pressurized fuel to the internal combustion engine. The fuel feed apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,901 B2 includes a priming pump. The priming pump is used for pumping fuel from the fuel tank and supplying the fuel to the filter element, which is for filtering fuel discharged from the feed pump, in order to vent air contained in the filter element after the filter element is exchanged. However, the priming pump is provided midway through the passage upstream of the feed pump. Therefore, a bypass passage and a check valve are provided only for a priming operation using the priming pump. The bypass passage is used for supplying fuel pumped from the priming pump to the filter element so as to bypass the feed pump. The check valve is used for restricting counterflow of fuel. In the present structure, the fuel circuit may be complicated due to providing of the bypass passage only for the priming operation, and consequently flexibility of a layout of a fuel circuit of the fuel feed apparatus may be impaired.


A solid electrolytic capacitor including: an anode containing a valve metal or its alloy; a dielectric layer provided on the surface of the anodic; a cathode provided on the surface of the dielectric layer; and an outer package resin covering the anode, the dielectric layer and the cathode, wherein a glass transition temperature (Tgb) of the outer package resin is a temperature ranging from 0.50 to 0.90 times a maximum glass transition temperature (Tga) which is a maximum value of glass transition temperatures exhibited by the outer package resin after each heat treatment at variable temperatures of every 10° C. from 50° C. to 200° C. (treatment time: 5 hours) which is performed on the outer package resin before a curing process.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a solid electrolytic capacitor using a valve metal or its alloy as an anode and a production method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a solid electrolytic capacitor in which an anode formed of a valve metal or its alloy is anode-oxidized in an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid or the like, to form a metal oxide layer which is a dielectric member on the surface. On the dielectric layer formed by anode oxidation, an electrolyte layer formed of manganese dioxide or the like is formed, and this leads a problem of an increase in equivalent series resistance (ESR) because of a low conductivity of manganese dioxide compared to a metal or the like.
It has been proposed to reduce ESR by using a conductive polymer instead of manganese dioxide as an electrolyte layer. However, in a solid electrolytic capacitor in which a conductive polymer is used as an electrolyte layer, there is a problem that a leak current is large compared to a solid electrolytic capacitor using manganese dioxide as an electrolyte layer. In particular, in the case of a solid electrolytic capacitor in which niobium is used as an anode, an oxide layer which is a dielectric layer is susceptible to heat and weak to pressure, so that a problem arises in which a leak current increases in a step of forming an outer package for sealing a device.
In order to reduce such a leak current, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 9-246114 proposes to form an outer package, perform heat treatment for curing, make a capacitor device absorb moisture, perform aging treatment by applying voltage under high temperature, and dry the absorbed moisture after the aging treatment.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2001-267186 proposes to reduce a leak current by performing drying in at least two stages as a drying condition after aging treatment, thereby reducing deterioration in a dielectric oxide layer.
However, these methods complicate a manufacturing process, and have a problem that reduction in a leak current is insufficient.

Solid electrolytic capacitor and production method thereof