A height extender for a control arm skate has an upper face configured to receive a control arm of a vehicle and a lower face configured to engage with an upper face of an underlying control arm skate. Extenders may be stacked.

A control arm skate is described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 61/519,528 filed May 24, 2011 and in a related U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 13/479,996, filed May 24, 2012, claiming priority to the Provisional, both of which applications are herewith incorporated by reference as if fully set out herein.
A control arm skate is thus used, as an example, in supporting a component of a vehicle above a reference or sliding surface and in facilitating the movement or sliding of a vehicle over the surface. In use, a vehicle is lifted then lowered onto at least one control arm skate, with a portion of the vehicle, such as a control arm or other suspension component, supported onto the skate. The vehicle can then be transported or slid across the reference surface, the skate sliding thereon while supporting the vehicle.
It will be recognized that the skate has a lower sliding surface and an upper face preferably configured compatibly to receive a vehicle component such as a control arm.
Since the skate is of predetermined thickness, the operative height of the supported vehicle portion or part above the surface reference on which the skate sits is essentially determined by the operative thickness of the skate between the surface on one hand and a lower part of the supported portion of the vehicle. The distance or height so determined may not be high enough as desired.
It is thus one objective of this invention to provide an accessory or improvement for a control arm skate where the height of a vehicle component it supports above a surface is not limited by the operative thickness of the skate as described above.
More particularly, where a skate is to be used to support a vehicle above a surface, it is desired to operably dispose a skate under another suspension part or component than the control arm. Variations in vehicles, types, status, damage or the like can require support of the vehicle by engagement of a part thereof other than a suspension control arm. It might thus be desired to support, for example, a vehicle by supporting an axle or frame member on a skate. However, such a member, relative to the vehicle, may be higher or above the lowest portion of a control arm component. In such a case, the skate disposed under an axle or frame, for example, may be of such insufficient operative thickness to adequately support the vehicle the desired distance above the reference surface.
Accordingly, it is another objective of the invention to provide apparatus for combination with a skate to provide support of a vehicle component above that provided by the operative thickness of an unmodified skate.
As well, a further objective of the invention has been to provide methods and apparatus enabling a skate to support a vehicle component at varied, selected distances above a reference or sliding surface.
Finally, it is noted that a control arm skate preferably has an upper surface configured to receive a particular compatible vehicle component such as a control arm. It is desirable to provide an apparatus for a skate to present an upper surface for receiving a control arm and alternate apparatus for a skate for receiving another component, in supporting relation, of different configuration than a control arm, with both offering a variation of operative heights.


A stacked solid electrolytic capacitor has an anode foil composed of a valve metal, a cathode foil having carbon grains that are evaporated or physically adhered to a surface thereof, a separator and a solid electrolytic layer composed of a conducting polymer. The anode foil, the separator and the cathode foil are stacked in order. The solid electrolytic layer is formed between the anode foil and the cathode foil.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a stacked solid electrolytic capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there are demands for enhancing capacity of an electrolytic capacitor, for downsizing the electrolytic capacitor and further for lowering impedance at higher frequencies of the electrolytic capacitor, as electronics devices are digitalized. The solid electrolytic capacitor has an excellent frequency characteristic relative to other electrolytic capacitors, and thus attracts attentions. A roll-formed solid electrolytic capacitor, a stacked solid electrolytic capacitor and so on are used as the solid electrolytic capacitor.
A conventional electrolytic capacitor has an aluminum foil acting as a valve metal, and has an electrolyte layer composed of polypyrrole formed by a chemical polymerizing method, an electropolymerizing method or the like. The electrolytic layer composed of the polypyrrole is, however, not evenly formed on the surface of the aluminum foil, and is brittle. The stacked electrolytic capacitor has, therefore, problems such as increase of a leakage current or an electrical short.
And so, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-299183 (hereinafter referred to as Document 1) discloses a method where a precoated layer composed of manganese dioxide is formed in advance and the polypyrrole is formed on the precoated layer later. However, the arrangement disclosed in Document 1 has a problem that equivalent series resistance (ESR) increases, because there is a resistance between the precoated layer and the electrolyte layer. It is, therefore, not possible to obtain sufficient property.
And so, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-75792 (hereinafter referred to as Document 2) discloses an art where a separator is provided between a cathode foil and an anode foil, and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) formed by a heat and pressure polymerization is used as the electrolyte layer. It is possible to enhance capacity, if the solid electrolytic capacitors in accordance with the art of Document 2 are stacked. And Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-39040 (hereinafter referred to as Document 3) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-72106 (hereinafter referred to as Document 4) discloses an art where a cathode layer composed of a graphite layer and a silver paste layer is provided. The arrangements disclosed in Document 3 and Document 4 can solve a problem concerning a high-frequency response.
However, there is a measurable connection resistance in the solid electrolytic capacitor in accordance with the art of Document 2, because the electrodes and outgoing leads are connected electrically. And it is necessary to connect the outgoing leads as many as the stacked electrode foils, although it is possible to enhance capacity by stacking the electrode foils. And the connection resistance increases. Accordingly, the high frequency response gets worse. And it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the electrolytic capacitor as the quantity of electrode foils increases.
Further, in the solid electrolyte capacitor in accordance with the arts of Document 3 and Document 4, a short circuit may be generated at the graphite layer and the silver layer, because there is a fault at a dielectric oxide layer of the anode.


A resist pattern is formed with a phase-shifting mask 4 in which transparent regions through an opaque region are different 180.degree. in phase from one another. In this case, when positive resist 1 is subjected to exposure, the widths of the opaque regions 5A and 5B of the mask 4 are changed according to a pattern adjacent thereto, so that a fine pattern having the same line width is formed with high accuracy.

This invention relates to the formation of a fine pattern by a lithography process in the manufacturing of a semiconductor integrated circuit.
A recent tendency of semiconductor devices is to make the design rule as fine as possible, and semiconductor chips of the order of 0.25 .mu.m have been available in market. According to this tendency, in the lithography the exposure wave length, being decreased, has been changed from g-line (436 nm) through i-line (365 nm) to KrF excimer laser (248 nm). A stepper using an ArF excimer laser (193 nm) has been developed for the next generation lithography. However, the development is retarded because the lens material absorbs the ultra short wave light beam such as ArF excimer laser beam. In the circumstances, in the lithographic technique using the KrF excimer laser, research is conducted on ultra resolution technique.
In general, the limit resolution of optical lithography according to a reduction projection exposure method is proportional to the exposure wave length, and inversely proportional to the numerical aperture of the projection lens. The formation of a pattern of the order of 0.3 .mu.m has been achieved by using a KrF excimer laser (a wave length of 148 nm) and a projection lens whose numerical aperture is 0.4 to 0.5.
One of the ultra resolution techniques which improve the resolution limit in the reduction projection exposure method, is a method using an alternating phase-shifting mask (Levenson phase-shifting mask).
An example of the formation of a pattern which uses a conventional alternating phase-shifting mask, will be described.
FIGS. 8A through 8C are sectional views showing a pattern forming method using a conventional alternating phase-shifting mask. In those figures, reference numeral 21 designates a positive resist; 22, a substrate; 23A and 23B, exposure light beams; 24, a phase-shifting mask; 25, opaque regions; and 26A and 26B, transparent regions (transparent regions). The transparent regions 26B are shifted 180.degree. in the phase of the exposure light beams 23 with respect to the transparent regions 26A. The exposure light beam 23A irradiates the mask 24, and the exposure light beam 23B passed through the transparent regions of the mask are imaged onto the resist 21.
As shown in FIG. 8A, first the substrate 22 is coated with the positive resist 21. The latter 21 is a chemical amplification type resist for a KrF excimer laser, and it is applied to the substrate 22 to a thickness of 0.5 micron. Next, the positive resist is subjected to exposure through the phase-shifting mask 24.
The exposure conditions of the exposure device (or stepper) are an exposure wave length .lambda.=248 nm, a numerical aperture NA=0.48, coherent factor a .sigma.=0.30. The alternating phase-shifting mask is of quartz. As shown in FIG. 8B, the quartz are ground in correspondence to the transparent regions 26B. The light beams passing through the transparent regions 26B are inverted 180.degree. in phase with respect to the light beams passing through the transparent regions 26A.
First, the exposure light beam 23A irradiates the mask 24, and diffracted according to the pattern density. In the case of the alternating phase-shifting mask, the transparent regions on both sides of each opaque region are different 180.degree. in phase from each other, and therefore with a period pattern the zero-th order and even-number-th order light beams are canceled out. On the other hand, the odd-number-th order light beams such as .+-. first, third, and fifth orders light beams are generally diffracted at an angle which is half of that in usual mask. In general, the angle of a light beam passed through a projection lens is finite, and therefore the pattern resolution is a pattern period which can pass through the mask. In the alternating phase-shifting mask, in general the light beam is diffracted at an angle which is half of that of the usual mask, and therefore ideally a high resolution two times the usual mask is obtained.
In order to obtain a high resolution with an alternating phase-shifting mask, it is necessary to arrange spatial optical phases (to increase the coherency). The unit indicating the degree of coherency is the ratio (coherent factor) .sigma. of the NA of the projection lens to the NA of the irradiation system. As the ratio a is decreased, the optical coherency is increased. In general, in the case where the mask is irradiated with the stepper, the coherent factor (.sigma.) is of the order of 0.5 to 0.8; however, in the case where the alternating phase-shifting mask is employed, the coherent factor is of the order of 0.2 to 0.4.
After the pattern exposure as shown in FIG. 8B, a PEB (post exposure baking) processing is carried out, and a developing processing is performed with an ordinary alkaline solution for sixty (60) seconds, to form a resist pattern (FIG. 8C). According to this pattern forming method, a line and space pattern of 0.16 .mu.m is obtained which is much smaller than the exposure wave length 248 nm (0.248 .mu.m). In general, the alternating phase-shifting mask is effective in obtaining a fine periodical pattern. Hence, research has been conducted on the application of it to a DRAM device.
However, the alternating phase-shifting mask suffers from the following problems: Even if patterns are equal in line width, adjacent patterns are different in distance from one another, then the resist dimension projected onto the wafer is changed. Hence, although the dimensional control of the line width of the gate pattern of a logic device is considerably important, the logic device includes a number of random patterns, and therefore the application of the alternating phase-shifting mask has not been very studied.
In FIG. 8C, a pattern 21X and a pattern 21Y are resist patterns which are obtained by transferring light through a mask pattern which is so designed that the former 21X is a 0.16 .mu.m line and space pattern and the latter 21Y is a 0.16 .mu.m line/0.48 .mu.m space pattern. In this case, the actual dimensions of the resist pattern transferred onto the wafer are as follows: The pattern 21X is 0.16 .mu.m, while the pattern 21Y is 0.20 .mu.m, and therefore, the difference between those two patterns is 0.04 .mu.m. In the formation of an ordinary transistor gate, in general its tolerance is .+-.10% of a line width. Hence, in the case of a line width of 0.16 .mu.m, the tolerance must be within 0.03 .mu.m. Accordingly, the pattern forming method using the conventional phase-shifting mask is not applicable to the pattern formation of the transistor gate which must be considerably high in dimensional accuracy.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The splice device for splicing together two under-sea cables, each of which has a bundle of optical fibers protected inside a protective tube and armoring wires stranded on an inner sheath covering the protective tube, includes a strong support mounted on the protective tubes for protecting the two bundles of fibers, which bundles are welded together. In the splice device the support is locked on the protective tubes between the inner sheaths of the cables, and it receives firstly the end portions of the armoring wires, tensioned longitudinally in one layer on its periphery, and secondly an outer metal sleeve crimped on said support and on the armoring wires between the support and the sleeve.

Such an under-sea optical cable has a central optical module and strength armoring surrounding the optical module. The optical module is formed by a bundle of optical fibers disposed freely inside a metal protective tube covered with an insulating sheath referred to as the "cable inner sheath." The protective tube is made of stainless steel, in particular. The inner sheath is made of polyethylene. The armoring wires are preferably disposed in at least two layers around the optical module. They give the cable suitable mechanical resistance to traction, and optionally they form a pressure-resisting vault. They are commonly covered with a conductive strip, generally made of copper, wound or welded lengthwise, which strip is used for electrically powering equipment such as repeater-regenerators interposed on the optical link defined by the set of interconnected cables. A protective outer sheath covers each cable.
For the purposes of connecting together two such cables, the component parts of the cables are separated from one another along the end portions to be connected together. In this way, the protective tubes for protecting the bundles of fibers and the inner sheaths are cut at different lengths from the ends so as to leave the bundles of fibers projecting from the protective tubes. The bundles of fibers are also left projecting to a greater or lesser extent relative to the ends of the inner sheaths. The armoring wires are not cut, or they are cut only over a short length, but they are unstranded over a length that is sufficient for the optical modules to be connected together. The conductive strips are cut over the length of the unstranded armoring wires. The outer sheaths are also cut, leaving the conductive strips to project slightly therefrom.
In most of the splice devices currently made, the two bundles of fibers of the two cables are spliced together by using a monofiber splicing technique. That technique entails leaving each fiber of each bundle to project over a considerable length, and storing the surplus lengths of the two bundles of fibers in the splice device, which is thus rendered relatively complex and bulky.
Compared with the preceding technique, the multifiber welding technique now in use advantageously enables the two bundles of fibers to be spliced together in a single operation. This technique further requires only a short surplus length to be left on each bundle of fibers. The multifiber welding technique also enables a single auxiliary tube to be used for protecting the multifiber weld, the auxiliary tube extending between the protective tubes for protecting the bundles of fibers, and being secured to said protective tubes.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,657 describes a method and a structure for interconnecting optical fibers in metal protective tubes, using such an auxiliary tube welded to the ends of the metal protective tubes, so as to protect the fiber weld. That document also discloses that the auxiliary tube is put under elongation so that it extends from one protective tube to the other, and is then welded to said protective tubes, so as to prevent the protected fiber weld from being subjected to any subsequent traction forces that may degrade the optical transmission characteristics.
Putting the auxiliary tube under elongation is a lengthy operation and is difficult to monitor. It may further create weak points along the auxiliary tube or at the welds between the ends thereof and the ends of the protective tubes.
Document GB-A- 2 030 723 describes a splice between two optical cables whose optical fibers are disposed in protective tubes, with the protective tube in each cable being surrounded by one or more layers of armoring wires. In that document, the ends of the optical fibers of the two cables are welded together and are covered by a ferrule formed by two half-shells locked facing each other, the ferrule having threaded ends. The ends of the armoring wires are tensioned and clamped between conical parts received in the ends of the ferrule, and are locked thus by two end nuts screwed on the threaded ends of the ferrule.

Splice device for splicing together under-sea optical cables


In an apparatus for etching a semiconductor wafer or sample (101), the semiconductor wafer or sample is placed on a sample holder (104) disposed in a first chamber (103). The combination of the semiconductor wafer or sample and the sample holder is enclosed within a second chamber (130) inside the first chamber. Gas is evacuated from the second chamber and an etching gas is introduced into the second chamber, but not into the first chamber, to etch the semiconductor wafer or sample.

Vapor etching of semiconductor materials and/or substrates is accomplished using gases, such as xenon difluoride. Specifically, in xenon difluoride etching, xenon difluoride gas reacts with solid materials, such as silicon and molybdenum, such that the materials are converted to a gas phase. The removal of these materials is known as etching.
Some of the gases used to perform vapor etching, such as xenon difluoride, can be expensive, hence, waste of this etching gas should be minimized. However, standard production etching systems in the semiconductor industry are typically not optimized to maximize gas utilization. In particular, Modular Equipment Standards Committee (MESC) compatible chambers, which are those which are typically connected in a cluster arrangement around a central robot, inherently have large chamber volumes. This large chamber volume is a result primarily of a side port used to provide access for the wafer. In addition, many MESC compatible chambers can be used for processing of large diameter wafers, e.g., 200 mm diameter wafer, but can also be used to process smaller diameter wafers, e.g., 100 mm diameter wafers. When using the larger chamber to process a smaller wafer, which is a common occurrence in facilities where more than one wafer size is used, further waste of etching gas occurs.
In addition, since MESC compatible chambers have a wafer loading port on one side, the chamber is inherently non-symmetric. Such asymmetry can lead to non-uniform etching of the wafer since the gas is not distributed axisymmetrically about the wafer.
What is, therefore, needed is a chamber such as, without limitation, an MESC compatible etching chamber or other etching chamber with a port on the side for loading, which has a subchamber assembly inside that creates a reduced chamber volume, is desirably axisymmetric shaped, that maximizes utilization of the etching gas and improves wafer etch uniformity.


A toothbrush, wherein the head has a face from which project one or more strips of a flexible and resilient material, preferably combined with bristles and arranged in rows or groups of rows of the strips alternating with the rows or groups of rows of the bristles. The strips enhance the tooth cleaning effect of the toothbrush.

Toothbrushes generally comprise a head and a handle disposed along a longitudinal axis, the head having a substantially planar face from which project a plurality of bristles. The bristles of known toothbrushes are generally filaments of generally circular cross section, ideally with rounded ends, grouped together in tufts of generally circular cross section.
Toothbrushes are known which include cleaning filaments other than bristles, either as a complete alternative to bristles, or in addition to bristles. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,862 discloses a toothbrush having resilient gum massage elements along the outer edges of the bristle pattern. U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,374 discloses a toothbrush having a brush head composed of nylon mesh or loops. U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,260 discloses a toothbrush having a head from which extend small rubber cones. GB 2214420A discloses a toothbrush having a head from which project small rubber pyramids. GB 214701 discloses a toothbrush having cleaning elements comprised of strips of crepe rubber, in one theoretically discussed embodiment of which the strips may have bristles sandwiched between the sheets of crepe rubber.
This invention provides a toothbrush having tooth cleaning filaments, of a different cross section to known bristles and tufts.


A headlight of the present invention includes: a fluorescent material light-emitting section; a reflector that reflects light emitted from the fluorescent material light-emitting section so as to emit reflected light out of the headlight; and a mini-mirror that reflects, toward a predetermined surface of the fluorescent material light-emitting section provided substantially at a focal point of the reflector, at least part of light that has not been directed toward the reflector. The mini-mirror has its optical axis inclined with respect to a normal line of the predetermined surface.

In recent years, a substantial amount of research has been conducted for an illumination device which emits, as illuminating light, fluorescence that is generated by irradiating a light emitting section containing a fluorescent material with excitation light emitted by an excitation light source (i.e. semiconductor light emitting element) such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an LD (Laser Diode).
Also, in order to achieve a reduction in energy consumption in the light of environmental issues, there has been a demand for an increase in efficiency in use of light emitted from a light emitting element (such as an LED, an LD, a fluorescent material light-emitting section etc.) of an illumination device (hereinafter, referred to simply as light utilization efficiency).
A light source device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 uses, as illuminating light, visible light generated, as spontaneously-emitted light, by irradiating a fluorescent material with a laser beam. According to the light source device, there is provided, in front of the fluorescent material facing a direction in which fluorescence is to be emitted, an ultraviolet rays reflecting mirror serving as a laser beams reflecting mirror. This causes a laser beam, which has not been absorbed by the fluorescent material, to be reflected from the ultraviolet rays reflecting mirror so that the fluorescent material is irradiated again with reflected laser beam. This prevents, from being emitted outside, a laser beam which has not been converted by the fluorescent material into visible light. A laser beam, which (i) was reflected by the ultraviolet rays reflecting mirror and (ii) re-entered the fluorescent material, is converted by the fluorescent material into spontaneously-emitted light. This allows light utilization efficiency to be enhanced.
Furthermore, Patent Literatures 2 and 3 each disclose a light source including a lens that converges, onto a fluorescent material, light emitted from a semiconductor light emitting element.

Illumination device and vehicle headlight


A fluid ejection assembly may include a fluid ejection die comprising a back face and a front face through which fluid is ejected. The fluid ejection die may further include a fan-out fluid passages converging towards the back face of the fluid ejection die, the fan-out fluid passages comprising a first fan-out fluid passage and a second fan-out fluid passage and a recirculation channel extending within a polymeric material from the first fan-out fluid passage to the second fan-out fluid passage adjacent the back face of the fluid ejection die.

Fluid ejection devices selectively ejected droplets of fluid. The fluid may sometimes contain pigments or other particles that may tend to settle. Such settled particles may detrimentally impact the performance of the fluid ejection devices.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

Fluid ejection polymeric recirculation channel

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Systems and methods are described for streaming multimedia data from a client to a server using HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). A session is initiated with a header that identifies a content length header that is a maximum allowed by the server, regardless of the actual length of the data to be streamed. If a firewall or proxy server limits access to the server, the content length of the data is specified to be about an amount of data that can be streamed to the server in one minute. If more data remains to be streamed when an amount of data approximating the content length has been streamed, a continuing streaming session is requested and subsequent data is streamed to the server in the continuing streaming session. The process repeats until all data has been streamed.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) was designed for browsing networks—such as the Internet—and not for delivery of streaming media. However, widespread support for HTTP in firewalls and proxy servers, has triggered the development of various ways for delivering streaming media using HTTP. By using HTTP, the streaming media data can traverse firewalls that might be blocking other streaming media networking protocols.
Typically, a media player will establish an HTTP connection to a media server through a firewall or proxy server. The server's response to the HTTP request contains the streaming media data. The streaming media data always flows to the entity that made the initial HTTP request, i.e., the client.
Sometimes it is desirable to stream content from a client to a server. This is the case when multimedia data is assembled at a client and uploaded to a server for access at the server or for distribution to other servers and/or clients. The problem is that HTTP only supports streaming from a server to a client, and not vice-versa.
A typical approach to dealing with this problem is to reverse the roles of client and server and have a server initiate a streaming session with a client. In such a scenario, the server acts as a media player and the client acts as a media server. The multimedia content may then stream from the client to the server.
A problem with this technique occurs when such client to server streaming is attempted over connections that utilize a firewalls or a proxy server. Such devices usually block incoming connections from reaching the server.
Another problem with attempts to stream content from a client to a server is that HTTP requires that the size of data that is sent must be specified in advance. However, an encoder does not usually know the size of the data in advance and cannot provide this information.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Client to server streaming of multimedia content using HTTP


A personal observatory structure includes a base having an open top, and a hemispherical dome having a center point. The dome is shaped to be mounted on the base and to selectively enclose the open top. The hemispherical dome includes a first dome segment and a second dome segment pivotally connected to the first dome segment. The second dome segment has an outer radius smaller than the inner radius of the first dome segment. The first dome segment and second dome segment are connected together by pivotal connectors for movement about a pivot axis. One of the domes can be pivoted from a lowered position, in which the dome segments together enclose the open top of the base, to a raised position which exposes the interior and nests one dome segment within the other. The pivot axis may be a horizontal pivot axis that extends through the center point, and the dome segments may be shaped generally in the form of a quarter sphere.

Astronomical observatories have been known and used for many years to house telescopes for celestial observation. Most of these observatories are large-scale structures comprising a base and a hemispherical dome that rotates about the base. The dome of these structures typically includes a shutter system comprising a longitudinal observation slot extending from the top to the bottom of the dome, and a pair of shutter doors that slide laterally to open and close the observation slot. These observatories typically include electric motors and automated control systems that control the movement of the telescope, dome and shutter doors, to enable the telescope to view all sections of the sky from the horizon to the zenith. While conventional large-scale observatories are useful for professional astronomers, they have certain disadvantages. In particular, conventional observatories are complex and costly structures, which are permanently fixed in a given location, and not generally available for use by the public.
There exist small-scale observatory structures for use by amateur astronomers, known as personal observatories. Most of these personal observatories are similar in form to conventional large-scale observatories, in that they comprise rotatable, hemispherical domes with observation slots similar to those of conventional observatories. However, this type of personal observatory typically requires costly control systems to synchronize the movement of the telescope and the dome. Also, since the observation slot is small in size relative to the volume of air inside the observatory, there can be turbulence or a chimney effect distorting the view when warm air leaving from inside observatory into cold air outside produces eddies with differing air density and different indices of refraction for light.
Another type of personal observatory structure comprises a rectangular building having a peaked, roll-off roof that slides laterally along tracks until the interior of the observatory is open to the sky. This type of personal observatory structures eliminates the chimney effect. However, with no rotation capability, the roof will always block a section of the sky. Also, these buildings are generally made of wood, and while they can be produced in kit form, the kits are relatively heavy and expensive to ship, and they require some expertise to erect.
There is accordingly a need in the art for a personal observatory structure that does not suffer from the chimney effect and that provides a very wide and tall angle of view so that the dome need only be rotated rarely. Furthermore there is a need for an inexpensive personal observatory that is conveniently transported and assembled or disassembled.

Personal observatory structure having pivotally connected dome segments


A cutter clip and methods for installing a gutter cover onto a gutter system are disclosed. The gutter clip includes a mouth portion sized to provide an interference fit between the gutter cover and the mouth portion of the clip which stationarily secures the gutter cover to the gutter clip. The gutter clip is further provided with a mounting portion that fastens to the lip of a gutter. Once assembled, the gutter clip of the present invention provides minimum horizontal and vertical tolerances between the gutter and the gutter cover, such that water may flow freely into the gutter channel, but does not permit debris to be lodged therein.

The present invention relates generally to the field of rain gutters, and more particularly to a clip for mounting a gutter cover on a new rain gutter or an existing rain gutter.
A typical gutter system is mounted just below the edge of a roof of a house or building and is used to collect rainwater and direct the rain water away from the foundation of the house or building. Gutter systems are normally mounted generally horizontally, although tilted lengthwise slightly one way or the other, so that the collected water flows through the gutters until the flowing water reaches down spouts. Water flows into the down spouts, directing the water downward and ultimately in a direction away from the house or building.
As water flows into the gutters, debris such as leaves, sticks and pine needles, for example, is often carried by the water flow from the roof into the gutters. Wind and rain can also cause debris to fall directly into the gutters from, for example, trees that extend above the roof. Such debris can clog the gutters and down spouts and thus prevent the gutter system from performing its intended purpose of directing water away from the house or building, causing rainwater to flow over the sides of the gutters. Ineffective draining of a gutter system can cause deterioration of the gutter. In addition, ineffective drainage of rain water from a gutter system may lead to pooling or concentration of water along the edge of the home or building's foundation. Such pooling can lead to structural damage to the building by undermining the foundation, flooding parts of the building, etc.
To prevent debris and other material or items from clogging gutters and/or down spouts of gutter systems, gutter covers or caps have been developed that at least partially cover the gutters and prevent debris from entering the gutter system, or at least lessen the amount of debris that falls into the gutters to the extent that the aforementioned clogging problems are prevented. The prior known gutter covers have included everything from simple screens placed over the top of the gutter to complex devices designed to slow the water flow to ensure entry into the gutter while expelling debris over the outside edge of the gutter. Examples of devices that are designed for this purpose are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,672,832, 4,404,775, 4,435,925, 4,796,390, 5,016,404, 5,216,851 and 5,457,916.
Gutter covers typically attach directly to the gutter using fasteners or clips. Conventionally, gutter clips are secured to both the front end of the gutter cover and to the front wall or lip of the gutter. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a prior art gutter clip 10 which secures a gutter cover 12 to a gutter 14. As illustrated, the prior art clip 10 includes a tab 16 for securing the gutter cover to the gutter. However, this configuration requires a slot 18 punched into the gutter cover 12, which can have numerous disadvantages. For example, the punching operation can result in damage to the cover during manufacturing. Further, the gutter cover 12 is also subject to deformation or damage during assembly of the clip with the cover, as the tab must be properly aligned and inserted into the slot, while also maintaining the correct orientation of the clip for assembly with the gutter. Also, the prior art configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 results in large horizontal and vertical gaps into which debris may become caught. Finally, the configuration of the slot 18 and the tab 16 tends to become loose as a result of the force of rain and/or wind, which can also damage both the gutter cover 12 and the gutter 14.
The present invention relates to improvements over the structures described above, and to solutions to the problems raised or not solved thereby.


An on-load tap changer is provided having a plurality of modules, each of which is operable to change taps in a winding of a transformer. A transmission shaft is connected to the modules and is operable upon rotation to effectuate tap changes in the windings. A servo motor rotates the transmission shaft. The servo motor includes a feedback device operable to generate a feedback signal containing information relating to the position of the motor shaft. A servo drive is connected to the servo motor to receive the feedback signal. The servo drive uses the feedback signal to determine and store a total angular displacement of the motor shaft. The servo drive uses the feedback signal and the total angular displacement of the motor shaft to control the operation of the servo motor.

This invention relates to tap changers and more particularly to load tap changers.
As is well known, a transformer converts electricity at one voltage to electricity at another voltage, either of higher or lower value. A transformer achieves this voltage conversion using a primary winding and a secondary winding, each of which are wound on a ferromagnetic core and comprise a number of turns of an electrical conductor. The primary winding is connected to a source of voltage and the secondary winding is connected to a load. By changing the ratio of secondary turns to primary turns, the ratio of output to input voltage can be changed, thereby controlling or regulating the output voltage of the transformer. This ratio can be changed by effectively changing the number of turns in the primary winding and/or the number of turns in the secondary winding. This is accomplished by making connections between different connection points or "taps" within the winding(s). A device that can make such selective connections to the taps is referred to as a "tap changer".
Generally, there are two types of tap changers: on-load tap changers and de-energized or "off-load" tap changers. An off-load tap changer uses a circuit breaker to isolate a transformer from a voltage source and then switches from one tap to another. An on-load tap changer (or simply "load tap changer") switches the connection between taps while the transformer is connected to the voltage source. A load tap changer may include, for each phase winding, a selector switch assembly, a bypass switch assembly and a vacuum interrupter assembly. The selector switch assembly makes connections to taps of the transformer, while the bypass switch assembly connects the taps, through two branch circuits, to a main power circuit. During a tap change, the vacuum interrupter assembly safely isolates a branch circuit. A drive system moves the selector switch assembly, the bypass switch assembly and the vacuum interrupter assembly. The present invention is directed to such a drive system.

Tap changer with an improved drive system


In one example, a processor may generate a graph of vertices representing distribution areas of a telecommunication network and links between vertices of adjacent distribution areas, calculate similarity measures for the links based on distance scores between vertices joined by the links relating to: percentages of aerial infrastructure and percentages of multi-unit buildings in distribution areas represented by the two vertices, and whether or not the distribution areas represented by the two vertices are on a same route from a central office of the telecommunication network. The processor may label the links with the similarity measures to create a link-weighted adjacency graph, perform community detection on the link-weighted adjacency graph to generate sub-graphs, each sub-graph including at least one of the vertices, and provide a map of construction zones based upon geographic areas covered by distribution areas associated with vertices in the sub-graphs.

A Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI) code is a telecommunications industry standard and is an alphanumeric code of currently up to 11 characters. CLLI was developed to identify physical locations and equipment such as buildings, central offices, poles, and antennas. CLLI8 (an eight character CLLI alphanumeric code) is often used to refer to a wire center and/or a portion of a network serviced by a wire center, or central office (CO). In one example, customer lines are joined to nodes, e.g., in a neighborhood, and trunks may connect the nodes to central offices. In many cases, there are four large trunks comprising fiber optic cable emerging from central offices in the directions of north, south, east, and west. However, other examples may have more or less trunks, be deployed in different directions, and so forth. These trunks may also be referred to as routes.

Generating telecommunication network construction zones via clustering on weighted adjacency graphs of distribution areas


A control device of a receiving device includes an interference wave detector that detects an interference wave within an intermediate frequency band in a signal converted by a mixer that converts a reception signal of a radio frequency band with a certain radio frequency as a center into an intermediate signal of the intermediate frequency band based on a signal of a local oscillation frequency different from the radio frequency. The control device further includes a frequency controller that changes the local oscillation frequency so that the intermediate frequency band gets away from a band of the interference wave when the interference wave is detected.

Receiving devices that receive a radio signal of a radio frequency band with a radio frequency received through an antenna as a center have been known. For example, this type of receiving device includes a local oscillator that generates a local signal of a local frequency different from a radio frequency and a mixer that converts a radio signal received through an antenna into an intermediate signal of an intermediate frequency band based on the local signal. The receiving device further includes a filter that attenuates a signal outside the intermediate frequency band in the signal converted by the mixer at a stage subsequent to the mixer.
There are cases in which the antenna receives an interference wave of a band near the radio signal together with the radio signal. In this case, the mixer converts the radio signal into an intermediate signal IS1, and converts the interference wave into an interference wave IW1 of a band near the intermediate frequency band as illustrated in FIG. 1 (A). However, the filter gradually decreases in transmissivity as it gets away from the intermediate frequency band as indicated by an alternate long and short dash line FL1. Here, the transmissivity refers to a ratio of a level of a signal output from the filter to a level of a signal input to the filter.
Thus, it is difficult for the filter to sufficiently attenuate a signal of a band FW1 which is outside the intermediate frequency band but near the intermediate frequency band. As a result, the intermediate interference wave IW1 passes through the filter without being sufficiently attenuated.
In this regard, for example, a technique in which a receiving device detects a band of an intermediate interference wave, and changes a local frequency based on the detected band so that an intermediate interference wave IW1 has a band FW2 which is sufficiently attenuated by the filter as illustrated in FIG. 1 (B) (e.g., see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-186923). As a result, the intermediate interference wave IW1 can be sufficiently attenuated by the filter.
Further, notch filters that attenuate a signal within a certain removal band have been known (e.g., see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 04-360441 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-336715).
Meanwhile, for example, there are cases in which the interference wave within the intermediate frequency band received by the antenna reaches the side subsequent to the mixer without undergoing frequency conversion by the mixer, or cases in which the interference wave within the intermediate frequency band comes into the receiving device at the side subsequent to the mixer, for example, due to an insufficient separation (isolation) between two signals input to the mixer or characteristics of circuit elements. In this case, it is difficult to change the band of the interference wave even when the local frequency is changed as in the above-described receiving device. Particularly, when a housing made of a material such as synthetic resin is used in order to lighten the receiving device, the interference wave is hardly attenuated due to the housing, and thus this problem becomes more remarkable.
In this regard, the interference wave is considered to be sufficiently attenuated using the notch filter. In this case, however, since the intermediate signal as well as the interference wave is attenuated, the quality of a reception signal deteriorates. In this manner, the above-described receiving device has a problem in that the quality of a reception signal deteriorates.

Control device, frequency control method, and receiving device


The invention relates to a method for cleaning a washing device (5) of an offset printing machine, according to which at least one washing device of said offset machine, which comprises a spray bar (11), is removed prior to the cleaning process and placed in a cleaning bath (17). The aim of the invention is to achieve improved cleaning results in a shorter time, in particular using fewer personnel. To achieve this, ultrasonic waves are directed onto the washing device in the cleaning bath that is filled with a liquid medium and during the cleaning of the washing device using said ultrasonic waves, the liquid medium is conducted through each spray bar. The invention also relates to a cleaning device (16) for carrying out said method.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a method for cleaning a washing device of an offset printing machine, in which the washing device of the offset printing machine, which has at least one spray bar, is removed before cleaning and introduced into a cleaning device. In addition, the invention pertains to a cleaning device for implementing the method. Known washing devices in offset printing machines include the rubber blanket washing device and the counterpressure washing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An offset printing machine is used to print sheets and usually has several printing mechanisms, from which the printed sheets are sent via a conveyor to a delivery stack. Each printing mechanism consists in the manner known in and of itself of a plate cylinder, to which an inking mechanism and a moistening mechanism are assigned; a rubber blanket cylinder; and a printing cylinder. A washing device for the rubber blanket is assigned to the rubber blanket cylinder, this device being located before—with respect to the cylinder's direction of rotation—the contact point with the printing cylinder. This rubber blanket washing device serves to wash the rubber blanket after a certain number of impressions to remove ink residues, paper dust, and other dirt particles.
Permanently installed rubber blanket washing devices are subject to wear and are relatively complicated to maintain and to clean. For this reason, rubber blanket washing devices were developed which can be removed as a unit from the printing machine and cleaned and maintained outside the printing machine. A process for the easy removal and reinstallation of rubber blanket washing devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,627.
An example of removable rubber blanket washing device is described in DE 37 44 800 A1. This device consists essentially of a wiping cloth, which can be pressed against the rubber blanket cylinder. The wiping cloth, which can be moistened by a moistening device, can be unwound from a first winding shaft and then wound up on second winding shaft after use.
Modern washing devices which can be laid against the rubber blanket of the blanket cylinder have at least one brush roll, to which water and washing liquid can be supplied by spraying devices. A collecting tank is provided underneath the brush roll.
According to the state of the art, these types of blanket washing devices are cleaned by first removing the unit comprising the blanket washing device from the printing machine, by disassembling it into its essential components, and by cleaning these components in a cleaning tank with flat fine-bristle brushes and coarse-bristle brushes and conventional cleaning agents. These manual cleaning processes make it possible to clean the rubber blanket washing device satisfactorily.
The problem, however, is the large amount of time which this process requires, namely, about 3–4 hours. This time adds up especially in the case of the large, multicolor printing machines with numerous printing mechanisms, each with its own rubber blanket washing device.
The cleaning of the spray bars of modern rubber blanket washing machines, which are provided near the brush rolls to supply the water and cleaning agent, also presents problems. When the rubber blanket washing device is put into operation, it is impossible to prevent small quantities of ink residues, paper dust, and powder from getting into the inside of the spray bars and adhering to the inside walls. The attempt has been made to rinse out the sensitive spray bars with water or compressed air. The cleaning results, however, have been unsatisfactory for the most part. The cleaning efficiency of the rubber blanket washing device, however, depends to a large degree on the satisfactory function of the spray bars.
A process for removing the stencil coatings of screen-printing forms is also known from EP 0 903 230 A2. The screen-printing form along with the stencil carrier is immersed in a liquid bath and decoated by an ultrasound device. The ultrasound device is placed against the stencil carrier, so that there is direct contact between the ultrasound device and the screen-printing form.
Finally, a cleaning tank for the ultrasonic cleaning of printing cylinders of various sizes is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,827. The printing cylinder is rotated continuously in the cleaning liquid as it is being cleaned. The ultrasonic waves have power of about 2,400 watts and a frequency of 27 kHz.

Method for cleaning a washing device of an offset printing machine


A control device for the control of a module battery, comprising a first external bus interface for the reception of external control commands from a higher level control and an internal bus interface for an internal bus, by way of which battery modules connected with the control device are able to be controlled in accordance with the external control command and by way of which the battery modules may transmit messages to the control device. The control device possesses a second external bus interface, by way of which visualizing data for visualizing at least one function of the module battery may be applied.

A control device of this type is controlled by a higher level control, as for example a memory programmed control and receives from same control commands by way of the external bus. In the case of the bus it is a question for example of a field bus or an Ethernet bus, for example an industrial Ethernet bus. The control device converts the control commands received on the external bus into local control commands and transmits such control commands to the modules of the module battery. Such modules are for example output modules, actuators, valve modules or the like. The module battery serves for example for the control of a machine, apparatus or individual tools. The means to be controlled are for example operated by fluid power, as for instance pneumatically. For this purpose pneumatic actuators for example are connected with valve modules of the module battery.
The purpose of the external bus, for example of the field bus, is a reliable and rapid transmission of control commands. In the reverse direction messages may be transmitted as well. The message are to be as compact as possible so that the bus provided for control purposes is not overloaded. Furthermore messages are for example normally compact owing to a protocol employed on the bus.
At the high level control a visualizing means, as for instance a personal computer (PC), may be connected, with which the functions of the lower level module battery or batteries may be visualized. The basis for this are for example the messages transmitted from the module battery by way of the field bus. The higher level control and/or the visualizing means must generate visualizing data in a complex manner from the messages, which have a low information content, transmitted by way of the field bus.
The generation of the visualizing data is complex. Moreover numerous operator actions are required in order to configure the generation of the visualizing data. Owing to the limited information content of the messages transferred from the module battery by way of the field bus, substantial parts of the process controlled by the module battery are frequently not able to be represented.

Control device, a control module, a module battery and a control system


A first vehicle autonomous brake-apply system includes a vehicle hydraulic brake assembly, a vacuum booster assembly operatively connected to the vehicle hydraulic brake assembly, a solenoid valve operatively connected to the vacuum booster assembly, and an automatic controller including an output signal operatively connected to the solenoid valve. A second system uses a lateral-acceleration-sensor assembly in place of the automatic controller. A third system includes a braking controller, an electrical braking device, and at least one distance sensor. A method for assisting driving of a vehicle includes applying a braking force to stop the vehicle before the vehicle strikes an obstacle whose distance to the vehicle is measured using at least one distance sensor.

Certain conventional vehicles are provided with distance sensors to help the driver in situations of poor visibility, for example when he must reverse park. In certain conventional vehicles, a sound signal is emitted with a frequency as high as the vehicle is close to an obstacle. The driver must then himself estimate the braking force which should be applied. In other known vehicles, the distance measured by the distance sensors is used by a controller to automatically brake the vehicle. However, intervention by the driver is still necessary. In case of an incorrect manoeuvre, the vehicle can strike an obstacle and be damaged. This risk is particularly great in the case of maneuvering on a sloping surface with little free space around the vehicle. In fact, a gradient of 2 to 3% is sufficient to put a car in motion if it is not braked.
A vehicle is known from DE-4 201 806 comprising a distance sensor measuring the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle situated behind the vehicle. When this distance is less than a determined threshold, a control unit activates a pump which increases the pressure of the hydraulic brakes in orders to stop the vehicle.
A lorry is also known from US2003/0111902 including a distance sensor measuring the distance between the lorry and an unloading platform situated behind the lorry. The lorry also includes a velocity sensor. A control unit stores in its memory a minimum profile and a maximum profile defining, for a given distance, a velocity range in which the velocity of the lorry must be situated. If this is not the case, the control unit sends control pulses to a pressure valve to increase or reduce the pressure of the hydraulic brakes of the lorry so that the lorry is automatically stopped against the unloading platform. When the lorry has stopped, the hydraulic pressure is maintained for some seconds. If the engine is switched off, the pressure cannot be maintained. In this case, the driver must manually engaged the parking brake for the lorry to be kept in position. Should the driver forget to do this, if the lorry is on a sloping surface it can be displaced in the direction of the slope and strike an obstacle.

Vehicle autonomous brake-apply system and method


An implantable heart stimulating device has a stimulation pulse generator that emits stimulation pulses at an adjustable stimulation rate, an activity sensor that emits an activity signal in response to detected activity of the patient, and a physiological parameter sensor that generates a physiological sensor signal in response to a detected physiological parameter. The activity and physiological sensor signals are supplied to a control arrangement that sets the stimulation rate for the stimulation pulse generator by executing a stimulation rate algorithm dependent on those signals. In the stimulation rate algorithm, if the physiological signal indicates an emotional stress on the part of the patient, the stimulation rate is increased to an adjustable emotional stress rate level, and if no increase in the activity signal occurs during a predetermined time period following the stimulation rate increase, the stimulation rate is decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an implantable heart stimulating device wherein the stimulation rate is optimized dependent on sensed information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High blood pressure, hypertension, is abnormally high blood pressure that puts stress on the tissue and organs in the body. Over time, high blood pressure can damage heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, eyes and blood vessels, as well as leading to heart disease, heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms and is often known as the "Silent Killer". Organs and tissues can be damaged by high blood pressure without any felt symptoms until advanced stages of damage. Symptoms such as headache, blurry vision, abdominal and chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety and dizziness may be experienced if the blood pressure reaches extreme levels. Many are symptoms usually not related to hypertension.
Blood pressure measurements are read as two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressure. The higher number is called systolic pressure and the lower number is called diastolic pressure. Normal range of blood pressure is 120/80. High blood pressure is defined when the systolic pressure is greater than 140 and/or diastolic pressure is greater than 90.
In addition to thickening arteries, high blood pressure can cause hypertrophy of the heart. Hypertrophy is the enlargement of the heart because the heart is working too hard. This increases the risk for heart failure and arrhythmias. High blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke, especially when it is present with other risk factors.
Although there is no single cause for high blood pressure, there are several risk factors that may affect blood pressure. There are two types of risk factors for high blood pressure: factors beyond control such as family history and age, and life style factors that can be controlled. The life style factors may include overweight, alcohol, smoking, diabetes and emotional stress.
The maintenance of blood pressure is highly complex and is dependent upon intrinsic, reflex, hormonal, renal and microvascular control systems. The complexity in the control of blood pressure is dependent upon the interaction from each of the control systems.
Development of hypertension is also suggested to depend on other mechanisms, including antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and baroreceptor resetting. The antidiuretic hormone is produced in the pituitary gland and regulates blood pressure through vasoconstriction and resorption of water. The pituitary gland communicates with the hypothalamus through neural connections, and thus the ADH release is under control of hypothalamic function. It is known that the hypothalamus is an important link between psychological events during emotional stress. However, a clear connection between emotional stress factors and hypothalamic control, either directly through the sympathetic nervous system, or indirectly with ADH release, has not been established.
Another mechanism leading to hypertension is that it is possible that the baroreceptor reflexes could be reset to maintain an elevated blood pressure for an indefinite time. There is suggested that there is no long term baroreceptive control and that resetting to a new level may occur. If baroreceptors are subjected to a maintained high pressure, their mean active rate returns to normal after a period of time. Evidences suggest that there may be a substantial resetting within as short time as 20 minutes.
In relation to the present invention the following US-patents may include valuable background information.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,733 discloses a dual sensor rate responsive pacemaker having an activity sensor, e.g. an acceleration-based sensor, and a metabolic sensor, such as a minute ventilation sensor. Determining the dual indicated rate is achieved by selecting between the two rates provided by these two sensors resulting in the use of the activity indicated rate during periods of low-level and brisk activity and the use of the metabolic indicated rate during periods of high exertion.
Another example of a dual sensor rate responsive pacemaker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,454 relating to a cardiac pacemaker with automatic response optimization of a physiologic sensor based on a second sensor. The device has a first sensor for measuring a physiologic parameter reflecting metabolic demand and a second sensor for measuring a parameter reflecting the physical motion or activity of the patient, wherein the second sensor (activity sensor) is used to generate a dynamic target pacing rate which the first sensor is optimized to over time, thereby reducing the time constant for the adaptation of the first sensor and minimizing the amount of clinical time required to initialise the cardiac rhythm management device.
The normal physical response to the type of reactions mentioned above is an increase in blood pressure as well as an increase in heart rate. The same response may be observed when a person is preparing her- or himself for a significant physical activity.
In view of the above reasoning and in spite of all technical and physiological achievements in pacemaker technology of today, there is a need for a pacemaker responding to emotional reactions, emotional stress, such as nervousness, fear, joy, embarrassment and the like.

Implantable heart stimulating device with stimulation rate optimization


The energy, power or amplitude of Doppler or time shift information signals is compared to a threshold in order to select a large or small weighting factor for temporal persistence. In the event of a "flash" signal or strong arterial flow signal, a small weighting factor is chosen to reduce the extent of temporal persistence via feedback of the averaged value for the prior frames so that the effect of the "flash" or strong flow signal would quickly dissipate in the imaging of subsequent frames and good temporal resolution preserved for the current frames, while low energy flow signals would cause a large weighting factor to be selected to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of low energy signals. Similar effects can be achieved by clipping the signals to not exceed a certain threshold.

This invention relates in general to ultrasound diagnostic imaging systems, and in particular, to an adaptive temporal filtering system for enhancing Doppler or time shift signal data.
In conventional color Doppler imaging, an ultrasound system (such as the Acuson XP) derives indices of moving targets inside a body from the received Doppler signals. For example, mean velocity, acceleration, energy and standard deviation (or velocity variance) can be measured from either moving blood cells or moving myocardium or other tissues. These indices are estimated from the received Doppler signal. As with all physical measurements, the estimates include random variations or noise.
In order to reduce the random noise, multiple Doppler samples are acquired and averaged together. By averaging these samples, the random noise tends to cancel out, while the real underlying signals tend to be reinforced, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Since the samples are taken sequentially in time, this averaging operation is equivalent to temporal integration of the sampled Doppler signal. Temporal integration, also commonly referred to as persistence, is important for good color Doppler performance since it improves the sensitivity of the system and allows users to detect the very smallest of Doppler signals. While the increase in SNR is important for the conventional color Doppler velocity imaging mode, it is especially important for the more recent color Doppler energy imaging mode where the goal is to detect the very smallest blood flow and perfusion signals.
Typically, temporal integration takes the current Doppler sample containing blood flow information at a location in the body and sums it with a specified number of previous Doppler samples containing blood flow information at the same location in the body at previous times. Sometimes these previous Doppler samples can be "weighted" so that the oldest Doppler samples contribute least to the integrated value. The amount of persistence is a user selectable parameter, and varies either the number of previous Doppler samples included in the integration or the weighting of the previous Doppler samples. In a typical approach, the current persistence function was implemented using a feedback circuit for an input data sequence x(n), the persisted data y(n) may be described by: EQU y(n)=x(n)+a*y(n-1)
where a is a fixed constant selected by the user according to the degree of persistence desired, and n is the sample number.
The old (conventional) temporal integration process is applied uniformly to all received Doppler signals irrespective of other factors such as, for example, their strength. Therefore, as persistence is increased, all aspects of the color Doppler signal are persisted. Here, both weak and strong signals are persisted in the same way. Following are cases illustrating the shortcomings.
First, when a physician moves and re-positions a transducer or when a patient breathes or moves in a clinical environment, very high amplitude Doppler signals are produced from transducer or tissue movements. Additionally, pulsations from the cardiovascular system propagate throughout the body, producing motion artifacts in most tissues. These types of motions create echo amplitudes that are many times greater than those from the weak blood flow signals. The result is color "flash" artifact, where large swaths of color appear on the video display and obscure any low level Doppler signals of interest.
The "flash" artifact is further accentuated by temporal averaging. While the pulse of moving tissue may be of short duration, it will be stretched out in time by the integration process. The old temporal integration process is unable to discriminate against this "flash" artifact and will thus temporally integrate (or persist) the "flash" artifact as long or longer than the blood signal. The long duration of this color "flash" obscures normal scanning and slows down the scanning procedure.
A long temporal integration (or persistence) is often preferred when the clinical user needs to distinguish weak blood perfusion from background noise. However, there are also flow states where the temporal characteristics of the Doppler signal are important, for example, in differentiating steady venous flow from pulsatile arterial flow. There are times when both of these flow conditions occur in the same image. A single persistence cannot be optimized for both of these conditions.
There are also imaging conditions where both good sensitivity and good temporal resolution are required along with reduced "flash" artifact. With the old persistence function, the clinician has to trade off temporal resolution and increased "flash" artifact for better sensitivity. For example, with an indiscriminate persistence process, the high velocity blood flow from a major blood vessel is temporally integrated the same amount as a weak perfusion signal from an adjacent tissue. If the persistence is set correctly for the major vessel flow, the weak perfusion signal may be buried in noise. Alternatively, if the persistence is set correctly for the weak perfusion signals, the high velocity blood flow will appear "sluggish" and its color Doppler representation is not physiological. Furthermore, any "flash" artifact will be persisted too long and could obscure the weak perfusion signals.
Generally, there may be cases where different aspects of the color Doppler signal should be persisted differently.
In view of the above problems of conventional methods, a number of approaches have been proposed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,580, Forestieri et al. propose a temporal filtering scheme which computes a weighted temporal average of the current and previous blood flow velocities, employing weights that are functions of the blood flow velocities, so that imaging information for low velocities are heavily averaged while fast moving blood velocities are maintained with little or no averaging. The output of the system is then displayed in the velocity imaging mode. Velocity may not be the best parameter to use to determine the amount of persistence. Furthermore, velocity imaging is not as sensitive as color Doppler energy imaging, especially for sensing perfusion signals.
Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,292 to Karp, where the velocity and magnitude components of Doppler signals are compared to "flash" rejection levels, so as to reject and discard velocity components containing "flash" so that such components are not processed by color flow display circuitry. This approach does not adjust the persistence.
None of the above-described approaches is entirely satisfactory. It is therefore desirable to provide an improved temporal filtering system with enhanced characteristics.

Adaptive temporal filtering to enhance fluid flow or tissue motion imaging


Polishing and cleaning techniques are combinatorially processed and evaluated. A polishing system can include a reactor assembly having multiple reaction chambers, with at least a reaction chamber including a rotatable polishing head, slurry and chemical distribution, chemical and water rinse, and slurry and fluid removal. Different downward forces can be applied to the polishing heads for evaluating optimum process conditions. Channels in the polishing pads can redistribute slurry and chemical to the polishing area.

The manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices entails the integration and sequencing of many unit processing steps, with potential new material and process developments. The precise sequencing and integration of the unit processing steps enables the formation of functional devices meeting desired performance metrics such as power efficiency, signal propagation, and reliability.
As part of the discovery, optimization and qualification of each unit process, it is desirable to be able to i) test different materials, ii) test different processing conditions within each unit process module, iii) test different sequencing and integration of processing modules within an integrated processing tool, iv) test different sequencing of processing tools in executing different process sequence integration flows, and combinations thereof in the manufacture of devices such as integrated circuits. In particular, there is a need to be able to test i) more than one material, ii) more than one processing condition, iii) more than one sequence of processing conditions, iv) more than one process sequence integration flow, and combinations thereof, collectively known as "combinatorial process sequence integration", on a single monolithic substrate without the need of consuming the equivalent number of monolithic substrates per material(s), processing condition(s), sequence(s) of processing conditions, sequence(s) of processes, and combinations thereof. This can greatly improve both the speed and reduce the costs associated with the discovery, implementation, optimization, and qualification of material(s), process(es), and process integration sequence(s) required for manufacturing.
HPC processing techniques have been used in wet chemical processing such as etching and cleaning. HPC processing techniques have also been used in deposition processes such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). However, currently there are no systems for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) multiple site isolated regions on a substrate. Therefore there is a need for combinatorially chemical mechanical polishing isolated surface regions on a substrate.

Combinatorial tool for mechanically-assisted surface polishing and cleaning


Diagnostic and guiding catheter assemblies (28, 82) are provided which include an elongated tubular body (30) having a proximal end (32) and a preformed open distal end (34). An expandable distal positioning balloon structure (36) is operatively coupled with the tubular body (30) adjacent to the distal end (34). The tubular body (30) includes wall structure defining a main passageway (48) and a pressurizing tube passageway (46) extending between the proximal and distal ends (32, 34). A pressurizing tube (70) is positioned within the pressurizing tube passageway (46), and is in open communication with the distal balloon interior (66). The pressurizing tube (70) is configured for passing a pressurizing fluid from a source thereof into the distal balloon interior (66) for expanding the distal balloon structure (36). In an expanded state, the distal balloon structure (36) is configured for locating the distal end (34) within a first vessel (18) adjacent to an ostium of a second blood vessel (20), and for positioning the distal end (34) at a selected distance from the second vessel ostium. An alternative catheter apparatus (82) further includes an expandable biasing balloon structure (84) operatively coupled to the exterior of the body (30) between the proximal end (32) and the distal balloon structure (36). The biasing balloon structure (84) is configured for biasing the distal end (34) in a direction toward the second vessel ostium. Selected expansion of the balloon structures (36, 84) allows the physician to precisely position distal end (34) for angiography for PTCA.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to surgical devices used in diagnostic testing which include a means for introducing or removing material from a body for therapeutic purposes. More particularly, the invention pertains to a diagnostic and guiding catheter apparatus having a means for precisely locating a distal end of the catheter adjacent to an ostium of a preselected blood vessel, so as to facilitate procedures such as angiography and PTCA.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Many common medical procedures require the insertion of a catheter having a preformed distal end into a patient's cardiovascular system. For example, in selective angiography procedures where an area of a preselected blood vessel is investigated, a coronary diagnostic catheter is percutaneously introduced into the cardiovascular system and advanced therein until the distal tip of the catheter is adjacent the selected area. At this point, radio-opaque contrast is injected into a patient's cardiovascular system, and an X-ray image is taken of the subject area of the blood vessel.
Another procedure involving catheterization is percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). In the classic PTCA procedure, a guiding catheter (which is similar in shape to an angiography diagnostic catheter although somewhat stiffer) is percutaneously introduced and moved through the patient's cardiovascular system until the distal tip is adjacent a coronary artery ostium. A guide wire is then introduced through the guiding catheter and is advanced into the patient's coronary vasculature until the distal end of the guide wire crosses the lesion to be dilated. A dilation catheter having an expandable balloon on the distal end thereof is then advanced through the guiding catheter over the previously positioned guide wire until the balloon crosses the lesion. At this point, the balloon is inflated to a predetermined size with radio-opaque contrast solution at relatively high pressures (e.g., 4-12 atmospheres) to compress and split the atherosclerotic plaque of the lesion against the inside of the artery wall to thereby dilate the lumen of the diseased artery. The balloon is then deflated so that the dilation catheter can be removed and blood flow resumed through the dilated artery. Conventional catheters and procedures are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,323,071, 4,439,185, 4,468,224, 4,516,972, 4,538,622, 4,582,185, 4,616,652, and 4,638,805, which are incorporated by reference herein.
It frequently occurs that a coronary stenosis is ostial in location. When the distal tip of a diagnostic or guiding catheter is positioned into the ostiurn of an artery with ostial stenosis, blood flowing into that coronary artery may be drastically lowered or obliterated. This condition requires immediate withdrawal of the distal tip of the catheter in order to prevent development of myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, hypotension, or even patient death. In such cases, if the patient requires coronary angiography, it is generally performed non-selectively by injecting radio-opaque contrast solution into the ascending aorta. Non-selective coronary angiography requires a larger amount of radio-opaque contrast solution and increases the risks of radio-opaque contrast-induced kidney damage. Moreover, non-selective coronary angiography in general gives a poorer assessment of coronary anatomy.
In cases of ostial stenosis requiring PTCA, it is generally necessary to first position the guiding catheter within the ostium as described. However, in order to allow the dilation balloon to be properly positioned in the ostium, it is normally required that the tip of the guiding catheter be pulled out of the ostial stenosis. That is, without preliminary withdrawal ofthe guiding catheter tip from the ostium, the dilation balloon may be partially within the confines of the guiding catheter when properly positioned for inflation relative to the lesion. This means that the balloon cannot be fully inflated owing to the mechanical interference presented by the guiding catheter tip. Normally, several balloon dilations are required before an ostial stenosis is satisfactorily dilated, and after each dilation angiography is performed to assess the result of the proceeding balloon dilation. Therefore, PTCA of ostial stenosis requires multiple insertions of the distal tip of the guiding catheter into the ostium of the artery, with subsequent preliminary withdrawal and positioning of the dilation balloon, inflation of the balloon and angiography. With each insertion of the guiding catheter tip into the coronary ostium, the risks of acute coronary closure and myocardial infarction are increased.
Another common problem experienced with prior guiding catheters is their inability to stay in a position when the distal end of a dilation catheter is advanced across a stenosis. Surgeons have attempted to ameliorate this problem by buttressing the guiding catheter against the opposed wall of the aorta, by deep-seating the guiding catheter tip well into the coronary ostium, or by use of guiding catheters of various distal configurations and stiffnesses. These attempted solutions are not always successful and can themselves cause complications. To give but one example, use of various types of catheters requires withdrawal of guiding catheter(s) and replacement thereofwith new catheter(s) having different curvatures or stiffnesses. This recatherization not only increases the time required for the procedure but may add further arterial trauma. Withdrawal of guiding catheters also necessitate withdrawal of the guide wire and balloon dilation catheter which increases the risk of acute coronary closure and myocardial infarction.
There is accordingly a real and unsatisfied need in the art for improved catheter products which overcome the problems associated with improper guiding catheter tip placement and the tendency of guiding catheters to shift during placement and use of balloon dilation catheters.


A portable card reader is provided which reads data stored in a card inserted thereinto and/or records given data on the card. The card reader includes upper and lower casings which are pivotably supported so that they are opened to expose a card feeding path defined in the card reader for facilitating easy removal of the card if jammed. The card reader also includes a memory for storing therein the data read out of the card and an input/output terminal for establishing data communication with an external device such as a computer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a card reader for reading data stored in a card, and more particularly to a portable card reader and a charging unit for charging a storage battery built in a card reader.
2. Background of Related Art
Conventional card readers are usually used as it is built in devices. However, in recent years, portable card readers have been developed.
The portable card readers, however, have the following drawbacks.
When the remaining capacity of a battery is decreased below a given level, the battery must be charged so that it becomes impossible to use the card reader until completion of the charge.
If a card is jammed in the card reader, it requires a relatively long period of time until the jammed card is removed completely. Additionally, it is difficult to clean the inside of the card reader for compactness.
Further, it is impossible to manage the use of a card through another device.


A system includes a solid-state storage array having a plurality of solid-state storage devices and a storage controller coupled to the solid-state storage array, the storage controller including a processing device, the processing device to select a segment height based on erase block sizes of the plurality of solid-state storage devices. The processing device is further to program a data segment using the segment height to a data stripe across two or more of the plurality of solid-state storage devices and store the segment height in metadata associated with the data segment.

In storage systems with solid-state storage memory, RAID stripes are commonly used to provide redundancy for data storage, and recovery of data in case of failures. Homogeneous erase blocks, all of the same erase block size, are readily used in RAID stripes. Heterogeneous erase blocks, of various erase block sizes, pose problems for efficient use of storage memory. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a solution which overcomes the drawbacks described above.

Dynamically selecting segment heights in a heterogeneous RAID group


A grab picks up a hollow workpiece and displaces it to a machining station where, while the workpiece is held in the grab, a tool is engaged from outside with a first surface of the workpiece to finish the first surface. Then the workpiece is reoriented by the grab and engaged by a tool with a second surface of the workpiece to finish the second surface. Another tool is fitted through a large-diameter hole of the workpiece and positioned inside the workpiece adjacent a small-diameter hole and a drive spindle is coupled through the small-diameter hole to the other tool to machine an inner surface of the workpiece adjacent the small-diameter hole. These steps are then repeated to finish another interior surface of the workpiece adjacent another small-diameter hole. Finally the workpiece is displaced from the machining station and released from the grab.

A standard differential housing is a massive hollow casting that is formed with several holes of different diameters aligned normally on a plane at 90° to each other. Internally it has other surfaces that must be machined to perfectly planar or part-spherical shapes. All of this machining must be done to a very high precision to accommodate the various shafts and gears that are eventually installed in the housing.
In the classic system for doing this, described in German patent document 41 42 121 of A. Baudermann the workpiece is moved from machining station to machining station and is clamped at each station as it is worked on there, typically by accurately boring out and grinding the holes which extend to the exterior and by milling interior surfaces, normally around the holes. Such a method is very slow and makes it quite difficult to align the various holes and surfaces perfectly with one another.
Various other methods and systems are described in WO 02/00390 of P. Modig, German patent 37 22 180 of H. Ullmann, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,983 of M. Gruner. All these methods involve handing the workpiece off from one holder to another and complex positioning systems for the workpiece and the tools working on it. In every system the accuracy of the relative positions of the various machined surfaces is often not satisfactory.
Another system described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,404 of K. Deufel employs a tool comprised of a drivable spindle and a cutter or grinder couplable to the spindle. The spindle is poked through a small-diameter hole in a hollow workpiece and an automated gripper can engage underneath the workpiece to fit the cutter/grinder to the spindle so that an interior surface of the workpiece can be finished. Such a special-duty system has only limited applicability and requires that the workpiece be shifted from station to station, in each of which it is held by a separate gripper, in order to work on other surfaces or holes in the workpiece.


An elliptical exercise apparatus includes a base, an upstanding frame extending upwardly from the base, a crank assembly including left and right crank members connected respectively and rotatably to left and right sides of the upstanding frame, and a link rod assembly including left and right first link rods each having first to third connection points. The first connection point is connected rotatably to the corresponding crank member. The link rod assembly further includes left and right second link rods each having rear and front ends connected pivotally and respectively to the upstanding frame and the corresponding second connection point. A pedal assembly includes left and right pedal rods each having a front connecting section connected rotatably to the corresponding third connection point. The pedal rods are mounted on the base to move in a substantially front-to-rear direction relative to the base.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an exercise apparatus, more particularly to an elliptical exercise apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a first conventional elliptical exercise apparatus 1 is shown to include a main frame 11, a crank assembly 12, left and right link rods 131, 132, and left and right pedal rods 141, 142. The main frame 11 includes a base 113, a first frame part 111 extending upwardly from a front end of the base 113, and a second frame part 112 connected to the first frame part 111. The crank assembly 12 is mounted rotatably on the first frame part 111. Each of the left and right link rods 131, 132 has a first connection point 133 connected rotatably to the crank assembly 12, a second connection point 134 connected pivotally to the second frame part 112 and movable along a predetermined path, and a third connection portion 135 proximate to the first connection point 133. Each of the left and right pedal rods 141, 142 has a first connecting section 143 connected rotatably to the third connection point 135 of the corresponding link rod 131, 132, a pedaling section 144 distal from the first connecting section 143, and a second connecting section 145 between the first connecting section 143 and the pedaling section 144 and connected to the base 113 so as to be movable along a predetermined path. As the pedaling section 144 of each pedal rod 141, 142 is distal from the second frame part 112, i.e., the front end part of the main frame 11, the apparatus 1 is long and bulky.
Referring to FIG. 2, a second conventional elliptical exercise apparatus (1a) is shown to include a main frame (11a), a crank assembly (12a), left and right link rods (131a, 132a), left and right pedal rods (141a, 142a), and left and right handles (151a, 152a). The crank assembly (12a) is mounted rotatably on a first frame part (111a) of the main frame (11a). Each of the left and right link rods (131a, 132a) has a first connection point (133a) connected rotatably to the crank assembly (12a), a second connection point (134a) connected pivotally to a second frame part (112a) of the main frame (11a), and a third connection point (135a) proximate to the first connection point (133a). Each of the left and right pedal rods (141a, 142a) has a first connecting section (143a) connected rotatably to the third connection point (135a) of the corresponding link rod (131a, 132a), a second connecting section (145a) distal from the first connecting section (143a), and a pedaling section (144a) between the first and second connecting sections (143a, 145a). As the pedaling section (144a) of each pedal rod (141a, 142a) is disposed between the handles (151a, 152a) and the crank assembly (12a), the apparatus (1a) is also long and bulky.
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic side view of a third conventional elliptical exercise apparatus (1b). The exercise apparatus (1b) includes a main frame (11b), a crank assembly (12b), left and right link rods (only the right link rod (132b) is shown), left and right pedal rods (only the right pedal rod (142b) is shown), and left and right handles (only the right handle (152b) is shown). The main frame (11b) includes a base (113b), a first frame part (111b) extending upwardly from the base (113b), and a second frame part (112b) connected to the first frame part (11b). The crank assembly (12b) is mounted rotatably on the first frame part (111b). Each of the left and right link rods (132b) has a first connection point (133b) connected rotatably to the crank assembly (12b), a second connection point (134b) connected pivotally to the second frame part (112b) through a second link rod (136b), and a third connection point (135b) proximate to the second connection point (134b). Each of the left and right pedal rods (142b) has a first connecting section (143b) connected rotatably to the third connection point (135b) of the corresponding link rod (132b), a pedaling section (144b) distal from the first connecting section (143b), and a second connecting section (145b) between the first connecting section (143b) and the pedaling section (144b). Each of the handles (152b) has a lower end connected pivotally to the pedaling section (145b) of the corresponding pedal rod (142b). Since the second link rod (136b) has a rear end pivoted to the right link rod (132b) and a front end fixed to the second frame part (112b), i.e., the front end part of the main frame (11b), the pedaling section (144b) of each pedal rod (142b) is distal from the front end part of the main frame (11b), thereby lengthening the overall length of the apparatus (1b).
Because the aforementioned conventional elliptical exercise apparatuses 1, (1a), (1b) are long and bulky, a substantial space is required for use, storage, and transportation.