A jam removing device, an apparatus including a jam removing device, and a method of removing a jam are provided. The jam removing device includes a first door member installed on an in/out path of a tray mounted with a developing unit and is opened or closed with respect to an apparatus body, a second door member installed in the apparatus body in an opposite direction to the first door member and is opened or closed with respect to the apparatus body, a guide unit including a first guide that guides insertion/withdrawal of the tray with respect to the apparatus body and a second guide that guides the first guide so that the developing unit approaches or separates from a transfer unit, a first link unit connecting the first door member and the first guide, and a second link unit connecting the second door member and the first guide.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a jam removing device, an image forming apparatus including the jam removing device, and a method of removing a jam, and more particularly, to a jam removing device whereby a jam may be easily removed if a jam occurs in an image forming operation, an image forming apparatus including the jam removing device, and a method of removing a jam.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus radiates modulated light on a photoconductor in response to image information so as to form an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the photoconductor, and supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image so as to form a visible toner image on the surface of the photoconductor. After transferring the visible image to a recording medium, printing may be performed by a fixing scheme using heat and pressure.
In a process of performing a printing using the image forming apparatus, the recording medium may become stuck in the apparatus, that is, a jam may occur, due to various reasons such as a state of the recording medium, wear of the internal components of the image forming apparatus, etc. When such a jam occurs, the stuck recording medium needs to be removed.
If a recording medium is stuck between a developing unit and a transfer unit, as the developing unit and the transfer unit are in contact, the recording medium may be torn when removing the recording medium, and thus it may be difficult to completely remove the recording medium. The transfer unit or the developing unit may be damaged due to friction with the recording medium. Accordingly, a printing operation may become inaccurate or even impossible to perform.

Device for removing jam, image forming apparatus including the same, and method of removing jam


The image processor of the present invention generates a more natural synthesized image from camera images taken with a plurality of cameras capturing the surroundings of a vehicle. A parameter storage section stores a plurality of image synthesis parameter groups representing the correspondence between the camera images and the synthesized image and having different spatial or temporal resolution relations. A parameter selection section selects the image synthesis parameter group according to the output of a vehicle motion detection section for detecting the motion of the vehicle such as the driving speed and direction. An image synthesis section generates the synthesized image from the camera images according to the selected image synthesis parameter group.

The present invention relates to an image processing technique for generating a synthesized image from images taken with a plurality of cameras. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique that can be effectively applied to monitoring systems used as an assist in ensuring safety driving of a vehicle and the like.
In recent years, with widespread use of car-mounted displays and cost reduction in video equipment such as cameras, devices for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle with cameras to assist safety driving have been commercialized and are now becoming popular.
As an example of such conventional vehicle surroundings monitoring devices, the following construction is known. That is, a camera is placed at a position on a vehicle where an image of a blind area for the driver, such as the rear of the vehicle, can be taken with the camera, and the image taken (camera image) is shown on a display for monitoring.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 58-110334 discloses the following construction. A plurality of cameras are placed at different positions on a vehicle. A plurality of camera images taken with the cameras are modified and synthesized, to generate a synthesized image as is viewed from the above of the vehicle with the vehicle in the center and display the synthesized image on an in-car display. Using this vehicle surroundings monitoring device, the driver sitting on the driver's seat can monitor on the display a blind area of which direct view is not possible. This contributes to avoiding an accident that would otherwise have occurred, and also facilitating the driving.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed is a method for dislodging a mold from a casting formed within the mold. The mold may be removed from the casting by scoring the mold and applying a force sufficient to cause the mold to fracture and break into pieces. Additionally, the mold may be fractured by either explosive charges placed in the mold pack or by high energy pulsations directed at the mold. Once the mold is fractured and broken into various pieces it may then be dislodged from the casting.

A traditional casting process for forming metal castings generally employs a mold or die, such as a permanent, metal die or a sand mold, having the exterior features of a desired casting, such as a cylinder head, formed on its interior surfaces. A sand core comprised of sand and a suitable binder material and defining the interior features of the casting is typically placed within the die to further define the features of the casting. Sand cores generally are used to produce contours and interior features within the metal castings, and the removal and reclaiming of the sand materials of the cores from the castings after the casting process is completed is a necessity.
Depending upon the application, the binder for the sand core and/or sand mold may comprise a phenolic resin binder, a phenolic urethane "cold box" binder, or other suitable organic binder material. The die or mold is then filled with a molten metallic alloy, which is allowed to cool to a certain, desired degree to cause the alloy to solidify. After the alloy has solidified into a casting, the casting is then moved to a treatment furnace or furnaces for further processing, including heat-treating, reclamation of the sand from the sand cores, and aging. Heat treating and aging are processes that condition metallic alloys so that they will be provided with different physical characteristics suited for different applications.
The sand molds and/or cores generally are removed from the casting prior to completion of heat treatment. The sand molds and/or cores are typically separated from their castings by one or a combination of means. For example, sand may be chiseled away from the casting or the casting may be physically shaken or vibrated to break-up the sand molds and internal sand cores within the castings and remove the sand. In addition or alternately, as the sand molds and castings are passed through a heat treatment and/or thermal sand removal furnace, the organic or thermally degradable binder for the sand molds and cores, generally is broken down or combusted by exposure to the high temperatures for heat treating the castings to a desired metal properties so that the sand from the molds and cores can be removed from the castings and reclaimed, leaving the finished, heat-treated castings. Furnace systems and methods of heat treating castings are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,957,188, 5,829,509, and 5,439,045, each of which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Heat treating and aging of the casting are performed during and/or after the sand removal process.
Technology such as that disclosed in the above mentioned patents is driven, for example, by competition, increasing costs of raw materials, energy, labor, waste disposal, and environmental regulations. These factors continue to mandate improvements in the field of heat-treating and reclamation of sand from such metal castings.

Method and apparatus for assisting removal of sand moldings from castings


An injectable pharmaceutical composition of a sulfonylurea drug and a preparation method thereof were described. The pharmaceutical composition contains a sulfonylurea drug, a cyclodextrin and an additive.

A Sulfonylurea drug is an insulin secretagogue, which is widely used in the clinical treatment of type II diabetes. Widely used sulfonylurea drugs in clinical practice include glibenclamide (also referred to as gliburide), gliclazide, glipizide, gliquidone, glibornuride, glimepiride, etc. All the hypoglycemic sulfonylurea drugs in the market are oral solid preparations.

Studies in recent years have shown that glibenclamide (Formula 1, also referred to as Glyburide, whose chemical name is 5-chloro-N-(4-[N-(cyclohexylcarbamoyl)aminosulfonyl]phenethyl)-2-methoxybenzamide) could be used for the prevention of cerebral edema for patients with stroke when administered by intravenous injection (Sheth et.al, Pilot study of intravenous glyburide in patients with a large ischemic stroke. Stroke, 2014, 45:281˜283). Sulfonylurea drugs exert their effects by acting on sulfonylurea receptors (SURs). Sulfonylurea drugs are mildly acidic, and has poor solubility in water, especially poor solubility at neutral and acidic pH. Glibenclamide has a water solubility of less than 5 μg/ml. It was reported by Schrage et.al. that an injectable solution containing 1 mg/ml of glibenclamide was prepared by using a 0.1M NaOH solution (Schrage et.al, Effects of combined inhibition of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, nitric oxide, and prostaglandins on hyperemia during moderate exercise. J Appl Physiol, 2006, 100:1506-1512). However, the pH of this solution was up to 11, which is beyond the usual pH range for injection (pH4˜pH9). If an acidic pH regulator was used to reduce the pH, there may be a risk of drug precipitation. Moreover, for a solution with a low concentration of glibenclamide, there is an apparent adsorption of drug onto PVC infusion bags.

Pharmaceutical composition comprising a sulfonylurea drug and preparation method thereof

JIANGSU AOSAIKANG PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.


A method for closing openings in a flexible diaphragm of a MEMS element. The method includes: providing at least one opening in the flexible diaphragm, situating sealing material in the area of the at least one opening, melting-on at least the applied sealing material in the area of the at least one opening, and subsequently cooling the melted-on material to close the at least one opening.

In conventional MEMS sensors, for example, MEMS pressure sensors or MEMS microphones, at least one cavity is formed, which is covered by at least one flexible diaphragm. A pressure-dependent, in particular a sound-pressure-dependent deflection change of the flexible diaphragm is detected by capacitance changes which occur, for example, due to electrodes between flexible diaphragm and a fixed electrode surface, and may be read out. During the manufacturing of the MEMS pressure sensor, among other things, etching accesses are required in the diaphragm to expose the diaphragm in order to be able to expose this diaphragm as a whole. These openings have to be closed again to provide the defined internal pressure.
A method for manufacturing a micromechanical component including a substrate and a cap, which is connected to the substrate and encloses a first cavity with the substrate, is described in German Patent Application No. DE 10 2015 224 520 A1, an access opening through a material area of the substrate or the cap, which enters a liquid phase in one method step, between a first plane, which extends in parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate and is situated on a side facing away from the first cavity of an area of the access opening formed essentially perpendicular to the main extension plane, and a second plane, which is situated on a side facing toward the first cavity of the area of the access opening formed essentially perpendicular to the main extension plane, is filled essentially completely.
A method for manufacturing a micromechanical component including a substrate and a cap, which is connected to the substrate and encloses a first cavity with the substrate, is described in DE 10 2015 224 506 A1, a first pressure prevailing in the first cavity and a first gas mixture having a first chemical composition being enclosed,                in a first method step, an access opening connecting the first cavity to surroundings of the micromechanical component being formed in the substrate or in the cap,        in a second method step, the first pressure and/or the first chemical composition being set in the first cavity,        in a third method step, the access opening being closed by introducing energy or heat into an absorbing part of the substrate or the cap with the aid of a laser, a getter introduced into the first cavity before the third method step being at least partially activated during the third method step with the aid of laser radiation generated by the laser.

Method for closing openings in a flexible diaphragm of a MEMS element


A method of fabricating a helical core includes: a stamping step of blanking a pair steel plate cores in two rows from an electrical steel sheet to form a pair of bases confronting each other in a width direction and teeth protruding from each of the bases to alternately cross with each other; providing at least one ejector concavity to the teeth so as to facilitate separation of the steel plate cores blanked in two rows from the electrical steel sheet; and a winding step of helically stacking the steel plate core from a bottom layer to a top layer to configure a multi-layer structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum type washer, and more particularly, to a helical core configuring a stator of an outer rotor type BLDC motor and fabricating method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a drum type washer performs washing in a manner of rotating a drum, in which a laundry, detergent, and water are put, by a drive force of a motor using friction between the water and the laundry. The drum type washer causes almost no damage to the laundry, prevents raveling of the laundry, and bring about effects of beating and rubbing.
Drum type washers are categorized into an indirect coupling type and a direct coupling type according to a drive system. In the indirect coupling type, a drive force of a motor is indirectly transferred to a drum via a motor pulley and a belt wound of the drum pulley. In the direct coupling type, a rotor of a BLDC motor is directly coupled with a drum to directly transfer a drive force to the drum.
Yet, in the indirect coupling type system that transfers the drive force of the motor to the drum via the motor pulley and the belt wound on the drum pulley instead of transferring the drive force of the motor to the drum directly, energy loss occurs in the process of drive force transfer and considerable noise is generated.
Hence, the direct coupling drum type washer using the BLDC motor is widely used to solve the above problems of the drum type washer.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of a direct coupling drum type washer according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a tub 2 is provided within a cabinet 1, and a drum 3 is rotatably provided within the tub 2.
A motor is provided to a rear portion of the tub 2. Specifically, a stator 6 is fixed to a rear wall of the tub 2 and a rotor 5 encloses the stator 6 to be coupled to the drum 3 via a shaft.
A door 21 is provided to a front portion of the cabinet 1 and a gasket is provided between the door 21 and the tub 2.
A hanging spring 23 supporting the tub 2 is provided between an inside of a top portion of the cabinet 1 and an upper outer circumference of the tub 2, and a friction damper 24 is provided between an inside of a bottom portion of the cabinet 1 and a lower outer circumference of the tub 2 to attenuate vibration of the tub 2.
FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram of a stator in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram of a sectional core (SC) applied to the stator in FIG. 2.
A method of manufacturing a stator core according to a related art is explained as follows.
First of all, a plurality of unit cores are fabricated by a pressing process of a steel plate. In doing so, each of the unit cores consists of teeth 151, a base 150, and a protrusion 500 opposite to the teeth 151 for forming a locking hole 500a. A plurality of the unit cores are stacked to form a plurality of assemblies. And, a plurality of the assemblies are linked in a circumferential direction to complete a stator core.
The protrusion 500 plays a role in standing a locking force of a bolt as well as provides the locking hole 500a necessary for locking a stator to the rear wall of the tub.
Yet, such a method of manufacturing the sectional core SC is very complicated and brings about considerable loss of materials.
Namely, the sectional core SC is manufactured in a manner of preparing one unit core from one steel plate by pressing, stacking a plurality of the processed unit cores to form a plurality of assemblies, and linking a plurality of the assemblies to one another in a circumferential direction. Hence, a considerable amount of the steel plates remains after completion of the pressing to waste the material. Since the protrusion 500 located opposite to the teeth 51 is provided to the unit core, a considerable size of the steel plate is needed to manufacture the unit core. And, the manufacturing method is complicated as well.
Hence, a new stator core playing the same role of the sectional core SC is needed to reduce the material loss and to simplify the corresponding manufacturing process.


A network structure for path generation includes an operational amplifier circuit (200) implementation. The circuit (200) implements a finite difference approximation template for computing the weighted sum of its four "neighbors." The circuit implementation (200) includes a series of five output operational amplifiers (202, 204, 206, 208 and 210). Each of the output amplifiers includes a feedback path (212) having a feedback resistance, and is connected to the output terminal of its respective operational amplifier and to the negative input terminal (214) of the corresponding amplifier. The positive input terminal (216) of each of the output operational amplifiers is connected to a ground (218). The circuit implementation (200) further includes a series of input operational amplifiers (220, 222, 224, 226 and 228). The output terminals (230) of each of the input operational amplifiers are connected to respective ones of the input terminals (214) of the output operational amplifiers through input impedances. The input amplifiers include conductive feedback paths (232) having feedback resistances and connected to negative input terminals (234) of each of the input operational amplifiers. A positive input terminal (236) of each of the operational amplifiers is connected to a ground (238). Each of the negative input terminals (234) of each of the input operational amplifiers is connected to a series of four input impedances. Each of the input amplifiers includes reference voltage inputs.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to computational architectures for parallel processing of signals and, more particularly, to massively parallel implementations of neural networks for path generation applications.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of practical problems in advanced technology require such a substantial amount of computations that real-time solutions are essentially unavailable from current technology. For example, one type of problem falling within this category relates to path planning in a multidimensional space. That is, in a large "problem space" (typically with several state variables) or "search space," it may be desired to search possible paths for a path having an optimal or "near optimal" performance measure through the space. The measure of performance is typically quantitatively expressed as a cost function associated with the selected path. In view of the relatively large search space, this type of path planning problem subjects computational resources to severe demands.
Solutions to problems such as path planning as described above are currently the subject of substantial research and development. In part, this research and development is directed to computer architectures for providing real time solutions to these problems. Although state-of-the-art digital computers are extremely powerful, such computers still exhibit certain limitations in problem solving. That is, many practical problems, such as real time path optimization, require such a substantial amount of computation that real time solutions were not earlier possible. Along with path optimization, pattern recognition problems are another category where computational requirements are substantially beyond state-of-the-art digital computers.
The development of real time solutions to problems such as path planning optimization and pattern recognition have led to substantial research and development associated with parallel processing of signals. For purposes of understanding the background of parallel computer structures, three configurations of parallel structures are described in Hwang and Briggs, Computer Architecture and Parallel Processing, McGraw-Hill 1984. These architectural configurations are typically characterized as pipeline computers, array processors and multiprocessor systems. In describing these types of architectural configurations, Hwang and Briggs also describe particular types of parallelism resulting from the configurations. For example, temporal parallelism results from pipeline computers as a result of the use of overlapped computations. Correspondingly, spatial parallelism results from multiple synchronized arithmetic logic units in array processors. Further, asynchronous parallelism is described within multiprocessor systems through the use of interactive processors having shared resources, such as memories, databases and the like.
With today's advanced state of the art in computer technology, parallel computers with 10.sup.5 to 10.sup.6 gates per chip facilitate the fabrication of massively parallel computers. Accordingly, a substantial amount of research has been directed to the understanding of the basic properties of highly parallel computation. For example, connectionist models (typically referred to as CM's) have resulted from the desire to understand computation in massively parallel architectures. In Fahlman and Hinton, "Connectionist Architectures for Artificial Intelligence," Computer, January 1987, the concept of research directed to the exploration of the use of massively parallel computer architectures is described as basically an attempt to avoid the conventional limitations of symbolic processing.
System response times for computers depend on the throughput, memory and interfacing capacities of the individual computer or computer network. In path planning applications, real time solutions are extremely difficult due to the massive computational throughput requirement associated with an extensive search space.
Extensive development has been performed with regard to parallelized versions of combinatorial search procedures. Other conventional search procedures, such as breadth-first, depth-first, alpha-beta, dynamic programming and the like, have been transformed into parallel versions. These parallelized search procedures are based on multiprocessor architectures comprising serial processors. Accordingly, this parallelizing has focused on data and control partitioning so as to address resource allocation of processors and memory only, rather than relatively unique parallel processing architectures.
As a result of the development associated with parallel processing, one type of technology which is considered to have a substantial potential with respect to such massively parallel architectures is neural networks. The development of neural network technology is often considered to have begun in 1943, and is described in McCulloch and Pitts, "A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity," Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics, Vol. 5, 1943, pp. 115-133. McCulloch and Pitts describe the use of the biological neuron as a computational model to compute boolean operations. Such a computing architecture is considered to be an alternative to the conventional Von Neumann architecture. A neural network is considered to be relatively distinct, in that the network can be programmed with data derived from its environment for purposes of adaptation instead of being conventionally programmed. Correspondingly, neural networks exhibit massive parallelism, with relatively high speed and inherent fault tolerance. Even animals with a relatively simple neural system structure can solve problems which would be difficult for solution by conventional digital computers.
Neural networks are essentially "motivated" by the biological neuron, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a functional model of a simulated neuron comprises a series of synapses which act to provide outputs from other neurons and to provide inputs to the illustrated neuron. Inputs to the neuron from the synapses are typically characterized as dendrites. The "body" of the neuron, typically characterized as the soma, is functionally similar to a summer/threshold circuit. The output of the neuron, characterized as the axon, can be applied on axonal paths to the interconnection synapses.
Although neuronal computing elements may be relatively slow (on the order of 10.sup.-3 seconds), complex parallel connections of neuronal computing elements can result in relatively complex parallel processing having an overall "fast" throughput. Neurons with a computational speed of a few milliseconds can actually account for complex behavior in a few hundred milliseconds. Entire complex behaviors can be accomplished in a few hundred time steps of the computational system.
A physically realized neural network can comprise a highly parallel computational circuit having a series of amplifiers, with each of the amplifiers feeding back its output signal to itself and other amplifiers through a conductance T.sub.ij. In one type of embodiment of a neural network, the T.sub.ij conductances (where T.sub.ij denotes the conductance between the output of amplifier j and the input of amplifier i) and the associated connections can be characterized as a connection network having one output signal set and two input signal sets.
The output signal set is applied to the amplifier inputs, one of the input signal sets is derived from the amplifier outputs, and the other input signal set is responsive to input stimuli applied to the neural network. As is known in the art, the values of the T.sub.ij conductances can be defined so as to achieve predetermined results, such as attaining different specified output states of the amplifiers in response to different ranges of input stimuli. As also known in the art, an input interconnection network may be interposed between the input stimuli and the second set of inputs of the feedback network. This input interconnection network, comprising a feed-forward arrangement, converts the expected input signals to corresponding signals which drive the feedback network and amplifiers. The foregoing is merely one type of neural network, as described in Hopfield et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,872 issued Jun. 26, 1990.
Neural networks exhibit various advantageous characteristics. Among these are the following:
1. Neural networks tend to be relatively resistant to hardware failures; PA1 2. Pattern recognition occurs in a parallel mode; PA1 3. Multiple layers in neural networks realize hierarchical data structures; PA1 4. Some neural network structures exhibit properties of adaptive biological learning; and PA1 5. Neural networks appear to be capable of capturing patterns in space, time, discrete and continuous representational models.
The connectionist model can be employed to describe a neural network. One of the fundamental concepts of connectionism as applied to neural networks is based on the premise that individual neurons do not transmit large amounts of symbolic information. Instead, a neural network provides computation by appropriate connections to relatively large numbers of similar computational elements. In a system employing connectionist parallel architecture, the "permanent" knowledge of the system is stored as patterns of connection-to-connection "strengths" among processing elements. In what is known as a "compact" connectionist model, the activity of a set of neurons tends to encode a concept group, instead of exactly one neuron accounting for any single individual concept. In what is known as a "diffuse" connectionist model, concepts are represented by a pattern of activity as a relatively larger set of neurons, which concurrently represent other concepts.
In further explanation, the connectionist model comprises a formalism of massively parallel models of computation. Such models are based upon information processing properties of neurons. As earlier mentioned, neurons are relatively slow as computing elements, but neuron networks have relatively complex parallel interconnections to other neurons. As also earlier mentioned, the processing characteristics of neurons can account for relatively complex behavior in a relatively few number of steps.
The contribution of the massive interconnection complexity can be characterized as a substrate for relatively more complex information processing capabilities. Accordingly, the connectionist model is based upon a theory that individual neurons do not exchange vast quantities of symbolic information, but instead perform computations by the complex interconnections between similar computationally simple units. Such interconnections allow for communication by means of spreading activation over weighted links among neurons.
For a connectionist model to be adaptable to physically realizable applications, the network of units requires a means for purposes of making decisions, or to perform some coherent action, as exemplified by animal and human behavior. Such a requirement implies that the networks must converge to stable states to effect decision making and coherent actions.
For purposes of providing additional background, the following paragraphs discuss various principles associated with particular search algorithms. Concepts associated with simulated annealing are described in Fahlman and Hinton, "Connectionist Architectures for Artificial Intelligence," Computer, January 1987. In this reference, Fahlman and Hinton describe the back propagation algorithm as a gradient descent search in a space of potential representational schemes.
For purposes of illustrating the "settling down" of a network during a back propagation search, it must be shown that a cost function exists which tends to decrease at each value change. In networks having symmetrically connected binary threshold units, a cost function typically characterized as the "energy" can be employed.
Each unit must determine the difference between the global energy of the network when the unit is disabled, and the global energy when the unit is enabled, given current states of other units. Such a difference is characterized as the "energy gap." If the energy gap is positive, the unit should be enabled or should remain enabled, so as to minimize the global energy. Otherwise, the unit should be disabled or should remain disabled.
A simulated annealing search, for purposes of escaping local minima, can be employed within an architecture which utilizes a particular type of network with hidden units. Simulated annealing escapes from high local minima by adding a random component to each unit's decision process. The gradient descent search step of simulated annealing is typically negative, but the step can be occasionally positive.
For purposes of a full understanding of the background of search algorithms, and although not necessarily required for an understanding of a processing structure in accordance with the invention, the following paragraphs describe concepts associated with dynamic programming. A more detailed analysis of the concepts associated with the same is set forth in Bellman, Dynamic Programming, Princeton University Press, 1957. In the aforedescribed reference, dynamic programming is introduced by describing a problem associated with multi-stage allocation processes. In such a process, the quantity x is expressed as two non-negative parts, y and x-y. In each stage of the process, the quantity y returns a value g(y) and the quantity x-y returns a value h(x-y). In accordance with the foregoing, total return for a single stage process is accomplished by maximizing the following function: ##EQU1## The "price" to obtain the value g(x) is a reduction of y to ay. Correspondingly, to obtain the value h(x-y) the value x-y is reduced to b(x-y), with a greater than or equal to 0 and b less than 1. The function f.sub.n (x) is the "maximum" return obtained from an n-stage process starting with the initial quantity x, for x greater than or equal to 0. This function can be described as follows: ##EQU2## For this first stage, namely f.sub.1 (x), the function can be defined as follows: ##EQU3## For n stages, the function can be defined as a recursive function in accordance with the following: ##EQU4##
Dynamic programming processes include several characteristic features. Specifically, the physical system for such a process is represented at any stage of the process by a relatively small set of parameters characterized as "state variables." At each stage of the process, a choice can be made from a number of possible decisions. The effects of the decision chosen at each stage of the process is a transformation of the state variables. Further, the past "history" of the system is unimportant with respect to determination of future actions. The purpose of the dynamic programming process is to maximize or minimize some "function" of the state variables.
For purposes of further description of concepts associated with dynamic programming, several known definitions are typically utilized. More specifically, a "policy" is typically defined as any rule for making decisions which result in allowable sequences of decisions. An "optimal" policy is typically characterized as the policy which maximizes or minimizes the pre-assigned function of the final state variables. In accordance with what is typically characterized as the "principle of optimality," an optimal policy comprises the property that regardless of the initial state and initial decision, remaining decisions must constitute an optimal policy with regard to the state resulting from the first decision.
Another conceptual arrangement is described in Dreyfus and Law, The Art and Theory of Dynamic Programming, Academic Press 1977. In this arrangement, the principle of optimality is defined as the best path from A to B having the property that, whatever is the initial decision at A, the remaining path to B, starting from the next point after A, must be the best path from that point to B. Further, the assignment of values to the various "subproblems" is characterized as the "optimal value function." In addition, the function which associates the best first decision with each subprogram is characterized as the "optimal policy function."
Returning again to neural network architecture, with the background associated with search algorithms as described in the foregoing paragraphs, computational methods based on neural networks are being developed for complex problems associated with learning, pattern classification/recognition and path planning.
Developments in artificial neural network approaches to constrained optimization problems, coupled with advances in integrated circuit technology, have resulted in advancement of developments associated with enhancing real-time control, decision-making and parameter compensation processes. Neural networks have been used in solving optimization problems expressed in the form of linear programming models, and functional optimization in the form of iterated descent. Neural computation can be characterized as being analogous to searching for a path which extends through a "valley" within an energy contour. Neural networks can further be characterized as computing by defining a computational energy function which has resulted from the optimization function.
Various known developmental projects have involved neural network models for purposes of solving constrained optimization problems. The results of these developments appear to indicate that properly designed neural networks can provide relatively rapid computations, with relatively "good" optima. Processing elements utilized in several of these developmental circuits or models comprise relatively simple analog neurons which are conducive to ultra-dense VLSI implementations. Detailed neural circuits for solving small linear programming problems constructed from non-linear operational amplifiers have also been described in the art.
The data elements of the mathematical model can be composed of vectors and matrices. The computations involve matrix-vector products and integrations repeated over a set of data. Such data-parallel computations can be executed relatively efficiently on a massively parallel machine. For purposes of achieving such speeds, a relatively good data-partitioning scheme is required, as well as a reduction of the communications.
Although not obvious from the prior art, the neural network architecture associated with the invention involves electric field theory. Accordingly, the following paragraphs briefly describe background principles of electric field theory pertinent to the invention.
The divergence of the current density j is defined as the charge (p) rate of change in accordance with the following: ##EQU5## In the steady state condition, no charge distribution changes occur, the charge rate of change is zero and, accordingly, the divergence of the current density j is zero.
The current density is defined in terms of the electric field E and the conductivity .sigma. in accordance with the following: EQU j=.sigma.E (Equation 6)
In the steady state condition, with the divergence of the current density being zero, Equation 5 can be written as follows: EQU .gradient..multidot.(.sigma.E)=0 (Equation 7)
Using vector identity principles, Equation 7 can be written as: EQU .gradient..sigma..multidot.E+.sigma..gradient..multidot.E=0 (Equation 8)
The electric field E can also be defined as the negative gradient of the potential field .phi. as follows: EQU E=-.gradient..phi. (Equation 9 )
By substituting the negative gradient of the potential field .phi. in the vector identity principle Equation 8, Equation 8 can now be written as follows: EQU .gradient..sigma..multidot.(-.gradient..phi.)+.sigma..gradient..multidot.(- .gradient..phi.)=0 (Equation 10)
By dividing Equation 10 by the term -.sigma., the following expression is obtained for the electric field potential of a nonuniform conductive media: ##EQU6##
With the gradient and divergence operators of Equation 11 expanded in two dimensions, the following second order partial differential equation is obtained: ##EQU7## With x and y representing the two dimensions, Equation 12 can be defined in subscript notation as follows: ##EQU8##
As earlier described, various network architectures have been developed for the general path planning problem and for the specific problem of finding optimal or near optimal paths among a multiple of paths. Although development is relatively extensive, the known network architectures directed to the path planning problem suffer from several disadvantages.
The Hopfield network has the advantage that its implementation as an analog circuit is relatively straight forward. However, one drawback to the Hopfield network is that the high gain limit is relatively difficult to physically implement. Another drawback associated with the network is that a globally optimal solution can only be obtained when the conductances are infinite, as shown in Maa and Shonblatt, "Stability of Linear Programming Neural Networks for Problems with Hybercube Flexible Region," Proceedings of the 1990 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks, June 1990.
Another disadvantage is associated with the potential difficulty in defining an appropriate energy function for the Hopfield network, where the energy function corresponds to the desired optimization problem. A further disadvantage is that some convergence states, comprising local minima, may represent infeasible solutions to the optimization problem. Still further, the network is highly sensitive to parameterization and initial conditions. These and other concepts associated with the Hopfield network are described in Wilson and Pauley, "On the Stability of the Travelling Salesman Problem Algorithm of Hopfield and Tank," Biological Cybernetics, Vol. 58, 1988, pgs. 63-70; Kahng, "Travelling Salesman Heuristics and Embedding Dimension in the Hopfield Model," IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks, 1989, Vol. 1, pgs. 513-520.

Smiths Industries Aerospace & Defense Systems, Inc.


A method for cutting Group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element comprises the step of discharge-etched on a front face of a chip or cutting channel of a substrate; and breaking on a back surface of the discharge-etching face to be formed with dies. This method is different from the prior art dicing saw and point scribe. Thus, the cutting time is shortened. The consumption of the diamond knife from cutting is reduced. The yield ratio of dies is improved and the outlook is also improved.

The present invention relates to a field of cutting a semiconductor light emitting element, and especially to a method for cutting Group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element, thereby, the cutting time is shortened; the consumption of the diamond knife from cutting is reduced; the yield ratio of dies is improved and the outlook is also improved.
The prior art method for cutting Group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element is to perform a dicing saw on the front face of a chip to a depth of several micrometer and then to scribe at a back surface of a chip so that the die can be broken out.
However, dicing saw is a time-consuming process and the cutting depth is confined by the diamond knife, thus the speed is also confined. And, III family nitride semiconductor light emitting element the cost is increased.
Next, the die can not be striped according to scribing lines since the scribe depth is insufficient and the front face of the chip has no effective breaking factor so that the shape of the die is not good.
Therefore, there is an eager demand for a novel method which is different from the prior art dicing saw and point scribe.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a method for cutting Group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element comprising the step of: discharge-etched on a front face of a chip or cutting channel of a substrate; and breaking on a back surface of the discharge-etching face to be formed with dies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for cutting Group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element comprising the step of: discharge-etched on a front face of a chip or cutting channel of a substrate; performing a dicing saw or point scribe process on the discharge-etching face; and breaking on a back surface of the discharge-etching face to be formed with dies.
A yet object of the present invention is to provide a method for cutting Group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element. Since the cutting line of a chip is performed by discharge-etching. Since discharge-etching is used to be formed with the cutting line of a chip, the etching is performed to a sapphire substrate which is difficult to be cut, and has a preferred effect.
A yet object of the present invention is to provide a method for cutting Group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element comprises the step of discharge-etched on a front face of a chip or cutting channel of a substrate; and breaking on a back surface of the discharge-etching face to be formed with dies. This method is different from the prior art dicing saw and point scribe. Thus, the cutting time is shortened. The consumption of the diamond knife from cutting is reduced. The yield ratio of dies is improved and the outlook is also improved.
The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing.

Method for cutting group III nitride semiconductor light emitting element


An API call filtering system filters responses to API call requests received, via a network, from user devices. The API call filtering system is configured to require personalized API call requests wherein each API call (except for some minor exceptions) includes a unique endpoint identifier (“UEID”) of the user device making the request. Using the UEID, the web service or other service protected by the API call filtering system can be secured against excessive request iterations from a set of rogue user devices while allowing for ordinary volumes of requests of requests the user devices, wherein one or more boundaries between what is deemed to be an ordinary volume of requests and what is deemed to be excessive request iterations are determined by predetermined criteria.

The Internet (and related networks) can be used to send e-mails, conduct business, automate machinery and data processing. Connected users can use the Internet to interact with other connected users and/or connected computer systems. Some of the Internet traffic is wanted by the parties involved, but other traffic is unwanted by at least one party. For example, by some estimates, more than three quarters of daily e-mail volume over the Internet is unwanted by its targeted recipient (sometimes referred to as "spam"). More than just e-mail traffic is unwanted by its targeted recipient. For example, banks, bank customers, and bank network operators and managers do not want traffic that is attempting to manipulate the bank's online banking system to facilitate fraud. Of course, in today's world, there is some traffic that is wanted and/or necessary, so one task that online systems operators have to deal with is separating the wanted traffic from the unwanted traffic, letting the wanted traffic through and blocking the unwanted traffic.
For example, the typical e-mail recipient does not want to receive all unsolicited commercial offers. The online network operator that limits access to resources to authorized users does not want to receive traffic from unauthorized users. Unfortunately, the initiators of such unwanted traffic really want to send it, and will attempt to do so even if it requires getting around limits and controls placed by the online network operator. This creates an "arms race" between the initiators of unwanted traffic and the online network/systems operator.
There are many reasons a sender of unwanted traffic might want to initiate the traffic. Often, those are financial reasons. For example, if a scammer can send out one million e-mails with a total expenditure of less than ten dollars and a half hour of time, and reap a few dollars in profits from just 0.01% of the e-mail recipients, it is cost-effective for the scammer to do so. If an criminal organization can apply 100,000 username-password pairs to an e-commerce website to find the 0.01% that are vulnerable, they would do so if the monetary returns from hacking ten user accounts is greater than the cost to the criminal organization of obtaining the username-password pairs plus the cost of executing 100,000 attempted logins.
These unwanted attacks could be thwarted using guaranteed secure methods to filter out unwanted/unauthorized traffic from wanted/authorized traffic. However, as illustrated from the examples above, even a 99.99% success rate at blocking attacks would still allow enough traffic through to be a cost-effective attack. Some of this economics comes about because automation lowers the cost of transactions. Ironically, the very automation that makes it economically feasible for a bank, retailer, music distributor, online storage vendor, etc. to provide a low-cost service to millions of its customers also makes it economically feasible for a criminal or criminal organization to make millions of attempts to get at network resources in an unauthorized way.
If the effort required to mount an attack on a network resource can be raised so that it is uneconomical to attack (but still easy enough for authorized users to access), the attacks might be reduced. Therefore, it would be desirable to increase the efforts/costs of access to the network resource in a way that makes it uneconomical for an organization to mount an attack on network resources, while allowing authorized uses.

Using individualized APIs to block automated attacks on native apps and/or purposely exposed APIs


A method for controlling an ignition system of an internal combustion engine having a primary firing pulse generator for charging a capacitor. An electronic switch is included for discharging the capacitor via an ignition coil to generate an ignition voltage. A microcomputer operates the switch to control the ignition timing of the generator. The microcomputer is in communication with a speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the engine and a speed limitation control that limits the engine speed to a limitation speed below the clutch-in speed of an included centrifugal clutch. The speed limitation control is active or activated when one of either starting the engine or an operating problem of the power tool is detected. The speed limitation control is deactivated when a low speed state of the engine is detected.

Multi-purpose portable working machines such as chain saws, cutting tools and grass trimmers that have internal combustion engines are well known. Each of these types of machines has a working tool, such as a chain or cutting blade, which is brought to an operating rotational speed by the included engine. Since the operating tool is often close-by the operator, there is a risk of contact and an accidental injury occurring. Therefore, such machines are often equipped with a mechanical security brake for the tool, together with other security arrangements such as requiring two-hand-grip engagement by the operator in order to affect operation.
The machine is normally equipped with a centrifugal clutch that engages the tool when the engine exceeds a certain rotational speed. In normal operation, the clutch improves safety because the tool does not rotate when the engine speed is reduced below the clutch-in speed. The risk for bodily injury is therefore significantly reduced.
The machine is normally started with the throttle valve positioned in a starting position in order to ensure an efficient start-up. Because of the valve position, more air flows into the motor causing the engine rotational speed to immediately increase above the clutch-in speed of the tool when the engine catches and starts. This can present a risk because the operator will not always be holding the machine in such a way that the security arrangements provide the intended protection. Still further, as the engine speed quickly rises upon starting, the clutch-in speed will be achieved before the operator is ready for the working portion (for example, a chain blade) to begin operation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,517, an arrangement is described that is intended to work in combination with the centrifugal clutch. The arrangement works in such a way that, simultaneously with the locking of the throttle valve in starting position, a circuit, as part of the ignition system, is activated. The circuit restricts the engine speed to a level below the clutch-in speed of the centrifugal clutch. A switch is deactivated when the throttle valve is no longer in the start position and thereby allows the engine to operate normally.
One problem with this solution is that it operates using a mechanical switch. This means that in case of switch failure, the arrangement will either continuously be in a speed limiting stage or never activate the speed limitation during start-up. Another problem is that the switch, to prevent failure, has to be very reliable and therefore is expensive. A further problem is that the switch cooperates mechanically with the start position knob on the machine and consequently relies on operator manipulation in order to be active during start-up. The switch is activated when activating the start position knob, and if the machine is started with half or wide open throttle valve without activating the knob, the start security system will fail to perform as intended. Still another problem is that the design of each mechanical switch is highly dependent upon the product into which it is being incorporated since the switch must cooperate and coexist with other physical components of the including machine. This means that a special technical design must be used for each product category such as power cutters, chain saws or grass cutters. In view of these drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-outlined problems.


A device and method that is configured to operate an active noise reduction system for a motor vehicle, where there is an active noise reduction system input signal that is related to the vehicle engine speed, and where the active noise reduction system comprises one or more adaptive filters that use a filter coefficient to modify the amplitude and/or phase of a noise cancellation reference signal and output noise reduction signals that are used to drive one or more transducers with their outputs directed to reduce engine noise, where the value of the coefficient is related to an adaptive filter leakage factor. Changes in the engine speed, based on the input signal that is related to the vehicle engine operation, are monitored. In response to changes in the engine speed, the adaptive filter leakage factor is temporarily modified.

Engine harmonic cancellation (EHC) systems are active noise reduction systems that are used in motor vehicles, for example in cabins or in muffler assemblies, to reduce or cancel engine harmonic noise. EHC systems use one or more microphones as input transducers. A signal related to the noise to be canceled is also inputted to an adaptive filter. The output of the adaptive filter is applied to one or more transducers that produce sound (i.e., loudspeakers). The sound is acoustically opposite to the undesirable engine sounds that are to be canceled. The adaptive filter can alter the magnitude and/or the phase of the input signal. The aim of the system is to cancel the microphone signal at the frequency or frequencies of the sinusoidal engine noise by using the sound transducers to output sinusoids of the same frequencies and amplitudes but opposite (180 degree offset) phase.
In certain situations these EHC systems can cause the loudspeaker sound output levels that are designed to cancel the engine noise to be greater than the level of the noise to be cancelled. This can cause an audible noise artifact (also called "afterglow"), which is undesirable. Afterglow can occur when there is a sudden decrease in the engine load (e.g., when there is a transmission up shift or down shift) and a resulting sudden decrease in the engine noise level in the cabin that occurs while the EHC output briefly remains at the sound pressure level it was at before the noise decreased. The EHC system must readapt to the new, lower engine noise level to resume its noise cancellation and this process is often slower than necessary to avoid a temporary noise gain.

Engine harmonic cancellation system afterglow mitigation


Benzob!1,4!diazepine compounds of formula (I), where R.sup.1 is selected from C.sub.1 C.sub.6 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl, phenyl, or substituted phenyl; R.sup.2 is selected from C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 alkyl, C.sub.3 C.sub.6 cycloalkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 alkenyl, benzyl, phenylC.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl of substituted phenyl; or NR.sup.1 R.sup.2 together form 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline or benzazepine, mono-, di-, or trisubstituted independently with C.sub.1-6 alkyl C.sub.1-6 alkoxy or halogen substituents; p is an integer 0 or 1; q is an integer 0 or 1; r is an integer 0 or 1; t is an integer 0 or 1, provided that when r is 0 then t is 0; R.sup.3, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are independently hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 alkyl; R.sup.4 is C.sub.1-6 alkyl or C.sub.1-6 alkenyl; R.sup.7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.1-6 cycloalkyl, C.sub.1-6 alkenyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, napthyl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, bicycloheteroaryl or substituted bicycloheteroaryl; or NR.sup.6 R.sup.7 together form a saturated 5,6, or 7 membered ring optionally interrupted by 1,2,3 or 4 N, S or O heteroatoms, with the proviso that any two O or S atoms are not bonded to each other, m is an integer selected from the group of 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 are selected from a variety of substituents; Z is hydrogen or halogen; novel intermediates, a pharmaceutical composition for treating obesity, gall bladder stasis, disorders of pancreatic secretion, methods for such treatment and processes for preparing compounds of formula (I).

This invention relates to benzob!1,4!diazepine derivatives, to processes for their preparation, to pharmaceutical compositions containing them and to their use in medicine. More particularly, it relates to compounds which exhibit agonist activity for CCK-A receptors thereby enabling them to modulate the hormones gastrin and cholecystokinin in mammals.
Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide found in the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. see A. J. Prange et al., Ann. Reports Med. Chem. 17, 31, 33 (1982), J. A. Williams, i Biomed Res. 3, 107 (1982) and V. Mutt, Gastrointestinal Hormones, G. B. J. Green, Ed., Raven Press, N.Y. CCK has been implicated inter alia as a physiological satiety hormone involved in appetite regulation, see Della-Ferra et al, Science, 206, 471 (1979), Saito et al., Nature, 289, 599, (1981), G. P. Smith, Eating and its Disorders, A. J. Stunkard and E. Stellar, Eds, Raven Press, New York, 67 (1984), as a regulator of gallbladder contraction and pancreatic enzyme secretion, an inhibitor of gastric emptying, and as a neurotransmitter, see A. J. Prange, supra, J. A. Williams, Biomed Res., 3, 107 (1982), J. E. Morley, Life Sci. 30, 479, (1982). Gastrin is a peptide involved in gastric acid and pepsin secretion in the stomach, see L. Sandvik, et al., American J. Physiology, 260, G925 (1991), C. W. Lin, et al., American J. Physiology, 262, G1113, (1992). CCK and gastrin share structural homology in their C-terminal tetrapeptide: Trp-Met-Asp-Phe.
Two subtypes of CCK receptors have been identified, designated as CCK-A and CCK-B, and both have been found in the periphery and central nervous systems. It has recently been reported that CCK-B receptors are similar to the gastrin receptor, see Pisegna, J. R., de Weerth, A., Huppi, K., Wank, S. A., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 189, 296-303 (1992). CCK-A receptors are located predominantly in peripheral tissues including the pancreas, gallbladder, ileum, pyloric sphincter and vagal afferent nerve fibers; CCK-A receptors are found to a lesser extent in the brain, see T. H Moran, et al., Brain Res., 362, 175-179 (1986), D. R. Hill, et al., Brain Res, 4545, 101, (1988), D. R. Hill, et al., Neurosci Lett., 89, 133, (1988), R. W. Barret, et al., Mol. Pharmacol., 36, 285, (1989), D. R. Hill, et al., J. Neurosci, 10, 1070 (1990), V. Dauge et al., Pharmacol Biochem Behac., 33, 637, (1989), while CCK-B receptors are found predominantly in the brain, see V. J. Lotti and R. S. L Chang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 83, 4923 (1986), J. N. Crawley, Trends Pharm. Sci., 88, 232, (1991).
The literature in the CCK area contains extensive discussion surrounding CCK antagonist activity relating to the increase of food intake and treating oncologic disorders, in particular through the use of 1,4- and 1,5-benzodiazepines, see B. E. Evans, Drugs of the Future, 14, 971 (1989), M. A. Silverman, et al., Am. J. Gastroenterol, 82, 703 (1987), EPO 0538 945, published Apr. 28, 1993, EPO 0 523 845, published Jan. 20, 1993, EPO 0284 256, published 28 Sep., 1988, and also relating to the regulation of anxiety, arousal, neuroleptic agents, and opioid-induced analgesia, see Lotti, supra, Crawley, supra, Singh, L., et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 88, 1130 (1991).
On the other hand, CCK agonist activity has been linked to inhibition of food intake in animals and thus weight loss, see Della-Fera, et al, supra, K. E. Asin, et al, Intl. Conference on Obesity, abstract pp.40 (1990). It has been suggested that CCK acts in the periphery through vagal fibers and not directly on the brain to produce satiety, see Smith, G. P. and Cushin, B. J., Neuroscience Abstr., 4, 180 (1978), Smith, G. P., Jerome, C., Cushin, B. J., Eterno, R., and Simansky, K. J., Science, 212, 687-689, (1981). Compounds having CCK agonist activity have been reported to include peptide analogues, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,364, PCT WO 91/19733, published 26 Dec. 1991, K. Shiosaki et al., J. Med. Chem., 33, 2950 (1990).
The compounds of the present invention have been found to have CCK-A agonist activity, and therefore may be useful in part for inhibiting appetite, for inducing long-term weight loss in overweight patients and improving the cardiovascular and non-insulin dependent diabetes problems associated with these overweight conditions, and for treating obesity, gall bladder stasis and disorders of pancreatic secretion.
CCK has been shown to inhibit gastric emptying in humans and is thus useful for treatment of diabetes, particularly early noninsulin-dependent diabetes, through maintenance of the following glucose metabolic indicators at or near normal levels: blood glucose, C-peptide, insulin levels at fasting and during oral glucose tolerance tests, hemoglobin A1C, insulin resistance, GIP levels and CCK levels, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,154, which is incorporated herein by reference. The CCK-A agonist compounds of the present invention are therefore useful for treatment of diabetes in humans through stabilization of these glucose metabolic indicators.

CCK or gastrin modulating benzo b!1,4! diazepines derivatives


A front sight for a weapon, the front sight having: a mounting block; a tower pivotally mounted to the mounting block for movement between a first position and a second position; a first locking mechanism comprising a plurality of spring biased members for retaining the tower in the first position and the second position, the plurality of spring biased members being configured to allow movement of the tower between the first position and the second position in response to a force applied to the tower; and a second locking mechanism configured to lock the tower in the second position, wherein the second locking mechanism must be manually released before the tower can be moved from the second position to the first position.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a rifle or firearm and in particular, a gas regulator for a firearm. Still other embodiments relate generally to a rifle or firearm and in particular, a locking sight for a firearm.
Folding or collapsible sights are desirable for weapons in that the same allows the sight to transition from a first folded or stowed position to a second extended or deployed position. In one application, the first folded or stowed position allows the sight to be configured or located in a position that does not interfere with an optical sighting system or accessory that is mounted to a rail of the weapon. However, folding or collapsible sights may be inadvertently moved from the deployed position. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a folding or collapsible sight with a locking mechanism that prevents inadvertent movement of the sight
A flash suppressor and/or a sound suppressor used with a firearm or rifle will increase the rate of fire or cycling of the firearm. This increase in cycling may also increase the wear rate of components of the firearm. In addition, variations in the types of ammunition used with rifle will also vary the cycling rate of the rifle and a rifle configured for use with one type of ammunition may cycle too fast when fired with another type of ammunition thus causing the aforementioned excessive wear to the components of the rifle. Non-limiting examples of different types of ammunition are 5.56 mm NATO ammunition and 223 Remington ammunition each of which may provide different cycling rates when fired from a rifle having the same gas port configuration in a gas impingement system. Still further there are reliability issues associated with higher cycling rates when ammunition is changed for example, round feeding may not occur or may occur improperly.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and method for regulating the gas pressure in a rifle and thus allowing the same to be configured for use with suppressors and various types of ammunition.

Locking front sight for a firearm and firearm with locking front sight

COLT'S MANUFACTURING IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC


Current tests for I/O interface connectors are described. In one example a test may include applying a forced energy to a first pin of an interface of a data communications bus of an integrated circuit on a die, sensing the energy caused by the forced energy at a second pin of the interface, and comparing the forced energy and the sensed energy to determine an amount of current leaked by at least a portion of the interface.

Leakage tests are used to test integrated circuits after they have been fabricated to find defects and to improve manufacturing processes, handling processes and packaging processes. Such integrated circuits are formed on a die and typically installed into a package. The die may be tested before or after it is installed into a package. The package typically has pins or bumps to connect to a circuit board or a socket and so the die may be tested directly inside the package or after being placed onto a circuit board or into a socket. DC (Direct Current) tests for I/O (Input Output) pins include leakage tests, Vix/Vox tests and Opens/Shorts test. Vix/Vox is used to characterize the DC behavior of the transmitter and receiver interfaces. Vix refers to the upper and lower voltage limits of an input and Vox refers to the upper and lower limits of an output. Opens/shorts testing tests for the presence of open circuits and short circuits. This testing can be used to ensure the reliability of the package assembly process and the connectivity of bumps to mapped pins. Bumps on the inside of a package connect to pins on an integrated circuit.
No Touch Leakage (NTL) tests have been used to save on tooling costs when the number of pins to be tested on an integrated circuit package is more than is available on commonly available test modules. One NTL test looks at RC (Resistance-Capacitance) decay and another looks at DC bias, however, both tests suffer from process variability, have difficulty in achieving high accuracy without significant effort and have very long test times, approaching several milliseconds.
ICDCT is a Reduced Pin Count Test (RPCT) as it connects to tens to hundreds of Pin Under Test via couple of pins. There are several sources of error in applying analog bus tests to DC testing. The sources of error include the IR (Voltage=Current*Resistance product) drop that occurs based on the pin location on the bus that is being tested, the leakage of the pins used to make contact to conduct the tests and the leakage of multiplexers that receive the test signal. The IR drop can easily reach 100 mv or higher making it challenging to reliably determine upper and lower functioning limits across all of the I/O (Input/Output) pins of a multiple pin interface. The multiplexer leakage and pin leakage can reach 100's of micro amps. This can be as large as the pin leakage that is to be measured, obscuring the test results.
The limitations of NTL and RPCT methods have reduced their use. As a result, testers with PMU (Parametric Measurement Unit) are often used for leakage tests. However, PMU testers must be independently connected to each pin that is to be tested, increasing the cost. The analog measurement increases the time required for the tests.


The invention relates to a damper arrangement, in particular an air spring strut, comprising a shock absorber having an essentially cylindrical housing and an air spring with a working space which is under internal pressure, and comprising an additional volume which can be connected to the working space via a closable flow duct. It is proposed to enclose the additional volume by a hollow body which surrounds the shock absorber which can be fastened thereto and is formed from an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, which is connected to the latter and, in particular, is arranged concentrically.

The present invention relates to a damper arrangement, in particular a pneumatic spring strut, comprising a shock absorber having an essentially cylindrical housing and an air spring with a working space which is under internal pressure, and comprising an additional volume which can be connected to the working space via a closable flow duct. Furthermore, the invention relates to a hollow body for use in this arrangement.


A modulator for radio-frequency signals designed an entirely digital modulator has two mixer stages connected in series. The first mixer stage implements with a relatively low first sample rate a frequency mixing with a first oscillator frequency that is adjustable with high precision. The second mixer stage implements a frequency mixing with a significantly higher second sample rate and with a relatively coarsely adjustable second oscillator frequency. The downstream second mixer stage, in the case of a single mixer stage, the mixer stage, has at least two phase accumulators that are incremented with the higher second sample rate but with different incremental values. The output signal of at maximum one of the phase accumulators is evaluated at any point in time.

The preferred embodiment concerns a modulator for radio-frequency signals, wherein:                the modulator is designed as a completely digital modulator,        the modulator has a mixer stage,        a modulation signal and an oscillator signal are supplied to the mixer stage a sample rate,        the mixer stage mixes the modulation signal and the oscillator signal into a final signal and outputs the final signal with the sample rate,        the oscillator signal is generated by an oscillator,        the oscillator has a phase accumulator and a phase-amplitude transducer,        the oscillator signal possesses an oscillator frequency,        wherein the oscillator frequency is determined by an incremental value by which the content of the first phase accumulator is incremented between two readout processes in immediate succession,        the incremental value has a bit width.
For example, such a modulator is known from the DAC 5687 by Texas Instruments.
For the operation of magnetic resonance systems, a radio-frequency signal that can be adjusted in frequency and amplitude (also in phase, given pulse series) is required to excite the spins. For this purpose, a low-frequency envelope is normally converted to an intermediate frequency and then to the operating frequency (Larmor frequency) by means of complex modulation to generate a single sideband. For multichannel transmission systems, many individually adjustable radio-frequency signals are required (corresponding to the number of transmission channels). Furthermore, alternating pulses with frequencies differing from one another are sent in what are known as decoupling experiments, wherein the pulses must, however, remain phase-locked relative to one another.
In previous concepts, the low-frequency signal or the intermediate frequency signal is converted into an analog signal, and then the converted signal is translated to the radio-frequency by means of analog single sideband modulation. However, the analog mixer stages require a complicated compensation for the sideband and carrier suppression. Furthermore, precision mixers are required. Both techniques (compensation and use of precision mixers) are very cost-intensive. The corresponding components are required multiple times for multichannel systems, whereby the expenditure and the costs increase even further.


A gasket assembly and method of manufacture thereof provides a plurality of discrete, interconnected capsule beads spaced from one another. A sealant material is disposed in the capsule beads, such that when the capsule beads are ruptured under an applied clamping force, the gasket material is released from the capsule beads.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gaskets and their method of manufacture.
2. Related Art
Gaskets are commonly used to create a seal between opposing surfaces, and are particularly useful in internal combustion engines and various other vehicle components, such as pumps. To ensure a good seal between the opposite surfaces, commonly a sealant material and a separate gasket are clamped in combination with one another between the surfaces. Typically, the sealant material is applied directly to at least one of the opposite surfaces, and/or to at least one side of the gasket. Though this can result in creating a good seal, it generally adds time and expense to the assembly process.

Gasket assembly and method of manufacture thereof


A putter head comprising a body having an open, frame-like structure having an improved mass distribution for optimizing the moment of inertia and placement of the center of gravity. The body includes a front portion, a rear portion, toe and heel portions extending between and interconnecting respective ends of the front and rear portions, and a central portion interconnecting the front and rear portions along the longitudinal axis of the body. A first main opening of the body is bounded by the toe portion, the central portion, and part of the front portion. A second main opening of the body is bounded by the heel portion, the central portion, and part of the front portion. The heel and toe portions desirably are formed with respective elongated openings extending substantially the entire lengths of the heel and toe portions.

Numerous golf putters have been designed to help players achieve greater accuracy when putting a golf ball. Generally speaking, most golf putters are variations of either a blade-type putter head or a mallet-type putter head. The mallet-type putter head has a relatively large head that typically is semi-circular or trapezoidal in shape as viewed from above, while the blade-type putter head has a relatively narrow or blade-like head.
Accuracy of a putt depends on several factors, including where the strike face impacts the ball, the location of the center of gravity of the putter head, and the rotational moment of inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity of the putter head. Moment of inertia is a measure of the club's ability to resist twisting from an off-center hit when the ball does not impact the sweet spot of the putter head. The greater the moment of inertia, the less likely the club will twist in the player's hand and cause a misdirected shot. Redistributing mass away from the striking face toward the rear of a putter head tends to increase the moment of inertia about the impact location. Moreover, decreasing the distance between the center of gravity and the bottom of the putter head can increase the launch angle of the ball, as well as promote earlier forward rotation of the ball for greater directional stability and speed control.
Due to their relatively large footprints, mallet-type putters can achieve higher moments of inertia than blade-type putters. While numerous modifications have been made to mallet-type golf putters to optimize the moment of inertia and the location of the center of gravity, there is a continuing need to improve the functionality, look, and feel of such putters.


A method of forming a diode comprises the steps of forming an extraction region of a first conductivity type, forming an active region of a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type, and forming an exclusion region of the second conductivity type to be adjacent the active region. The active region is formed to be adjacent to the extraction region and along a reverse bias path of the extraction region and the exclusion region does not resupply minority carriers while removing majority carriers. At least one of the steps of forming the exclusion region and forming the extraction region includes the additional step of forming a barrier that substantially reduces the flow of the carriers that flow toward the active region, but does not rely on a diffusion length of the carriers to block the carriers.

Known diodes such as photosensors or photodetectors have semiconductor layers for producing a detectable change in electric current, by exciting electrons across forbidden bands or band gaps in the electronic structure of the semiconductor material. The electrons are excited by photons received from light or electromagnetic waves from radiation intercepted by the photodetector.
Referring to FIG. 1, one type of photodiode is a High Operating Temperature (HOT) nonequilibrium photodiode such as that disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,073 issued to Elliott et al. (the "'073 Patent"). The HOT photodiode 100 has a photosensitive region 102 that absorbs incoming radiation in the form of infrared photons traveling through the photodiode along a pathway shown by arrow 104. The energy from the photons excites the electrons in the photosensitive region 102 across the band gap of the semiconductor material, which reduces resistivity and increases current running through the photodiode, and in turn indicates radiation has been detected.
The photosensitive region or active region or zone 102 is either lightly n-type, or as in this case, lightly p-type doped by ion implantation or in-situ doping in a concentration that is close to the natural or thermally generated majority carrier concentration. With this concentration, extrinsic behavior can be established in the active region 102 when the system is under reverse bias such that the impurities (dopants) contribute more carriers than the number of carriers generated thermally across the energy gap. N-type dopants establish electronic levels that are closer to the conduction band than they would be in a nondoped condition. This leads to indirect generation from the electronic levels that require less energy for an electron to jump from the level to the conduction band than an electron in direct generation from the valence band.
The active or photosensitive region 102 should have the minimum possible number of majority carriers in order to improve the detector's signal-to-noise ratio. This is because radiative and Auger generation-recombination processes are responsible for noise, and are less probable with lower majority carrier concentrations.
The desired majority carrier concentrations are obtained by reducing both the amount of majority and minority carriers diffusing into the active region. A reduction of minority carriers in the space charge balance of the photosensitive region 102 results in a corresponding loss of natural majority carriers leaving a very small minority carrier concentration and a low natural majority carrier concentration that is less than the majority concentration provided by the dopant. This reduction is further ensured directly by reducing the amount of majority carriers that diffuse into the active region.
One way to minimize or suppress minority carrier concentrations is to cool the photodetector. This, however, involves complex, bulky and expensive equipment.
One alternative solution, as presented by the '073 Patent, discloses a way to reduce the minority carrier concentration in the photosensitive region 102 on a HgCdTe (mercury cadmium telluride or MCT) photodiode 100 without the conventional cooling parameters. This is accomplished by placing the photosensitive region 102 between an extraction layer or region 106 and an exclusion layer or region 108. The overall effect of this structure is that minority carriers are removed at the extraction region or layer 106 and are not resupplied at the exclusion region or contact 108. The same is true for majority carriers that are flowing in the opposite direction. The majority carriers are ideally removed at the exclusion region 108 and are not resupplied by the extraction region 106.
The exclusion layer or region 108 is a bulk semiconductor layer that prevents minority carrier injection into the active region 102 while permitting majority carriers to flow from the active region 102 to the exclusion region. The exclusion region 108 has the same conductivity type as the photosensitive region 102, defining a "pp" or "nn" junction or boundary 114 between the chemically different regions that establish different sizes of energy band gaps. The exclusion region 108 can be degenerately doped to be of the same conductivity type as the photosensitive region; i.e., the exclusion region is n+ or p+ according to whether the photosensitive region is n or p type respectively. In the alternative, the exclusion region is a heterojunction structure provided by a different and wider band gap semiconductor material, than in the photosensitive/active region 102 but with like majority carrier types, forming an nn or pp structure.
Electric fields and large external voltage drops over the exclusion region's length can drive the minority carriers toward the pp or nn junction 114 and into the photosensitive region 102. These are avoided by heavily doping the exclusion region 108. When the electric fields in the exclusion region are reduced enough or eliminated, the minority carriers are transported by diffusion.
The length of the exclusion region 108 is at least three times the diffusion length of the relevant carrier. Thus, the exclusion region is three times the diffusion length of the minority carrier to minimize or prevent the "in-diffusion" of minority carriers from the biasing contact on the exclusion region side.
The '073 Patent discloses that the exclusion layer thickness should be at least 150 μm for doping [NA−ND]>1×1017cm−3 to prevent diffusion into the active region. More recent and accurate calculations conclude that three minority carrier diffusion lengths sums to approximately 60 μm for [NA−ND]=1×1017 cm−3 for p-type, bulk Hg0.7Cd0.3Te at a temperature of 230° K. as presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,358.
The extraction region 106, a bulk semi-conductor layer, typically has the opposite majority carrier or conductivity type compared with that of the photosensitive region 102 and forms a p-n junction 116 with the photosensitive region. When a reverse bias is applied, the extraction region 106 extracts minority carriers from the photosensitive region 102 by electrons diffusing to the extraction region from the photosensitive region due to its lower conduction band energy, producing the effect of a "weir" or sink. At the same time, majority carriers in the extraction region ("majority" being relative to the active region 102) are able to flow, also by diffusion, from the extraction region to the active region.
As with the exclusion region 108, the extraction region 106 is heavily doped which reduces the electric field and permits majority carriers to diffuse to, and then flow across, the p-n junction 116 and into the active region 102. Thus, the extraction region is also typically designed to be at least three times diffusion length of the majority carrier to minimize the number of majority carriers flowing to the active region from the extraction region 106.
Calculations similar with the one presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,358 conclude that three minority carrier diffusion lengths sums to approximately 25 microns for [ND−NA]=1×1017 cm−3 for an n-type bulk Hg0.7Cd0.3Te at a temperature of 230° K.
Attempting to provide a 60-150 μm thick exclusion region or 25 μm thick extraction region is extremely difficult while using Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) crystal growth processes, as are typically employed for producing photodetectors or photodiodes.
Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) is a chemical vapor deposition method in which a crystal or layered structure is grown on a template (substrate) within a chamber. The substrate is brought to, and kept at, a predefined growth temperature by a heating element typically placed behind the substrate. This is to ensure that sufficient energy is transferred to the substrate's surface to achieve specific reactions.
The structure is grown by providing atomic and/or molecular fluxes obtained by thermal evaporation of the charge materials. The growth process occurs in an ultra-high vacuum environment to minimize the presence of foreign atoms. Polycrystalline and/or amorphous materials are loaded into crucibles and constitute the charges. The fluxes are adjusted by controlling the temperatures of the charge materials. In this way, the incoming atoms/molecules from the charges have to spend a certain residence time on the surface while traveling/diffusing around in order to find a geometrical position that minimizes the surface energy. Shutters between the charges or charge materials in the effusion cells and substrate are individually controllable. They permit/forbid the flow of molecular beams of the particular materials that are desired at a particular time.
Since MBE has a typical growth rate of 10−10 m per second or about 2.5 μm per hour (for growing a 60 μm thick HgCdTe bulk exclusion layer for instance), it requires a growth duration of 24 hours. This long amount of time requires a substantial expense in equipment, maintenance, raw material and labor per exclusion region. The same problem occurs with growing the extraction region. This expense per region could be reduced if a barrier could be provided for the exclusion region and/or extraction region that is strong enough to block the appropriate carrier species so that diffusion length becomes irrelevant and is eliminated as a parameter of the thickness of the exclusion and/or extraction region.
The MBE extended time period required for growing the relatively thick exclusion and extraction layers also causes defects in the growth or growing crystal itself. In the MBE process, solid source materials are evaporated by heating them in effusion cells in order to transport them onto the growing crystal. The process of evaporation changes the surface area, shape and roughness of the source material left behind in the effusion cell. This results in drifts or changes over time in the composition of the fluxes of the material leaving the effusion cell. The uncontrolled variation in material fluxes changes the ratios of the fluxes of the Hg to CdTe to Te sources used to make the crystal (or in other words a variation in the ratios of the flux of material from each effusion cell used). This will randomly vary the composition, and can result in, for example, the establishment of an undesired energy gap. This random variation in energy gap can lead to absorption of infrared radiation in the exclusion layer or the extraction layer. The varied composition can also create undesired barriers to carrier flow such that the exclusion layer blocks the flow of majority carriers and/or the extraction layer does not efficiently extract minority carriers. Finally, an uncontrolled varied composition can result in poor quality crystals with varying diffusion lengths resulting in unpredictable device performance.
Another problem that can occur in the MBE process of manufacturing thick semiconductor exclusion layers is that while the crystal is thickened, it absorbs more infrared radiation from the substrate heater resulting in a rise in temperature over time. The power to the substrate heater is ramped down in order to compensate for the rise in temperature. However, the ramping down of the power frequently cannot be perfectly matched to the temperature rise because conflicting temperature requirements exist that are associated with emissivity as the crystal grows and require temperature durations not related to the rise in temperature. These variations in growth temperature lead to random variations in material composition, and in turn, variations in crystal quality.
In another alternative, disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,019 issued to White and fully incorporated herein, and which is illustrated in FIG. 2, a HOT photodiode 120 is provided with a buffer layer 128 between the exclusion layer 124 and the active layer 122, and a buffer layer 130 between the extraction layer 126 and active layer 122. The layers are disposed on a growth substrate 136 and are biased through contacts or electrodes 132, 134.
Each buffer layer 130, 128 acts as an additional exclusion and extraction layer according to the side (exclusion side or extraction side) of the active layer they are disposed on. The buffer layers 130, 128 have lower dopant concentrations than their corresponding extraction or exclusion layer, although the HgCdTe chemical composition of the layers is otherwise the same as the corresponding extraction or exclusion layer. The chemical composition of the active layer is different than that in the buffer layers so that the buffer layers provide a wider band gap than that in the active layer and with much lower (10 to 100 times) concentration of minority carriers. This results in two extraction interfaces 140 on either side of the extraction buffer layer 130 and two exclusion interfaces 138 on either side of the exclusion buffer layer 128. The buffer layers 128, 130 provide a low minority carrier concentration at low doping regions close to the junctions, preventing high thermal generation leading to leakage current.
While the buffer layers 128, 130 are actually "buffering" the dopants themselves (i.e. the dopant atoms) and provide for a relatively thicker exclusion region to counter some diffusion length, the composition of the buffer layers 128, 130 do not provide a stronger physical barrier to minority or majority carriers. In other words, the same general proportion of minority and majority carriers that would diffuse from the exclusion layer 124 and the extraction layer 126 respectively and into the active region 122 would also diffuse from the buffer layer 128 if they occupied the same position relative to the biasing contact.
Referring to FIG. 3, it is known that a potential barrier can be provided at a p-n heterojunction that only blocks one carrier species of one conductivity type that is flowing from a first region, across the junction and into a second region while permitting flow of the other carrier species of the other conductivity type in the opposite direction across the junction. However, the number of variables or factors involved and the difficulty of precisely measuring the relevant quantities necessary to form a potential barrier at a p-n junction that effectively blocks one carrier while permitting flow of the other carrier is very difficult. These factors include the energy band gaps, junction grading width (i.e. grading of the dopant or carrier concentration rather than the chemical composition of the semiconductor material), location of the p-n junction, doping concentrations and electron affinities. In "Potential barriers in HgCdTe Heterojunctions" by Bratt et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A3(1), pp. 238-245 (January/February 1985), a computer model for HgCdTe heterojunctions is disclosed. With this computer model, it has been found that, for one example, a potential barrier in the conduction band will appear in a heterojunction between a P-type region with an acceptor doping concentration Na of 5×1015 cm−3 and bandgap Egp of 0.12 eV and an N-type region with donor doping concentration Nd of 1×1015 cm−3 and bandgap Egn of 0.40 eV. FIG. 3 shows this barrier at the PN interface for different uniform junction grading widths. Many other barriers can be established with the proper but complex computer modeling as known from the Bran et al. article.
Thus, while it is desirable to provide a HOT photodiode with a "Bratt" potential barrier, it is even more desirable to be able to erect an efficient single species barrier without the need for such complex computer modeling and to provide barriers even stronger than an abrupt "Bratt" barrier provides.

Method for creating nonequilibrium photodetectors with single carrier species barriers


A belt drift control device (20) is mounted in the side wall (2a) of belt sander (1) comprises a shoulder bolt (22) threaded through a nut 21 in the side wall (2a). A generally conical, tapered roller (23) is rotatably engaged with the free end of the shoulder bolt (22). The tapered roller (23) comprises a taper portion (24) and a flange (24a). The axial movement of the tapered roller (23) is restricted by a washer (26) and a stop ring (27). A control knob (29) is fitted around the head of the shoulder bolt (22) and pressed outwardly by a compression spring (28) surrounding the shoulder bolt (22). Rotation of the control knob (29) axially feeds the shoulder bolt (22) to permit adjustment of the position of the tapered roller (23) relative to an abrasive belt (10). The tapered roller (23) is preferably positioned such that the top end of the taper portion (24) is in contact with the left edge (10a) of the abrasive belt (10) when the belt (10) is a normal position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a belt sander having an endless abrasive belt trained over a pair of rollers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device to prevent lateral drift of the abrasive belt for use in such a belt sander.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The abrasive belt of a typical sander is subject to lateral shifting during operation due to the undesirable inclination of one of the two rollers over which the belt is trained and also due to the manufacturing variations in the belt structure itself, such as the difference between the right and left circumferential lengths.
Various devices have been proposed to eliminate this problem: Japan Published Examined Utility Model Application No. H6-34927 discloses a device in which a yoke for mounting one of the belt rollers is pressed toward a frame via steel balls by compression springs and adjusting screws in order to secure the roller in a predetermined position. This prevents the undesirable inclination of the roller that causes its lateral drift. Meanwhile, Japan Published Examined Utility Model Application No. H6-27326 discloses an improved control nut threaded into the shaft of one of the belt rollers so that, by rotating the nut, the inclination of the roller can be adjusted according to the lateral drift of the belt. This improved nut is designed so as not to be loosened by the vibration of the belt sander, thus maintaining the correct inclination of the roller at which the abrasive belt does not drift laterally.
These devices, however, have poor operability in that they require manual adjustment by the operator: in the first device, the operator needs to remove the abrasive belt and rotate the screws for proper adjustment; in the latter, the control nut needs to be also rotated each time a new belt is installed.

Belt sander with a lateral drift prevention device


A consumption-monitoring storage system comprised of consumption-monitoring racks and a control program. The consumption-monitoring racks can have a flat horizontal base and substantially vertical or diagonal sidewalls or siderails. The consumption-monitoring racks can measure the volumetric level of a consumable product for each product container occupying each consumption-monitoring rack. Each product container can have transparent sections or windows positioned opposite each other that provide access to its respective interior volumetric space and the consumable product, allowing measurement of the volumetric level of the consumable product. The control program communicates with the consumption-monitoring racks. The control program can receive volumetric level measurements for each product container and can automatically repurchase consumable products on behalf of and as defined by a human agent responsive to volumetric levels of consumable products in their respective product containers or packaging being reduced to predefined thresholds, which may change over time based on learned consumption behavior.

The present invention relates to the field of product storage systems, and more particularly to a consumable product storage system that monitors product consumption.
Most households keep a small stock of household consumable products, such as food, detergents, and beverages, on hand in a household location like a pantry or storeroom. In order to maintain a desired level of consumable products in the pantry or storeroom, the consumer (i.e., household owner or member) must check the current amount of each consumable product to decide when to repurchase the consumable product. The more consumable products kept in the pantry, the more time is spent by the consumer to determine when a product needs to be repurchased.
In an effort to assist consumers with replenishing their stores of consumable products, many online marketplaces allow the consumer to establish a recurring order for a consumable product. These recurring shipments occur on a preset time frame without concern for the consumer's actual consumption of the consumable products. Thus, conventional recurring order that ship automatically on a set schedule often result in the consumer having too little or too much of the consumable product.
What is needed is a solution that monitors the levels of consumable products in real-time and automatically repurchases a consumable product when its available quantity is reduced to a predefined threshold. Such a solution would be easy-to-use and monitor a variety of different types of consumable products.

Consumable product storage system that monitors product consumption