A non-volatile memory device may include a semiconductor substrate including an active region at a surface thereof, a first memory cell string on the active region, and a second memory cell string on the active region. The first memory cell string may include a first plurality of word lines crossing the active region between a first ground select line and a first string select line, and about a same first spacing may be provided between adjacent ones of the first plurality of word lines. The second memory cell string may include a second plurality of word lines crossing the active region between a second ground select line and a second string select line, and about the same first spacing may be provided between adjacent ones of the second plurality of word lines. Moreover, the first ground select line may be between the second ground select line and the first plurality of word lines, and the second ground select line may be between the first ground select line and the second plurality of word lines. Moreover, portions of the active region between the first and second ground select lines may be free of word lines, and a second spacing between the first and second ground select lines may be at least about 3 times greater than the first spacing. Related methods are also discussed.

Non-volatile memory devices, such as flash memory devices, may be provided in a NOR-type configuration or a NAND-type configuration. By way of example, NOR-type flash memory devices may provide relatively fast random access, while NAND-type flash memory devices may provide relatively low-cost and/or relatively high integration. NOR-type flash memory devices may thus be used for code memory storage, while NAND-type flash memory devices may be used for mass memory storage.
NAND-type nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices are discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,079,437 to Hasama et al entitled "Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Device Having Configuration Of NAND Strings With Dummy Memory Cells Adjacent To Select Transistors." More particularly, Hasama et al. discusses a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having a plurality of electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cells connected in series together. A select gate transistor is connected in series with the serial combination of memory cells, and the memory cell which is located adjacent to the select gate transistor is a dummy cell which is not used for data storage. During a data erase operation, a same bias voltage that that is applied to the other memory cells is also applied-to the dummy cell.
Notwithstanding known nonvolatile memory devices, there continues to exist a need in the art for structures and methods providing more highly integrated memory devices.

Non-volatile memory devices including dummy word lines and related structures and methods


A communication resource selection method includes: obtaining communication resource selection indication information; and determining a selection manner based on the communication resource selection indication information, and selecting a communication resource in an exceptional resource pool according to the determined selection manner. Also provided is a communication resource selection device.

With the development of mobile communication technologies, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology has been applied in the interactive network communications. When a user equipment (UE) selects a resource in an exceptional resource pool, a resource conflict may be caused if a random selection manner is used to select the resource, and a second of sensing time may not meet a delay demand of a service of the interactive network communications if a sensing manner is used to select the resource.

Communication resource selection method and device


Disclosed are a shift register capable of reducing power consumption, a data driver having the same, and a liquid crystal display device. The shift register includes a storing cell array including storage cells which store a plurality of serial data, and a control array for outputting sampling signals, which are sequentially shifted every period of data transmission such that the storage cells sequentially store the data, in response to at least one clock signal having a frequency lower than a transmission frequency of the data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift register, and more particularly to a shift register capable of reducing power consumption through low frequency driving, a data driver having the same, and a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Shift registers are widely used for various flat panel display devices as well as data processing devices to sequentially process data. The flat panel display devices may process data at a high data rate according to data processing capability of the shift register.
For example, the flat panel display devices include liquid crystal display devices (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), and electro luminescent displays (ELDs).
The LCDs display images by using optical anisotropy and polarization characteristics of liquid crystal. Since the liquid crystal has an elongated structure, liquid crystal molecules are aligned with directionality. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules can be variously controlled by applying an electric field to the liquid crystal.
The LCDs sequentially process data provided from a graphic card by using the shift register to display images on a liquid crystal panel.
The shift register provided in the liquid crystal display devices operates as follows. The LCD mainly includes a liquid crystal panel for displaying images and a driver for driving the liquid crystal panel.
In detail, the liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate provided with thin film transistors (TFTs), a second substrate provided with a color filter and facing the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates. A plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines are arranged on the first substrate, and the TFTs are provided in cross sections between the gate lines and data lines.
The driver for driving the liquid crystal panel includes a gate driver for driving gate lines aligned on the liquid crystal panel, a data driver for driving the data lines, and a timing controller for controlling the gate driver and the data driver.
The gate driver provides gate scan signals to the gate lines according to a gate control signal generated from the timing controller, and the data driver provides data to the data lines according to a data control signal generated from the timing controller.
In detail, the data driver applies data voltage to the data lines according to the data control signal generated from the timing controller such that various gray scales can be expressed on the liquid crystal panel.
The data driver includes a shift register, a latch unit, and a digital-analog converter. Especially, the shift register is enabled by a clock signal having a high frequency to output sampling signals.
In order to process data at a high data rate without being influenced by noise, the shift register is driven at a high frequency so that data are provided to the data lines.
Since the data driver, exactly, the shift register is driven at a high frequency, power consumption may increase. In addition, since additional circuits must be provided in order to drive the data driver at a high frequency, a circuit part for driving the data driver may have a large size.

Shift register, data driver having the same, and liquid crystal display device


Techniques for storage management involve: receiving, at a storage server, an access request for target data from a client, wherein the access request occurs in a session between the storage server and the client; determining, based on attribute information of the client, security information of the session, wherein the security information indicates whether the session is subjected to antivirus protection; and executing, based on the security information, an access operation specified by the access request on the target data. Therefore, the performance of the storage server can be improved while the security of the storage server is ensured.

With the development of information technologies, more and more data are stored in a storage system, leading to higher and higher requirements for the security and the access performance of the storage system. In the storage system, when the storage server receives an access request for target data from a client, in order to prevent malicious operations from the client and ensure the security of data on the storage server, third-party antivirus software is sometimes used to identify and eliminate viruses. Although this ensures the security of the storage system, it will result in a decrease in the access performance of the storage system.

Method, electronic device and computer program product for storage management


For use with a power converter having first and second power switches coupled between a converter input and a primary winding of a transformer to impress an input voltage across the primary winding, a voltage clamp circuit for, and method of, resetting the transformer and a power converter employing the clamp circuit or the method. In one embodiment, the clamp circuit includes: (1) first and second reset windings coupled between the first and second power switches, (2) first and second energy storage devices coupled between the primary winding and the first and second reset windings, respectively, and (3) first and second switching circuits, coupled to the first reset winding and the second reset winding, respectively, that provide an electrical path from the primary winding to the converter input through the first and second reset windings, respectively, when the first and second power switches are not conducting.

Increased power density is a continuing goal of modern power supply design. High power density is particularly crucial in applications wherein the allocated space for the power supply relative to the power output is restricted. In addition to being highly compact, the power supply must also be efficient to limit heat-creating power dissipation.
In low to medium level power applications (e.g., 50 to 800 watts), a forward converter topology is widely used. A DC/DC forward converter generally includes an isolation transformer, a switch on a primary side of the transformer, and a rectifier and output filter on a secondary side of the transformer. The switch, coupled in series with a primary winding of the transformer, converts an input DC voltage into an AC voltage. The transformer then transforms the AC voltage to another value and the rectifier generates therefrom a desired DC voltage that is filtered by the output filter at an output of the forward converter.
A conventional forward converter topology contains a single switch, typically a semiconductor device, sized to withstand the input voltage. Many applications, however, require input voltages that may be too high for commonly available semiconductor devices. A two-switch forward converter, therefore, has been designed to accommodate semiconductor devices rated for approximately the input voltage. The addition of a second switch on the primary side of the transformer allows a reset voltage of the transformer and the input voltage to be divided between the two switches, thus reducing voltage stresses on each switch.
A practical concern regarding forward converters is that a magnetizing current of the transformer must be taken into consideration in the design of the converter. Otherwise, the magnetic energy stored in a core of the transformer by the magnetizing current may cause a failure in the converter. To facilitate the recovery of magnetizing energy from the transformer core to the input, the two-switch forward converter incorporates first and second diodes, each coupled between a rail of the input and the primary winding. During an off state of the switches, magnetizing energy flows from the transformer core to the input via the first and second diodes, allowing the transformer core to reset.
One inherent problem with the two-switch topology is that the reset voltage of the transformer is equal to the input voltage, thereby limiting a maximum duty cycle of the switches to 0.5. By operating the switches at the 0.5 duty cycle, however, the selection criteria for the switches and the turns ratio of the transformer are limited. Obviously, these aforementioned limitations detract from the use of forward converters and raise the costs associated therewith.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a system and method for resetting the transformer while, at the same time, maximizing the design flexibility and increasing the efficiency of the power converter.

Clamp circuit for a power converter and method of operation thereof


A method and apparatus for compensating for the presence of a magnetic field during medical imaging are disclosed. Gamma photons are acquired at a detector. An orientation of the detector (e.g., relative to the surface of the earth) corresponding to the acquisition is determined. Based on the determined detector orientation, one or more compensation value(s) are determined from a memory of a computer, e.g., based on interpolation, parametric computation, or a look-up table. Energy signal variation of a detected signal due to the detector orientation is compensated for by applying the determined compensation value.

Nuclear medical imaging is a useful technique that is applied in a variety of diagnostic contexts and medical specialties. In one type of nuclear medical imaging known as Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), the primary imaging task is to accurately determine and depict the spatial distribution of a radioactive isotope (radioisotope) used as a tracer (radiotracer) in the imaged object. A radiotracer may also be referred to as a radiopharmaceutical, as it is a pharmaceutical labeled with a radioactive isotope. Typically, the radiotracer travels to a target within the patient's body, and an attached radioactive atom emits gamma ray photons as it undergoes nuclear decay.
A gamma camera (also known as an Anger camera or scintillation camera) has one or more detectors located near the patient for detecting emitted gamma rays that have traveled through a portion of the patient's body. For example, FIG. 1 shows a gamma camera 100 having a detector 105 (e.g., a SPECT detector that detects gamma photons) mounted on a gantry 103 that is secured by a stand 104. Gantry 103 carries a motion guide 106, which in turn carries detector 105. Although one detector is shown in FIG. 1, other configurations are possible, e.g., two detectors 105a and 105b mounted to gantry 103 as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2. By mounting one or more detectors on gantry 103, the detector(s) can be positioned in various orientations (e.g., relative to the surface of the earth) as the gantry is rotated. For example, in the head-on view of FIG. 1, detector 105 is shown positioned directly above the patient 101 lying on a table top 102, and this orientation may correspond to a gantry rotation angle of 0 degrees (other conventions for defining the rotation angle can be used). As gantry 103 rotates, detector 105 moves along a circular path corresponding to respective gantry rotational orientations. The capability for varying the gantry rotational orientation enables the patient 101 to be imaged from various angles.
For SPECT imaging, gamma camera data are acquired from various view angles or projections and reconstructed in various planes in accordance with the principles of three-dimensional (3D) tomography. A gamma camera used for SPECT is also referred to as a SPECT camera. Gamma cameras for SPECT are described in more detail in Sayed, M., "Quality Control in Nuclear Medicine II. Planar and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomographic Gamma Camera Apparatus," Turkish Journal of Nuclear Medicine 6(3): 185-189 (1997), the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) in a gamma camera, which detect and amplify scintillation events, are very sensitive to magnetic fields. One way to address this sensitivity to magnetic fields is to shield individual PMTs with metallic structures. But, such metallic structures that are conventionally used can only extend to the face of a PMT's photocathode, which limits the magnetic shielding effectiveness for the region between the photocathode and one of the electrodes (dynode) of the PMT. Thus, PMTs are susceptible to variation in results due to magnetic fields, despite existing shielding mechanisms.

Method and apparatus for compensating for magnetic field during medical imaging


A cable modem system and method is provided for the transfer and processing of data in accordance with specialized data transfer protocols while utilizing conventional cable modem termination system (CMTS) equipment. A cable modem system in accordance with the invention includes a cable modem that provides for the modification of data packets in accordance with a proprietary protocol and the addressing of the modified data packets to a headend server. The headend server is adapted to reconstruct the data packets for transmission to other local cable modems or to a packet-switched network. In additional embodiments, the CMTS itself rather than a headend server operates to reconstruct the data packets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to cable modem systems. In particular, the present invention is related to a cable modem system and method for data transfer.
2. Background
Conventional cable modem systems utilize DOCSIS-compliant equipment and protocols to transfer data between one or more cable modems (CM) and a cable modem termination system (CMTS). DOCSIS (Data Over Cable System Interface Specification) generally refers to a group of specifications that define industry standards for cable headend and cable modem equipment. In part, DOCSIS sets forth requirements and objectives for various aspects of cable modem systems including operations support systems, management, data interfaces, as well as network layer, data link layer, and physical layer transport for cable modem systems.
At a high level, DOCSIS comprises a four-way handshake protocol with the following message exchange: (1) request for bandwidth for data transmission by a cable modem, (2) grant of request by the CMTS, (3) upstream slot specification by the CMTS, and (4) subsequent data transmission by the cable modem. Both slot specification and grant messages are encapsulated in a single DOCSIS message known as the MAP, which in fact includes all feedback from the CMTS to cable modems related to the normal mode of operation of the DOCSIS protocol.
After the grant from the CMTS has been received by the cable modem, the upstream channel may be viewed as a continuous flow of mini-slots that may be used to transmit data in ways that depart from, and are more efficient than, standard DOCSIS protocols. For example, voice and data packets may be processed by the cable modem to reduce the number of bits transferred per packet through the elimination of protocol overhead. In particular, a proprietary protocol-specific header compression technique may be used to reduce the size of various protocol headers within a given DOCSIS packet. The use of a protocol-specific header compression technique presents a distinct advantage over DOCSIS 1.0, which does not provide for header suppression, as well as over DOCSIS 1.1, which only permits header suppression based on the presence of redundant bit sequences in sequentially-transmitted packets.
Techniques that reduce the number of bits transferred per packet as described above require additional processing by the CMTS to reconstruct the original DOCSIS packet and the protocol headers included therein so that the packet may be properly handled at the cable headend. However, conventional CMTS equipment does not provide for such additional processing capabilities. Moreover, the cost of replacing or upgrading existing CMTS equipment to provide for these capabilities may be prohibitively expensive. Accordingly, what is desired is a cable modem system and method for data transfer that provides for specialized headend processing of modified DOCSIS packets while utilizing existing conventional CMTS equipment with little or no modification.

Cable modem system and method for specialized data transfer


An image-forming apparatus comprises an intermediate transfer member having a hard release layer on the surface that receives a primarily transferred toner image from a latent image-supporting member on the hard release layer and secondarily transfers the toner image to an image-receiving medium, wherein,                when the difference Δγsd between the dispersion-force component of surface free energy of the intermediate transfer member surface γsd(itm) and the dispersion-force component of surface free energy of the latent image-supporting member surface γsd(pc) is defined by the following Formula:Δγsd=γsd(pc)−γsd(itm),        Δγsd is 5 mN/m or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image-forming apparatuses such as monochromic/full-color copying machine, printer, facsimile machine and multifunctional processing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image-forming apparatus in intermediate transfer mode, toner images in various colors formed on a latent image-supporting member are respectively primarily transferred to and superimposed on an intermediate transfer member, and the superimposed image is secondarily transferred collectively onto an image-receiving medium. In such an image-forming apparatus, there remains a small amount of toner on the intermediate transfer member after the secondary transfer.
Formation of a hard release layer on the surface of the intermediate transfer member for improvement of the secondary transfer rate may be effective in improving the toner release characteristics. However, there may be some improvement in secondary transfer efficiency in such an image-forming apparatus, but, during primary transfer of the toner image formed on the latent image-supporting member onto the intermediate transfer member, the toner image is held and pressurized between the latent image-supporting member and the intermediate transfer member, giving other new problems such as aggregation of toner and hollow defects of the resulting image. Specifically, the hard release layer on the intermediate transfer member surface is formed for easier release of the toner, and a part of the toner aggregate formed by pressurization during primary transfer adheres to and remains more on the latent image-supporting member than on the intermediate transfer member higher in release characteristics, thus prohibiting primary transfer. The hollow defects become more distinctive, particularly in the central area of a character or thin line image where the pressure and thus the toner aggregation force are higher.

Image-forming apparatus equipped with specified intermediate transfer member

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


A score recognition apparatus initially reads a given musical score to form an original image data. The original image data is analyzed to successively recognize symbols contained in the musical score to produce a score code data. Then, a synthetic image data of the musical score is reproduced according to the score code data. The score recognition apparatus has a monitor receptive of the original image data and the synthetic image data to display an original image and a synthetic image in parallel to each other. An operation command is inputted to command a screen operation of the displayed image. The pair of the original and synthetic image data are concurrently processed according to the operation command to execute the screen operation of both the original and synthetic images in parallel manner. Further, the pair of the original and synthetic image data are compared with each other to detect a discrepancy portion between the original image and the synthetic image to produce a discrepancy image data. The monitor is controlled according to the discrepancy image data to visually indicate the discrepancy portion.

The present invention relates to a musical score recognition apparatus for optically reading a musical score sheet to form a two-dimensional image data, for analyzing the image data to recognize notes and other symbols, and for effecting an automatic musical performance based on recognized results. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing technology to realize comparative display of an original score and the recognized score, visual discrepancy indication therebetween, and visual notification of indefinite symbols which fails in recognition or interpretation.
For example, Japanese patent application laid-open No. 5-35924 discloses a score recognition apparatus operable to read a score print by an image scanner or else to form an original image data, and subsequently to recognize therefrom score elements such as notes and other symbols to produce a performance data such as Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) data. The score recognition apparatus analyzes the original image data obtained by reading the score sheet through the image scanner to carry out recognition of various score elements including staff lines, notes, sharp (.music-sharp.), flat (.music-flat.), rest, G clef and F clef. The conventional score recognition apparatus hardly achieves 100% of a recognition rate. Therefore, it is necessary to display the results of the score recognition in order to visually check the same to find a recognition error, and in order to correct a score data if necessary. In such a case, the recognized results and the original score must be visually compared with each other. However, the conventional score recognition apparatus is not constructed to facilitate the visual comparison.
The score recognition apparatus receives an original image data representative of a source score, and recognizes contents thereof to produce an automatic performance data, a print data or else. However, the conventional score recognition apparatus cannot achieve 100% of accuracy. Therefore, a user finally checks the recognized results to manually correct recognization errors. However, the conventional score recognition apparatus displays separately an inputted original score and a synthetic score reproduced according to the recognition results. Thus, the user must compare the original score and the synthetic score with each other to find a discrepancy therebetween, which would cause an overlook and a mistake in correction of the recognition results.
The conventional score recognition apparatus hardly achieves 100% of the recognition rate. Particularly, it is quite difficult to perfectly recognize a hand-written score sheet. Consequently, the reproduced score may contain indefinite score symbols which fail in recognition. However, the conventional apparatus is not constructed to visually indicate an existence of indefinite score elements to the user. Therefore, the user may inadvertently accept the recognized results as a perfect form even though indefinite score elements are actually involved. In addition, the recognition process of the score sheet requires a long time. The recognized results are displayed after the recognition process is completed throughout the whole of the original image data, hence the user disadvantageously waits for a long time from inputting of read score contents until visual outputting of the recognized results.

Musical score recognition apparatus with visual scanning and correction


A medical device and associated method classify candidate pacing electrode sites for delivering pacing pulses to a patient's heart. A first morphology template is established and stored in memory of the device. A processor is configured to determine a cardiac signal morphology in response to delivering pacing pulses at a candidate pacing site in a first heart chamber. The processor compares the determined cardiac signal morphology to the first morphology template. The pacing site in the first heart chamber is classified in response to the comparing of the determined cardiac signal morphology and the first morphology template.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a treatment for heart failure patients in which one or more heart chambers are electrically stimulated (paced) to restore or improve heart chamber synchrony. Achieving a positive clinical benefit from CRT is dependent on the location of the pacing site, particularly in the left ventricle (LV). Thus, placement of the pacing leads, especially an LV pacing lead, is important in promoting a positive outcome from CRT. As multi-polar cardiac pacing leads become commercially available, multiple pacing electrode vectors are possible, for example, for pacing in the LV. Guidelines are needed for selecting a lead placement site and for selecting which pacing electrode vector to use for delivering CRT in a most efficacious way. A need remains for efficient, low-cost techniques for reliably determining an optimal lead placement site and pacing vector.

Left-ventricular pacing site selection guided by electrogram morphology analysis


A furnace refractory extraction system and method includes a selectively removable bottom portion which is attached to a refractory extraction device associated with a container for drawing the refractory lining of a coreless induction furnace into the container. A plug portion in the furnace bottom is selectively removable to provide access to a bottom wall of the refractory lining. An opening is made in the bottom wall of the lining through which an extractor shaft is inserted and then attached to the removable bottom portion of the furnace bottom. The other end of the shaft is attached to a piston and cylinder assembly associated with the container at the open end of the furnace. When the piston and cylinder assembly is powered, the lining is drawn into the container.

This invention pertains to the art of coreless induction furnaces such as those that contain a replaceable refractory hearth lining, and more particularly to a method and system for extracting the lining from the furnace.
The invention is particularly applicable to an induction melting furnace in which a furnace content to be heated is supported in a refractory hearth. Sometimes the lining material itself or the furnace content may be dangerous or harmful so that when it is necessary to replace the refractory lining, the lining should be contained for transport and ultimate disposal. The invention is particularly applicable to a method and system for extracting such a lining from the furnace and placement in a container for transport, storage or ultimate disposal. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention could be readily adapted for use in other environments as, for example, where cumbersome and potentially harmful linings are to be replaced and contained upon extraction from a furnace or other device.
Refractory linings that are employed as hearths useful for such induction melting furnaces are typically composed of fire-proof materials commonly referred to as dry ram type refractories such as silica, alumina or magnesia. The linings have to be replaced at regular intervals so the safety, convenience and efficiency of the replacement process are important considerations. In particular, where the furnace work content is a dangerous and harmful item, such as one that has been radioactively contaminated, minimal safety precautions require containment of the refractory lining during both extraction of the lining from the furnace and subsequent transport, storage and disposal.
Prior known systems for refractory extraction and discharge have met with varying degrees of success. Such systems and methods have included lifting the refractory lining by means of a crane from the furnace cavity, dismantling of the furnace floor so that the lining can be pushed out or breaking up of the refractory lining with pneumatic hammers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,857 discloses a method and system where a push-out device, acting underneath the furnace floor, pushes out the furnace lining upon cooling of the lining so that a separation occurs between the furnace sidewalls and the lining.
None of the foregoing prior art systems are useful with regard to the controlled extraction and containment of a dangerous lining material or a lining which has been contaminated by a harmful furnace content. All the methods will involve uncontained extraction and/or breaking up of the crucible. Also, the ejection device of the '857 patent involves a substantial modification of a furnace floor which is undesirable from the standpoint of furnace construction.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved refractory extraction system and method which overcomes the above problems and provides improved safety and economy of construction and yet is simple in design so that refractory replacement can be easily accomplished while safe containment of a contaminated lining is maintained.

Furnace refractory extraction system and method


In a mounting arrangement for an exhaust gas recirculation pipe in an internal combustion engine wherein the exhaust gas recirculation pipe extends from an exhaust gas pipe adjacent the engine to an intake duct and is supported on the engine in an intermediate area by a bracket, at least a part of the exhaust gas recirculation pipe and the bracket are formed as an integral building component so as to form a rigid support structure for the intake duct.

The invention relates to a mounting arrangement for an exhaust gas recirculation pipe on an internal combustion engine housing, wherein the exhaust gas recirculation pipe extends between the engine exhaust duct and the engine intake duct and is supported by an engine-mounted support structure.
DE 35 29 543 C2 discloses an engine support arrangement for an exhaust gas recirculation pipe wherein the recirculation pipe branches off an exhaust duct in the vicinity of the engine and leads to an intake duct of the engine. A support structure is provided by which the exhaust gas recirculation pipe and an exhaust gas recirculation control valve are supported on the cylinderhead of the internal combustion engine.
For general technical background information, reference is also made to DE 40 17 074 A1 and DE 195 07 354 A1.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a compact mounting arrangement for an exhaust recirculation pipe whereby the available space is utilized in an optimal manner and which is relatively inexpensive and can be installed easily.

Mounting arrangement for an exhaust gas recirculation pipe on an internal combustion engine


A meter assembly is provided including a register or an index associated with a meter; and a communication circuit decoupled from the register or the index and configured to communicate with the register or the index using an optical communication link between the register or the index and the communication circuit. Related communication circuit housings are provided.

Registers/indexes are used in combination with electronic devices, such as water meters, gas meters, electric meters and the like, to collect data associated with the device and make this data available to other devices. For example, the collected data may be provided to a radio circuit associated with the register/index, which may then be accessed by devices at a remote locations using the radio circuit. The ability to access data from the registers/indexes through the radio and provide the data collected at the registers/indexes to a remote location allows the data collected at the register/index to communicate data, such as usage data, vibration data, temperature data, alarms and the like to the remote location. The data communicated from the device can be analyzed and problems with the device may be diagnosed remotely, rather than having a technician on site with the device.

Devices having communication circuitry decoupled from device circuitry and related meters and housings


A stent is provided having attachment members for allowing attachment of a sheath or sheaths. Accordingly, a practitioner is able to selectively choose a desirable sheath, such as a polymeric sleeve, a biomaterial, or a natural blood vessel, at a point-of-use and attach it to the sheath. The attachment members may be bendable tabs and/or secondary support stents.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vascular stents and, more particularly, to covered vascular stents.
2. Description of Related Technology
In the prior art, it is known to provide a covering for an implantable vascular stent, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,264. Such covered stents or stent/grafts are used for a variety of vascular treatments, but have particular usefulness in endovascular applications to support or maintain the patency of the natural vessel. Depending on the particular needs of a patient, a specific stent/cover combination is chosen as a treatment. Generally, however, stent coverings are emplaced on the stent at a manufacturing facility. As a result, medical practitioners have been traditionally limited in their selection of a stent and covering combination to what is commercially available.
To overcome some of the deficiencies of the prior art, mountable sheaths for emplacement onto a stent have been developed which allow a practitioner to select a particular sheath and stent combination at a point-of-use, beyond the manufacturing facility. A mountable sheath is disclosed in WIPO International Publication No. WO 00/12147, the applicant of which is the same as the assignee herein. The mountable sheath is slitted to facilitate mounting onto a stent, and may be treated with a pharmaceutical agent, radioactive agent, bioactive agent, or a combination thereof. The sheath is attached and retained on the stent using compressive force, glue, a protective sheath, or socks. The compressive force is generated radially (inwardly and/or outwardly), by the sheath itself, the stent, or both. It is, however, desired to provide a simplified method of attaching and retaining the mountable sheath, as well as other sheaths, to a stent.

Stent design with sheath attachment members


The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of polyether polyols by the reaction of alkylene oxides and compounds containing active hydrogens, in the presence of specific Lewis acid metal compounds as catalysts, novel bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid) compounds of Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and to a process for the preparation thereof and the use thereof as catalysts for ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ethers.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of polyether polyols by the reaction of alkylene oxides and compounds containing active hydrogens in the presence of specific Lewis acid metal compounds as catalysts, novel bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid) compounds of elements from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements and a process for the preparation thereof, and the use thereof as catalysts for ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ethers.
Polyether polyols can be produced by a polyaddition reaction between alkylene oxides such as, for example, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, and compounds containing active hydrogen atoms, such as alcohols, amines, acid amides, phenols, and are used, inter alia, for the preparation of polyurethane plastics, surfactants and lubricants. Industrial polyaddition reactions between epoxides and starting compounds generally takes place by alkali catalysis. The alkali catalysts predominantly used are alkali hydroxides. Disadvantages of alkali hydroxide catalyzed polyether polyol preparation include the long reaction times (i.e.,  greater than 5 hours) and the labor-intensive working-up of the product which is necessitated by neutralization of the alkaline polymer. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,129,718, 4,482,750 and 4,029,879, J.P. Patent Number 73026391, Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Eng., Vol. 6, New York 1986, pages 273 to 307). A further problem is the base-catalyzed rearrangement of epoxides, for example propylene oxide, to allyl or propenyl alcohols, which takes place as a side-reaction and leads to monofunctional polyethers having a terminal double bond.
Acid catalysis, in particular with Lewis acids such as, for example, boron trifluoride, has also long been known, in addition to basic catalysis, for polyaddition reactions between alkylene oxides and starting compounds. Acid catalysis for the preparation of polyether polyols has the disadvantages that side reactions (for example formation of volatile low molecular weight cyclic ethers) are favored to an increased degree, hydroxyl groups are substituted by acid anions, and the relative molar mass distribution of the polyols is broader than that which typically occurs when compared to similar products prepared by base catalysis. Further disadvantages are the difficulty of separating (Lewis) acid catalysts and their sensitivity to hydrolysis, which necessitates the use of special materials (for example enamels) in the reaction apparatus used. Furthermore, the high catalytic reactivity of acid catalysts makes the reaction difficult to control.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,430 describes a process for the monoalkoxylation of hydroxylized compounds in the presence of trifluoromethane sulfonic acid salts. The alcohol-epoxy ratio must always be xe2x89xa72 in order to form only the monoaddition product.
A process for the preparation of polyethers by the reaction of diepoxides with dihydroxides in the presence of metal triflate salts is described in EP 493,916. The process requires deactivation of the catalyst.
In order to increase selectivity, EP-A 569,331 proposes a process for the preparation of additional products by the reaction of an alcohol with an epoxide compound, in which the catalysts comprises a complex metal compound of a metal from the main or subgroups of the Periodic Table of the Elements with sulfonate radicals of a perfluoro-containing, alkanesulfonic acid and at least one weakly bonded neutral, unidentate or multidentate ligand is used. A metal complex compound corresponding to the formula La(CH3CN)x(H2O)y(CF3SO3)3 is particularly suitable for the latter process (see claim 12 of EP-A 569,331). Disadvantages of the latter metal complex catalysts with regard to the process for the preparation of polyether polyols include the difficulty of separating and recovering completely the complex system of metal perfluoroalkylsulfonate and ligands from the polyol reaction mixture, and the low catalytic activity of the latter metal complex compounds, such that large quantities of catalyst must be used for the process for the preparation of polyethers. Polyether preparation with the latter metal complex compounds would therefore be highly uneconomical.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,721,816 and 4,721,817 describe a process for the preparation of alkanol-alkoxylate products in the presence of catalysts which are obtained by the reaction of one or more aluminum compounds and a sulfur-containing or phosphorus-containing acid. This process is characterized in that corrosive acids are used which have the disadvantages described above. Furthermore, a two-component system, such as that described above, is very demanding as to precise dispensing of the two components. Comparative Examples show that the aluminum component alone has only very low catalytic activity.
It has surprisingly now been found that, without the simultaneous presence of ligands, accelerators or co-catalysts, specific metal compounds enable polyaddition reactions to take place between epoxides and starting compounds having active hydrogen atoms, with high selectivity and catalytic activity. These compounds in a catalytically active quantity show (even after hydrolysis) neutral to slightly acidic behavior. That is to say that these compounds have pH values of xe2x89xa67.0. Consequently, it is possible to dispense with a neutralization of the catalyst at the end of the reaction.
The present invention therefore provides a process for the preparation of polyether polyols from alkylene oxides and starting compounds which contain active hydrogen atoms. This process is carried out in the presence of metal compounds which correspond to the general formula (I):
(X)nM(Exe2x80x94Rxe2x80x94Exe2x80x2I)mxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
wherein:
X: represents a halide, thiolate, sulfinate, sulfonate, sulfate, amide, or carboxylate;
M: represents a metal from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the elements;
E: represents oxygen, sulfur, selenium, NR1 or PR1; wherein:
R1: represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl;
R: represents a C1-C30 hydrocarbon bridge which may be an alkylene, an arylene or an aralkylene bridge, and wherein R can form one or more rings with R1;
Exe2x80x2: represent a hydrogen atom, a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl, OR2, NR2R3, halogen, SR2or PR2R3, and wherein:
R2 and R3: are the same or different, and each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical which may be alkyl, aryl or aralkyl, and wherein R2 can form one or more rings with R3 or R, and/or R3 can form one or more rings with R or R2, and/or two or more ERExe2x80x2 units can form one or more rings;
n: represents 1 or 2;
m: equals (3xe2x88x92n);
and
I: represents an integer from 1 to 10.
The process according to the invention is generally carried out at temperatures of from 40 to 200xc2x0 C. and at total pressures of from 0 to 20 bar, and, optionally, in the presence of an inert organic solvent.
Examples of alkylene oxides which are used are C1-C20 alkylene oxides, preferably ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and mixtures thereof. The building of the polyether chains by alkoxylation may be carried out with only one monomeric epoxide, but may also take place in either random or block manner with two or three different monomeric epoxides. Further details are to be found in xe2x80x9cUllmanns Encyclopxc3xa4die der industriellen Chemiexe2x80x9d, English language edition. 1992, Vol. A21, pages 670 to 671.
Compounds containing active hydrogen atoms, including those compounds preferably having molecular weights of 18 to 400 and having 1 to 8 hydroxyl, thiol and/or amino groups are suitable as the starting compounds in accordance with the present invention. The following compounds may be named as examples: ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, hexamethylene glycol, bisphenol A, trimethylolpropane, glycerol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, cane sugar, degraded starch, water, methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, butylamine, aniline, benzylamine, o- and p-toluidine, xcex1,xcex2-naphthylamine, ammonia, ethylene diamine, propylene diamine, 1,4-butylene diamine, 1,2-, 1,3-, 1,4-, 1,5- and/or 1,6-hexamethylene diamine, such as o-, m and p-phenylene diamine, 2,4- and 2,6-tolylene diamine, 2,2xe2x80x2-, 2,4xe2x80x2- and 4,4xe2x80x2-diaminodiphenylmethane and diethylene diamine.
Halides, thiolates, sulfinates, sulfonates, amides or carboxylic acids are suitable as X in formula (I) above.
If X represents a halide, F, Cl, Br and I are considered as suitable examples for the present invention. In formula (I) above, if X represents thiolate, then some examples of suitable thiols include compounds such as methylthiol, ethylthiol, n-propylthiol, 1-propylthiol, n-butylthiol, s-butylthiol, tert.-butylthiol, nonylthiol, decylthiol, dodecylthiol, hexadecylthiol, cyclohexylthiol, menthylthiol, neomenthylthiol, thiophenol, o-, m- or p-methylthiophenol, 2,4,6- or 3,4,5-trimethylthiophenol, xcex1- or xcex2-thionaphthol, 1- or 2-thioanthrol, benzylthiol, 2-or 3-methylbenzylthiol or 1-phenylethylthiol.
If X represents a sulfinate, then examples of suitable compounds include substituted alkylsulfinic or arylsulfinic acids such as, for example, methyl sulfinate, ethyl sulfinate, trifluoromethyl sulfinate or phenyl sulfinate.
If X represents a sulfonate, then examples of suitable compounds include substituted alkylsulfonic or arylsulfonic acids such as, for example, methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, propanesulfonic acid, butanesulfonic acid, pentanesulfonic acid, hexanesulfonic acid, dodecanesulfonic acid, hexadecanesulfonic acid, cyclohexylsulfonic acid, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, tetrafluoroethane-sulfonic acid, pentafluoroethanesulfonic acid, heptafluoropropanesulfonic acid, heptadecanefluoroctanesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, toluene-sulfonic acid or styrenesulfonic acid.
If X represents a sulfate, then examples of suitable sulfates include, compounds such as substituted monoalkyl sulfuric or monoaryl sulfuric acid esters, for example methylsulfuric acid, ethylsulfuric acid, trifluoromethylsulfuric acid or phenylsulfuric acid.
In formula (I), if X represents an amide, then some examples of suitable compounds include dimethylamide, diethylamide, dipropylamide, methylethylamide, methylpropylamide, diisopropylamide, di-tert.-butylamide, methylphenylamide, diphenylamide or methylnaphthylamide.
In formula (I), if X represents a carboxylate, then some examples of suitable carboxylates include substituted saturated or unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acids such as acetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, hexanoic acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, propiolic acid, crotonic acid, sorbic acid or oleic acid, cycloaliphatic carboxylic acids such as hexahydrobenzoic acid, aromatic carboxylic acids, such as benzoic acid, naphthoic acid or toluic acid, or araliphatic carboxylic acids such as hydrotropic acid, atropic acid or cinnamic acid.
The elements from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, such as boron, aluminum, gallium, indium or thallium, for example, are suitable as M.
Oxygen (O), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), NR1 or PR1, wherein R1 is hydrogen (H) or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, that may be an alkyl group or an aryl group such as, for example, methyl, ethyl, tert.-butyl or phenyl, are suitable to be used as E.
Exe2x80x2 may represent hydrogen (H), an alkyl- radical, an aryl- radical, a halogen, a R2O radical, a R2C(O)Oxe2x80x94 radical, a R2Sxe2x80x94 radical, a R2R3Nxe2x80x94 radical, a R2C(O)N(R3)xe2x80x94 radical, a R2R3Pxe2x80x94 radical, a O2Nxe2x80x94 radical, a H(O)Cxe2x80x94 radical, a R2(O)Cxe2x80x94 radical, a R2O(O)Cxe2x80x94 radical, a NCxe2x80x94 radical, a R2OS(O)2xe2x80x94 radical or a R2OS(O)2 radical. In accordance with the present invention, R2 and R3 may be the same or different, and each is independently selected from the group comprising a hydrogen atom (H), an alkyl radical, an aryl radical or an aralkyl radical. It is also possible that R2 and R3 are joined together to form one or more rings with one another.
In accordance with the present invention, alkylene, arylene and aralkylene bridges are suitable as R. Alkylene bridges are understood here to be, for example, structural units which satisfy the formula (II)
Here, R4 and/or R5 may be the same or different groups, and each is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom (H), an alkyl radical, an aryl radical, a halide, an alkoxide and an aryl oxide. It is also possible that R4 and R5 can be joined together to form one or more rings with R1, R2, R3, R4 and/or R5. It is also possible that R4 and/or R5 can also be coupled with R4 and/or R5 of adjacent carbon atoms, such that double or triple bonds exist between the two carbon atoms.
O in formula (II) above represents an integer having a value between 1 and 10.
Suitable alkoxides and aryl oxides to be used as R4 and/or R5 in formula (II) above are as described below.
In accordance with the present invention, arylene or aralkylene bridges are understood to be, for example, structural units which satisfy the following formulae (III) to (X) described below.
The positions marked with * identify the positions of the substituents E and Exe2x80x2. The location of E and Exe2x80x2 in these positions may be reversed.
In formula (III) above, bridging may take place in the o-, m- or p-position in the benzene ring.
In formula (IV), bridging may take place in the 1,2-, 1,3-, 1,4-, 1,5-, 1,6-, 1,7- or 1,8-position in the naphthalene skeleton.
In formula (V), bridging may take place in the 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-, 2,7- or 2,8-position in the naphthalene skeleton.
In formula (VI), bridging may take place in the 1,2-, 1,3-, 1,4-, 1,5-, 1,6-, 1,7-, 1,8-, 1,9- or 1,10-position in the anthracene skeleton.
In formula (VII), bridging may take place in the 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-, 2,7-, 2,8-, 2,9- or 2,10-position in the anthracene skeleton.
In formula (VIII), bridging may take place in the 1,9-, 2,9-, 3,9-, 4,9- or 9,10-position in the anthracene skeleton.
In formula (IX) bridging may take place in the 2,2xe2x80x2-, 2,3xe2x80x2-, 2,4xe2x80x2-, 2,5xe2x80x2-, 2,6xe2x80x2-, 3,3xe2x80x2-, 3,4xe2x80x2-, 3,5xe2x80x2-, 3,6xe2x80x2-, 4,4xe2x80x2-, 4,5xe2x80x2-, 4,6xe2x80x2-, 5,5xe2x80x2-, 5,6xe2x80x2- or 6,6xe2x80x2-the biphenyl skeleton.
In formula (X), bridging may take place in the 2,2xe2x80x2-, 2,3xe2x80x2-, 2,4xe2x80x2-, 2,5xe2x80x2-, 2,6xe2x80x2-, 2,7xe2x80x2-, 2,8xe2x80x2-, 3,3xe2x80x2-, 3,4xe2x80x2-, 3,5xe2x80x2-, 3,6xe2x80x2-, 3,7xe2x80x2-, 3,8xe2x80x2-, 4,4xe2x80x2-, 4,5xe2x80x2-, 4,6xe2x80x2-, 4,7xe2x80x2-, 4,8xe2x80x2, 5,5xe2x80x2-, 5,6xe2x80x2-, 5,7xe2x80x2-, 5,8xe2x80x2-, 6,6xe2x80x2-, 6,7xe2x80x2-, 6,8xe2x80x2-, 7,7xe2x80x2, 7,8xe2x80x2- or 8,8xe2x80x2-position in the binaphthyl skeleton.
R6 and/or R7 may be the same or different, and each is independently selected from the group consisting of: a hydrogen (H) atom, an alkyl, an aryl, a halide, alkoxide and aryl oxide. R6 and/or R7 can form one or more rings by combining with R6 and/or R7. Halides here are defined as above. Alkoxides and aryl oxides here are defined as follows.
Examples of suitable alkoxides include saturated and unsaturated aliphatic alcohols such as, for example, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, l-propanol, n-butanol, sec.-butanol, tert.-butanol, nonanol, decanol, dodecanol, hexadecanol, cyclohexanol, menthol and/or neomenthol.
Examples of suitable aryl oxides include compounds such as substituted phenols, naphthols, anthracenols or phenanthrenols such as, for example, phenol, o-, m- or p-methylphenol, 2,4,6- or 3,4,5-trimethyl-phenol, 2,6-di-tert.-butylphenol, 2,6-di-tert.-butyl-4-methylphenol, xcex1- or xcex2-naphthol, 1- or 2-anthrol or 9-hydroxyphenanthrene.
R4 and/or R5 in formulas (II) through (X) above can form one or more rings with R1, R2, R3, R4 and/or R5, R6 and/or R7 can also be linked with R6 and/or R7 of adjacent Carbon atoms, such that double or triple bonds can be formed between the two C atoms.
Each R8 group may be the same or different, and is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen (H) atom, an alkyl radical, an aryl radical, an aralkyl radical, a halogen atom, R2O, R2C(O)Oxe2x80x94, R2Sxe2x80x94, R2R3N, R2C(O)N(R3), R2R3Pxe2x80x94, O2Nxe2x80x94, H(O)Cxe2x80x94, R2(O)Cxe2x80x94, R2O(O)Cxe2x80x94, NCxe2x80x94, R2S(O)2xe2x80x94 or R2OS(O)2 groups.
R4, R5, R6 and R7 may be the same or different, and each is independently selected from the group comprising hydrogen (H), alkyl, aryl, halide, alkoxide or aryl oxide. R4, R5, R6 and/or R7 can form one or more rings by combining together with R1, R2, R3 and/or with each other. Halides, alkoxides and aryl oxides herein are as defined above.
In formulas (III) through (X) above, the letters p and q represent integers from 0 to 8 and may be either the same or different. The bridge is defined as an arylene bridge when p=q=0, the bridge is defined as an aralkylene bridge when p+q greater than 1.
Examples of the structural unit Exe2x80x94Rxe2x80x94Exe2x80x2 are methanolate, ethanolate, I-propanolate, benzyl alcoholate, 2-methoxyethanolate, 2-(2-piperidyl)ethanolate, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanolate, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanolate, 2,4-(methylmercapto)ethanolate, 3-dimethylphosphanyl phenolate, 2-dimethylaminocyclohexanolate, ethyl thiolate, benzyl thiolate, 2-methoxy-ethane thiolate, methyl selenate, N-methyl anilide, 6-methoxy-2,3-dihydro-indolate, phenolate, quinolin-7-olate, 3-methoxyphenolate, 3,5-methoxy-phenolate, 3-methyl-4-dimethylamino-phenolate, 3-dimethylamino-phenolate, 2-fluorophenolate, penta-fluorophenolate, 3-tert-butyl-phenotate, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methyl phenolate, 3-methylmercapto-phenolate, 3,5-trifluoromethyl phenolate, 3,5-dimethoxyphenolate, 2-(2-pyridyl)phenolate, 6-methoxyindolate, 2xe2x80x2-methoxybiphenyl-2-olate, 2xe2x80x2-methoxy-1 -1xe2x80x2-binaphthalenyl-2-olate or 8-methoxy-2-naphtholate.
Two ERExe2x80x2 units can also form one or more rings by combining with one another, such as 6,6xe2x80x2-di-tert-butyl-4,4xe2x80x2-dimethyl-2,2xe2x80x2-methanediyl-di-phenolate or 6,6xe2x80x2-di-tert-butyl-4,4xe2x80x2-dimethyl-2,2xe2x80x2-sulfanediyl-di-phenolate.
In the process according to the present invention, compounds corresponding to the formula (I) are preferably used, in which
X: represents a halide or sulfonate, more preferably a sulfonate, and most preferably a perfluoroalkyl sulfonate;
M: represents boron, aluminum or gallium, and preferably aluminum;
E: represents O, S, or NR1, and preferably O;
R: represents an arylene radical or an alkylene radical, and preferably phenylene;
Exe2x80x2: represents a hydrogen (H) atom, a R2Oxe2x80x94 group, a R2Sxe2x80x94 group, a R2R3Nxe2x80x94 group, a R2R3Pxe2x80x94 group or a NCxe2x80x94 group, and preferably a hydrogen (H) atom, a R2Oxe2x80x94 group, a R2Sxe2x80x94 group, a R2R3Nxe2x80x94 group or a R2R3Pxe2x80x94 group.
The metal compounds corresponding to the formula (I) are in some cases novel compounds and in some cases known compounds. The known compounds may be synthesized as described in the literature (see, for example, J. Indian Chem. Soc. 62 (1985) 494). The novel compounds have the formula (XI)
(RFSO3)2M(ERExe2x80x2I)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(XI)
as defined below, and can be obtained by reacting compounds corresponding to the formula (XII)
MY1Y2Y3xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(XII)
as defined below, with H(Exe2x80x94Rxe2x80x94Exe2x80x2I) and RFSO3H; or by reacting compounds corresponding to the formula (XIII)
M(ERExe2x80x2I)3 xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(XIII)
as defined below, with RFSO3H.
The polyaddition reaction catalyzed by the compounds corresponding to the formula (I) generally takes place within the temperature range 40 to 200xc2x0 C., preferably within the range 40 to 160xc2x0 C., more preferably 50 to 150xc2x0 C., at total pressures of from 0 to 20 bar. The process may or may not be carried out in an inert organic solvent such as, for example, cyclohexane, toluene, xylene, diethylether, dimethoxyethane and/or chlorinated hydrocarbons such as methylene chloride, chloroform or 1,2-dichloropropane. The quantity of solvent is normally approximately from 10 to 30% by weight, based on the weight of polyether polyol to be prepared.
The concentration of catalyst is selected such that the polyaddition reaction is controllable effectively under the given reaction conditions. The concentration of catalyst is generally within the range 0.00005% by weight to 10% by weight, preferably within the range 0.0001% by weight to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of polyether polyol to be prepared.
The reaction times for the polyaddition reaction are within the range of a few minutes to a number of days, preferably within a few minutes to a number of hours.
The molecular weights of the polyethers prepared by the process according to the invention are within the range 100 to 20,000 g/mole, preferably within the range 200 to 15,000 g/mole. As used herein, all molecular weights referred to are number average molecular weights, based on OH numbers and determined by end-group analysis. Because of the stability of the compounds corresponding to the formula (I), in particular the triflates, used as the catalyst, vis-à-vis compounds having active hydrogen atoms (such as, for example, water, alcohols), no special materials such as, for example, enamels, need be used in the reaction apparatus which is employed.
The polyaddition process may be carried out in a continuous, a batch, or a semi-batch manner.
The process according to the invention may generally be carried out as follows:
In order to prepare polyether polyols by a polyaddition reaction between alkylene oxides and starting compounds by catalysis with Lewis acid catalysts corresponding to the formula (I), the catalyst, a starting compound (e.g. propylene glycol or trimethylolpropane) and, optionally a solvent were each introduced into a reaction vessel and were then brought to the desired reaction temperature (preferably 50 to 150xc2x0 C.) at total pressures of from 0 to 20 bar. The desired quantity of alkylene oxide, preferably propylene oxide, was then dispensed continuously into the reaction vessel by means of a controlled membrane pump. After completion of the epoxide dispensing and the post-reaction time at the given reaction temperature, volatile constituents were distilled off at 90xc2x0 C. for 30 minutes at reduced pressure (1 mbar) and then the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature. The polyether polyols obtained are colorless liquids which are characterized by determining their OH values and their viscosities.
The process according to the invention is distinguished in that within the industrially attractive temperature range colorless polyether polyols are obtained. A particular advantage of the process according to the invention is that, due to the high activity of the catalysts they can be used in such low concentrations (50 ppm or less, based on the quantity of polyether polyol to be preparedxe2x80x94see examples 1-7) that it is not necessary to remove the catalyst from the finished polyether polyol.
Furthermore, the present invention provides novel bis(perfluoro-alkyl-sulfonic acid) compounds of elements from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements.
These novel compounds correspond to the formula (XI):
(RFSO3)2M(ERExe2x80x2I)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(XI)
wherein:
RF: represents a perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroaryl group;
M: represents a metal from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;
E: represents oxygen, sulfur, selenium, NR1 or PR1, wherein:
R1: represents a hydrogen atom, or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl, and wherein R1 can form a ring with R;
R: represents a C1-C30 hydrocarbon bridge which may be an alkylene, arylene or aralkylene bridge;
Exe2x80x2: represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl, OR2, NR2R3, halogen, SR2, or PR2R3, wherein:
R2 and R3: may be the same or different, and each is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical which may be alkyl, aryl or aralkyl, and wherein R2 can form a ring with R3 or R, and/or R3 can form a ring with R or R2,
and
I: represents an integer from 1 to 10.
Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, pentafluoroethanesulfonic acid, heptafluoropropanesulfonic acid, heptadecanefluoroctanesulfonic acid, tridecafluoromethyl cyclohexylsulfonic acid, 5-trifluoromethyl dodeca-fluorohexanesulfonic acid or pentafluoro-phenylsulfonic acid, preferably trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, might be named as the optionally substituted RFSO3 the form of perfluoroalkylsulfonic or perfluoroarylsulfonic acids.
M, as defined above, is preferably boron, aluminum or gallium, and particularly preferably aluminum.
The unit ERExe2x80x2 as defined above is preferably methanolate, ethanolate, I-propanolate, tert-butanolate, cyclohexanolate, benzyl alcoholate, 2-methoxyethanolate, 2-(2-piperidyl)ethanolate, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanolate, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanolate, 2-(methyl-mercapto)ethanolate, 3-dimethylphosphanyl phenolate, 2-dimethylamino-cyclohexanolate, ethyl thiolate, benzyl thiolate, 2-methoxyethane thiolate, methyl selenate, N-methyl anilide, 6-methoxy-2,3-dihydroindolate, phenolate, quinolin-7-olate, 3-methoxyphenolate, 3,5xe2x80x2-methoxyphenolate, 3-methyl-4-dimethyl-aminophenolate, 3-dimethylaminophenolate, 2-fluorophenolate, pentafluorophenolate, 3-tert-butyl phenolate, 2,6-di-tert-butyl4-methyl phenolate, 3-methylmercaptophenolate, 3,5-bis(trifluoro-methyl)phenolate, 3,5-dimethoxy-phenolate, 2-(2-pyridyl)phenolate, 6-methoxyindolate, 2xe2x80x2-methoxybiphenyl-2-olate, 2xe2x80x2-methoxy-1,1xe2x80x2-binaphtha-lenyl-2-olate or 8-methoxy-2-naphtholate, and more preferably 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-isopropanolate, phenolate, 3-methoxyphenolate, 3,5-methoxyphenolate, 3-methyl-4-dimethylamino-phenolate, 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenolate, 3-fluorophenolate, pentafluorophenolate, 3-methylmercaptophenolate, 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenolate, 3,5-dimethoxyphenolate or 6-methoxyindolate.
Individually the following compounds might be mentioned as examples: aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)phenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)-3-methyl-4-N,N-dimethylaminophenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)-3-N,N-dimethylaminophenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)-3-methoxyphenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)-3-fluorophenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoro-methanesulfonate)-3,5-difluorophenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-pentafluorophenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-6-methoxyindolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-5-tert-butyl phenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-3,5-di-tert-butyl phenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-3,5-dimethoxyphenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-3-mercaptophenolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-3-methanolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)-3-ethanolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)-isopropanolate, aluminum bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)-3-tert-butylate, aluminum bis(trifluoro-methanesulfonate)-3-benzylate, aluminum, bis(trifluoro-methane-sulfonate)-3-cyclohexanolate or aluminum bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonate)-3-methoxycyclohexanolate.
A process for the preparation of novel bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid) compounds of the elements from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements corresponding to the formula (XI) has also been found. This process comprises (A) reacting at temperatures of from xe2x88x92100 to 300xc2x0 C. in a first step, (1) compounds corresponding to the formula (XII):
xe2x80x83MY1Y2Y3xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(XII)
wherein:
M: represents a metal from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of Elements;
and
Y1, Y2 or Y3: may be the same or different, and are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a C1-C10 hydrocarbon which may be an alkyl or aryl group, a halide or an amide,
with (2) a compound corresponding to the formula:
H(ERExe2x80x2I)
wherein:
E: represents oxygen, sulfur, selenium, NR1 or PR1, wherein:
R1: represents a hydrogen atom, or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl, and wherein R1 can form a ring with R;
R: represents a C1-C30 hydrocarbon bridge which may be an alkylene, an arylene or an aralkylene bridge;
Exe2x80x2: represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl, OR2, NR2R3, halogen, SR3, wherein:
R2 and R3: may be the same of different and each is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical which may be alkyl, aryl or aralkyl, wherein R2 can form a ring with R3 or R, and/or R3 can form a ring with R2or R;
and
I: represents an integer from 1 to 10; in the presence or absence of inert solvents, and are then (B) reacted in the second step at temperatures of from xe2x88x92100xc2x0 C. to 300xc2x0 C., with (3) a compound corresponding to the formula:
RFSO3H
wherein:
RF: represents a perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroaryl radical; in the presence or absence of inert solvents. It is unimportant here whether or not the products of the first stage are isolated.
Another process for the preparation of the novel bis(perfluoroalkyl-sulfonic acid) compounds of the elements from Group 13 of the Periodic Table, corresponding to the formula (XI):
(RFSO3)2M(ERExe2x80x2I)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(XI)
wherein:
RF, M, E, R, Exe2x80x2 and I are defined as above, and the process comprises (A) reacting, at temperatures of from xe2x88x92100xc2x0 C. to 300xc2x0 C., (1) compounds corresponding to the formula (XIII)
M(ERExe2x80x2I)3xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(XIII)
wherein:
M: represents a metal from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;
E: represents oxygen, sulfur, selenium, NR1 or PR1, wherein:
R1: represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl, and wherein R1 can form one or more rings with R;
R: represents a C1-C30 hydrocarbon bridge which may be an alkylene, arylene or aralkylene bridge;
Exe2x80x2: represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical, preferably a C1-C10 hydrocarbon radical, which may be alkyl or aryl, OR2, NR2R3, halogen, SR2, or PR2R3, wherein:
R2 and R3: may be the same or different, and each is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a C1-C20 hydrocarbon radical which may be alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl, and wherein R2 can form a ring with R3 or R, and/or R3 can form a ring with R2 or R;
and
I: represents an integer from 1 to 10;
with (2) a compound corresponding to the formula:
RFSO3H
wherein:
RF: represents a perfluoroalkyl or a perfluoroaryl group; in the presence or absence of one or more inert solvents.
Aluminum trichloride, aluminum tribromide, trimethyl aluminum, triethyl aluminum, triisobutyl aluminum, diethyl aluminum chloride or ethyl aluminum sesquichloride, for example, are preferably used as the compound corresponding to the formula (XII) in the process according to the invention.
Aluminum triisopropoxide, aluminum tri-tert-butoxide or aluminum triphenolate, for example, are preferably used as the compounds corresponding to the formula (XIII) in the process according to the invention.
A preferred temperature range of xe2x88x92100xc2x0 C. to 200xc2x0 C., and more preferably from xe2x88x9280 to 150xc2x0 C., are suggested for the above processes. The total reaction time varies depending on the raw materials, anywhere from between a few minutes and 48 hours. It is also optionally possible to work at elevated or reduced pressure.
The process according to the invention is preferably carried out in the presence of one or more solvents, preferably such as, for example, hexane, heptane, octane, other aliphatic hydrocarbons, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride, dichloroethane, trichloroethane, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, trichlorobenzene or mixtures thereof in any ratio.
The quantity of solvent or solvent mixture may vary at will. It is expediently selected such that the concentration of the reactants is between 5 and 80% by weight, based on the total reaction mixture.
The following are possible variations of the preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, and specifically, of the reaction of the compound corresponding to the formula (XII) with H(ERExe2x80x2I) and RFSO3H. First, the compound corresponding to the formula (XII) is dissolved or suspended in the solvent or solvent mixture, and is brought to the required reaction temperature. H(ERExe2x80x2I) is dispensed into the suspension, either in solution or as a pure substance, within suitable periods of time, such that the temperature and the gas evolved remain within the suitable range. The reaction mixture is then allowed to continue to react at a suitable reaction temperature until no further gas evolves. The reaction mixture is then brought to the required temperature, and the perfluoroalkylsulfonic or perfluoroarylsulfonic acid is dispensed-in, either in solution or as a pure substance, within suitable periods of time, such that the temperature and gas evolved remain within the suitable range. Then, the reaction mixture is allowed to continue to react at a suitable reaction temperature until no further gas evolves.
The solvent may be removed from the reaction mixture by distillation, or in some cases the product corresponding to the formula (XI) may be advantageously filtered off or centrifuged off.
The compounds used according to the invention as raw materials represent known products some of which are obtainable commercially.
Owing to the manner of their preparation the compounds according to the invention may contain varying amounts of solvent.
The compounds according to the invention are suitable as catalysts for the synthesis of polyethers by ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ethers. Here, cyclic ethers are understood to be compounds such as, for example, oxiranes, oxetanes, tetrahydrofurans, oxepanes, 1,3-dioxolanes or 1,3,5-trioxanes.
The following examples further illustrate details for the process of this invention. The invention, which is set forth in the foregoing disclosure, is not to be limited either in spirit or scope by these examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that known variations of the conditions of the following procedures can be used. Unless otherwise noted, all temperatures are degrees Celsius and all percentages are percentages by weight.

Process for the preparation of polyether polyols


This application discloses a liner pipe reduction system comprising at least one pressurized die and at least one pressure cell. The pressurized dies and pressure cell are interconnected to form a reduction system to reduce the friction of liner pipe as it passes through one or more dies.

This invention relates to the pipeline industry where steel pipe is lined with a thermoplastic liner (such as, but not limited to, polyethylene, nylon and other polyolefins) to prevent internal corrosion, and in some cases (Roach, U.S. Pat. No. 115,072,622 dated Dec. 17, 1991) the liner is used to monitor the integrity of the steel host pipe.
There are basically two types of liners that are presently installed: (A) tight-fitting liners, where the outside diameter of the liner is installed insitu against the inside diameter of the host pipe, and (B) loose-fitting liners, which are installed with a space between the inside diameter of the host pipe and the outside diameter of the liner. After installation, the internal working pressure of the host pipe, heat, and/or other methods cause the liner to expand against the inside diameter of the host pipe; for example, steel line pipe used in the pipe line industry to transport refined liquids and natural gas over long distances.
This Pressurized Dies invention specifically addresses the method of reducing a liner that has an outside diameter which is approximately 5% larger than the inside diameter of the host pipe so it can be installed insitu. The liner, after being reduced and installed, will increase in diameter spontaneously, without the aid of (A) heat, (B) internal pressure of the host pipe, (C) reforming a liner that has been extruded in shapes smaller than the host pipe's inside diameter, or (D) other methods.
The basic technology of installing liners "against the wall" involves (1) the reduction of a plastic liner, not exceeding its elastic limits in the axial direction and pulling the liner into the host pipe, and (2) not exceeding the plastic liner's elastic limits in the longitudinal direction. After the plastic liner is installed, it is allowed, over time, to relax and expand to its original size. However, the plastic liner will be prevented from expanding to its original size, and will instead press against the inside diameter of the host pipe; therefor resulting in an interference fit and remain tight against the host pipe's inside diameter.
As the host pipes become larger in diameter (12" plus), or a particular construction job involves several different sizes of liners, it becomes very expensive to build reduction machines that may, for example, involve roller reduction machines, as each size requires a specially-made set of rollers. These increased costs are normally passed on to the client.
In the case of the technologies using reduction dies, with or without heat, etc., there exists a major problem of the liner being over-stressed and exceeding their elastic limits in the longitudinal direction due to the friction, or drag, as they are pulled through the dies.
The Pressurized Dies invention will allow the liner pipe to pass through the reducing dies with less friction and drag. This further allows the liner pipe to be pulled into the host pipe and requires less connections between "pulls". Fewer connections and longer "pulls" result in less cost to the contractor and the client. Consequently, the Pressurized Dies invention is a more cost-effective system than other systems known to the art.
To change the size of the dies is inexpensive, as compared to "roller" alternatives and other systems. This also translates into reduced costs to the client, as it is expensive to dig out the existing pipelines in short lengths to install short "pulls" of liners.
The Pressurized Die invention is novel in its approach to liner reduction and is cost effective to the client as related to utility.

Liner reduction system using pressurized dies and apparatus therefor


A test apparatus comprises a probe movably mounted relative to a carrier. The probe comprises an end portion with a surface area of about 5 mm2 or less. The test apparatus can be used in methods of determining a crush strength of an edge of a substrate. Methods can comprise aligning the probe with a test location of the substrate at a predetermined angle relative to a probe axis. Methods can further comprise applying a mechanical force to the test location with the probe in the direction of the probe axis. Also, methods can comprise increasing the mechanical force applied by the probe until the substrate cracks or a predefined force applied by the probe is reached. Based on the mechanical force applied by the probe, a crush strength of an edge can be determined.

The mechanical properties of brittle material in bulk can be undermined by a single, weaker location or point of stress concentration. In sheets of brittle materials (e.g., glass sheets, glass-based sheets, ceramic plates, and silicon wafers), stress concentrations often occur at the edge of the sheet. To reduce such stress concentrations, surfaces may be finished by beveling, polishing, or etching to change the surface profile of the brittle material. As such, there is a desire to determine material properties at the edge of a finished sheet of brittle material. Further, there is a desire to determine material properties at the edge of a finished sheet of brittle material under actual use conditions.
It is known to test properties of objects with predetermined geometries. However, such tests do not reflect the surface profile or edges that may be used in a finished product. Also, it is known to test material properties at an edge by imposing a non-contact stress (e.g., thermal stress). However, such tests fundamentally fail for materials with low thermal expansion coefficients. Moreover, such tests often do not reflect the type of failure encountered in actual use. Additionally, it is known to test material properties at an edge by applying a mechanical force to deform an entire sheet of material. However, such tests can be costly to perform because fracture can occur at locations other than an edge, requiring the multiple samples to acquire even a single usable data point. Further, such tests are not suitable for materials comprising a curved surface profile or finished materials where the strength of the edge may be comparable to the bulk strength of the material.
Consequently, there is a need for testing apparatus and methods that more efficiently and more accurately measure material properties at the edge of a finished sheet of material. Further, there is a need for such a test apparatus and methods suitable for materials comprising surface profiles with one or more curved portions. Still further, there is a need for test apparatus and methods to test mechanical properties under actual usage conditions (e.g., when a screen protector is applied to the device it is designed to protect).

Methods and apparatus for determining a crush strength of an edge


In an embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., for selectively contacting a plurality of electrical contacts on a printed circuit board (PCB)), comprises a support structure that, at least in part, borders a cavity in which to receive an electrical module; at least one beam comprising a first end supported by the support structure and a second end; a clip proximate the second end, wherein the clip is to retain a conductive connector; a raised portion located between the first end and the second end and extended into the cavity, wherein the raised portion is to facilitate flexing the beam to disconnect an electrical contact between the conductive connector and the plurality of electrical contacts upon insertion of the electrical module into the cavity. In some examples, the raised portion is to further facilitate establishing the electrical contact upon removal of the electrical module from the cavity.

In an electrical system, an electrical module (e.g., an attenuator, an equalizer, an amplifier) can transmit signals to another component. However, an operator may need to remove the electrical module from the system for repairs, modifications, and/or replacement of the module. Replacing the electrical module often requires electrical disconnection of the electrical module and thus produces a loss in signal to any downstream component (e.g., a downstream user may experience an outage in service). In the example of cable television (CATV), the electrical module may pass signals from a CATV headend to a number of subscribers; thus, a loss in signal can affect many CATV customers. There remains a need for improved systems for replacing electrical modules in electrical systems, such as CATV systems.

Systems and methods for providing a seamless electrical signal between electrical components


There is provided a hearing aid fitting apparatus with which the needs of a hearing aid user can be satisfied. The present invention is constituted such that this apparatus comprises an adjustment value input part 2 and a display part 3 on which is displayed hearing aid data set by this adjustment value input part 2, wherein first favorably assisted hearing aid data is selected from among first and second hearing aid data set by the adjustment value input part 2, then this selected first favorably assisted hearing aid data is compared with third hearing aid data set by the adjustment value input part and second favorably assisted hearing aid data is selected, after which the first and second favorably assisted hearing aid data are displayed on the display part, and hearing aid write data is selected from the first and second favorably assisted hearing aid data displayed on the display part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hearing aid fitting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional hearing aid fitting apparatus of this type was configured as follows.
This apparatus comprised an adjustment value input part and a display part on which hearing aid data set by this adjustment value input part was displayed. From among first and second hearing aid data set by the adjustment value input part and displayed on the display part, the first hearing aid data (for example) considered to be correct was selected, then this selected first hearing aid data was compared with third hearing aid data set by the adjustment value input part, the third hearing aid data (for example) considered to be correct was selected, and this process was then repeated a few times until the hearing aid data finally remaining was decided on as hearing aid write data (see Patent Literature 1 below, for example).


Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for generating a plurality of cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) message segments at a first layer based on an upper layer message at a second layer, wherein each message segment of the plurality CV2X message segments includes a message block of a plurality of message blocks and a redundant block of a plurality of redundant blocks, transmitting the plurality of message blocks to a receiving UE, and transmitting the plurality of redundant blocks to the receiving UE after transmitting the plurality of message blocks.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications, and more particularly, to Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (CV2X) communications among user equipment (UEs).
Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems.
These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. For example, a fifth generation (5G) wireless communications technology (which may be referred to as new radio (NR)) is envisaged to expand and support diverse usage scenarios and applications with respect to current mobile network generations. In an aspect, 5G communications technology may include: enhanced mobile broadband addressing human-centric use cases for access to multimedia content, services and data; ultra-reliable-low latency communications (URLLC) with certain specifications for latency and reliability; and massive machine type communications, which may allow a very large number of connected devices and transmission of a relatively low volume of non-delay-sensitive information. As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, however, further improvements in NR communications technology and beyond may be desired.
In CV2X communication, certain messages relating to road safety and/or sensor information (e.g., Basic Safety Messages) may be time critical. It may be desirable to transmit such messages to the surrounding vehicles with minimal delays. The messages may demand strict latency requirements as decisions made with delayed information may result in harmful situations. As the complexity of the message increases, the message lengths may grow with the increasing geographical points, security certificates, and other extensions. The increase in complexity may require the UEs to transmit the messages in more than one block. For example, when longer messages are presented from the application layer, they may need to be segmented into multiple transport blocks to be compatible with the transmission rules at the medium-access control (MAC) layer based on the available coding and modulation schemes. When the application message is segmented, the message transmission latency may increase in proportion to the number of segmentations and this increase in latency may pose an issue in time-critical road safety situations. Therefore, improvements in transmitting segmented messages may be desired.

Methods and apparatus for CV2X communication


Disclosed herein are light emitting diodes (LEDs) having a high efficiency. A light emitting diode including an active light emitting layer within a semiconductor layer is provided. The semiconductor layer has a mesa shape. The light emitting diode also includes a substrate having a first surface on which the semiconductor layer is positioned and an outcoupling surface opposite to the first surface. Light generated by the active light emitting layer is incident on the outcoupling surface and propagates toward an optical element downstream of the outcoupling surface. The light emitting diode also includes a first anti-reflection coating adjacent to the outcoupling surface; an index-matched material between the outcoupling surface and the optical element, wherein an index of refraction of the index-matched material is greater than or equal to an index of refraction of the optical element; and/or secondary optics adjacent to the outcoupling surface.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) convert electrical energy into optical energy. In semiconductor LEDs, light is usually generated through recombination of electrons and holes within a semiconductor layer. A challenge in the field of LEDs is to extract as much of the emitted light as possible toward the desired direction. Various approaches may be used to increase the efficiency of an LED, such as adjusting the shape of the semiconductor layer, roughening the surface of the semiconductor layer, and using additional optics to redirect or focus the light.
Micro-LEDs are being developed for various applications in display technology. A micro-LED has a very small chip size. For example, a linear dimension of the chip may be less than 50 μm or less than 10 μm. The linear dimension may be as small as 2 μm or 4 μm. However, micro-LEDs typically have a lower efficiency than large-power LEDs. While large-power LEDs may have a light extraction efficiency (LEE) of up to 90%, micro-LEDs typically have a LEE on the order of 10% within an emission cone having an angle of 90°, and 0.5% within an emission cone having an angle of 10°. For example, a large-power LED or a micro-LED, such as the planar LED 800 shown in FIG. 29, typically has a planar LED Lambertian pattern 830 with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of approximately 120° and a half-width at half-maximum (HWHM) of approximately 60°. A vertical micro-LED, similar to the hemispherical LED 810 shown in FIG. 29, typically has a hemispherical LED pattern 840 with a HWHM greater than or equal to 60°, in which side wall emission may lead to bunny ears. Further, a parabolic LED 820 typically has a parabolic LED emission 850 with a more narrow profile having a HWHM less than 60°, and typically between 20° and 40°. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to increase the LEE of micro-LEDs, and to provide an output beam with a narrower beam profile.


Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described that provide for reduced timing between certain downlink communications and responsive uplink communications relative to certain legacy systems (e.g., legacy LTE systems). A user equipment (UE) or base station may be capable of operating using two or more timing configurations that each include an associated time period between receipt of a downlink communication (e.g., a grant of uplink resources or shared channel data) and a responsive uplink communication (e.g., an uplink transmission using the granted uplink resources or feedback of successful reception of the shared channel data). In cases where a UE or base station are capable of two or more timing configurations, a timing configuration for a transmission may be determined and the responsive uplink communication transmitted according to the determined timing configuration.

The following relates generally to wireless communication and more specifically to latency reduction techniques in wireless communications.
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).
In some instances, transmission errors between mobile devices and base stations are avoided and/or corrected by utilizing an automatic repeat request (ARQ) scheme. An ARQ scheme may be employed to detect whether a received packet is in error. For example, in an ARQ scheme, a receiver may notify a transmitter with a positive acknowledgment (ACK), when a packet is received free from errors; and the receiver may notify the transmitter with a negative acknowledgment (NACK), if an error is detected. A hybrid ARQ (HARQ) scheme may be used to correct some errors and to detect and discard certain uncorrectable packets. In some scenarios, however, the overall HARQ delay may cause certain inefficiencies in wireless communications.
Furthermore, in some cases uplink resources may be allocated to a UE in downlink control information that is transmitted in a downlink transmission from a base station to the UE. The UE may receive the downlink control information, decode the allocated uplink resources, and begin transmitting the associated uplink transmission following a certain time period from a transmission containing the downlink control information. The delay from the reception of the downlink allocation to a start of uplink transmissions may also cause certain inefficiencies in wireless communications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Latency reduction techniques in wireless communications


Economical methods for forming a co-planar multi-chip wafer-level packages are proposed. Partial wafer bonding and partial wafer dicing techniques are used to create chips as well as pockets. The finished chips are then mounted in the corresponding pockets of a carrier substrate, and global interconnects among the chips are formed on the top planar surface of the finished chips. The proposed methods facilitate the integration of chips fabricated with different process steps and materials. There is no need to use a planarization process such as chemical-mechanical polish to planarize the top surfaces of the chips. Since the chips are precisely aligned to each other and all the chips are mounted facing up, the module is ready for global wiring, which eliminates the need to flip the chips from an upside-down position.

A fundamental limit that prevents the scaling of CMOS (complimentary metal oxide) semiconductor processes beyond the physical dimensions of atoms has resulted in an increase in the importance of a low-cost, high-performance multi-chip packages for the design of VLSI (very large scale integrated) circuits. In an embedded system-on-a-chip (SoC) design, different memory and logic circuits on the same substrate often require different processing steps. For example, nonvolatile flash memory uses double poly-silicon floating gates with an ultra thin tunnel oxide, which are not compatible with the conventional CMOS processes for fabricating logic circuits.
In addition, it is difficult to integrate chips that are fabricated on different substrate materials, such as silicon, glass, silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide. (GaAs), and other compounds of groups III-V. The integration of specific integrated circuits (ASIC) with devices such as magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) presents further challenges in the design of multi-chip packages.
For example, in a two-dimensional multi-chip package, chips are placed horizontally on a carrier and global interconnects are formed on top of the chips, or on a second-level package. However, due to the variation of chip thickness, it is often necessary to planarize the bonded chip surface, and the gaps between the chips and the surrounding areas. Without a flat surface, interconnect processes based on a Damascene method cannot be properly preformed on a bonded chip surface. Furthermore, without critical alignment control, each carrier will need to have a customized mask set to form global interconnects, which increases the manufacturing cost.
Further, in a three-dimensional stacked-chip package where two or more chips are stacked vertically, interconnections among stacked chips are formed at the edges of each chip using a wire bond or a tag bond. Stacked chips that are used in portable devices must be thinned down in order to fit into the limited space available. As the number of stacked chips increases, the thickness of the chips must be reduced. The number of chips that can be stacked is determined by the maximum available space and the minimum chip thickness.
Therefore, a need exists for economical and cost effective method of forming a multi-chip wafer-level chip packages without the need for planarizing a bonded chip surface in order to form global interconnects and for facilitating the integration of chips fabricated by different processing steps and with different materials.

Methods for forming co-planar wafer-scale chip packages

International Business Machines Corporation