A system and method for distributing messages to a plurality of satellite receivers comprising sending a message with geographic target area coding or information via satellite or a ground repeater to at least one satellite receiving device equipped with geographic-aware information. The satellite receiving device thereafter utilizes its geographic aware information to compare with the geographic target area coding in the transmitted message to determine whether the satellite receiving device should present the message to the user of the satellite receiving device.

I. Introduction
Automated telephone calling systems have been implemented by governmental authorities and agencies across the country primarily for the purpose of contacting residents in case of an emergency. In practice, these automated systems have typically been implemented to identify and contact residents within a defined geographic area which is considered a potential emergency area. For example, an automated telephone calling system may be utilized to contact all residents within the projected path of a tornado, flood zone, or the hazardous area surrounding a chemical spill. Once a resident within the emergency area is contacted, a pre-recorded, situation specific message is played, encouraging the residents to take cover, evacuate, or take other appropriate measures.
Until recently, the use of automated telephone calling systems has been limited to land line applications. With the advent of wireless communications and an increasingly mobile society, there is a desire to reach the mobile populous in the case of an emergency to the same extent as residents near a landline. Additionally, an automated telephone system capable of alerting mobile device users is applicable to a broader range of situations than those addressed by the land line systems. For example, mobile users could be quickly informed of reported road hazards, construction areas, traffic delays and alternate routes upon traveling into an area near those situations, as well as being informed of the emergencies reported under the current land line systems. Therefore, there is a strong need for an automated telephone calling system for mobile devices. The terms "mobile devices" or "cellular devices" as used herein is intended to encompass all mobile communication devices, including mobile telephones, PDA's pagers, PCS phones, mobile text messaging devices, and all reasonably similar devices utilizing similar technology for mobile communications.
II. Automated Telephone Systems Generally
Automated telephone calling systems have been implemented by many government authorities to automatically contact their citizens in the event of an emergency. Sigma Communications, Inc. ("Sigma") markets an automated telephone calling system under the registered trademark REVERSE 911®. These automated telephone calling systems are used to quickly contact individuals residing in an emergency area and transmit an emergency message (e.g., evacuation, take cover, etc.) to residents of those areas (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,567,504, particularly background, detailed description). For example, automated telephone calling systems are often used by government authorities to contact individuals about the existence of a sited tornado in their area. Automated telephone calling systems typically include mapping software that allows the emergency area to be easily defined. Unfortunately, the automated telephone calls made by these prior art automated telephone calling systems have been limited to land lines, such as those land lines associated with businesses and residences in the emergency area. Individuals who are in the emergency area but do not have access to land lines (e.g., those individuals in automobiles) do not receive the emergency message. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an automated phone calling system capable of providing emergency messages to land lines as well as mobile devices.
III. Current Mobile Communication Systems
Modern mobile devices use a cellular network to communicate. This network uses multiple base stations to transmit and relay incoming and outgoing cellular messages which may take the form of voice messages, digital data, pictures, short message service (discussed below), and various other forms of message transmission. Each base station is typically comprised of three antennas, and each antenna services one of three sectors surrounding the base station, as shown in FIG. 1. These three sectors comprise the area in which the base station is capable of transmitting messages to mobile devices.
A. Typical Operation of a Cellular System
A typical mobile communications system (e.g., a cellular system) comprises several base stations transmitting data to and receiving data from cellular devices within its transmission area (a "cell"). The typical mobile communications system further comprises at least one switching office with each switching office associated with a plurality of the base stations. Such systems further comprise a database to identify the mobile devices operating within the system, and mobile devices for communicating to and from the base stations.
Discussing each portion of a system in turn, the base stations of a cellular system are transmitting and receiving towers. Each base station uses three low-power transmitters to transmit signals to and receive signals from mobile devices within its transmission range. Each transmitter is also equipped with an antenna for receiving signals from a mobile device within its range. The effective range of a base station is referred to as a "cell." Each cell can be divided into three sectors ("sectors" or "cellular sectors"), corresponding to the three transmitters, as depicted in FIG. 1, and each sector is defined by sector boundaries 10 as depicted by in FIG. 1. While the boundaries as depicted indicate that a sector consists of a wedge shape comprising one third of a circular transmission area, these boundaries are merely an exemplary model of a cellular transmission perimeter and the corresponding transmitting areas of each of the three transmitters. Another common model of cell sectors is that where transmission boundaries for each base station form a hexagon with a base station at the center of the hexagon, and each sector forms a quadrilateral shaped region such that all cells of the network fit nicely together along the cell boundaries. However, the actual sector shape and transmission boundaries defining any cell take other geometrical shapes or proportions with typically overlapping sectors. The base stations are low-power transmitters, encompassing a relatively small geographic area for each cell. Therefore, a cellular system requires several base stations to ensure that a large geographic area can be covered by a cellular service provider.
A mobile device switches the base station with which it is primarily transmitting as the device moves from one cell to another, requiring a separate device or system to orchestrate the interaction between the mobile device and the several base stations within a particular area. The device responsible for this management is referred to as a "base controller," which is primarily responsible for determining which base station should transmit to the cellular device at any given time, and managing the sequence of switching the base station responsible for the cellular device in operation (sometimes referred to as managing the "hand off" between base stations). In turn, a centralized switching office controls all interaction between the entire system of the service area and other systems operated by other service providers.
When a mobile device is first activated (or powered up), the device monitors a control channel which every base station emits to determine the System Identification Code (SID) emitted by the base station. The SID indicates to the mobile device whether the mobile device is operating on a system controlled by its home service provider or another carrier. If the SID indicates that the system is that of another carrier, the mobile device transmits its authentication information, which includes the identity of its home service provider. This information is transmitted to the local switching office, which adds the device to its database of devices which are operating within its system, but which do not use its system as a home service provider. This information is maintained in a database known as a Visitor Location Registry ("VLR"). The switching office then verifies the authenticity of the information transmitted from the mobile device by contacting the switching office of the mobile device's home service provider. There, the information is compared to a database of mobile devices that use the system as a home service provider—a Home Location Registry ("HLR"). If the information is verified, the HLR is updated to indicate the current location of the mobile device so that any incoming messages to the mobile device may be routed to the base station nearest the mobile device, and thereby transmitted to the mobile device. Similarly, the VLR is updated to indicate that the mobile device is authorized to use the system in which it is operating, allowing the mobile device to send outgoing messages. These databases are constantly updated, tracking the sector where the mobile device is located as long as the device remains powered up, by monitoring the strength of reception of specific antennas of the base station(s) that is/are being used to communicate with the device. Therefore, the specific sector of the cell where the mobile device is currently located can be identified by the registers.
B. Various Devices and Methods for Receiving Mobile Messages
As briefly discussed above, messages can be transmitted in various forms via mobile devices. Verbal or other audible messages may be transmitted through cellular or digital phones or other suitable devices such as advanced PDA's or wireless equipped laptop computers. Additionally, text messages may be sent via a method known as Short Message Service ("SMS"), on devices capable of receiving this type of transmission. SMS allows for short text messages to be sent to and from a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone, PDA, etc.), and operates in much the same fashion as cellular telephony. However, an SMS system further comprises a Short Message Service Center ("SMSC") which is a combination of hardware and software responsible for the relaying, storing, and forwarding of a short message between SMS devices through the cellular system. Therefore, SMS capable devices operate by utilizing an existing cellular network as described above, but further require the use of an SMSC to facilitate the transfer of SMS messages to and from mobile SMS devices.
Moreover, and in addition to voice and text, another form of communication that can be transmitted to and from mobile devices includes the data packet. Data packets may include, but are not limited to, relevant information such as:                1. Warning area description;        2. Description of warning;        3. Recommended actions;        4. Warning level;        5. Road conditions;        6. Weather conditions; and        7. Traffic information.As discussed more fully in the summary and description sections herein, data packets are particularly useful in embodiments of the invention where the mobile devices are intelligent, i.e., embedded software in the mobile device allows it to analyze data packet information and through trending of GPS or other equivalent data, determine the appropriate action in response to the information received in the data packet. Data packets can be transmitted via multiple types of transmission mechanisms including but not limited to SMS, TCP/IP, IBM-MQ, HTTP, SOAP, JMS or other equivalent protocols.
Indeed, many people have access to mobile devices with SMS service, and a large portion of the population now owns a cellular phone of some description. If a message could be sent to these persons in an emergency situation, those individuals could take the proper precautions, and more lives could be saved. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of identifying and contacting mobile devices in an emergency area when an emergency message is distributed to that area. The present invention contemplates integration of automated telephone calling systems with the far reaching abilities and two-way transmission capabilities of SMS and other means of wireless communication, such as wireless communication via transmission mechanisms such as TCP/IP, IBM MQ, HTTP, SOAP, JMS and other equivalents.
C. Satellite Communications Systems
1. Generally
The advent of satellite communication technology allows digital signals to be transmitted from a single location to cover a large geographic area. In operation, a transmitter station transmits a signal to one or more satellites orbiting the Earth, where the signal(s) is(are) then re-broadcast (or "bounced") to receivers on the ground. The ground receivers can take the form of stationary satellite receivers, such as satellite dishes used by many households to receive satellite television, radio, and Internet broadcasts. Additionally, the ground receiver can take the form of portable and handheld receivers such as those manufactured for XM Satellite Radio, Inc. of Washington, D.C.; Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. of New York, N.Y.; and WorldSpace Corporation of Washington, D.C. to receive satellite radio transmissions primarily in portable or automotive applications. Once the signal is received by the ground receiver, the signal is decoded by a processing chip to convert the digital transmission into a usable form by the recipient, usually in the form of audio broadcasts, video broadcasts, or Internet broadcasting. Additionally, satellite transmissions are often difficult to receive in cities where buildings may block the satellite signal, so the use of repeating towers ("ground repeaters") to receive the signal and retransmit the signal for better receipt by the recipient is typically used in major metropolitan areas.
2. Mobile Satellite Receivers
Currently, mobile satellite receivers are typically utilized to receive radio broadcasts. In 1997, the FCC granted satellite digital audio radio service licenses to Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio to offer nationwide radio broadcasts throughout the United States by utilizing a portion of the S band of satellite communications. Currently, both of these companies are utilizing proprietary receivers comprising an antenna and a proprietary chip set to allow subscribing individuals to receive satellite radio programming in their automobiles or other portable radio devices. Currently, use of a content provider's proprietary receiver is required to receive programming from the content provider.
Each content provider utilizes geosynchronous or elliptically orbiting satellites to rebroadcast its signals across the United States and elsewhere, allowing mobile receivers and ground repeaters to pick up signals that can be broadcast from a single location. Ground repeaters are typically used in urban areas to receive and rebroadcast the signal in urban areas where the signal from the satellites can be obscured or interrupted by tall structures and electromagnetic noise. The general operation of these ground repeaters is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,216 (the "'216 patent"), incorporated herein by reference. However, the ability to transmit a signal nationwide from a single location does have its drawbacks. As noted in the '216 patent, satellite broadcasts are inherently geographically generic, with each recipient receiving the same information, regardless of their geographic location.
The '216 patent proposes one method for addressing the lack of geographic specificity in satellite broadcasting. In particular, the '216 patent describes a method of allowing a mobile receiver to identify its approximate geographical location by reading header information in a transmission that is created by each ground repeater to identify which ground repeater is transmitting the signal being received by the receiver. The receiver is capable of utilizing the ground repeater's identification code to determine that the receiver must be within the transmitting radius of that ground transmitter, and thereby selects geographically appropriate transmissions to present to the individual by filtering header information from packets or frames of the data channels being transmitted in the composite transmission signal.
While the '216 patent does allow for ground transmitted digital radio signals to contain geographic differentiation, it would be beneficial to provide a method and/or system that is capable of being more geographically specific. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a method and/or system for allowing geographically specific broadcasts without relying upon ground transmitters to provide the geographic location of a receiver because ground transmitters do not exist in many locations.
3. Stationary Satellite Receivers
Stationary satellite receivers are utilized by many consumers to receive television broadcasts, digital music transmissions, and broadband cable in homes or businesses through direct broadcast satellite providers. Multiple content providers exist, such as DirecTV and Dish Network, providing subscriptions to television and movie channels. These content providers generate income by charging subscribers for channel packages and other services such as on demand movies and pay per view service. In order to ensure that subscribers receive only the channels and services for which they have subscribed, content providers typically encrypt their broadcast transmission. The encrypted signal is then descrambled by a decoder chip within a recipient's receiver. The decoder chip descrambles only those signals related to channels that have been purchased by the recipient, but the chip can be reprogrammed to receive other channels by software sent in the transmission signal, a telephone connection, or by placing a new chip in the receiver.
However, the current decryption system is capable of being exploited through the use of decryption cards or chips that can be used by individuals with a receiver to descramble transmissions for which they have not paid. Enforcement of satellite television piracy is costly to service providers, and is often difficult to prove. Therefore, a device and method for preventing the piracy of satellite transmissions would be greatly appreciated.
IV. Current Mobile Warning Systems
Previously proposed technology for mobile warning systems only provides for transmitting a signal to all devices within range of a cellular station which coincides with an identified emergency area. Further, these previously proposed systems suggest that base stations within an emergency area should be used to transmit a predetermined signal to activate distributed warning devices within the transmission area, producing a generalized warning from the activated device which is specially adapted to receive the signal and activate a warning. In particular, the warnings contemplated by the previously proposed systems consist of a predetermined audible alarm similar to a smoke detector alarm, or the activation of a radio receiver to tune into a pre-selected emergency station. Therefore, the warning generated to the general public, at best, simply alerts the recipients of a threat somewhere within the transmission area of the base station activated, with the possibility that the recipients might be further apprised through a radio network. This technology bears a striking resemblance to the traditional emergency siren used in many communities to indicate the presence of a tornado or similar emergency, and falls prey to many of the same shortcomings, including the lack of specific information regarding the threat involved, the requirement of distributing new warning devices to all those who need to be contacted, and the potential for contacting individuals not located within an identified emergency area.
Rather than simply emitting a generalized warning, it would be preferable for an emergency system to tailor the message relayed to mobile devices within an identified emergency area so that detailed instructions for a particular situation could be generated. By having the capability of creating a new message for each identified emergency (a "situation specific" message), the individuals reached by the emergency transmission could be directly informed of the nature of the emergency, the severity of the emergency, and the current geographic boundaries of the emergency area. Therefore, those individuals informed by a situation specific message would be more fully informed of the situation, and more likely able to make an informed decision regarding how to further proceed to best insure their safety. Additionally, those individuals not within the emergency area could be given sufficient notice and information regarding the emergency area so that they could (1) take steps to avoid the emergency area, (2) realize that the warning does not pertain to them, or (3) take another appropriate response. Therefore, the ability to generate situation specific messages to individuals within an identified area is preferable.
In addition, the previously proposed technology requires the distribution of warning devices which are specifically programmed to respond to the transmission of a specific signal. By requiring the general public to obtain a device not already in their possession, either the projected number of individuals who might be reached by the transmission of an emergency signal is reduced, or the cost for implementing such a system is dramatically increased. By contrast, it would be preferable to utilize a device, class of devices, or a number of different types of devices which are already in use by the consuming public as the warning device so that a greater number of potential individuals might be notified in the case of an emergency (or other situation) and the system can be implemented with a lower cost.
Finally, current warning systems transmit a warning signal to the full extent of the transmission area of any base station identified to be within the emergency area. Because the transmission area of the transmitting base stations is likely to substantially exceed the boundaries of the emergency area, it is likely that a substantial number of individuals carrying a warning device would receive a general warning signal even though they were neither within nor traveling toward an emergency area. Therefore, it is advantageous to have a means of more accurately defining an area of transmission so that the number of individuals unnecessarily contacted by an emergency warning is reduced.
Therefore, it is advantageous to provide a system that addresses the shortcomings inherent in the previously proposed systems. In particular, the identification of mobile devices within a designated area, and a means for an administrator to send a message tailored for each instance requiring notification (a "situation-specific message") to each mobile device identified within that area would be beneficial. Additionally, allowing for increased specificity of the geographic identification, and the ability to tailor messages sent to the mobile devices within that location would cause urgent communications to be more clear, complete, and reliable. The ability to constantly tailor the system further increases the applicability of a mobile notification system to other uses that are not currently available. For example, the ability to generate messages to mobile devices within a geographic area could have a wide range of applicability, from informing travelers of alternate routes in the event of vehicle crashes, a chemical spill, or road construction delays within a particular area, to being used in connection with a subscriber database to send messages regarding current local cultural or retail activities or points of interest when a subscribing mobile device enters into the boundaries of a city. Therefore, improvements over the current technology would not only improve upon current emergency notification systems, but would also present useful embodiments to other notification applications.

Satellite radio warning system and method


A chip-scale sensor package structure includes a sensor chip, a ring-shaped support disposed on a top surface of the sensor chip, a light permeable member disposed on the ring-shaped support, a package body, and a redistribution layer (RDL). The package body surrounds outer lateral sides of the sensor chip, the ring-shaped support and the light permeable member. A bottom surface of the sensor chip and a surface of the light permeable member are exposed from the package body. The RDL is directly formed on the bottom surface of the sensor chip and a bottom side of the package body. The RDL includes a plurality of external contacts arranged on a bottom surface thereof and electrically coupled to the sensor chip. A portion of the external contacts are arranged outside of a projection region defined by orthogonally projecting the sensor chip onto the bottom surface of the RDL.

A light permeable member (e.g., an optical glass) of a conventional chip-scale sensor package structure is mounted simply through adhering a bottom edge of the light permeable member with a glue layer, and the area size of the light permeable member is substantially equal to that of the conventional chip-scale sensor package structure. As a result, when the conventional chip-scale sensor package structure is subjected to a temperature cycle test (TCT), a delamination phenomena may easily occur between the light permeable member and the glue layer, and the conventional package structure is unable to pass in the TCT.


A long term pressurized carbon dioxide storage system for a fire suppression system includes an insulated tank (12) in communication with a chamber (52) chilled by a thermoelectronic refrigerator (50A, 50B) to condense carbon dioxide vapors and keep pressure in the tank below an upper limit to minimize boil off.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to long term storage of gases under pressure and more specifically to long term storage of carbon dioxide under pressure so that it is available for use in a fire suppression system.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical fire suppression system, carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), is maintained or stored in one or more pressure vessels (i.e., tanks or canisters). The pressure vessels are connected through a valve to a piping system for releasing the CO.sub.2 in the area of a fire. As will be appreciated, it may be necessary to store the CO.sub.2 for long periods of time in order to ensure availability of carbon dioxide in the event of a fire.
Two types of carbon dioxide storage systems have typically been employed for fire suppression systems. These two systems may be referred to as high pressure systems (e.g., about 850 psi) and low pressure systems (e.g., about 300 psi), respectively. Each type of system has provided much needed long-term storage of carbon dioxide, but not without some significant drawbacks.
Low pressure systems have typically been employed for storing extremely large quantities of carbon dioxide in excess of 1000 lbs. such as up to several tons. In order to prevent loss of carbon dioxide which could occur as the carbon dioxide warms up, low pressure systems typically also refrigerate the storage tanks. By refrigerating the tank, the carbon dioxide is kept in a liquid state such as at around 0.degree. F. and thus is less likely to boil off. But maintaining the tank at such a cold temperature has conventionally required very large mechanical compressor-based refrigeration systems.
Compressor-based systems not only require substantial space, but they are very heavy, require periodic servicing, and utilize refrigerants, such as CFC's, which are known to be environmentally undesirable. And should the compressor system fail, lose power, or leak, not only might hazardous refrigerants be expelled into the environment, but the liquid carbon dioxide will begin to heat up and go into its vapor state where it might then boil off from the tank resulting in loss of fire suppression capability.
In those situations where lesser quantities of carbon dioxide are necessary (such as less than 1000 lbs.), high pressure systems are preferred. High pressure systems eliminate the refrigerator and its drawbacks, but at the expense of introducing a different set of problems. In high pressure systems, each pressure vessel is typically designed to hold no more than about 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide. Consequently, to provide sufficient carbon dioxide capacity to suppress fires, it is typical to connect several such pressure vessels together such as through a manifold. The complexity of multiple vessel systems and the space requirements imposed by adding tanks limits the utility of such high pressure systems to typically low capacity situations.
Further, because the carbon dioxide is stored under high pressure, it is not typical to refrigerate the tanks. Thus, refrigerators employed in larger systems are not necessary thereby eliminating the drawbacks associated therewith. But one result of not refrigerating the high pressure tanks is that, over time, carbon dioxide may boil off. To avoid losing so much of the CO.sub.2 that the fire suppression system becomes ineffective or useless, periodic testing of the high pressure vessels becomes necessary.
Testing of the high pressure vessels typically requires that each tank be individually removed from the system and weighed. If the weight of the pressure vessel is too low (indicating loss of CO.sub.2), then the tank must be recharged with more carbon dioxide. The tested tank must then be reconnected to the system. These tasks are not only time consuming and introduce human error, but if not done in a timely fashion could lead to a failure of the fire suppression system for lack of sufficient carbon dioxide.
To avoid CO.sub.2 boiling off in the high pressure systems, it might be possible to refrigerate the tanks as done in low pressure systems. However, size considerations alone, not to mention weight and other problems of compressor-based refrigerators, militate against their use where only low quantities of CO.sub.2 (less than 1000 lbs.) are needed for the fire suppression system.

Carbon dioxide storage with thermoelectric cooling for fire suppression systems


A controller for manipulating icons on a video display is provided to reduce or substantially eliminate perspiration on the user's hands during extended use. The controller includes a housing with finger operated buttons that control the video game. The housing includes ventilation holes to allow air to circulate through the controller and between the housing and the user's hands. The housing encloses electronic components that are contained in a protective package that can be removed from the housing so that it can be easily and thoroughly cleaned. The ventilation holes may be located over the entire housing or may be located only at locations on the housing that are intended to be grasped by the user.

There are many types of hand-held controllers for electronic video games and portable electronic games. For example, one type of remote control is one which includes a housing with finger controls and is generally connected to a television or video screen by a cable. The housing is typically rectangular or square and is held so that the control buttons are within easy reach of the user's fingers and/or thumbs. Some remote controls may include handles or trigger grips. Most of the current controllers are usually made of hard plastic and may have a smooth surface. Alternatively, they may have a textured surface to enhance the gripping. Examples of such controllers can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,645,277, 5,046,739, Des. Pat. No. 362,692, Des. Pat. No. 342,762, and Des. Pat. No. 335,150.
However, users often hold the controllers for extended periods of time causing the hands to perspire. Perspiration may reduce the user's grip and may cause the controller to slip. Additionally, perspiration may simply create an uncomfortable feel for the user, promotes dirt build-up and contributes to the overall uncleanliness of the controller. Some controllers have attempted to overcome this problem by providing an absorbent material to wrap around or cover the controller. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,458 discloses such a cover for an electronic game controller. The cover is attached to the controller by a hook and loop fasteners. However, while this cover may be effective for absorbing perspiration it does nothing to prevent the hands from perspiring.


A device for use in a cooling appliance for fixing a dryer on a condenser having a plurality of pipe parts. The fixing device comprises a plate-shaped body, a supporting part formed at one end of the body and inserted between the pipe parts to elastically support the body, a fixing part formed at the other end of the body and accommodating one pipe part of the condenser to fix the body, and a circular-shaped holder part for elastically fixing the dryer. The fixing device is fixed at the condenser by inserting the supporting part between the pipe parts and pushing the fixing part to other pipe part, and the dryer is fixed at the fixing device by inserting the dryer in the holder part. Thus the dryer is fixed in a simple manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dryer fixing device, and more particularly to a device for fixing a dryer for use in a cooling appliance such as a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and the like, in which the dryer is fixed on a condenser having a plurality of pipe parts disposed in parallel with each other.
2. Prior Art
Generally, the cooling appliance such as a refrigerator or an air conditioner has a compressor for compressing refrigerant, a condenser for radiating heat from the compressed refrigerant, and an evaporator for generating cool air by evaporating the refrigerant. The refrigerant which circulates in the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator contains a lot of impurities such as humidity, dirt, metal, oil, etc. Such impurities circulate together with the refrigerant, and freeze inside a pipe at the area where the temperature is abruptly lowered, whereby the flow of the refrigerant is interrupted. Thus, the cooling efficiency of the cooling appliance is lowered by such impurities. In particular, when there is a variation of the refrigerant which has become low in temperature and high in pressure by the condenser to the refrigerant of low temperature and low pressure by a capillary tube, if the impurities cannot pass through the capillary tube because of the frozen impurities or because of the large size of the impurities, the refrigerant cannot circulate and then the cooling operation stops. To prevent such a phenomenon, the cooling appliance is equipped with a dryer for filtering the impurities in the refrigerant between the condenser and the capillary tube.
The dryer performing such a function is fixed at a side part of the condenser by a fixing device. FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are a perspective view of a fixed state of a dryer by a conventional dryer fixing device. The condenser 10 consists of a pipe 11 wound to have a shape of a coil, and brackets 12 combined at both ends of the pipe 11. The dryer 14 is fixed at one of the brackets 12. The pipe 11 of the condenser 10 is connected at one side of the dryer 14, and the capillary tube which is not shown is connected to the other side thereof.
The dryer 14 is fixed to the condenser 10 by a fixing device. Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 1B, a band 15 is generally used for the fixing device. The band is formed with a ring 16 at one end thereof which has a stopper 17 protruded therefrom, and a plurality of holes 18 for controlling a banding degree are formed at the other end part thereof. The bracket 12 of the condenser 10 and the dryer 14 are wound altogether by the band 15, and then the end part which is formed with the holes 18 is inserted into the ring 16. In such a state, if the end of the band 15 which has been inserted into the ring 16 is pulled, the band 15 tightens the dryer 14 to the bracket 12. Then, the stopper 17 is inserted into the hole 18 formed at one end part of the band 15, whereby the band 15 is maintained tight and the dryer 14 is fixed on the condenser 10.
However, such a conventional dryer fixing device has a problem that the fixing procedure is not easy since the processes for fixing the dryer 14 comprise many steps. That is, in order to fix the dryer 14, the user contacts the dryer 14 with the condenser 10 and winds the band 15 at first, then the user should insert the end of the band 15 into the ring 16 and pull it. Thus, the process for fixing is complex and time-consuming.
Furthermore, if the dryer 14 fixed on the condenser 10 needs to be amended or replaced with a new one, since the stopper 17 is not withdrawn easily from the hole 18, it is hard to untie the band 15, so the band 15 should be cut to release the dryer 14 from the condenser 10. Therefore, the band 15 cannot be re-used, and it should be replaced with a new one.

Dryer fixing device for use in a cooling appliance


A twine box is provided for an agricultural baler. The twine box permits ready access to twine balls housed therein because all twine balls are located on a single row or tier. The twine balls are not compartmentalized and thus relocation of twine balls within twine ball groups is facilitated. Twine ball separators are employed to secure, locate and separate twine balls when the baler is operating. The twine ball separators may serve to maintain twine balls in a staggered configuration whereby it is possible to house a greater number of twine balls in a given space. The twine ball separators do not interfere with the movement of twine balls within the twine box during reloading of twine. The single row twine box allows the baler operator to access the twine balls from the ground and permits moving of twine balls without the need to cut and retie twine.

Agricultural balers commonly have machine configurations that cause the location of the twine box, usually a double row twine box, to be situated such that access by the operator from the ground is limited, especially the top row of twine balls. This is more apparent on larger size balers, and sometimes requires the operator to stand on an elevated platform such as a truck bed or step ladder to load twine. In order to carry enough twine capacity for larger square balers, manufacturers have previously chosen multiple row twine box designs, partially due to space constraints.
The pattern of the twine ball compartments within the twine box wherein there is generally one compartment for each twine ball, can require the operator to cut and retie the twine if he/she wants to move the twine ball to another twine ball compartment. While this is generally accepted, it is undesirable due to the added likelihood of mis-ties.
Accordingly, there is a clear need in the art for an improved twine box design that provides ready access to the twine balls and that facilitates the relocation of twine balls within the box when reloading twine.


The present invention prevents a displayed three-dimensional stereoscopic image from being darkened in a three-dimensional display device of a DFD type. The present invention provides a three-dimensional display device in which at least one of a plurality of display panels is formed of a display panel having pixels each of which includes color filters having the higher transmissivity than color filters (basic color filters) which express colors of an image or transparent windows.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional display device, and more particularly to a technique which is effectively applicable to a three-dimensional display device of a DFD (Depth Fused 3D) type which arranges a plurality of display panels (display screens) in the depth direction in an overlapped manner.
2. Description of Related Arts
Conventionally, as a three-dimensional display device which displays a three-dimensional image such as a three-dimensional stereoscopic image of an object or an image which arranges a plurality of objects three-dimensionally, there has been known a display device of a DFD type.
The above-mentioned display device of a DFD type is a three-dimensional display device which arranges a plurality of display panels (display screens) at different depth positions as viewed from a viewer of the display device (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-214566 (patent document 1)). In the three-dimensional display device described in the above-mentioned patent document 1 or the like, two-dimensional images which are obtained by projecting an object to be displayed on the respective display screens from the viewing direction of the viewer are generated, and are displayed on the respective display screens. Then, the transmissivities of the two-dimensional images displayed on the respective display screens as viewed from the viewer are respectively independently changed for respective display screens thus generating a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.
Here, for example, in the display device having two display panels, the transmissivity of the front-side display panel as viewed from the viewer is set such that the brightness of the two-dimensional image which is displayed on the front-side display panel becomes equal to the brightness of the object to be displayed, and the transmissivity of the depth-side display panel as viewed from the viewer is set to a maximum value of the display panel, for example. Due to such a constitution, it appears to the viewer as if the object to be displayed is displayed on the front-side display panel. Further, by slightly increasing the transmissivity of the front-side display panel and by slightly decreasing the transmissivity of the depth-side display panel, it appears to the viewer as if the object to be displayed is displayed at a depth position corresponding to a rate of transmissivities of the respective display panels. In this manner, in the above-mentioned display device of a DFD type, it is possible to display an image of the object at the arbitrary depth position between the display panels by independently changing the transmissivity of the front-side display panel and the transmissivity of the depth-side independently from each other so as to change a ratio between the transmissivities thereof.
The above-mentioned three-dimensional display device of a DFD type allows the viewer to observe the three-dimensional stereoscopic image without using particular glasses for stereoscopic observation such as a liquid crystal shutter glass, for example, thus suppressing the contradiction among physiological factors in stereoscopic vision.

3D display device with first panel having only reference color filters and second panel having higher transmissivity filters or reference color filters and transparent windows


Methods and systems for coexistence in a multiband, multistandard communication system utilizing a plurality of phase locked loops (PLLs) are disclosed. Aspects may include determining one or more desired frequencies of operation of a transceiver, determining a frequency of unwanted signals such as spurs, intermodulation, and/or mixing product signals, and configuring the Plls to operate at a multiple of the desired frequencies while avoiding the unwanted signals. The desired frequencies may be generated utilizing integer, which may include multi-modulus dividers. The wireless standards may include LTE, GSM, EDGE, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and/or WCOMA, for example. The frequencies may be configured to mitigate interference. Plls may be shared when operating in TOO mode, and used separately operating in FOO mode. One or more digital interface signals, zero exceptions on a transmitter spur emission mask, and sampling clocks for AOCs and/or DACs in the transceiver may be generated utilizing the PLLs.

Mobile communications have changed the way people communicate and mobile phones have been transformed from a luxury item to an essential part of everyday life. The use of mobile phones today is dictated by social situations, rather than hampered by location or technology. While voice connections fulfill the basic need to communicate, and mobile voice connections continue to filter even further into the fabric of every day life, various integrated mobile multimedia applications, utilizing the mobile Internet, may be the next step in the mobile communication revolution.
Third generation (3G) cellular networks offering various high speed access technologies and mobile telephones that have been specifically designed to utilize these technologies, fulfill demands for integrated multimedia applications supporting TV and audio applications utilizing advanced compression standards, high-resolution gaming applications, musical interfaces, and peripheral interface support. The processing requirements are being increased as chip designers take advantage of compression and higher bandwidths to transmit more information. 3G wireless applications support bit rates from 384 kilobits (Kbits)/second to 2 megabits (Mbits)/second, allowing chip designers to provide wireless systems with multimedia capabilities, superior quality, reduced interference, and a wider coverage area.
As mobile multimedia services grow in popularity and usage, factors such as power consumption, cost efficient optimization of network capacity and quality of service (QoS) will become even more essential to cellular operators than it is today. These factors may be achieved with careful network planning and operation, improvements in transmission methods, and advances in receiver techniques and chip integration solutions. To this end, carriers need technologies that will allow them to increase downlink throughput for the mobile multimedia applications support and, in turn, offer advanced QoS capabilities and speeds for consumers of mobile multimedia application services.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for coexistence in a multiband, multistandard communication system utilizing a plurality of phase locked loops


Acetaldehyde may be effectively removed from a contaminated methanol stream using a distillation method wherein a solvent stream containing a relatively heavy polar compound such as water or propylene glycol is utilized as an extractive distillation solvent. Following the separation of the polar compound from the bottoms stream obtained by extractive distillation, the purified methanol may be recycled for use as a reaction solvent in an olefin epoxidation process.

In recent years, the production of propylene oxide from propylene using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant and a titanium-containing zeolite as a catalyst has been proposed. Methanol is a particularly preferred reaction solvent for such purposes, as it tends to promote high catalyst activity and selectivity. Epoxidation processes of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,875, 4,833,260, 5,621,122, 5,646,314, and 4,824,976, EP Pub. No. 0732327, and Clerici et al., J. Catalysis 129, 159-167 (1991), the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Although such processes are capable of providing exceptionally high selectivity to propylene oxide, minor quantities of certain by-products such as acetaldehyde are inevitably formed.
The methanol which is recovered following the separation of unreacted propylene and propylene oxide from the crude epoxidation reaction product often is contaminated with acetaldehyde. In addition to the acetaldehyde produced during epoxidation, acetaldehyde may be generated during the methanol recovery steps. Normally, it will be economically advantageous to recycle the recovered methanol for use in the epoxidation process. While low concentrations of acetaldehyde generally may be present in the epoxidation reaction mixture without deleterious effect on the epoxidation, in a continuous process the acetaldehyde will tend to accumulate in the methanol recycle stream to an unacceptable level. At high concentrations, for example, the accumulated acetaldehyde can contaminate the propylene oxide being produced. The complete separation of acetaldehyde from propylene oxide is difficult, however. It will thus be highly desirable to develop a means by which at least a portion of the acetaldehyde may be effectively separated from the recovered methanol prior to the methanol being reintroduced to the epoxidation reactor.


A water filter system with a filter housing, a filter media, a filter coupling, and a dynamic seal. The filter housing has a top plate and a bottom plate which are both water-permeable, as well as a cavity between the top plate and the bottom plate. The filter media is within the cavity of the filter housing and extends through the bottom plate of the filter housing. The filter coupling extends upward from the top plate and is configured to attach to a float with at least one air chamber. The dynamic seal is coupled to the filter housing along a perimeter of the filter housing and is configured to extend beyond a perimeter of the float, maintain contact with a wall of a water container, and restrict water from passing between the dynamic seal and the wall of the water container.

Water pitchers that filter water are well known. They conventionally include a to-be-filtered water reservoir and a filtered water reservoir separated by a pathway through a water filter. Conventional water filters of this type are generally cylindrical in shape, or taller than they are wide, and are filled with granular activated carbon ("GAC"), some combination of fibrous filtering layers and GAC, and/or more recently may include block carbon filters.
Such filters pass water by gravity from above the filter, through openings in the top of the filter, through the filter media within the filter canister, down to holes in the bottom of the filter. Because conventional filters are stationary within the water pitcher, the to-be-filtered water reservoir and the filtered water reservoir both have static boundaries. This reduces the holding capacity of the water pitcher to hold filtered water. What is needed is a water filter system which allows the water filter to move to improve the filter water holding capacity of the water pitcher.

Water pitcher with float and underside filter


A motor controller for a dental handpiece comprising a torque detection means for detecting the load torque applied to a cutting tool, and a control means for stopping a cutting tool drive motor, reducing the rotation speed of the motor or temporarily reversing the motor when the detected load torque has reached a preset reference torque. With this controller, a cutting tool such as a relatively slender file for root canal formation can be prevented from breaking. In addition, the operability of the handpiece can be improved, and operation such as root canal formation can be conducted easily.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controller for a cutting tool drive motor of a dental handpiece which is used to cut teeth and to form root canals by driving a cutting tool installed at the tip of the handpiece.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since a motor for dental treatment is mainly used to drive a cutting tool for cutting teeth or the like, a drive method has been adopted, wherein the rotation speed of the motor is not reduced but maintained at a preset speed even when the motor undergoes a large load. As a general example of such a method, feedback control has been known, wherein the rotation speed of the motor detected by a sensor installed in a handpiece is compared with a preset speed, and the voltage for driving the motor is controlled so as to eliminate the difference between the two speeds, thereby maintaining the rotation speed constant. The output of the motor is adjusted by changing the preset speed.
However, as the cutting tool becomes slender, it is apt to break easily, since the rotation speed is maintained constant regardless of the load applied to the cutting tool. Therefore, a relatively slender cutting tool, for example a file for forming root canals, more particularly a Ni-Ti file specified to have the maximum rotation speed of 300 rpm, is apt to break very easily, thereby causing the problem of making dental operation difficult.


A calcium phosphate cement and a calcium phosphate cement composition are disclosed. The calcium phosphate cement comprises a calcium phosphate powder having an average particle diameter of 20 .mu.m or smaller and a tap density of 35% or higher, and a polysaccharide. The polysaccharide is preferably a dextran sulfate (e.g., dextran sulfate sodium) having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 100 .mu.m. The calcium phosphate cement composition comprises the above specific calcium phosphate powder and a liquid for cement mixing comprising an aqueous solution containing 30 to 60 wt % dextran sulfate (e.g., dextran sulfate sodium or dextran sulfate potassium). The calcium phosphate powder preferably comprises a tetracalcium phosphate powder and an equimolar amount of a calcium hydrogen phosphate powder as main components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a calcium phosphate cement which comprises a calcium phosphate powder and a polysaccharide incorporated therein and which, due to this composition, can be hardened easily in a relatively short time using only water not containing an organic acid or the like. The present invention further relates to a calcium phosphate cement composition which comprises a calcium phosphate powder, a polysaccharide, and water, and which can be easily hardened in a relatively short time, especially when an aqueous solution containing the polysaccharide has been used as a liquid for cement mixing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large number of medical cements of various compositions have previously been proposed for use in living bodies. Calcium phosphate cements for living bodies have an advantage in that this kind of cement upon hardening changes into a bioactive hydroxyapatite, and hence results in a hardened cement having excellent bioaffinity.
Many of the calcium phosphate cements for living bodies comprise tetracalcium phosphate as the main component; see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,053, now Reissue Pat. No. 33,161. However, this kind of-cement has a problem in practical use because it requires a relatively long time for hardening. There is also a problem that when a cement paste prepared therefrom is brought into contact with a pseudo body fluid immediately after mixing (i.e., kneading), water penetrates into the paste (i.e., kneaded body) and disintegrates the paste. Consequently, two different methods have been used to apply the cement to a body part where body fluids are present in a large amount. The first method is to apply a cement paste, not immediately after mixing, but instead after it has hardened to some degree. The second method is to apply the cement paste after removal of the body fluids from the body part and after hemostasis, etc. However, these two methods suffer drawbacks in that the cement paste which has hardened to some degree is difficult to handle and has poor workability, and the removal of body fluids, hemostasis, and the like require many hands and much time.
As an expedient for eliminating these problems, a technique for reducing the hardening time using an aqueous solution of either an organic acid (e.g., citric acid or malic acid) or an inorganic acid (e.g., phosphoric acid) as a liquid for cement mixing (i.e., kneading liquid) has been proposed in, for example, JP-A-59-88351 and JP-A-62-83348; the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application". However, when a cement paste prepared with a cement-mixing liquid containing an acid is applied to an inner part of a living body, the paste is highly biostimulative due to the acid, and may cause an inflammatory reaction around the body part to which the paste has been applied. JP-A-2-77261 describes a technique of using an aqueous solution containing chitosan, etc. as a hardener solution so as to inhibit cement disintegration. However, this hardener solution should have a very low pH of approximately 1 to 2, so as to contain the chitosan dissolved therein, and therefore the addition of an acid to the hardener solution is unavoidable. Consequently, this technique also may have the problem of causing an inflammatory reaction, etc. as in the above-described technique.

Calcium phosphate cement and calcium phosphate cement composition


A joining surface formed of a composite structure having at least one ply and a peel ply cured to an outer surface of the composite structure, the peel ply including a plurality of microcapsules each filled with a joining material, wherein upon removal of the peel ply from the outer surface of the composite structure, the microcapsules fracture and release the resin to form an uncured surface for joining.

Joining of an uncured secondary material to an existing cured composite typically requires large assemblies and relatively thick and/or thin individual composite parts, which may then be joined together. This joining method may provide a weaker, secondary joint, which may be difficult to validate for strength and durability using standard detection methods. A reoccurring problem in such secondary joining is that the secondary bond may not be completely laminated or may be a weak bond and the compounded structure may tend to fail or degrade due to mechanical fatigue, impact, or aging. This problem is of great concern due to the widespread use of composite materials used in the aerospace industry. Existing solutions include hand sanding to form an abraded surface, using a dry peel ply, as well as multi-stage curing processes or secondarily bonded assemblies, which may require specific time controls and additional adhesives to secure the bond.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of composite joining to improve joining of uncured materials to cured composite structures.


Disclosed is a hardware arrangement for equalizing waveform distortion caused by multipath fading in a digital radio communications system, which hardware arrangement uses a recursive least-squares algorithm into which a forgetting factor is introduced. An incoming signal (PSK signal for example) is applied to an automatic gain controller which generates a first signal whose value varies with a signal-to-noise ratio of the incoming signal. A forgetting factor controller is coupled to the automatic gain controller to receive the first signal and generates the forgetting factor the value of which varies with the value of the first signal. An adaptive equalizer receives the incoming signal and the forgetting factor. The adaptive equalizer equalizes the waveform distortion using the forgetting factor according to the recursive least-squares algorithm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an adaptive equalizer, and more specifically to an adaptive equalizer using a recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithm into which a forgetting factor is introduced. The adaptive equalizer is well suited for equalizing waveform distortion caused by multipath fading in a digital radio communications system. The forgetting factor is a memory factor for exponentially weighted RLS algorithms as is known in the art.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital radio transmission is susceptible to multipath fading or the like and invites waveform distortion of signal quality. In order to minimize this problem, the recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithm has gained considerable popularity. The RLS algorithm has been discussed in a book entitled "Adaptive Filters" edited by C. F. N. Cowan and P. M. Grant and published by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1985, pages 29-35, by way of example.
However, the adaptive filter using the RLS algorithm has been found insufficient in rapidly tracking time varying incoming signals. In order to cope with this difficulty, an RLS algorithm using a forgetting factor has been proposed in an article entitled "Theoretical Analysis on RLS Adaptive Equalizer Performance in Mobile Radio Transmission" written by Hiroshi Suzuki, et al. in Technical Report published by Electronics Information & Communications Association (Japan), RSC 89-46, 1989, pages 25-30, or in an article entitled "Performance of a Decision Feedback Equalizer under Frequency Selective Fading in Land Mobile Communications" written by Makito MAKAJIMA, et al. published by the same Japanese Association as mentioned above, Paper B-II, Vol. J72-B-II, No. 10, October, 1989, pages 515-523.
The forgetting factor used in each of the above-mentioned technical papers, has been fixed to a constant value between 0 and 1. As the forgetting factor approaches zero, the fast tracking or converging of quickly time varying incoming signals can be achieved but noise cancellation is lowered. Contrarily, as the forgetting factor approaches 1, noises are effectively cancelled but the tracking of quickly time varying signals speed is lowered. Under the transmission path conditions where a signal-to-noise ratio is high, it is preferred that a forgetting factor is set to a low value for achieving high tracking or convergence of the time varying signals.
However, according to the known techniques, the forgetting factor is set to a fixed high value in the vicinity of 1 (0.95 for example) in order to maintain effective noise cancellation. Accordingly, the fast tracking of the time varying signals is sacrificed even in the presence of a high signal-to-noise ratio.

Adaptive equalizer using recursive least-squares algorithm and method therefor


A new and distinct form of Veronica plant characterized by warm pink flowers in free flowering spikes, with some rebloom in late summer, a compact, slow spreading, low mounding habit, excellent dense branching with flower spikes at end of every branch, medium green leaves, excellent vigor, and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronica, given the name, 'TNVERA'. Veronica is in the family Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae). This new cultivar was found as a naturally occurring branch mutation at the nursery in Canby, Oreg. of Veronica hybrid 'Giles Van Hees', an unpatented plant. Compared to the mother plant, Veronica hybrid 'Giles Van Hees', the new cultivar has a larger plant size with larger inflorescences, darker pink flowers, and greater vigor. Compared to Veronica spicata 'Rotfuchs' RED FOX, an unpatented plant, the new cultivar is shorter with larger flowers. Compared to the other pink flowering Veronica on the market, the new cultivar has a more compact habit, darker flowers, and is more free-flowering.
The new cultivar exhibits the following characteristics:                1. warm pink flowers in free flowering spikes, with some rebloom in late summer,        2. a compact, slow spreading, low mounding habit,        3. excellent dense branching with flower spikes at end of every branch,        4. medium green leaves,        5. excellent vigor, and        6. good garden performance.
The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (stem cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.


A comminution apparatus for reducing a particle size of a material includes a cutting chamber defining an interior volume, wherein the cutting chamber includes first and second member forming an angle therebetween. Each of the first and second members include a plurality of slots therethrough providing access to the interior volume. The apparatus further includes a rotatable arbor disposed outside the interior volume of the cutting chamber and supporting a plurality of toothed blades thereon. During rotation of the arbor a portion of each of the blades enters an interior volume of the cutting chamber through the slots in the first member and exits the interior volume of the cutting chamber through the slots in the second member. The comminution apparatus may be used to process various feed materials to desired sizes, and is particularly useful for reducing the size of materials otherwise difficult to cut to small size. Such materials include, for example, zirconium, titanium, magnesium, niobium, calcium, copper, potassium, hafnium and aluminum.

Several different types of equipment are used for size reduction or comminution of materials to fine particles or powder. Crushing rolls, rock crushers, hammer mills and ball mills are examples of such equipment, and are generically referred to herein as "comminution apparatus". The decision to select a particular type of comminution apparatus depends, at least in part, on the size distribution desired for the resulting product and on the properties of the feed material. Crushing rolls, for example, may be particularly suitable for coarse size reduction of brittle materials and for materials that fracture under pressure without smearing or flowing.
Certain materials, such as light metals, including zirconium, titanium and niobium, for example, cannot be effectively reduced (i.e., comminuted) to fine powder using crushers because these metals have a tendency to gall, and chips of the metals would stick to the cutting edges. To address this problem, such metals have first been subjected to hydrogen embrittlement and then reduced in, for example, a ball mill. Hydrogen is later removed from the reduced material in a vacuum furnace to produce a suitable metal or metal alloy powder. This process is expensive and may still produce powder containing unacceptably high levels of hydrogen and oxygen.


A thin biaxially oriented film excellent in dimensional stability against humidity change, as well as a magnetic recording medium and a film capacitor using the same. The present invention provides a laminated biaxially oriented film comprising: at least one layer comprising an aromatic polyester (a); and at least one layer of a polyolefin (b) having a melting point of from 230 to 280° C.; wherein the ratio of the polyolefin (b) is from 2 to 60% based on the entire weight of the film, and the film thickness is from 1 to 10 μm.

Since polyester films have an excellent thermal characteristic and a physical characteristic, they have been used in various application uses such as magnetic recording media, capacitors, flexible substrates, optical members, food packages, decorative use.
By the way, in magnetic recording media, particularly, magnetic recording media for use in data storage, requirement for characteristics to the base films has become severer along with increase in the capacity and the density of tapes. In magnetic recording media for data storage adopting a linear track system such as QIC, DLT and, further, high capacity super DLT, and LTO, the track pitch is made extremely narrow for attaining higher capacity of tapes. Therefore, they involve a problem of causing track deviation to generate errors in a case where dimensional changes occur in the direction of the tape width. The dimensional changes include those due to changes of temperature and humidity and due to aging shrinkage in the transverse direction which is caused upon repetitive running in high temperature and high humidity states under high tension. In a case where the dimensional change is large, it brings about track deviation to generate errors upon electromagnetic conversion. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the advancing direction when a film is formed continuously is referred to as a film-forming direction, a continuous film-forming direction, a longitudinal direction or an MD direction and, also, the direction within a plane perpendicular to the film-forming direction is sometimes referred to as a transverse direction or a width direction.
For solving such dimensional changes, JP-A No. 5-212787 discloses a biaxially oriented polyethylene-2,6-naphtalene dicarboxylate film in which the Young's modulus in the longitudinal direction (EM), the Young's modulus in the transverse direction (ET) and the ratio between both of the Young's modulus (ET/EM) are defined each within a predetermined range, and the shrinkage in the longitudinal direction, the temperature expansion coefficient in the longitudinal direction (αt), and the humidity expansion coefficient in the longitudinal direction (αh) are defined. Further, the pamphlet of WO No. 99/29488 discloses a biaxially oriented polyester film in which a thermal expansion coefficient αt (×10−6/° C.) in the transverse direction, a humidity expansion coefficient αh in the transverse direction (×10−6% RH) and shrinkage P in the transverse direction to a load when the load is applied in the longitudinal direction (ppm/g) are defined each within a predetermined range. Furthermore, the pamphlet of WO No 00/76749 discloses a biaxially oriented polyester film in which the dimensional change in the transverse direction when left under weight in the longitudinal direction, thermal expansion coefficient αt (×10−6/° C.) in the transverse direction, the humidity expansion coefficient αh in the transverse direction (×10−6% RH) and a shrinkage P in the transverse direction to a load when the load is applied in the longitudinal direction (ppm/g) are defined each within a predetermined range.
However, the methods proposed in the publications are attained by defining the stretching conditions and the subsequent heat setting treatment conditions within the predetermined ranges. For example, while the aging shrinkage in the transverse direction upon applying a load in the longitudinal direction can be improved by increasing the Young's modulus in the longitudinal direction of the base film, on the other hand, from a view point of the polymer characteristic and the film forming property as the Young's modulus in the longitudinal direction increases, the upper limit for the Young's modulus in the transverse direction decreases, which results in increase in the dimensional changes due to the temperature/humidity change, etc. and no drastic solution has not yet been attained.
Further, capacitors are manufactured by a method of stacking a thermoplastic resin film such as of polyethylene terephthalate or polypropylene and a thin metal film such as an aluminum foil and winding or laminating them. In recent years, along with the demand for size-reduction of electric or electronic circuits, size-reduction and mounting has been progressing also for film capacitors and further heat resistance has been required in addition to an electric characteristic. Further, in the application use for automobiles, the range of use is extended not only to the use in a driver's cab but also to the inside an engine room, and film capacitors suitable to dimensional stability at further higher temperature and higher humidity have been required in addition to the electric characteristic.
In view of the above, with an aim of solving the heat resistance of films for use in capacitors, JP-A No. 2000-173855 discloses a method of using a polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate film and, with an aim of improving the electric characteristic thereof, a method of controlling the state of crystallization, intrinsic viscosity, etc. has been proposed. However, the method has a limit in the further improvement of the electric characteristic since this is a polar polymer.
On the other hand, as a thermoplastic resin with an excellent electric characteristic, syndiotactic polystyrene polymers have been known. However, since the syndiotactic polystyrene polymers are more difficult to be formed into a film compared with polyester resins and since the obtained film tends to be torn as well, improvement for the handleability during manufacture of capacitors has been demanded.
By the way, the pamphlet of WO No. 97/32223 proposes films containing syndiotactic polystyrene and polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate. However, such films are optical materials for controlling the optical characteristic such as reflectance or transmittance and they are substantially monoaxially oriented films.
Further, JP-A No. 08-176329 proposes a void-containing polyester film in which a syndiotactic polystyrene is blended as a void former with a polyester resin and it discloses that the less deformability of the syndiotactic polystyrene at a stretching temperature gives an effect on the development of voids. However, as the thickness of the film decreases, since the effects of voids on various kinds of characteristics increase, there may be a possibility in the application use requiring thin film thickness, that various kinds of characteristics necessary for the application uses, for example, the mechanical characteristic such as Young's modulus and the withstand voltage characteristic are deteriorated.
Further, as a film formed by laminating a syndiotactic polystyrene and a polyester, JP-A No. 8-48008 describes a laminate film with the ratio of the syndiotactic polystyrene layer of 70% or more.
Further, JP-A No. 2000-326467 proposes a multi-layered laminate film in which a layer comprising polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate and a layer comprising a syndiotactic polystyrene are alternately laminated by 11 layers or more. However, such a film intends to selectively reflect a light at a predetermined wavelength by optical interference due to the difference of refractive index between layers.


A multi-functional stack of flexible sheet material containing a plurality of flexible sheets printed with sequential images and stacked with high peel adhesion along alternate opposite edges. The stack functions like a recreational accordion-like toy and animation flip pad.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-functional stack of flexible sheet material, such as those used in repositionable notes, and a method of using the sheet material as a recreational toy. The stack contains a plurality of flexible sheets with each sheet attached to the other by repositionable adhesive along one edge but free of adhesive along the opposite edge. The sheets are stacked with the repositionable adhesive edge of each sheet disposed along alternate opposite edges to maintain the sheets in the stack. The high peel adhesion between the sheets, which are preferably circular in shape, permits the stack to function both as a notepad and as a recreational SLINKY®-like or accordion-like toy. In addition, a series of images printed on the major surfaces of a plurality of the sheets enables the device to be used as an animation flip pad. The outer edges of the sheets may also be printed with ink to provide a readily perceptible image when the sheets are in the stacked position.
2. Description of Related Art
Dispensers containing stacks of flexible sheet material having adhesive on alternating edges are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,417,345 and 6,669,992 both teach a stack of rectangular-shaped flexible sheet material comprising a plurality of sheets disposed one on top of another. Each sheet has repositionable adhesive along one edge and is free of adhesive along the opposite edge. The sheets are stacked with the repositionable adhesive edge of each sheet disposed along alternate opposite edges to maintain the sheets in the stack.
As these patents indicate, these stacks of flexible sheet material are typically used in a rectangular plastic or cardboard dispenser. More specifically, the stacks of flexible sheet material are designed so that the free end of the top sheet is disposed through an opening in the dispenser. When this free end is grasped and pulled in a direction to dispense the sheet, the adhesive pulls the edge of the next adjacent sheet from the stack and brings this free edge of the next adjacent sheet through the opening. Upon withdrawing the entire top sheet and the free edge of the adjacent sheet through the opening, the top sheet is easily separated from the next adjacent sheet by peeling the sheets apart.
These conventional stacks of flexible sheet material having adhesive on opposite alternative edges are limited in function in several ways. First, because the sheets must be dispensed one at a time from the dispenser, each sheet is designed to be easily removed from the adjacent sheet. This is usually achieved by a combination of weak adhesive and/or release coating that will allow minimal adhesion. In addition, the stacks of flexible sheets are designed to be dispensed in a dispenser that has a finite size. As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,992, the number of sheets in the stack is typically between 10 and 100 sheets. Further, the stacks of flexible sheet material of the prior art are typically rectangular or square in shape so that they can be used in similarly-shaped dispensers. Lastly, because these sheets are used solely as a writing substrate, the sheets are not pre-printed with any images.
The present invention is directed to a multi-functional stack of flexible sheet material having adhesive on opposite alternating edges. In one aspect of the invention, the peel adhesion is substantially greater than that of the prior art flexible sheet materials. Further, the stack is typically circular in shape and prepared with at least 100 sheets or more. The stack functions as a both notepad and as a recreational SLINKY®-like or accordion-like toy.
In another aspect of the present invention, the multi-functional stack of flexible sheet material is pre-printed with a series of consecutive images on the major surfaces of the sheets to create an animated flip pad. Since the stack of flexible sheets has adhesive at alternate opposing edges, the images are preferably printed on the major surface of alternating sheets in the stack. The two sheets are flipped two at a time to create the animation by virtue of the adjacent sheets being adhered along alternate opposing edges. As such, the likelihood that an image in the series will not be viewed during the flipping process/action is decreased.
In accordance with the present invention, the stack of flexible sheet material may also include an image printed on the outer edges of the sheets so that when a plurality of sheets are stacked together, a peripheral image is readily viewable. The printed image, for example, may take the form of a soda can logo in a stack of circular flexible sheets.

Multi-functional stack of repositionable sheets


A triple-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) system for simultaneous measurements of temperature and species concentrations with high spatial and temporal resolution is described, wherein four laser beams generate CARS signals near two distinct wavelengths exhibiting an N2 CARS signal along with the CARS signal from another target molecule, each pair of CARS signals generated over a relatively narrow wavelength region and captured with fixed-wavelength detection. Temperature and relative concentrations of the target species with respect to N2 are extracted by fitting the measured CARS spectrum in each wavelength region.

The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for precision analysis of gaseous systems, and more particularly to a triple-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) system for simultaneous measurements of temperature and species concentrations with high spatial and temporal resolution.
Complete characterization of reacting gaseous flow systems requires a determination of performance and chemical efficiency by measuring temperature and species concentrations either in the reaction zone or in the exhaust stream. Typically, these data are acquired utilizing several independent techniques executed serially, but the measurements would ideally be made simultaneously with a minimum number of diagnostic measurements.
Previously known CARS techniques have been used for temperature and multiple-species-concentration measurements, such as dual broadband rotational CARS (Martinsson et al, "Oxygen Concentration and Temperature Measurements in N2—O2 Mixtures using Rotational Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy," Applied Physics B 62, 29–37 (1996); Thumann et al, "Simultaneous Temperature and Relative Nitrogen-Oxygen Concentration Measurements in Air with Pure Rotational Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering for Temperatures to as High as 2050 K," Applied Optics 36, 3500–3505 (1997); and Bood et al, "Temperature and Concentration Measurements in Acetylene-Nitrogen Mixtures in the Range 300–600 K using Dual-Broadband Rotational CARS," Applied Physics B 70, 607–620 (2000)) or simultaneous vibrational and rotational CARS (Yueh et al, "Simultaneous N2, CO, and H2 Multiplex CARS Measurements in Combustion Environments Using a Single Dye Laser," Applied Optics 27, 3233–3243 (1988); Bengtsson et al, "Combined Vibrational and Rotational CARS for Simultaneous Measurements of Temperature and Concentration of Fuel, Oxygen, and Nitrogen," Applied Spectroscopy 49, 188–192 (1995); Seeger et al, "Experimental Comparison of Single-Shot Vibrational and Dual-Broadband Rotational Pure Rotational Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering in Hot Air," Applied Optics 35, 2665–2671 (1996); and Brackmann et al, "Simultaneous Vibrational and Pure Rotational Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy for Temperature and Multispecies Concentration Measurements Demonstrated in Sooting Flames," Applied Optics 41, 564–572 (1996)). However, the accuracy of the temperatures derived from rotational CARS measurements decreases with increasing temperature (Aldén et al, "Rotational CARS: a comparison of different techniques with emphasis on accuracy in temperature determination," Applied Optics 28, 3206–3219 (1989)).
The dual-pump CARS technique, first demonstrated by Lucht et al ("Measurements of Temperature and CO2 Concentrations by Dual-Pump Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering," AIAA Journal 41, 679–686 (2003)) has been used for the simultaneous measurement of N2/O2 (see Lucht, "Three-Laser Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Measurements of Two Species," Optics Letters 12, 78–80 (1987) and Hancock et al, "Dual-Pump Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Measurements of Hydrogen and Oxygen in a Laminar Jet Diffusion Flame," Applied Optics 36, 3217–3226 (1997)), N2/H2 (Schauer, "Investigation of Flame Structure and Thermal Diffusion Effects in Hydrogen Jet Diffusion Flames," Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana Ill. (1998)), N2/CH4 (Green et al, "An Annular Phase-Matched Dual-Pump CARS System for the Simultaneous Detection of Nitrogen and Methane," Applied Optics 37, 1690–1701 (1998)), and N2/CO2 (Brüggemann et al, "CARS Spectroscopy for Temperature and Concentration Measurements in a Spark Ignition Engine," in Combustion Flow Diagnostics, by Duräom et al, eds., Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 495–511 (1992)).
In a dual-pump CARS system, the wavelengths of the input beams are adjusted such that the CARS spectra for the two species under study are observed at nearly the same frequency. This arrangement largely eliminates the potential errors arising from wavelength-dependent variations in signal transmission or detector efficiency that can complicate other multiple-species CARS techniques such as dual-Stokes and dual-broadband CARS (Eckbreth, Laser Diagnostics for Combustion Temperature and Species, Gordon and Breach Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, (1988)).
The invention described and claimed herein solves or substantially reduces in critical importance problems with prior art techniques by providing a triple-pump CARS system for accurate measurement of temperature along with concentration of three species in high-temperature reacting flows. The invention permits monitoring of the local temperature and concentrations of two target species with respect to a reference species using a single hardware platform with high spatial and temporal resolution.
A triple-pump CARS system representative of the invention uses four laser beams to generate CARS signals near two distinct wavelengths. Both wavelength regions exhibit an N2 CARS signal along with the CARS signal from another target molecule. Each pair of CARS signals is generated over a relatively narrow wavelength region and can be captured with fixed-wavelength detection. Temperature and relative concentrations of the target species (with respect to N2) are extracted by fitting the measured CARS spectrum in each wavelength region. Because the N2 concentration is typically initially known, the amplitude of the target-species signal relative to that of the paired N2 signal provides an absolute measure of the target-species concentration. In demonstration of the invention, tests were performed in an atmospheric-pressure hydrogen-air diffusion flame, and the CARS signals from N2/O2 and N2/H2 pairings were acquired using two spectrometers each equipped with a charged coupled device (CCD) camera. For measurements made in reacting flows using air as the oxidizer, nitrogen is the most convenient reference molecule. Nitrogen CARS spectra are known over a very wide range of temperature and pressure.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide a system for analysis of gaseous systems.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for precision analysis of flowing gaseous systems.
It is another principal object of the invention to provide a triple-pump CARS system for simultaneous measurements of temperature and species concentrations with high spatial and temporal resolution.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as a detailed description of representative embodiments proceeds.

Triple-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering system

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A golf swing training device has a compact device housing to be worn at the waist of a user on one hip which contains an inertial mass acceleration sensor for detecting when the user has moved the hip in a weight shift exceeding a given threshold level and for producing a sound output indicative of a correct weight shift for a golf swing. In one embodiment, the housing is a cylindrical tube, the sensor is a weighted metal ball held by a given retaining force of a magnet at one end of the tube, and the sound is produced by the ball striking a stop wall at the opposite end. When the user completes a hip turn and decelerates to a finish, the weighted ball travels back to the retaining end of the tube and produces a second sound which indicates correct completion of the golf swing. The device housing may have a fastener strip to allow it to be worn at an angle to vary the threshold weight shift force required. A second embodiment uses a spring-mounted plastic cup with a friction-fit hemi-spherical shape for retaining the ball therein. A third embodiment employs an electronic motion sensor as the mass acceleration sensor, and includes an electronic circuit, tone generator and output speaker, volume control, and LCD display.

Of the three pillars of a good golf swing, i.e., the grip, the stance, and the swing motion, the hardest to teach and maintain is a correct swing motion. Teaching professionals have many tips for monitoring the execution of a correct swing motion, such as taking the club back low and slow, extending the arms back swinging the club back over the head, keeping the wrists and arms cocked, rotation of the shoulder and the back turn aligned with the swing plane, initiating the down swing with the body not the arms, keeping the eyes on the ball and the head still, turning the hips, shifting one's weight forward toward the target, keeping a full arm extension at impact, turning the arms over to keep the clubface closed, executing a smooth follow through, keeping a proper balance and alignment at the finish of the swing, etc. While all of these are good pointers to improve a golf swing, it is difficult for the person to keep all of these swing components in mind and execute the swing correctly.
Furthermore, not all of the elements of a swing must be monitored at all times to train a person to improve their swing. Some elements, such as grip, stance, club take back, alignment, and follow through, can be taught in a limited number of sessions and need not be monitored every time a person takes a practice swing. On the other hand, some elements, such as swing tempo, hip turn, and weight shift, are so subtle or happen so quickly that they should be monitored during a person's practice swing to detect whether they were executed properly.
Many training devices and techniques have been proposed for aiding a person to execute a good swing motion. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,221,088 and 5,372,365 to McTeigue disclose measuring a person's weight shift with foot sensors, grip pressure with club handle sensors, and/or shoulder rotation with back-worn sensors to produce audible tones indicating when these factors of the swing motion are within acceptable ranges. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,885 discloses a mechanical armature device that is attached to a person's thighs, waist, and back to maintain the desired posture, alignment, and motion of body parts during a swing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,707 to Fink, U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,790 to Anthes, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,281 to Berghofer disclose playing various types of audible cues indicative of the proper tempo and speed of the ideal swing against which the person can compare the execution of their actual swing.
However, the previous proposals have had disadvantages in that those that are attached to a person's body parts to measure or guide their motion are awkward to wear and encumber the person's swing, while those that only issue tones for the timing or tempo of a correct swing do not measure the person's actual execution of the swing. The prior devices have also provided an audible prompt for the motion of only one body part, or multiple prompts for several body parts that may be confusing for the person to listen to.
There have also been many proposals for training devices that measure the speed, angle, height, force, and/or alignment of the club during a swing. However, these devices do not provide an actual indication whether the motion of the person's body in executing the swing was correct.

Golf swing training device for detecting correct weight shift


The device for storing, mixing, and dispensing components is provided with means for mixing (6) a first component (27) with a second, liquid component (28) and for dispensing the mixed materials. The individual components (27, 28) are stored in respective containers (2, 3) that are arranged side by side, and a valve assembly (8) is arranged in the transfer area (7) between the outlet area (26) of the container (3) for storing the second, liquid component (28) and the liquid inlet (25) of the container (2) for storing the first component (27). Such a device allows an unproblematic storage of the different components without a local separation of the containers and an efficient mix thereof. This applies especially if the first component is a powder or a granular or porous substance, e.g. bone cement or bone replacement material.

The present invention relates to a device and method for storing, mixing and dispensing components, comprising means for mixing a first component with a second, liquid component and for dispensing the mixture, according to the preambles of claims 1 and 15. The first component may be a powdery, granular, or porous bone replacement material or bone cement or a similar material for use in medicine or dentistry.
Devices according to the preamble of claim 1 are available on the market and generally comprise a container in which the powdery material is stored and to which the liquid component is added, the components being subsequently mixed and the mixture being dispensed by means of a piston.
The locally separated storage of at least two components may add complexity to stockkeeping and make the admixture of the smaller, liquid component problematic, e.g. due to confusion.
Further devices where the components are stored separately are known in the art, the smaller, liquid component being e.g. stored behind the piston or thrust rod of the chamber for the larger, powdery component. Arrangements of this kind generally comprise a valve that is arranged between the components and through which the liquid component may be supplied to the powdery component. The disadvantage of this solution is that no controllable transfer of the components is possible. U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,754 may be cited as an example standing for a number of references regarding this prior art.
A set for preparing and applying a tissue adhesive is known from EP-0 292 472, where in each case four syringe bodies are combined in pairs via a coupling member to form a respective unit. The coupling member comprises respective cones for receiving corresponding conical portions on the syringes. The reference only discloses a connection between two adjacent syringes, however without a valve arrangement, so that the possible applications are limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,364 discloses a dispenser for colored cosmetic compositions where a centrally arranged syringe is arranged to aspirate colors from one or another adjacent container via a screw lid having a channel in order to mix and dispense them. Such an arrangement is unsuitable for the medical field.
WO 00 35506 discloses a container for a powder and a container for a liquid for the preparation of bone cement where a coupling for vacuum is necessarily required, the connection between the two containers being basically always open and the container for the liquid being opened just before the mixing operation. However, selectively establishing a connection between the containers is not possible.
On the background of this prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for storing, mixing, and dispensing components, more particularly powdery, granular, porous and liquid materials that allows a simple handling and arrangement of the containers while the components are fully separated during storage, and a simple control of the introduction of the second, liquid component into the first component, and that offers a wide range of applications such as external aspiration or introduction of a liquid into the dispensing device. The device attaining this object is defined in claims 1 and 15.

Device and method for the storage mixing and dispensing components


System and method for verifying the authenticity of executable images. The system includes a validator that determines a reference digital signature for an executable image using the contents of the executable image excluding those portions of the executable that are fixed-up by a program loader. The validator then subsequent to the loading of the executable image determines an authenticity digital signature to verify that the executable image has not been improperly modified. In addition, the validator ensures that each of the pointers in the executable image have not been improperly redirected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method of verifying the authenticity of dynamically connectable executable images.
2. Description of the Related Technology
New object models now provide for the dynamic integration of software applications at run time. For example, Windows, an operating system licensed by Microsoft Inc., allows for the dynamic integration of a software application with a dynamic link library during the execution of the software application. Upon a user request for the execution of the software application, a program loader copies a "disk image" of the application from disk storage to main memory to create a "process image." The disk image refers to the executable image before it is loaded, whereas the process image refers to the executable image after it is loaded in memory. Both the disk image and the process image typically include a fix-up section that identifies which portions of the software need to be fixed-up to reference the dynamic link library at run time.
Significantly, after loading, the process image is different then the disk image. As such, a checksum that had been prepared with respect to the disk image would no longer match the checksum of the process image, even if the process image had not been improperly tampered with.
Therefore, there is a need for a system that can verify the identity of a software application in a dynamic loading environment. In particular, the system should be able to determine whether a software application that has been dynamically connected to another data object has been tampered with subsequent to the execution of the software application.

System and method of verifying the authenticity of dynamically connectable executable images