A portable information processing apparatus having a disk drive device and being reduced in size and weight is presented. This portable information processing apparatus comprises a disk drive device, a disk cover, a keyboard, and a casing main body. The disk cover can be opened and closed from the casing, and the disk drive device allows part of the disk recording medium to advance beneath the keyboard when the disk recording medium is loaded into the disk drive device.

Recently, notebook-sized personal computers (hereinafter called notebooks) and other small and lightweight information processing apparatuses are rapidly spreading widely. Along with an increase in capacity of application software and data, a detachable recording medium must have a large capacity. For the purpose of enjoying the music or movie, the notebook incorporates a disk drive device capable of reproducing or writing an optical disk such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM.
Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a conventional notebook is explained. FIG. 5 is a perspective outline view of the use of a conventional notebook incorporating a disk drive device. FIG. 6 is a bottom view in which a back plate of the casing has been removed. In FIG. 5, a main body 101 comprises an upper case 101a and a lower case 101b. On the top of the upper case 101a, there is a keyboard 102 with an arrangement of a number of keys for the input of text, numerals and symbols and for giving various instructions to the notebook. At the front side of the top of the upper case 101a, there is a pointing device 103 such as keypad for position input on the screen. A display unit 105 is installed rotatably on an axis 104 parallel to the end behind the main body, and at the side facing the keyboard 102 when the display unit 105 is closed, a display device 106 such as liquid crystal display device is disposed.
When an eject button 110 as shown in the drawing is pushed, a disk drive device 109 is slid out as being driven by a motor from the left side of the main body. The disk drive device 109 accepts a disk 107 such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM rotatably on a drive shaft 108, and can read from the disk 107 or write into the disk 107.
A conventional notebook with a disk drive device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. H5-346829.
In the conventional notebook, however, since the disk drive device is designed to slide out, a slide mechanism is needed, and the weight is increased due to the drive mechanism or motor. In addition, because of the sliding motion of the disk drive device and the disk, the disk drive device space and the disk moving space require free space so as not to contact other parts in the moving range of other constituent components. Therefore, the volume efficiency is poor.
Further, since the side of the casing is notched, the structural strength of the casing is lowered. As a countermeasure, the strength must be assured by increasing the wall thickness of the upper case and lower case, and both weight and volume are increased.
The notebook disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. H5-346829 is designed to open and close the entire keyboard unit. In such a system of opening and closing the entire keyboard unit, various limitations occur when composing the notebook, and there are problems in cooling. For example, since a keyboard is not fixed, the structure becomes weak or it becomes difficult to contact the keyboard unit bottom with an exothermic portion, and to make heat radiate.

Portable information processing apparatus including a disk drive device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A vehicle wheel alignment measuring method and apparatus capable of measuring wheel alignment of a vehicle body with high accuracy without wheels mounted in an assembly line. A dummy wheel (10) is mounted on a wheel mounting portion (6) on which a wheel is not mounted. Subsequently, with a vehicle body supported, a wheel mounting portion elevating means (8) elevates the wheel mounting portion (6) via the dummy wheel (10). Thereafter, an alignment measuring means (9) measures wheel alignment for the wheel mounting portion (6) on which the dummy wheel (10) is mounted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring the wheel alignment of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle, a wheel is provided with a camber angle to secure steerage during driving and the wheel is provided with a toe angle to prevent a decrease in straight-running stability caused by the provision of the camber angle. Further, in order to fix the wheel alignment so as to achieve good driving stability, it is necessary to measure the angle and position of each wheel with high accuracy. Wheel alignment measurement is generally performed for a finished vehicle with wheels mounted thereon. In this case, however, for example, the wheel alignment measurement is performed based on the position and attitude of the side wall of each wheel (tire and road wheel). This could lead to an error in the measurement result according to elastic deformation of the tire, a road wheel mounting state, and the like, and the measurement result is useless in fixing the wheel alignment with accuracy.
On the other hand, conventionally, the vehicle alignment is measured via wheel mounting portions without the wheels mounted in an assembly line for assembling a vehicle body in order to improve the productivity of the vehicle. More specifically, in the vehicle body assembly line, steering gears and suspensions are installed and thereafter a load equivalent to the vehicle weight is applied to the wheel mounting portions in a state where the wheel mounting portions without the wheels mounted thereon are elevated relatively to the vehicle body, and then the position and attitude of the wheel mounting portions are detected to measure the wheel alignment. Thereby, the position and attitude of the wheel mounting portions are detected without the wheels, and therefore it is possible to obtain a measurement result unaffected by the elastic deformation and mounting state of the wheels.
Since, however, the wheel alignment measurement performed for the wheel mounting portions on which wheels are not mounted differs in the ground contact state or load-applied state from a measurement for the wheel mounting portions on which the wheels are mounted, it is insufficient to obtain high measurement accuracy.

Vehicle wheel alignment measuring method and apparatus


A sheet material cutter which cuts a sheet material by the cooperation of a circular rotary cutting blade moving while rotating and a long sheet-shaped fixed cutting blade, and provides a sheet material cutter, having a simple construction. The device permits satisfactory cutting of a strip-shaped sheet material such as paper by simply causing the rotary cutting blade to incline by an angle necessary for cutting, both in forward and backward motions of the rotary cutting blade, by the cooperation of the circular rotary cutting blade moving while rotating, a roller for rotating this rotary cutting blade and a roller guide.

The present invention relates to a sheet material cutting device or cutter which cuts a sheet material by the cooperation of a circular rotary cutting blade moving while rotating and a fixed cutting blade formed into a long sheet.
In a printer for a terminal such as ECR or POS, a strip-shaped sheet material wound into a roll is pulled out for printing, and then the necessary portion is cut by a cutter into a sheet for delivery.
Various types of such sheet material cutters are available. The rotary-type cutter requires a high manufacturing cost and causes a relatively high degree of noise and therefore is now being replaced by a cutter based on a combination of a circular rotary cutting blade moving while rotating and a fixed cutting blade formed into a long sheet.
The prior art cutters of this type will be described below with reference to FIG. 11. A support 101 having a rotary cutting blade 102 horizontally travels on a screw shaft 100 as shown in FIG. 11 (a). As is clear from FIG. 11 (b), the rotary cutting blade 102 is rotatably bearing-supported on a shaft 105 which is on the support 101, and pressed against a fixed cutting blade 103 by means of a spring, for example. A sheet material transferred vertically in FIG. 11 (a) is cut by the rotary cutting blade 102 and the fixed cutting blade 103 while the support 101 travels horizontally.
In this cutter, it is important for ensuring satisfactory cutting to cause the rotary cutting blade 102 to slightly incline relative to the fixed cutting blade 103 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 so that the periphery of the rotary cutting blade 102 is brought into pressure-contact with the edge portion of the fixed cutting blade 103 at a point P in the travelling direction of the rotary cutting blade 102. Particularly, in order to permit cutting of the sheet material S not only during forward motion of the rotary cutting blade 102, but also during backward motion thereof, it is necessary to provide an apparatus having a means to switch over the inclination of the rotary cutting blade 102 between forward and backward motions. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 50-24,466 proposes such as apparatus.
This prior known cutter of sheet material will be described below. FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic construction of the conventional sheet material cutter, and FIG. 15 is a plan view illustrating the cutter of FIG. 14 as viewed from above. In these drawings, S is a sheet material such as paper; 41 is a fixed cutting blade in the form of a long sheet provided under the sheet material S; 41a is the upper surface of the fixed cutting blade 41, and 41b is the edge portion thereof; 42 is a guide rail installed so as to be in parallel with the edge portion 41b of the fixed cutting blade 41 above the sheet material S; 43 is a supporting member of a rotary cutting blade, which is loosely fitted in the guide rail 42; 44 is a rocking lever rockably fitted to the upper front portion of the rotary cutting blade supporting member 43; 45 is a pin making the rocking lever 44 rockable; 46 and 47 are pins limiting rocking of the rocking lever 44; 48 is a shaft fixed to the front portion of the rocking lever 5; 49 is a spring fitted in the shaft 48; 51 is the rotary cutting blade rotatably fitted to the tip of the shaft 48; 54 is a pin fixed to the upper rear end portion of the rocking lever 44; and 55a and 55b are wires secured each at an end to the pin 54.
Now, the operation of the prior known sheet material cutter having the construction as mentioned above will be described.
First, the sheet material S is fed in proximity to the upper surface 41a of the fixed cutting blade 41 and kept stationary there. The spring 49 presses the rotary cutting blade 51 with the edge portion directed forward, and as a result, the peripheral portion of the rotary cutting blade 51 is always in pressure-contact with the edge portion 41b of the fixed cutting blade 41. The wires 55a and 55b are stretched along the guide rail 42. These wires are adapted to be horizontally stretched alternately for each cutting step by means of a driving mechanism (not shown). FIG. 14 illustrates the wire 55b as pulled to the left. The rotary cutting blade supporting member 43 therefore travels by being pulled through the rocking lever 44 by the wire 55b in this direction. As a result, the rotary cutting blade 51 also travels to the left.
Upon this travel, the rocking lever 44 rocks clockwise around the pin 45, and the rear end portion of the rocking lever 44 comes into pressure-contact with the pin 47. Consequently, the rotary cutting blade 51 is kept in inclination of the end face thereof by an angle q relative to the edge portion 41b of the fixed cutting blade 41. The rotary cutting blade 5 therefore travels while keeping the leading head portion thereof in the travelling direction in point-contact with the edge portion 41b of the fixed cutting blade 41. Along with travel of the rotary cutting blade 51, the sheet material S is cut from right in FIG. 15 by the peripheral portion of the rotary cutting blade 51, which is in point-contact with the edge portion 41b of the fixed cutting blade 41.
Upon the completion of a cycle of cutting step as mentioned above, the wire 55 is pulled toward the right in FIG. 14. When the wire 55 is pulled toward the right in FIG. 14, then the rocking lever 44 rocks anti-clockwise around the pin 45. As a result, the rocking lever 44 brings the rear end portion thereof into pressure-contact with the pin 46. The end face of the rotary cutting blade 51 thus inclines in the direction opposite to that described above, so that the peripheral portion of the rotary cutting blade 51 comes into point-contact with the edge portion of the fixed cutting blade 41 at the right-hand portion thereof. The sheet material S in stoppage for a prescribed period of time is cut by the travel of the rotary cutting blade 51 to the right in FIG. 15.
In the above-mentioned cutter, however, it is necessary to provide wires horizontally stretched and a rocking lever rocking around a fulcrum shaft, and switching of the inclining direction of the rotary cutting blade requires a complicated construction, leading to an expensive apparatus.


A needle-beam cofferdam, needles and associated method for dry isolation of a water passage of a dam, the method comprising providing a support beam which spans between piers of the water passage, providing at least one hollow metal needle having a major axis, and positioning the hollow needle with the major axis substantially vertically oriented, the hollow needle engaging with a sill of the dam and engaging with the support beam. A plurality of vertically positioned needles may thereby isolate the water passage. The method also includes positioning of hollow needles with the major axis in a substantially horizontal orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a bulkhead assembly for dewatering water passages of dams and, more particularly, to a floating bulkhead assembly and, most particularly, to a segmental floating bulkhead assembly, and floatable caisson for this purpose.
2. Background Information
The standard means for dewatering dam intakes and outlets, such as spillways, outlet works, penstocks and draft tubes, has been with bulkhead assemblies or stop logs placed in opposing slots set in the passageway walls. A bulkhead assembly is a one-piece fabrication that is positioned across the water passage opening in slots to allow the water passage to be dewatered without having to lower the reservoir. The bulkhead assembly is usually lowered into place from the top of the dam with a mobile crane, gantry crane or permanent hoist. For large openings, where a one-piece bulkhead assembly is impractical, a series of horizontal bulkhead assemblies, called stop logs, are placed in the slots and stacked one on top of the next, using the same type of lifting devices used for the one-piece bulkhead assemblies. Bulkhead assemblies and stop logs are made from timber, aluminum or stainless steel for small passages, but larger openings mandate steel fabrications. When not in use, the bulkhead assemblies or stop logs are suspended above the water passage or placed in a dry storage location.
The use of buoyancy for bulkhead assemblies to reduce or eliminate the need for hoists or cranes is known. Older floating bulkhead assemblies often were one-piece steel fabrications used at site-specific intakes and stored permanently in the reservoir or removed with a large capacity crane after use. These bulkhead assemblies are designed similar to a ship. The floating bulkhead assembly's bottom is filled with ballast to keep it upright, and the bulkhead assembly is partitioned into chambers that are flooded or purged to adjust the trim of the bulkhead assembly.
Many of these floating bulkhead assemblies are still in use. However, they are difficult to maneuver and operate, more costly to fabricate than conventional bulkhead assemblies, and expensive to maintain. If not maintained, floating bulkhead assemblies may be deemed unsafe to operate due to unknown conditions in the sealed chambers, internal steel corrosion or unreliable components.
Some examples of inventions concerned with bulkhead assemblies for which patents have been granted are found in the following: Mills, U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,742, and Tucker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,692. Additionally, various other designs have been used or considered as shown in the literature, including the Northern States Power Company and Ayres Associates hinged bulkhead assembly described in Trends, a Publication of Ayres Associates, "Dam Renovation—Hinged Floating Bulkhead Assembly Proves Flexible, Reusable", Autumn, 1987 ("Ayres Design"), and further described by Bakken and Vonasek in Proceedings: Small Hydro 1988, Ministry of Energy, Toronto, Canada, "Floating Bulkhead Assembly Installed for Hydro Intake Repair," July 1988, among others. However, these disclosed devices embody many of the shortcomings outlined above, resulting in a need for an economical, easily fabricated bulkhead assembly, which is readily handled without large, expensive equipment.
The Ayres Design, which utilizes wide flange steel beams, has several drawbacks compared to the use of hollow rectangular section steel tubes made from flat sheet. Fabrication using wide flange beams to create a workable caisson requires a great amount of skillful cutting and welding of the beams, which increases the cost of fabrication. Wide flange beams are not produced in many useable varieties or dimensions, and heavy customization is often required. This lack of variety also lessens the engineering options. With wide flange beams, the bottom chamber is generally required to be the sealable chamber of the caisson, which in turn, dictates or limits the engineering options for the size of the caisson. Bakken and Vonasek reference the drawbacks with the use of rolled rectangular tube sections as being quite heavy and, due to the limited depths available in rolled steel tubes, the anticipated deflections of the units at the bottom of the wall would be excessive and could potentially cause problems with the bottom seal. Also, a drawback of using large dimension tube sections, for instance, tube sections greater than approximately 0.7 meters wide, is the excess weight and cost. The device of the present invention meets these needs, while providing many additional features that are unique to the methods and structures described herein.
FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B is a depiction of a prior art needle-beam cofferdam 400. Details of cofferdam 400 were presented in part by applicant at Waterpower '95, San Francisco, Calif., July 1995, reprinted from WATERPOWER '95 Proceedings of the International Conference on Hydropower, Published by ASCE under the title "Closure Methods for Large Intakes" by Frederick Lux II, P. E., Richard M. Rudolph, P. E., and Richard K. Frithiof, P. E., which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Cofferdam 400 consist of one or more horizontal structural members that act as support beams for vertical wood or steel members (needles). Generally, such closure method is used for intakes with shallow depths and long spans. For reservoir heads less than about 2.5 meters high, wood needles can be used with a single support beam at the top and a seat at the crest. However, interlocking steel sheet-pile needles are usually the most economical and provide adequate sealing for most intakes.
Alternative needle-beam or similar types of arrangement applicable for other projects involves use of needle beams or of panelized systems. One such panelized system includes that presented in part by applicant at Waterpower '05, Austin Tex., July 2005, and under the publication "Reverse Needle-Beam Cofferdam for Spillway Bay Dewatering at Tom Miller Dam" by M. Leslie Boyd, P. E., Freese & Nichols, Inc.; Frederick Lux III, P. E., Aubian Engineering, Inc.; Gregor A. Forbes and Thomas M. Glynn, Lower Colorado River Authority, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The needles of such prior systems are unworkable for some applications due to the structural forces and therefore such systems are limited to relatively short length and have limited use. Such needles also are not floatable, and are not floodable in order to selectively orient needles from a generally horizontal attitude on the water to a generally vertical attitude. Applicant's present invention has overcome these and other limitations of prior designs.

Method for dry isolation of a water passage of a dam


Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for managing network throughput. An application identifies at least one network connection of a plurality of network connections, wherein packets arriving via the one network connection require greater resources at a computational device relative to resources required by other network connections. The application determines if resources required at the computational device by the plurality of network connections exceed a threshold and eliminates the at least one network connection to the computational device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, system, and an article of manufacture for increasing network throughput.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computational device, such as a server, may have a plurality of network connections to one or more clients across a network. The server may have an Input/Output (I/O) controller to facilitate the flow of packets between the server and the clients over the network connections.
In certain situations, the I/O controller may have to drop packets that arrive over the network connections. Such situations may arise when the inbound packet rate from the network exceeds the rate at which the packets can be processed by the server. I/O controllers may have memory buffers that allow short bursts of network traffic to be buffered when the processing rate of the server is exceeded. However, regardless of the buffering capabilities of the I/O controller if the sustained rate of inbound traffic exceeds the rate at which the I/O controller can process the traffic then the memory buffer will be exceeded and packet loss may occur.
When a potential for packet loss is imminent, the server may eliminate certain network connections either randomly or based on certain static priorities of the connections. However, notwithstanding the earlier techniques for eliminating network connections, there is a need in the art for improved implementations for eliminating network connections.

Method, system, and article of manufacture for increasing network throughput


An apparatus, such as an electronic scanning camera, for use in conjunction with an electrophotographic reproduction device, such as a copier, recorder or printer, is provided for making reproductions of images from at least two separate and distinct image informational light paths. The light projected or reflected, from said paths, is received by an appropriate lens system, of the electronic scanning camera, for directing the light to a common image pickup member, such as a charge-coupled device. A pivotal mirror located within the electronic scanning camera has a first position removed from at least a first path. In a second position, the mirror is pivoted such that image light transmitted along a path, other than the first path, is directed, by reflection from the mirror, to the charge-coupled device. In this second position, the back of the mirror blocks light, thereby preventing light transmitted from all but the path which the mirror is reflecting, from impacting on the charge-coupled device.

There are presently known, as indicated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,032,868 and 5,010,366, methods for reproducing slides transparencies, microfilm, images projected onto a board surface and conventional documents. These methods, however, do not have dedicated optical systems for each type of reproduction being performed. Therefore, components used in an optical system for one type of reproduction must also be used for another type of reproduction. Without dedicated optical systems for each type of reproduction, the shared optical components for directing light from the image to be reproduced, be it projected or reflected, cannot be optimized for reproduction since they must be compatible for use with at least two different image projections or reflections. With the foregoing being the case, the shared components must be compromised to obtain reproductions that can be characterized as acceptable, as opposed to optimal, for each type of reproduction.
In the past when using separate paths to transmit light, from an image to be reproduced, to a single electronic scanning camera, for reproduction of the image, large openings existed in the electronic scanning camera housing to accommodate the necessary lenses, image pickup devices and mirrors. These large openings imp-acted upon the structural integrity of the housing and allowed debris to enter the housing through said openings. The debris problem and the compromise of structural integrity resulted in poor quality reproductions and frail housings.


A method for providing access to objects associated with a particular client in a cloud storage system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of establishing a connection with a user, providing a client namespace associated with the client to the user, where the client namespace represents objects stored on the cloud storage system and objects stored on a private storage system apart from the cloud storage system, receiving a request from the user to access an object stored on the private storage system, and providing information to the user to facilitate access to the object stored on the private storage system by said user. Other systems and methods are also disclosed. Important advantages of the present invention are facilitated by separating the logic for user access (control plane) from the actual storage (Storage plane). Private file system access can still be managed from the cloud, while keeping the client data private.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cloud storage systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for providing clients access to files via a remote cloud storage system. Even more particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for facilitating data security, providing users access to files stored at a client site using the remote cloud storage system, to provide efficient browsing and file access, and to provide faster synchronization in hybrid cloud storage solutions.
2. Description of the Background Art
Cloud Storage has rapidly become a credible part of a company's information technology (IT) infrastructure. Most organizations are evaluating cloud storage in some manner and plan to make it an essential part of the landscape.
The drivers for cloud storage adoption vary depending on the use case. Easy accessibility to data anywhere on any device, particularly phones and tablets, and ease of file sharing rank high for end-users. For IT, the ability to deliver these new capabilities without an increase in capital expenditures (CAPEX) and management overhead justifies the promise of the cloud. Additionally, the cloud presents an opportunity to revisit traditional infrastructure investments (such as on-premise storage, virtual private networking (VPN), etc.) and offload these services to the cloud.
While cloud storage offers tremendous benefits for both users and IT, it is still in the early stages of adoption. Though cloud storage growth is poised to be strong over the next few years, there are several factors that stand in the way of uptake and full acceptance.
Security is one of the major hurdles in moving to the cloud. While each company and industry vertical has different needs, certain data sets and use cases preclude data being stored in the cloud. In such cases organizations prefer to keep data on premises in order to meet specific security and compliance needs.
Businesses have to satisfy many use cases where pure cloud based storage is not practical for access. For example, if users need to work with large files such as CAD drawings, videos or images that are hundreds of megabytes (MBs), pure cloud access through the internet is impractical. The latency associated with opening and editing such large files from a cloud-based server is prohibitive. This is where traditional on-premise storage continues to play an important role because files can be accessed at LAN speeds.
In addition, businesses have invested in a range of on-premise storage over the last few decades. Petabytes (PBs) of data resides on-premise. Leveraging the cloud requires moving (i.e. migrating) data from on-premise servers to the cloud. This process can be cumbersome at best. Recent surveys indicate that less than 10% of enterprise data is currently in the cloud. Over 90% still resides on-premise and business users demand "cloud-like ability" for on-premise data, i.e. secure mobile access and sharing of legacy files that resides on-premise.
While the actual storage and underlying security are of great concern and importance to IT, they are not to end users. End users want timely access and mobility of their files so they can get their jobs done. If IT cannot deliver such a solution, end users will find a way around IT. Such rogue practices place corporate data at great risk.
The vendor landscape for cloud storage has developed to satisfy these varying needs. Solution providers classify themselves along Public and Private cloud dimensions. Public cloud providers host all customer files on their own storage or leverage 3rd party storage providers such as Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage. They manage all the software and storage on behalf of the customer thereby completely alleviating any management overhead on the part of IT. IT can rent these capabilities on a subscription basis. Public cloud solutions have led the rise of cloud storage in the enterprise. However, as discussed earlier a pure public cloud model is not viable for use cases where performance is a consideration and for scenarios where data cannot be placed in the public cloud.
Private cloud solutions provide IT with software that can be run and hosted within the customer data center, allowing the customer to store data on-premises and deliver public cloud like capabilities to users. While these solutions allow data to be stored on customer premises, they impose on IT the need to host, manage, and upgrade the software, which significantly diminishes the value provided by a private cloud model. Private cloud solutions represent a return to the traditional world of installed on-premises software.
Current vendor offerings force IT to choose different solutions for different use cases, thereby increasing complexity and costs. IT has to characterize files and use cases along Red and Green categories, where Green file sets can be hosted in the public cloud but Red files need to strictly stay on-premises. IT then has the option to implement a Private Cloud solution for Red files and use cases, while opting for public cloud in the case of Green files and use cases.
This approach is far from ideal. File access is fragmented for end users, with different access points and applications from different vendors for Green vs. Red files. IT still has to host and manage software increasing CAPEX and operational expenditures (OPEX). Additionally, this creates data silos across different storage platforms and adds complexity to the landscape. Some organizational data sits on-premise, other data in the public cloud without any bridge between the two.
The current vendor landscape and solution architectures leave a lot to be desired. Organizations are forced to choose between convenience and security.
What is needed, therefore, are systems and methods for providing "cloud-like ability" for on-premise, private data.

Systems and methods for facilitating access to private files using a cloud storage system


A fiber optical connector includes a connector housing and an optical-fiber component. The connector housing comprises a receiving space. One end of the connector housing forms a connector opening communicating with the receiving space. Two side walls of the connector housing comprise a plurality of buckling portions adjacent to the connector opening. The optical-fiber component is positioned in the receiving space. The optical-fiber component comprises a sleeve piece. The sleeve piece comprises a block member and a threaded portion. The block member is assembled in the connector opening and the block member fully received inside the receiving space. Two sides of the block member respectively form an engaging portion. Each of the engaging portions is engaged with the corresponding buckling portion, and the threaded portion is exposed on the peripheral surface of a tail portion of the sleeve piece and out of the connector opening.

The optical fiber is an tool for optical transmission. In general, a fiber optical connection device includes a female adapter with two ends being inserted by male fiber optical connectors, so that the adapter and the connectors can be fixed with each other, and data transmission can be performed between electronic devices connected through the fiber optical connection device.


A method and apparatus are provided for augmenting a language model with a class entity dictionary based on corrections made by a user. Under the method and apparatus, a user corrects an output that is based in part on the language model by replacing an output segment with a correct segment. The correct segment is added to a class of segments in the class entity dictionary and a probability of the correct segment given the class is estimated based on an n-gram probability associated with the output segment and an n-gram probability associated with the class. This estimated probability is then used to generate further outputs.

The present invention relates to language models. In particular, the present invention relates to adapting language models based on user input.
Language models provide a measure of the likelihood of a series of words appearing in a string of text. Such models are used in speech recognition, Chinese word segmentation, and phonetic-to-character conversion, such as pinyin-to-hanzi conversion in Chinese, to identifying a most likely sequence of words given a lattice of possible sequences. For example, in speech recognition, a language model would identify the phrase "go to bed" as being more likely than the phonetically similar phrase "go too bed".
Typically, language models are trained on a corpus of sentences. Although such corpora are effective for training language models to handle general words, they are not very effective for training language models to handle proper nouns such as the names of people and businesses. The reason for this is that proper names do not occur with enough frequency in a corpus to be accurately modeled.
Some systems allow users to correct mistakes made by the language model. However, even after a system knows about the correction, there is no way for the system to adjust the language model based on the correction because there is no way to assess the probability of the word sequence formed by the correction. Because of this, the system will generally make the same mistake later when it encounters the same input.
Thus, a system is needed that allows a language model and a dynamic dictionary to be modified based on corrections made by a user.

Method and apparatus for adapting a class entity dictionary used with language models


The present invention is related to a method for verifying authorized access, and is specifically a method for verifying authorized access with an improved means of inputting a password, so as to prevent a spectator observing the inputting process from learning the password, and to facilitate memorizing the password. In said method, a user memorizes as a ‘user-friendly’ password, in relation to a reference background predetermined by the user, at least one locations as assignable districts, their order, and their number, but inputs the password by inputting codes that are shown at locations of the assignable districts consisting the memorized password. These codes are randomly determined and shown to the user, so that the codes as password change each time whenever the user asks to enter the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a method for verifying authorized access, and is specifically a method for verifying authorized access with an improved means of inputting a password, so as to prevent a spectator of the inputting process from learning the password, and to facilitate memorizing the password.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, motivated by the fast development and standardization of microelectronics, it has become very common to apply electronic password for verifying the identification of a user, which is almost a standard method for verifying authorized access. Because of its convenience and flexibility this kind of method for verifying authorized access has been applied in many buildings, offices, or common houses. Furthermore, this kind of method has been applied more broadly on computers and various control systems connected by networks, so as to assure the privacy of personal data, or to provide paid information service to specific users by verifying user's identification with a password.
Because of the mentioned convenience and flexibility and the fast development of networks at the meantime the use of electronic password has been becoming more and more frequent. Besides the means for verifying identification of a person asking for entrance, electronic password has been also applied in fields such as personal computers, workstations with multiple users, websites providing data with limited access, or portable electronic devices such as cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDA) wherever the privacy of personal data is to be protected. More recently, assisted by the fast improvements of wireless transfer techniques, portable electronic devices as mentioned above have been able to efficiently exchange information with various server systems for storing bulk data. Therefore, in terms of login into servers with bulk data by way of wireless network, users of portable electronic devices can reach personal data saved on server systems or check real-time information such as news of the day, without any limitations of the time or the location where the users are. Because information itself has market value or its privacy has to be protected, a method of verifying authorized access is obviously unavoidable when electronic information is provided, administrated, and transferred. Here, the most common means is to use electronic password in a method for verifying authorized access. In the highly virtualized modern life, therefore, the broad use of electronic password has become a sign of the present time.
It is trivial that to maintain the privacy of password is presupposed for its effectively protecting user's rights. There have been many inventions devoting to protecting password while being transferred in networks. Their main means is to design new software or hardware, so as to prevent a third person from catching the password during its transfer, or to make a decoding of the password more difficult. However, even if these designs make password safe during the transfer in networks, it is still possible that a spectator learns the password directly by observing the inputting process, especially when the inputting operation has to be performed in a circumstance where the existence of spectators can not be excluded completely, such as using public computers or work stations in a public area like library or an office. Often, authorized persons input password for entering an area or a house with limited access when spectators do exist. Furthermore, When operating the very common Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) it exists the same problem. These examples are very common in the modern and information-intensive daily life and some working fields. Therefore, a solution is needed to prevent a spectator of the process of inputting a password from learning the password. In addition to the safety problem of the password's privacy, for many users, the traditional password using a sequence of alpha-numeric characters is difficult to remember. A further problem of the traditional password is that a sequence of alpha-numeric characters is possible to be learned by an automatic program repeating trying to enter the system. Therefore, the traditional password is also disadvantageous when a hacker tries to infringe through networks.
An alternative way of using graphical password to verify authorized access has been known for solving the above-mentioned problems of the traditional password that is difficult to remember and can not effectively prevent from network infringements. By this means of entering a password a user is required to touch or select in an displayed graphical image predetermined areas in a predetermined sequence. In this means of using graphical password the user has to touch specified areas on a touch-sensitive display panel or move cursors to select specified areas of an image. Therefore, a spectator observing the entering process can still learn the entered password. On the other hand, in a further alternative means for entering password a password entry system displays a matrix of random ordered alpha-numeric characters and requires a user to press a dedicated row or column button for each character of the memorized password appearing in that row/column. In this means of using matrix of random ordered alpha-numeric characters the password used is a sequence of alpha-numeric characters as the traditional password and has the disadvantage of being difficult to remember.


An engine timing drive for driving a camshaft and an accessory such as a balance shaft has a transmission member including a fixed phase output for driving the accessory and a variable phase output for driving the camshaft. A preferred embodiment incorporates a planetary cam phaser in a driven sprocket that also carries a fixed phase output gear as an accessory drive.

It is known in the art relating to camshaft drives and the like to provide a variable timing means or phase changer to vary the angular orientation or phase of a camshaft relative to the crankshaft by which it is driven at a nominally fixed ratio, 1/2 crankshaft speed in four stroke cycle engines. The phase variation may be used for various purposes, such as to vary the valve timing to improve engine performance, economy or emission control.
It is also known in some engines to use the crankshaft or its drive to in turn drive other timed or non-timed accessories or devices, such as an ignition distributor, injection pump, oil pump or a balance shaft. In the latter case, at least, it is necessary to maintain a fixed speed ratio, such as 1:1 or 2:1, and a fixed phase angle between the crankshaft and the balance shaft so that desired engine balance may be maintained.
In a current engine having such a fixed ratio camshaft and balance shaft drive with a 1:1 balance shaft speed ratio, it was desired to provide means for varying camshaft phasing without altering the fixed drive ratio and phasing of the balance shaft which is driven by the camshaft drive. The resulting drive was to preferably require minimal change in the current drive arrangement and associated components.

Engine timing drive with fixed and variable phasing


A simple and inexpensive device with no moving arts for removing from a well non-aqueous liquids, such as gasoline or crude oil, that accumulate on top of the water table in the well comprises a buoyant elongated member, such as a plastic tube sealed at both ends, and a hydrophobic sorbtive material preferably attached to the outside of the tube. The buoyant device is lowered into the well where it floats either in the non-aqueous liquids or in the water such that the sorbtive material is in contact with and absorbs the non-aqueous liquids from the surface of the water. The buoyant device is then removed from the well, the spent sorbtive material replaced with fresh sorbtive material and the device again lowered into the well for further removal of non-aqueous liquids.

This invention relates to a device and method for removing from a well light non-aqueous liquids that float on the surface of water in the well, and is particularly concerned with a simple inexpensive device having no moving parts that can passively remove crude oil and other hydrocarbons from groundwater wells.
It is not uncommon for light hydrocarbons, such as crude oil, gasoline and other distillate products, to escape into the environment from oil producing fields, service stations, refineries, natural gas processing plants and other related petroleum processing facilities. Quite frequently these light hydrocarbons work themselves into the soil where they migrate downwardly and end up collecting on the surface of the water table. These hydrocarbons float on the water surface, spread across the water in the direction of least resistance and partially dissolve into the water causing significant pollution. Thus, most state and local governments have laws and regulations requiring the removal of these hydrocarbons from groundwater wells. As an example, the state of Alaska requires the removal of crude oil and other non-aqueous liquids from groundwater monitoring or observation wells in the Swanson River oil and gas field. This requirement applies to even very small amounts of non-aqueous liquids found in these monitoring wells.
Although there are established methods for removing and recovering light non-aqueous liquids such as hydrocarbons from water wells, these methods normally involve the use of relatively complicated downwell devices having moving parts to remove and recover rather large amounts of liquids or the use of expensive surface equipment to pull vacuums in the wells. Such devices and equipment tend to be either somewhat complicated and expensive or difficult to use. Thus, there exists a need for a relatively simple device without moving parts that is inexpensive to fabricate and can be easily used to passively remove relatively small amounts of hydrocarbons and other light non-aqueous liquids from the surface of water in monitoring and other wells.

Self-leaving in-situ device and method for passively removing oil from water wells


One semiconductor device includes a wiring substrate, a semiconductor chip layered on one face of the wiring substrate and having a first face facing the wiring substrate and a second face positioned on a reverse side from the first face, a circuit being formed on at least the second face, a non-circuit-incorporating chip in which a circuit is not formed, the non-circuit-incorporating chip being layered on the second face of the semiconductor chip, and a sealing resin disposed between at least the wiring substrate and the non-circuit-incorporating chip.

Patent literature article 1 discloses a method of manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor devices from one substrate (wiring mother substrate). According to this method, a plurality of semiconductor devices can be obtained by arranging and securing a plurality of semiconductor chips in a matrix formation in a planar manner on one surface of one substrate, collectively sealing, by means of a sealing resin, the plurality of semiconductor chips secured to the substrate, and then cutting the substrate and the sealing resin in accordance with the semiconductor chips.
In the method described in patent literature article 2, a plurality of semiconductor chips are secured to one surface of one substrate (a multi-piece substrate) and are sealed collectively by means of a sealing resin, in the same way as in patent literature article 1, after which a characteristic inspection is performed for each semiconductor chip, the inspection results, for example, are marked on the sealing resin, and the substrate and the sealing resin are then cut. In the step of marking the sealing resin, generally letters or the like are formed by removing parts of the surface of the sealing resin by heating said surface using laser radiation, in order to display the semiconductor chip inspection results, a company name or a product name, for example.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same


An overheat detecting circuit according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a current source for generating a constant current; an overheat detecting element unit that operates with a first current generated in accordance with the constant current and generates a first voltage based on a semiconductor substrate temperature; and a detecting circuit unit that operates a second current generated in accordance with the constant current, and generates a second voltage corresponding to a predetermined semiconductor substrate temperature to detect overheating based on a voltage difference between the first voltage and a reference voltage and a voltage difference between the second voltage and the reference voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an overheat detecting circuit. In particular, the invention relates to an overheat detecting circuit for detecting a semiconductor substrate temperature higher than a predetermined temperature.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, a power LSI (Large Scale Integration) has been widely used for the purpose of generating high voltage or a large amount of current. The power LSI generates high output power and thus, involves a large self-heating amount. Hence, a semiconductor substrate temperature tends to increase. There is a fear that elements on the semiconductor substrate are broken due to the high semiconductor substrate temperature. To overcome this, the power LSI generally incorporates an overheat detecting circuit as a protective circuit to avoid abnormal temperature increase of the LSI to thereby protect the LSI from breakdown due to overheating. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-169222 discloses an example of such overheat detecting circuits.
FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing a conventional overheat detecting circuit 700. The overheat detecting circuit 700 of FIG. 7 has a current mirror circuit composed of a current determinative resistor R1 and transistors MN71 and MN72, diodes D1 to DS as overheat detecting elements for generating a voltage V1, resistors R2 and R3 for determining a comparative reference voltage V2, and a comparator for comparing the voltage V1 and the comparative reference voltage V2. The operating voltage of the comparator ranges from a power supply voltage VCC and a reference voltage REF2 (VCC-6 V), and an operating voltage of the other elements ranges from the power supply voltage VCC and a reference voltage REF1 (VCC-2.5 V).
The conventional overheat detecting circuit 700 supplies a current determined with the current determinative resistor R1 to the overheat detecting element through the current mirror circuit, and then the comparator compares the voltage V1 with the comparative reference voltage V2 to obtain an output OT_L.
The diodes of the overheat detecting element cause a voltage drop of 0.6 V per diode when the semiconductor substrate is at ordinary temperature (for example, 25° C.). Further, the diode has a temperature characteristic of −2 mV/° C. Here, if a resistance value ratio between the resistors R2 and R3 is 3:2, the comparative reference voltage V2 equals (VCC-1.5 V).
The voltage V1 is lower than the comparative reference voltage V2, so a high-level voltage (for example, power supply voltage VCC) is output as the output OT_L until the semiconductor substrate temperature reaches an overvoltage detection temperature. Further, if the semiconductor substrate temperature exceeds the overheat detection temperature, that is, 175° C., a voltage drop per diode is 0.3 V, the voltage V1 equals (VCC-1.5 V). The semiconductor substrate temperature is much higher, and the voltage V1 exceeds (VCC-1.5 V). To that end, provided that the overheat detection temperature is 175° C., when the semiconductor substrate temperature exceeds 175° C., the voltage V1 becomes higher than the comparative reference voltage V2, so a low-level voltage (for example, VCC-6 V) is output as the output OT_L.
Through the aforementioned operation, the conventional overheat detecting circuit 700 changes an output voltage to detect overheating when the semiconductor substrate temperature exceeds the overheat detection temperature.
However, the conventional overheat detecting circuit 700 involves a variation factor, and exhibits a variation of ±10% of the reference voltage REF1 (VCC-2.5 V), a variation of ±10 mV of an input offset of the comparator, and a variation of ±40% of a resistance value of the current determinative resistor, for example. These variations lead to a variation in overheat detection temperature. For example, if all the variation factors vary to the maximum, an offset value of the overheat detection temperature is about ±25° C.
In some cases, the power LSI is used in high-temperature ambience such as an engine room of an automobile. Under such use environment, a high detection accuracy may be required for detecting the overheat detection temperature. For example, the circuit may be required to normally operate at temperatures of up to 175° C., and even upon the abnormal heat generation, the temperature should be 200° C. or smaller in some cases. To satisfy such conditions, even if the overheat detection temperature is 187.5° C., an offset value of the overheat detection temperature should be suppressed to ±12.5° C. or smaller. The conventional overheat detecting circuit 700 has a problem in that the overheat detection temperature largely varies and cannot be used for detection.


The invention is an apparatus and method for receiving a message having a first format and for converting the message from the first format to a second format that is compatible for reception by a messaging interface having a destination address corresponding to an intended recipient. In the preferred embodiment, a computer system is used to receive and send messages between messaging interfaces and networks which may be dissimilar from each other. A variety of network interfaces is used to communicate with the networks and which may optionally have a first interface and a second interface for interfacing to a first and second network, respectively. The messages may optionally be presented through a web page. A forwarding program or equivalent may be used to forward subscriber messages to or from remote locations served by a remote computer system, enabling a messaging user to use the remote computer system as a local access point. A browser interface may be optionally used to control messages presented by the computer system on a real-time basis using hyperlink commands. The computer system may also be used in conjunction with: a recipient notification program or equivalent device that determines when a recipient is logged on to a network and if so, provides any messages stored in the recipient's mailbox to the recipient; a connection notification program or equivalent device that notifies the computer system that a recipient is logged on to a network so that the computer system can send messages stored in the recipient's mailbox, if any; and an apparatus and method for sending and receiving a destination address including Internet addresses using a DTMF generator such as a standard telephone keypad.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing multimedia messaging between disparate messaging platforms. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a computer system that supports voice, fax, and electronic messaging between disparate messaging interfaces that transmit and receive messages on a variety of networks, including the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Messaging systems that use a voice message format are known in the art. For example, the messaging system as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5, 568,540 to Greco et. al., enables a user to receive messages having a voice mail format either through a telephone or through a personal computer coupled to a LAN. It also provides a graphical user interface ("GUI") on the personal computer to select which voice mail messages to receive and in what order.
However, the messaging system in Greco is a stand-alone system and consequently, cannot provide the advantages of linking to other similar messaging systems, and cannot provide the GUI feature to users not linked to the messaging system via the LAN, i.e., it is a closed messaging system. Thus, the recipient is limited to using the personal computer coupled to the messaging system's LAN if the recipient wishes to use the GUI feature provided by the messaging system. Recipients not connected to the LAN must use a telephone to obtain their messages and do not have the option of retrieving their voice mail messages by such commonly known means as the Internet such as through a personal computer running a web browser. Also, senders and recipients may incur long distance charges if they are not within the local area code of the messaging system phone number when accessing a voice mailbox through a telephone.
Another commonly used format in a messaging system is facsimile transmission and reception ("faxing"). As in voice mail messaging, faxing requires that both the sender and recipient have an apparatus capable of supporting a fax messaging format such as a fax machine or a computer with a fax modem. Fax messaging systems also may incur long distance charges if the receiving fax machine is not within a local area code although non-urgent transmissions may be time-shifted, i.e., the fax may be stored for transmission during off-peak hours, to obtain less costly transmission charges.
Email messaging is another commonly used format in a messaging system that has become almost as ubiquitous as the fax machine. As in the above types of messaging systems, email messaging requires both the sender and the recipient to have access to a common messaging medium, i.e, both must have access to an email account or a suitable network. Email messaging systems also typically do not provide for sending or receiving messages having either a fax or voice mail format. However, unlike in voice mail and faxing messaging systems, sending and receiving email messages usually only requires a dial-up connection to a local internet service provider (ISP) and thus, avoids long distance telephone line charges.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method for integrating voice, fax, and email messaging between disparate messaging interfaces which employ different messaging formats and which use different networks between subscribers and non-subscribers through a switchable communications backbone such as the Internet.

Apparatus and method for providing multimedia messaging between disparate messaging platforms


A continuous flow mixer includes an impeller assembly and a mixing chamber formed from concentric inner and outer tubes. The inner tube is radially constrained but is movable along the axis of the outer tube. The impeller assembly is at one end of the mixing chamber and draws fluid along the interior of the inner tube and discharges the fluid to the annular region between the inner and outer tubes. The fluids are introduced into the mixing chamber at the end remote from the impeller assembly and the mixed solution exits the mixing chamber substantially centrally of its length from the annular region.

This invention relates to mixers (or blenders) and, more particularly, to an improved mixer for mixing a first material with a fluid solvent in a continuous flow process.
To mix a polymer with water, the mixer should have certain characteristics. First, the components should be brought very quickly to the agitator after they come in contact with each other. Second, the solution should be circulated so that the average number of times that the solution passes through the agitator can be calculated and maintained. Further, the solution should be kept flowing in all parts of the mixing chamber without any stagnant or low velocity zones in order to assure that all the materials get mixed and product build up is minimized. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mixer satisfying these requirements.

Excell Design & Construction Services, Inc.


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of semiconductor fins formed on an upper surface thereof. An epitaxial material is formed on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and on an outer surface of the semiconductor fins. The epitaxial material includes an epi upper surface having a lower region that contacts the semiconductor fins and an upper region formed above the lower region. The upper region extends parallel with an upper surface of the semiconductor fins.

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to a semiconductor device including a smooth epitaxial topology.
Semiconductor fabrication processes utilize epitaxially grown material (i.e., epi) such as silicon doped with phosphorus (Si:P) or silicon germanium (SiGe), for example, to merge source/drain regions of semiconductor fins formed on a semiconductor substrate. During conventional epitaxial growth processes, the epi forms as facets on the sidewalls of the semiconductor fins, and may continue to grow at different and non-uniform rates depending on the direction of growth. The non-uniform growth rate of the epi typically results in a rough (i.e., corrugated) epitaxial topology. The rough epitaxial topography, however, can affect diffusion contact (CA) landing regions and can increase the fringing capacitance between the CA and the polysilicon (PC) control gate.

Finfet including improved epitaxial topology

International Business Machines Corporation


This disclosure discusses problems associated with using natural gas to produce a variety of synthetic hydrocarbon products by production processes that require syngas feedstocks with varying H2/CO and (H2−CO2)/(CO+CO2) ratios. A number of gas separation membranes are used to vary the composition of the feed streams to different hydrocarbon synthesis units so that different synthetic hydrocarbon products can be produced. The process supplies syngas to an integrated hydrocarbon processing system comprising a number of hydrocarbon synthesis units. Gas (usually a portion of a raw syngas stream) is routed through the separation membrane units, multiple H2-rich and H2-lean streams are produced. These H2-rich and H2-lean streams can then be combined in a controlled fashion to produce feed streams of the desired compositions for the various hydrocarbon synthesis units. A variety of liquid synthetic hydrocarbon products can be produced from a given syngas source as required by market demands.

This invention relates to the conversion of natural gas to syngas, and then to liquid hydrocarbons that are easily transported.
Substantial proportions of known natural gas reserves are situated in locations remote from areas of high consumption. There is about 3.5 TCF (100 billion cubic meters) of natural gas flared annually worldwide. Nearly 40% is in Africa, and ˜17%, ˜12%, and ˜17% in North America, Central and South America, and the Far East & Oceania respectively. The amount of natural gas being flared is estimated to be equivalent to 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) of liquid product. Conversion of both stranded gas and associated gas into a transportable and saleable form of products is a major challenge and at the same time represents enormous business potential.
Natural gas can be liquefied and transported to larger users. For example, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) accounts for 97% of Japan's natural gas supply. LNG accounts for about 90% of the outlet for stranded gas, with methanol at 7% and Fischer-Tropsch/Gas to Liquid (F-T/GTL) less than 2%. LNG, however, is capital-intensive and is typically only economically viable for large gas reserves located at coastal sites. The large investment required and the small number of receiving terminals limit the marketing flexibility of LNG.
An alternative to LNG is the gas to liquid (GTL) route that converts natural gas into synthetic fuels ranging from gasoline to middle distillates, as well as to methanol and other liquids. This approach avoids the infrastructure limitations associated with LNG and at the same time provides a market that is large enough to accept the potentially large volumes of product. Synthetic liquids and other synthetic petroleum products are clean and cheaper to transport, market, and distribute to large markets than LNG. They can be transported in existing pipelines or product tankers and even blended with existing crude oil pools. Furthermore, no special contractual arrangements are required for their sale, and such fuels are not subjected to OPEC regulations. GTL products offer an advantage to conventional fuels in that the low sulfur content of the GTL fuels leads to significant reductions in particulate matter that is generated during combustion. Their low aromatic content reduces the toxicity of the particulate matter. There is a worldwide trend towards the reduction of sulfur and aromatics in fuel. These factors are major drivers behind the GTL process development and investment.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,596,781 and 6,495,610 describe processes that produce syngas that is used in more than one type of GTL process. However, these processes suffer from one or more of the problems described below.
The scale-up exponent (cost is a constant times capacity y) of GTL plants is estimated to be 0.66. In the absence of a breakthrough technology, therefore, economies of scale are the only significant mechanism by which GTL can achieve economic viability. At present large fields will have LNG and F-T processes followed by other natural gas consumers whereas smaller fields will accommodate large methanol units producing 10,000 tons per day (TPD) methanol which will flood the methanol market.
To prevent flooding the market with a single GTL product, it is desirable to be able to convert a large amount of natural gas into syngas, and then distribute the syngas to a variety of GTL processes. Depending on market demand and other factors, different types of products can be produced at different rates from a large-scale syngas generation hub. Some of the products that may typically be produced are middle distillate/diesel, gasoline, methanol (MeOH), dimethyl ether (DME), lubricants, or other liquid hydrocarbons. Using a large-scale syngas hub also allows the use of moderate size DME units without the normal investment penalty for smaller scale plants. However, distributing the syngas to various processes suffers from the following problems:                1) The requirement for syngas composition (e.g., H2/CO) by different liquid products is quite different. Thus, the same syngas composition cannot be fed to a variety of GTL processes.        2) The range of syngas composition that can be produced by a single synthesis unit (such as an autothermal reforming plant (ATR)) is limited by factors such as steam/carbon ratio, etc.
Thus, ATR units are typically designed to produce a relatively narrow range H2/CO ratio syngas. For example, if the ATR is producing syngas to be fed to an F-T unit, the unit will be designed to produce a syngas with a H2/CO ratio of about 1.9.
To address the limitations imposed by syngas unit designs, it is desirable to develop a process wherein the H2/CO ratio of the syngas can be adjusted after leaving the syngas production unit without wasting a significant amount of the gas produced. Specifically, it is desirable to adjust the H2/CO and (H2−CO2)/(CO+CO2) ratio, to meet specifications required by different liquid production processes that are integrated with the syngas production unit to convert the syngas into easily transportable liquid hydrocarbon products.

Membrane-enhanced liquid production for syngas hubs

L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme à Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Étude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


A portable pet waste collection and disposal device. The portable device comprises a nested wand, where the nested wand has an actuator, a lower end and an upper end. The nested wand has a normal tendency to fully extend itself upon activation by the actuator during deployment of the portable device. The portable device also comprises a prong unit, where the prong unit has a pair of prongs, a first hinge and a second hinge. The first hinge has a normal tendency to spread the prongs, with the second hinge normally tending to rotate the prong unit away from the lower end of the nested wand. The first hinge and second hinge controllably rotate in substantially perpendicular relation to each other. The portable device further comprises a slider coupled to the prong unit, with the slider controllably causing the second hinge to rotate back toward the lower end when the slider is released by the actuator on the nested wand at a first end. The slider has a retainer bracket at a second end for retaining the spreading of the pair of prongs during deployment of the portable device. The portable device further has a disposable bag with a folded rim around the bag's opening, where the folded rim is adapted to receive the prongs. The disposable bag has a drawstring around its opening for controllably tightening the opening upon collection of the pet waste.

With the increasing number of urban and suburban households with pets, particularly dogs, local governments have enacted ordinances requiring pet owners to clean up after their pets in order to reduce pedestrian hazards and increase sanitation conditions in the public streets and outdoor facilities. The waste or debris left by domestic animals is unsightly, and more importantly often presents a health hazard.
Various devices have been designed to assist pet owners in cleaning up their pets feces. However, such tools are for the most part unsanitary and only marginally effective. These tools include a variety of scoops for shoveling, bags for catching and tongs for grasping pet wastes. They tend to be bulky and require daily washing after use. For example, some tools require both hands from the pet owner, in multiple steps, to maneuver, complicating the whole routine of collection and disposal. Other tools risk exposing the owner's hand to the pet waste, presenting another sanitary hazard for the pet owner. As such, the conventional devices have not been widely embraced by the pet-owning public. Some of the conventional devices have been disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,387 issued to Kaplan on Nov. 18, 2003;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,335 issued to Kelly et al. on Apr. 29, 2003;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,073 issued to Harrison on Nov. 26, 2002;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,606 issued to Marshall on May 14, 2002;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,605 issued to Kaplan on May 14, 2002;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,370 issued to Dooley, Jr. et al. on Mar. 21, 2000;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,050 issued to Searing et al. on Apr. 4, 1995;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,647 issued to Spevak on Aug. 21, 1984;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,351 issued to Orofino on Jul. 1, 1980;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,400 issued Migdal on May 29, 1979;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,866 issued to Schall et al. on Oct. 24, 1978.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a pet waste collection and disposal device that is portable and easy to operate with one hand.
It is also desirable to have a pet waste collection and disposal device that minimizes the user's exposure to the pet waste during the collection and disposal process.

Pet waste collection and disposal device


A developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier of the present invention includes a rotatable, nonmagnetic developer carrier, and a magnetic field generating member for generating a magnetic field in a developing zone where the developer carrier faces the image carrier. The magnetic field generated causes a developer deposited on the developer carrier to rise in the form of a magnet brush. A magnetic pole for development is located upstream of a position where the developer carrier and image carrier are closest to each other in a direction of rotation. A magnetic force, as measured on the surface of the developer carrier, increases from the position of the magnetic pole toward a position where the magnet brush finally leaves the image carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copier, facsimile apparatus, printer, direct digital plate-making machine or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus and more particularly to a developing device using a magnetic force and a process cartridge including the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a latent image is formed on an image carrier in accordance with image data and then developed by a developing device to become a toner image. It is a common practice with this type of image forming apparatus to use a two-ingredient type developer made up of nonmagnetic toner grains and magnetic carrier grains.
In a developing system using a two-ingredient type developer, the shorter the distance between the image carrier and the developer carrier in a developing zone, the more adequate the image density and the less the edge effect, as known in the art. Also, to enhance the developing ability and therefore image density, the amount of developer to be fed may be increased to increase the amount of developer in the developing zone. However, these schemes both bring about carrier deposition. Carrier deposition refers to a phenomenon that an electric force derived from an electric field between the carrier grains and the image carrier overcomes a magnetic force exerted on the carrier grains by the developer carrier and prevents the magnetic force from returning the carrier grains around the image carrier toward the developer carrier.
To obviate carrier deposition, the charge potential of the image carrier and the potential of the developer carrier may be so controlled as to reduce the electric force exerted by the image carrier. This, however, gives rise to another problem that the toner grains are apt to deposit on the non-image portion or background of the image carrier and contaminate it.
Today, the grain size of carrier and that of toner are decreasing in order to meet the increasing demand for higher image quality. Although reducing the grain sizes of carrier and toner enhances image quality, as reported in the past, this scheme aggravates carrier deposition. This is particularly true when the grain size of carrier is reduced.

Developing device and process cartridge with predetermined magnetic force for an image forming apparatus


A method of enhancing the permeability of a biological membrane, including the skin or mucosa of an animal or the outer layer of a plant to a permeant is described utilizing microporation of selected depth and optionally one or more of sonic, electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal energy and a chemical enhancer. Microporation is accomplished to form a micropore of selected depth in the biological membrane and the porated site is contacted with the permeant. Additional permeation enhancement measures may be applied to the site to enhance both the flux rate of the permeant into the organism through the micropores as well as into targeted tissues within the organism.

This invention relates generally to the field of transmembrane delivery of drugs or bioactive molecules to an organism. More particularly, this invention relates to a minimally invasive to non-invasive method of increasing the permeability of the skin mucosal membrane or outer layer of a plant through microporation of this biological membrane, which can be combined with sonic, electromagnetic, and thermal energy, chemical permeation enhancers, pressure, and the like for selectively enhancing flux rate of bioactive molecules into the organism and, once in the organism, into selected regions of the tissues therein.
The stratum corneum is chiefly responsible for the well known barrier properties of skin. Thus, it is this layer that presents the greatest barrier to transdermal flux of drugs or other molecules into the body and of analytes out of the body. The stratum corneum, the outer horny layer of the skin, is a complex structure of compact keratinized cell remnants separated by lipid domains. Compared to the oral or gastric mucosa, the stratum corneum is much less permeable to molecules either external or internal to the body. The stratum corneum is formed from keratinocytes, which comprise the majority of epidermal cells, that lose their nuclei and become corneocytes. These dead cells comprise the stratum corneum, which has a thickness of only about 10-30 μm and, as noted above, is a very resistant waterproof membrane that protects the body from invasion by exterior substances and the outward migration of fluids and dissolved molecules. The stratum corneum is continuously renewed by shedding of corneum cells during desquamination and the formation of new corneum cells by the keratinization process.
Underlying the stratum corneum is the viable cell layer of the epidermis and the dermis, or connective tissue layer. These layers together make up the skin. Microporation of these underlying layers (the viable cell layer and dermis) has not previously been used but may enhance transdermal flux. Deep to the dermis are the underlying structures of the body, including fat, muscle, bone, etc.
Microporation of the mucous membrane has not been used previously. The mucous membrane generally lacks a stratum corneum. The most superficial layer is the epithelial layer which consists of numerous layers of viable cells. Deep to the epithelial layer is the lamina, propria, or connective tissue layer.
Microporation of plants has been previously limited to select applications in individual cells in laboratory settings. Plant organisms generally have tough outer layers to provide resistance to the elements and disease. Microporation of this tough outer layer of plants enables the delivery of substances useful for introduction into the plant such as for conferring the desired trait to the plant or for production of a desired substance. For example, a plant may be treated such that each cell of the plant expresses a particular and useful peptide such as a hormone or human insulin.
The flux of a drug or analyte across the biological membrane can be increased by changing either the resistance (the diffusion coefficient) or the driving force (the gradient for diffusion). Flux may be enhanced by the use of so-called penetration or chemical enhancers. Chemical enhancers are well known in the art and a more detailed description will follow.
Another method of increasing the permeability of skin to drugs is iontophoresis. Iontophoresis involves the application of an external electric field and topical delivery of an ionized form of drug or an un-ionized drug carried with the water flux associated with ion transport (electro-osmosis). While permeation enhancement with iontophoresis has been effective, control of drug delivery and irreversible skin damage are problems associated with the technique.
Sonic energy has also been used to enhance permeability of the skin and synthetic membranes to drugs and other molecules. Ultrasound has been defined as mechanical pressure waves with frequencies above 20 kHz, H. Lutz et al., Manual of Ultrasound 3-12 (1984). Sonic energy is generated by vibrating a piezoelectric crystal or other electromechanical element by passing an alternating current through the material, R. Brucks et al., 6 Pharm. Res. 697 (1989). The use of sonic energy to increase the permeability of the skin to drug molecules has been termed sonophoresis or phonophoresis.
Although it has been acknowledged that enhancing permeability of the skin should theoretically make it possible to transport molecules from inside the body through the skin to outside the body for collection or monitoring, practicable methods have not been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,023 to Stanley et al. discloses an apparatus and method for noninvasive blood glucose monitoring. In this invention, chemical permeation enhancers are used to increase the permeability of mucosal tissue or skin to glucose. Glucose then passively diffuses through the mucosal tissue or skin and is captured in a receiving medium. The amount of glucose in the receiving medium is measured and correlated to determine the blood glucose level. However, as taught in Stanley et al., this method is much more efficient when used on mucosal tissue, such as buccal tissue, which results in detectable amounts of glucose being collected in the receiving medium after a lag time of about 10-20 minutes. However, the method taught by Stanley et al. results in an extremely long lag time, ranging from 2 to 24 hours depending on the chemical enhancer composition used, before detectable amounts of glucose can be detected diffusing through human skin (heat-separated epidermis) in vitro. These long lag times may be attributed to the length of time required for the chemical permeation enhancers to passively diffuse through the skin and to enhance the permeability of the barrier stratum corneum, as well as the length of time required for the glucose to passively diffuse out through the skin. Thus, Stanley et al. clearly does not teach a method for transporting blood glucose or other analytes non-invasively through the skin in a manner that allows for rapid monitoring, as is required for blood glucose monitoring of diabetic patients and for many other body analytes such as blood electrolytes.
While the use of sonic energy for drug delivery is known, results have been largely disappointing in that enhancement of permeability has been relatively low. There is no consensus on the efficacy of sonic energy for increasing drug flux across the skin. While some studies report the success of sonophoresis, J. Davick et al., 68 Phys. Ther. 1672 (1988); J. Griffin et al., 47 Phys. Ther. 594 (1967); J. Griffin & J. Touchstone, 42 Am. J. Phys. Med. 77 (1963); J. Griffin et al., 44 Am. J. Phys. Med. 20 (1965); D. Levy et al., 83 J. Clin. Invest. 2074); D. Bommannan et al., 9 Pharm. Res. 559 (1992), others have obtained negative results, H. Benson et al., 69 Phys. Ther. 113 (1988); J. McElnay et al., 20 Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 4221 (1985); H. Pratzel et al., 13 J. Rheumatol. 1122 (1986). Systems in which rodent skin were employed showed the most promising results, whereas systems in which human skin was employed have generally shown disappointing results. It is well known to those skilled in the art that rodent skin is much more permeable than human skin, and consequently the above results do not teach one skilled in the art how to effectively utilize sonophoresis as applied to transdermal delivery and/or monitoring through human skin.
A significant improvement in the use of ultrasonic energy in the monitoring of analytes and also in the delivery of drugs to the body is disclosed and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 08/152,442 filed Nov. 15, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,140, and Ser. No. 08/152,174 filed Dec. 8, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,611, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. In these inventions, the transdermal sampling of an analyte or the transdermal delivery of drugs, is accomplished through the use of sonic energy that is modulated in intensity, phase, or frequency or a combination of these parameters coupled with the use of chemical permeation enhancers. Also disclosed is the use of sonic energy, optionally with modulations of frequency, intensity, and/or phase, to controllably push and/or pump molecules through the stratum corneum via perforations introduced by needle puncture, hydraulic jet, laser, electroporation, or other methods.
The formation of micropores (i.e. microporation) in the stratum corneum to enhance the delivery of drugs has been the subject of various studies and has resulted in the issuance of patents for such techniques.
Jacques et al., 88 J. Invest. Dermatol. 88-93 (1987), teaches a method of administering a drug by ablating the stratum corneum of a region of the skin using pulsed laser light of wavelength, pulse length, pulse energy, pulse number, and pulse repetition rate sufficient to ablate the stratum corneum without significantly damaging the underlying epidermis and then applying the drug to the region of ablation. This work resulted in the issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,361 to Jacques et al. The ablation of skin through the use of ultraviolet laser irradiation was earlier reported by Lane et al., 121 Arch. Dermatol. 609-617 (1985). Jacques et al. is restricted to use of few wavelengths of light and expensive lasers.
Tankovich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,418 (hereinafter, "Tankovich '418"), discloses a method of obtaining a blood sample by irradiating human or animal skin with one or more laser pulses of sufficient energy to cause the vaporization of skin tissue so as to produce a hole in the skin extending through the epidermis and to sever at least one blood vessel, causing a quantity of blood to be expelled through the hole such that it can be collected. Tankovich '418 thus is inadequate for noninvasive or minimally invasive permeabilization of the stratum corneum such that a drug can be delivered to the body or an analyte from the body can be analyzed.
Tankovich et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,803, (hereinafter, "Tankovich '803") discloses a method of laser removal of superficial epidermal skin cells in human skin for cosmetic applications. The method comprises applying a light-absorbing "contaminant" to the outer layers of the epidermis and forcing some of this contaminant into or through the intercellular spaces in the stratum corneum, and illuminating the infiltrated skin with pulses of laser light of sufficient intensity that the amount of energy absorbed by the contaminant will cause the contaminant to explode with sufficient energy to tear off some of the epidermal skin cells. Tankovich '803 further teaches that there should be high absorption of energy by the contaminant at the wavelength of the laser beam, that the laser beam must be a pulsed beam of less than 1 μs duration, that the contaminant must be forced into or through the upper layers of the epidermis, and that the contaminant must explode with sufficient energy to tear off epidermal cells upon absorption of the laser energy. This invention also fails to disclose or suggest a method of drug delivery or analyte collection.
Raven et al., WO 92/00106, describes a method of selectively removing unhealthy tissue from a body by administering to a selected tissue a compound that is highly absorbent of infrared radiation of wavelength 750-860 nm and irradiating the region with corresponding infrared radiation at a power sufficient to cause thermal vaporization of the tissue to which the compound was administered but insufficient to cause vaporization of tissue to which the compound had not been administered. The absorbent compound should be soluble in water or serum, such as indocyanine green, chlorophyll, porphyrins, heme-containing compounds, or compounds containing a polyene structure, and power levels are in the range of 50-1,000 W/cm2 or even higher.
Konig et al., DD 259351, teaches a process for thermal treatment of tumor tissue that comprises depositing a medium in the tumor tissue that absorbs radiation in the red and/or near red infrared spectral region, and irradiating the infiltrated tissue with an appropriate wavelength of laser light. Absorbing media can include methylene blue, reduced porphyrin or its aggregates, and phthalocyanine blue. Methylene blue, which strongly absorbs at 600-700 nm, and a krypton laser emitting at 647 and 676 nm are exemplified. The power level should be at least 200 mW/cm2.
It has been shown that by stripping the stratum corneum from a small area of the skin with repeated application and removal of cellophane tape to the same location one can easily collect arbitrary quantities of interstitial fluid, which can then be assayed for a number of analytes of interest. Similarly, the 'tape-stripped' skin has also been shown to be permeable to the transdermal delivery of compounds into the body. Unfortunately, 'tape-stripping' leaves a open sore which takes weeks to heal, and for this, as well as other reasons, is not considered as an acceptable practice for enhancing transcutaneous transport in wide applications.
As discussed above, it has been shown that pulsed lasers, such as the excimer laser operating at 193 nm, the erbium laser operating near 2.9 μm or the CO2 laser operating at 10.2 μm, can be used to effectively ablate small holes in the human stratum corneum. These laser ablation techniques offer the potential for a selective and potentially non-traumatic method for opening a delivery and/or sampling hole through the stratum corneum. However, due to the prohibitively high costs associated with these light sources, there have been no commercial products developed based on this concept. The presently disclosed invention, by defining a method for directly conducting thermal energy into or through the biological membrane with very tightly defined spatial and temporal resolution, makes it possible to produce the desired microablation of the biological membrane very low cost energy sources.
In view of the foregoing problems and/or deficiencies, the development of a method for safely enhancing the permeability of the biological membrane for minimally invasive or noninvasive monitoring of body analytes in a more rapid time frame would be a significant advancement in the art. It would be another significant advancement in the art to provide a method of minimally invasively or non-invasively enhancing the transmembrane flux rate of a drug into a selected area of an organism.
Significant advancements in the delivery of drugs and other compounds are being made through the use of various techniques that increase the permeability of a biological membrane, such as the skin or mucosal membrane. Even more promising advances have been made through techniques for creating micropores, as disclosed in the aforementioned applications.
Nevertheless, it is desirable to improve upon these technologies by forming micropores at selected depths in the biological membrane and to deliver both small and large compounds, in terms of molecular weight and size, through the micropores into the body.

Microporation of tissue for delivery of bioactive agents


A power amplifier circuit includes an input-stage power amplifier configured to receive a radio-frequency input signal, an output-stage power amplifier configured to output an amplified radio-frequency output signal, and an intermediate-stage power amplifier disposed between the input-stage power amplifier and the output-stage power amplifier. The intermediate-stage power amplifier includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor having a first end connected to an emitter of the first transistor and a second end connected to a collector of the second transistor. The intermediate-stage power amplifier receives a signal at a base of the second transistor thereof and outputs an amplified signal from a collector of the first transistor thereof.

The present disclosure relates to a power amplifier circuit. A mobile communication terminal device such as a mobile phone or a smartphone includes a power amplifier circuit having transistors. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-115835 discloses a power amplifier circuit for use in a mobile communication terminal device, such as a mobile phone or a smartphone, and configured to amplify an input radio-frequency (RF) signal and output an amplified signal.
Some power amplifier circuits have a configuration in which a plurality of stages of power amplifiers are connected to ensure sufficient gain. For example, a power amplifier circuit has a three-stage configuration including a drive stage, an initial stage preceding the drive stage, and a power stage.
A power amplifier circuit having a plurality of stages of power amplifiers connected to each other desirably implements low-distortion power amplification. Further, the power amplifier circuit is desirably small in size.


A method for producing a tube section from thermoplastic material, in which a tube section is extruded by means of an extruder which is provided with an extruder die having an inner core, which inner core defines an axial hollow space in the tube section, the tube section coming out of the extruder die downstream of the extruder die being internally cooled by means of an internal cooling member and externally cooled by means of an external cooling device.

WO 95/25626 has disclosed a method for the production of biaxially oriented plastic tube, also known as a stretched tube. In this method, the stretched tube is of uniform cross section, i.e. has a uniform wall thickness and diameter, over its entire length, and is also uniformly stretched in the axial and tangential (circumferential) direction of the tube over its entire length. A method for providing a tube which has been produced in this way with a socket at one of its ends is known from WO 97/33739.
Another method for producing tube from biaxially oriented plastics material is known from GB 1 589 052. This method is based on a tube made from thermoplastic material which has not been subjected to biaxial orientation, which tube has a tube body with, at one end, an end part with a greater wall thickness than the tube body. The tube is placed in a die and is expanded by an internal pressure so that the plastics material of the tube is biaxially oriented. In the process, the end part is deformed to form a socket.
WO 98/13190 has described yet another method for the production of a tube with an integral socket from biaxially oriented thermoplastic material.
Despite all the developments in the field of the production of tubes from biaxially oriented thermoplastic material, and in particular in the field of forming a socket on a tube of this nature, load tests still show that the socket of a tube of this nature forms the critical part of the tube. This is because the tube has been found to rupture earlier at the socket than in the tube body, and therefore the socket constitutes an undesirable limitation on the mechanical strength of the tube.

Abstract: Immediately after the tube section leaves the extruder die, the internal cooling member brings about internal cooling of the tube. The external cooling device is positioned downstream of the internal cooling member, so that the external cooling of the tube section is brought about after the internal cooling.