A gate drive circuit to drive a gate terminal of a power transistor. The gate drive circuit includes a first capacitor, a first switch, a measurement circuit and a reference source to generate a reference voltage. The first capacitor has a first terminal electrically coupled to the gate terminal of the power transistor. The first switch is arranged between a second terminal of the first capacitor and a first predetermined voltage. The measurement circuit is used to measure a differential voltage across the first capacitor. The gate drive circuit is configured to pre-charge the first capacitor to obtain a second predetermined voltage across the first capacitor. The gate drive circuit is further configured to arrange the first switch in an on state to turn on the power transistor and to electrically couple the first predetermined voltage to the second terminal of the first capacitor. The first capacitor is initially pre-charged at the second predetermined voltage.

Motor control may have a wide range of applications. The applications may include, among others, electrical motors for electric vehicles but also electrical motors for residential washing machines, fans, hand-held power tools, industrial motor drives, etc.
Induction or asynchronous motors are typically used in the above mentioned applications. Induction or asynchronous motors are AC motors in which a current is induced by electromagnetic induction in a rotating winding by a magnetic field generated in a static winding. Induction or asynchronous motors do not require sliding electric contacts electrically connecting the rotating winding to the static winding, thereby simplifying construction and improving reliability of the induction or asynchronous motors.
Availability of affordable, reliable power transistors (e.g., power MOSFETs and IGBTs) and modules capable to drive such induction or asynchronous motors are an important design goal in the above mentioned applications.
Typically, a gate drive circuit controls a gate of the power transistor. IGB transistors are reliable power transistors which typically have a gate charge of several microcoulombs. In order to quickly turn-on an IGB transistor with low losses a current of several amperes has to be applied to control the gate. Switching losses of IGB transistors depend on how rapidly a gate charge providing full conductivity may be fed or removed from the component gate. The gate voltage of an IGB transistor in a full conducting state is typically of the order of +15V. A gate voltage lower than +15 V may lead to excessive conduction losses and a gate voltage higher than +15 V may lead to a destruction of the IGB transistor. The IGB transistor has typically an internal gate contact resistance through which a voltage drop may be generated. Thus the gate drive circuit must provide a sufficient high output voltage to allow current to be generated through the internal gate contact resistance.
Forcing +15 V at the gate terminal of the IGB transistor may be a straightforward solution in order to guarantee a proper gate voltage to reach the full conducting state. The internal gate contact resistance and the internal gate capacitance provide an RC constant determining the speed of switching of the IGB transistor. After approximately four RC constant times, the voltage at the internal gate terminal reaches +15 V. For most applications this switching speed may not be acceptable.
EP1596496A1 provides a gate drive circuit that speed up the turning on of an IGB transistor. The gate drive circuit is provided with a specific boost capacitor added in series with the gate contact resistance. During switching off the IGB transistor the boost capacitor is charged to a voltage limited by a zener diode placed in parallel with the boost capacitor. During switching on the IGB transistor, the gate makes use of the previously stored charge in the boost capacitor and on a voltage built across the gate contact resistance to increase very rapidly the gate charge. Although EP1596496A1 provides an effective solution to speed up the turning on of an IGBT, one of the problem with this solution is that the charge across the boost capacitor may not be controlled very accurately. The only way to control the charge across the boost capacitor, according to EP1596496A1, is by correct dimensioning of the boost capacitance in relation to the gate charge of the IGBT to be controlled. Only in this case the energy stored in the boost capacitor may exhaust when the gate voltage of the IGBT has risen to +15 V.

Gate drive circuit and a method for controlling a power transistor


A method of transmitting contents, which are to be received at a reception side where a portion of the contents is previewed while the contents are not accessible for playing other than for a preview purpose, includes the steps of encrypting the contents by a first encryption key, generating information indicative of an elapsed time of the contents that indicates a relationship between positions on a time axis of the contents representing an amount of time that passes as the contents are played and a time count that accrues as a preview time when the contents are previewed, encrypting the first encryption key and the information indicative of an elapsed time of the contents by a second encryption key, thereby generating first encrypted information, encrypting the second encryption key and content-usage control information by a third encryption key, thereby generating second encrypted information, the content-usage control information indicating usage of the contents on the reception side, and transmitting the encrypted contents, the first encrypted information, and the second encrypted information to the reception side.

When content providers such as broadcast stations provide contents (e.g., programs) for a fee, i.e., when paid contents (e.g., scrambled contents) are provided to viewers through premium channels, fee-charging systems charge viewers for the viewing of those contents. Such fee-charging systems include a pay-per-view system, which charges fees only when viewers actually watched these contents.
In the pay-per-view system, viewers are generally given a chance to watch part of a premium content (i.e., a descrambled portion of a scrambled content), and, then, perform some action to indicate their consent to pay a fee for the viewing of the content. Such an action is performed on the content-receipt apparatus that belong to the viewers. The viewers will then be charged accordingly.
Methods of allowing viewers to check part of the premium contents include a preview method. The preview method arranges a content such that part of the content scrambled at the content-transmission side can be descrambled for a limited time length from the start of watching the content, as long as it is done within a predetermined time period (e.g., a few months after the delivery of the content). Viewers are not charged for the previewing of the descrambled part of the content. An example of this preview method is described in First Chapter Reference 1.7 "Example of PPV Program Preview Function" of "Conditional Access System Specifications for Digital Broadcasting" (ARIB STD-B25), first edition, that is a standard format set forth by the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB).
Contents provided by contents providers such as broadcast stations may be provided in digital form. When PPV broadcast (pay-per-view broadcast) is provided in digital form, ECM (entitlement control message) is used to deliver a scramble key Ks for scrambling of contents, and includes time information indicative of a present time and authorization for a preview. This provides for digital contents (hereinafter referred to simply as "contents") to be previewed.
The preview function as described above is predicated on a case in which the contents are viewed in real-time. As the way the viewers use contents on the reception side diversifies, however, systems are now required to provide for the new ways of viewing contents that are different from the conventional ways of real-time viewing of contents (i.e., purchasing contents after real-time previews). Namely, it is expected to realize a preview method suitable for limited reception that allows viewers to preview part of a stored content at the time of their choosing and purchase the content that they like after watching the preview.
The conventional preview function is predicated upon a case in which the contents are viewed in real-time, and authorization for a preview is given according to the present time index. Thus, the conventional preview function cannot provide for a proper preview authorization check in respect of non-linear reproduction of contents, rewinding of contents, etc., that may need to be performed at the time of playing the stored contents. That is, there is a drawback in that a preview is not possible at the time of playing of stored contents.
The conventional preview function is supposed to work while contents are being received from contents providers such as broadcast stations. This gives rise to a problem in that the conventional preview function cannot handle a preview-purpose content that is specially edited or made for the playing of the content at the content-reception side.
Further, the conventional preview function does not take into account a preview at the time of playing of stored contents, so that it cannot control the length of a preview of the stored contents.
In other words, the conventional preview function is predicated upon the "limited reception" method in which broadcast contents are received and viewed in real-time on the content-reception side, and does not take into account the "limited playing" of contents at reception systems such as home servers by descrambling and playing the contents after storing the scrambled contents of broadcast signals in storage apparatus.
The conventional preview function is suited to a real-time preview operation, and contents can only be stored after watching a preview and purchasing the contents (consenting to the purchase of contents). This is because the limited playing of a content on the content-reception side should allow a stored content to be played from any desired location of a memory medium provided in the storage apparatus, and the use of the conventional preview function would make it possible to freely play rather important portions of the content in a short time period. This means that viewers can watch the premium contents without paying fees. Namely, there is a need for preview control that allows diligent control of position from which the contents are started to play.
Accordingly, there is a need for a content-transmission method, apparatus, and program as well as a content-reception method, apparatus, and program which allow a preview to be watched with respect to stored contents, and can handle edited or created preview-purpose contents, with the capability to control the time length during which contents are previewed as well as the capability to provide further diligent preview control.

Diligent control of preview of stored contents


A disposable and recyclable plastic container for use in a post-mix beverage dispensing system includes first and second openings at a top end thereof. The container may be filled with syrup through the first opening and withdrawn by a pump through the second opening. The second opening is defined by an upper end of a tube, which is integrally formed with the container by blow-molding. The tube extends from the top end of the container, down the exterior of the container sidewall and through the bottom. As syrup is withdrawn, the first opening, or an associated vent, vents the container to assist in the withdrawal of syrup. The second opening and tube have a valve actuator therein for a spring-loaded valve in a conventional quick-disconnect coupling such as used in bag-in-box type systems. The top and bottom of the container have complementary shapes to permit vertical nesting and stacking of plural like containers, and sidewalls of the container are concave to prevent bulging of the sidewalls when containers are filled.

The present invention relates to a plastic container for syrup or flavor concentrate suitable for use with a post-mix beverage dispenser. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disposable and recyclable container for syrup or flavor concentrate, said container being connectable to a syrup pump which withdraws the syrup or flavor concentrate from the container and supplies it to a mixing station in the post-mix dispenser.
Post-mix beverage dispensers, such as those used in fast-food restaurants or the like, generally store the syrup in either a stainless steel, pressurized container with a five-gallon capacity, or a bag-in-box type of container. The stainless steel type of container is known as a "Figal", an accepted abbreviation in the beverage dispensing art for a syrup container with a five-gallon capacity fabricated primarily of stainless steel. "Figal" containers are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,577 to Tennison. The Figal container is advantageous in that the syrup therein is pressurized at the point of sale, eliminating the need for a pump to withdraw syrup therefrom. However, a "Figal" container has a disadvantage of being very expensive to manufacture, so it must be returned to the factory, sanitized and reused.
In contrast, bag-in-box packages for syrup are disposable and less expensive. However, bag-in-box type packages are not easily recyclable, so an associated waste disposal problem results. A typical bag-in-box type package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,636 to Credle.
Bag-in-box packages of the general type disclosed in the Credle '636 patent are in wide use today in beverage dispensing systems which include air-operated reciprocating pumps coupled between the bag-in-box package and a dispenser nozzle by a quick-disconnect coupling. An example of such a quick-disconnect coupling is also illustrated in the Credle '636 patent.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a disposable, inexpensive syrup container for use with a postmix beverage dispenser, which is also recyclable.

Five gallon nestable plastic syrup container


The privacy screen provides a simple, effective solution to provide visual privacy for the traditional open workstations of office panelling systems. The privacy screen can easily be retrofitted to existing systems without the need for specialized panels or overhead mounting structure at an opening threshold. The privacy screen is mounted to overlap with a face of a panel adjacent a panel and extend there beyond to close the entryway to the workstation.

The present invention relates to office panelling systems and in particular relates to a privacy screen which can be secured to the office panelling system, adjacent an entryway between panels to allow selective closure of the entryway.
The modern office continues to evolve and office panelling systems provide a great deal of flexibility to address the changing needs of the user over time. Office panelling systems are commonly used for subdividing a large open space into work stations and hallways. Normally the work stations are defined by a group of office panels defining an enclosure with an entryway from the work station to a hallway. For many applications this work station with an open entryway is sufficient and provides the user with some privacy while still being part of an open part of the office. An open entryway also has the ability of providing a greater feeling of space as the work station is opening on to a hallway or larger space.
In some applications it is desirable to be able to close this entryway and in particular, to provide visual privacy from anyone in the hallway outside of the work station.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide a simple method for closing of the entryway and in particular, to provide a system which has wide application and is easy to install.

Privacy screen for office panelling systems


Disclosed is a production method of pancreatic hormone-producing cells in a form that mimicks the pancreatogenesis, the method comprising subjecting stem cells to the following steps:    (1) cultivating stem cells in a medium containing a Rho kinase inhibitor,    (2) cultivating the cells obtained in (1) in a medium containing a GSK3 inhibitor,    (3) cultivating the cells obtained in (2) in a medium containing GSK3 inhibitor and an activator of activin receptor-like kinase-4,7,    (4) forming a cell mass from the cells obtained in (3), and cultivating the cell mass in a suspension state in a medium,    (5) cultivating the cells obtained in (4) in a medium containing a retinoic acid receptor agonist, an inhibitor of AMP-activated protein kinase and/or activin receptor-like kinase-2,3,6, an inhibitor of activin receptor-like kinase-4,5,7 and a cell growth factor, and    (6) cultivating the cells obtained in (5).

Pancreas has endocrine glands (endocrine cells) and exocrine glands (exocrine cells), and is an organ playing an important role by the both cells. Exocrine cells mainly play a role of secreting digestive enzymes such as pancreatic lipase, trypsin, elastase, pancreatic amylase and the like.
Endocrine cells play a role of secreting pancreatic hormones, and it is known that glucagon is secreted from pancreatic α cells, insulin is secreted from pancreatic β cells, somatostatin is secreted from pancreatic δ cells, and pancreatic polypeptide (sometimes to be abbreviated as PP in the present specification) is secreted from PP cells. In recent years, it has been reported that ghrelin, which is a stomach-secreted hormone, is also secreted from pancreas.
Insulin plays an important role of promoting utilization of glucose, protein synthesis, and formation and storage of neutral fats, lowering blood glucose level, and maintaining blood glucose at a normal concentration. Pancreatic glucagon plays an important role, along with insulin, in a sugar metabolism regulatory mechanism, as a hyperglycemic hormone via hepatic glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis action and the like. Somatostatin expresses an action by binding to a somatostatin receptor, and suppresses secretion of various hormones such as glucagon, insulin and the like in the pancreas. PP is a hormone secreted from the cells of islets of Langerhans in response to diet, known as a satiety factor, and reduces food ingestion and body weight gain. Ghrelin is known to stimulate food ingestion, and increase body weight gain by reducing fat oxidation.
Diabetes is a disease developed by insufficient insulin and loss of the function thereof, and difficult to cure once it is developed. Diabetes can be largely classified into two types of type I diabetes mellitus (insulin dependent diabetes) and type II diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent diabetes).
Type II diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease developed by resistance to insulin, which becomes problems in relation to lifestyle habits such as obesity due to overeating and inactivity, stress etc. Type II diabetes mellitus is often developed in middle-aged adults, and many of the diabetes patients are affected with this type diabetes.
Type I diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by destruction of insulin-producing cells by autoimmune diseases, virus infection and the like to terminate secretion of insulin in the body. As a treatment method that can automatically control blood glucose level that continuously changes in the body and reduce burden on patients, pancreas transplantation or pancreatic islet transplantation is performed on patients with type I diabetes mellitus. While it is possible to achieve a normal blood glucose level by these treatment methods, the transplantation technique has not been sufficiently established, and the pancreas and pancreatic islet that can be transplanted are not sufficient. Moreover, to avoid immune rejection to a graft, the patients need to take an immunosuppressant for the entire life, and the problems of the risk of infection, side effects caused by immunosuppressant and the like still remain.
One of the treatment methods tried for type I diabetes mellitus is a method including reproducing an insulin-producing cell itself from the cells derived from the patient, and transplanting the cell into the body of the patient. According to this method, insulin can be produced in the body of the patient. In addition, since the cells are the patient's own cells, the method is also advantageous in terms of safety, since the problem of rejection can be resolved and the like.
Known methods for obtaining insulin-producing cells include a method of differentiating ES cells, a method of differentiating tissue stem cells of the pancreas of a patient, a method of isolating cells derived from the pancreatic duct epithelium of a patient out of body and differentiating the same and the like. Specifically, a method of inducing differentiation of pancreatic β cells from human ES cells by using activin and retinoic acid (RA) (patent document 1, non-patent documents 1-4), a method of inducing differentiation of glucagon-producing cells (α cells) from human ES cells (non-patent document 8), a method of inducing differentiation of pancreatic β cells from human iPS cells (non-patent documents 5-7), a method of efficiently inducing differentiation of insulin-producing cells, including introducing PDX1, which is known to be an important transcription factor involved in the development of the pancreas and also responsible for the development and function maintenance of insulin-producing cells, into ES cells, and cultivating the cells (patent document 2), and the like.
However, since the insulin-producing cells obtained by these methods show considerably low insulin production efficiency as compared to those of normal pancreatic β cells, the development of a method of efficiently obtaining insulin-producing cells that can be adopted for application of cell therapy is still required. Furthermore, it is desired to increase the number of obtainable cells to a practical level for the treatment of diabetes and the like.

Method of producing pancreatic hormone-producing cells


A mattress, foundation, or other upholstered sleep product or article includes a core and barrier material surrounding the core. The barrier material includes flame and heat-resistant material that is configured to prevent combustion of the core when the upholstered article is impinged with a gas flame according to California Technical Bulletin 603 of the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs. The barrier material may include an intumescent material that is configured to swell and char in the presence of a flame so as to form a barrier to the flame and to heat generated by the flame.

There is heightened awareness of fire prevention in homes and businesses in the United States. This awareness has led to the development of standards and legislation directed to reducing the risk of fires, particularly with respect to bedding and upholstered furniture. Conventional fire prevention techniques for bedding and upholstered furniture involve the topical application of flame retardant chemicals directly to an outer decorative layer of upholstery material.
However, recently passed legislation may render conventional fire protection techniques for bedding (particularly mattresses) inadequate. For example, the cigarette burn test for measuring flame resistance (developed by the Upholstered Furniture Action Council) has been deemed inadequate by the state of California and by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In addition, new regulations being promulgated in some states prohibit the sale or manufacture of mattresses that do not pass these new flammability tests.
For example, California Technical Bulletin 603 of the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs (hereinafter "TB-603"), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, exposes the top and sides of a mattress to an open gas flame to simulate the effects of burning bedclothes. TB-603 is extremely aggressive relative to conventional cigarette burn test and many industry analysts are skeptical that conventional upholstered furniture and bedding products (e.g., mattresses, etc.) will be able to pass TB-603.
In addition, material that can prevent the propagation of flame into the core cushioning material or furniture, and institutional bedding is desired. California Technical Bulletin 117 of the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs (hereinafter "TB-117"), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, provides testing for upholstered furniture, and California Technical Bulletin 129 of the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs (hereinafter "TB-129"), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, provides testing for institutional bedding.
In some cases, even though an upholstery fabric or ticking is constructed of inherently flame resistant material, it may be permeable such that heat and hot gases may be transmitted through the fabric causing internal materials to ignite. Furthermore, conventional methods of assembling mattresses and upholstered furniture may produce seams and joints that cannot withstand the new flammability test without splitting open and subjecting flammable interior materials to the flame. Also, pores formed in bedding fabrics as a result of sewing, seaming, quilting, or the attachment of labels, handles, decorations, vents, etc., may be penetrated by flames and hot gases which may result in the combustion of interior materials.
It is desirable to provide a thin and workable flame barrier to the upholsterer or mattress builder, to enable the incorporation of the material into thin or tightly fitting structures. Unfortunately, conventional flame resistant materials used in the mattress construction industry are very thick and heavy battings or high loft nonwoven structures, in excess of 10 ounces per square yard. These materials are difficult to use, add unacceptable bulk to the article, and are not as soft, resilient, or durable as conventional non-flame resistant cushions foams or battings.

Heat and flame-resistant materials and upholstered articles incorporating same


An approach to noninvasively and remotely detect the presence, location, and/or quantity of a target substance in a scene via a spectral imaging system comprising a spectral filter array and image capture array. For a chosen target substance, a spectral filter array is provided that is sensitive to selected wavelengths characterizing the electromagnetic spectrum of the target substance. Elements of the image capture array are optically aligned with elements of the spectral filter array to simultaneously capture spectrally filtered images. These filtered images identify the spectrum of the target substance. Program instructions analyze the acquired images to compute information about the target substance throughout the scene. A color-coded output image may be displayed on a smartphone or computing device to indicate spatial and quantitative information about the detected target substance. The system desirably includes a library of interchangeable spectral filter arrays, each sensitive to one or more target substances.

Spectral imaging is a branch of spectroscopy and of photography in which at least some spectral information is collected from an image plane (e.g., two-dimensional image) for a scene of interest. An image capture device may be aimed at a scene in order to capture image information for that scene. A variety of spectral imaging methodologies are known. Examples include hyperspectral imaging, multispectral imaging (a type of hyperspectral imaging), full spectral imaging, imaging spectroscopy, chemical imaging, and the like. Historically, hyperspectral imaging and multi-spectral image analysis have been associated with satellite, airborne, or large scale operations using large, expensive camera systems that are not well-suited for handheld operation or routine business and consumer applications.
Spectral imaging generally involves capturing spectral information from one or more portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although spectral information for any wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum may be used, often spectroscopy uses spectral information for wavelengths in the range from about 100 nm to about 14,000 nm. For reference, it is often convenient to divide the span of the electromagnetic spectrum into the following bands: ultraviolet (UV) band from 100 nm to 400 nm; visible (VIS) band from 400 to 700 nm; near infrared (NIR) band from 700 to 1500 nm; short-wave infrared (SWIR) band from 1500 to 3000 nm; mid-wave infrared (MWIR) band from 3000 to 5000 nm; and long-wave infrared (LWIR) band from 5000 to 14000 nm. The ultraviolet band includes the following sub-bands: far ultraviolet (FUV) band from 122 to 200 nm; middle ultraviolet (MUV) band from 200 to 300 nm; and near ultraviolet (NUV) band from 300 to 400 nm. The ultraviolet band also is divided into the following sub-bands: ultraviolet C (UVC) band from 100 to 280 nm; ultraviolet B (UVB) band from 280 to 315 nm; and ultraviolet A (UVA) band from 315 to 400 nm.
Spectral information captured for a scene may be represented as an image cube, which is a type of data cube. A data cube generally is a three dimensional array of data values. In spectroscopy, one kind of data cube results when a spectrally-resolved image is represented as a three dimensional volume in which the captured image is represented in a two dimensional image while spectral information associated with individual pixels, or groups of pixels, is incorporated into at least a third dimension of the data cube.
Conventional hyperspectral imaging is a powerful but expensive analysis technology for remotely determining the chemical composition of a surface. For example, hyperspectral imaging typically generates a data cube with two spatial dimensions and one spectral dimension. The two spatial dimensions correspond to the spatial data that might be represented in a common digital photograph. However, each spatial pixel in a hyperspectral data cube also is associated with an electromagnetic spectral array spanning wavelengths that often extend well beyond the visible spectrum to higher and/or lower wavelengths.
A conventional hyperspectral imaging system scans a scene to capture image information. Line scanning often is used. For example, an illustrative, conventional hyperspectral system has a linear array of 256 imaging elements. This linear array is scanned across the target surface in a line-scan or "push-broom" format. In this manner the linear array can generate a three-dimensional data cube with two spatial dimensions and one spectral dimension. A typical data cube may have dimensions of 256×256 spatial dimensions by 320 spectral bins. Spatial lines or "frames" are acquired sequentially at a frame rate of 100 to 400 frames per second. This line scan modality, acquires complete image information over a second or longer. This makes it difficult to acquire high resolution images for moving subjects.
Although conventional hyperspectral imaging provides powerful analysis capabilities, additional significant limitations exist for any widespread application of this technology as conventionally practiced. Foremost is a high price of $100,000 to $200,000 per system. The linear detection array imposes a scanning modality requiring a precision fixture with a uniform scanning speed between target surface and linear detection array. The line scan requirement also eliminates the possibility of acquiring a truly simultaneous image since the detector scans across the target surface in sequential lines. Undue movement of the target with regard to the scanning coordinates tends to result in an unrecognizable spatial shape in the resulting image. With movement, the resulting spectral information for a given pixel also may be distorted. The scanning requirement, alignment complexity and necessary fixturing often results in a stationary system that is not easily transported. With a high price tag and precise scanning restrictions, conventional hyperspectral imaging systems are limited primarily to inspection systems in large scale operations for high-volume production lines such as food processing, garbage sorting, or mineral analysis. Conventional hyperspectral imaging is not well suited for mobile applications, high-resolution systems, multi-line operation, bench-scale laboratory analysis, small business or consumer uses.
Multispectral imaging also offers the potential for remotely determining the chemical composition of a surface. Similar to a hyperspectral image, a multispectral image contains data with both spatial and spectral dimensions. Unlike the hyperspectral image, which contains a full spectrum for each spatial pixel, a multispectral image contains a fixed number of broad spectral bands for each spatial pixel. Conventional multispectral imaging systems typically are designed for one or more specific initial uses but are difficult to reconfigure for other uses.
The digital photography and digital camera industries have developed high quality, low cost sensors that capture images for portions of the electromagnetic spectrum that fall within the visible spectrum, namely, 400 nm to 700 nm. Both professional and consumer markets show strong interest in and benefit from these technologies. Digital cameras and phones typically use either charge-coupled device (CCD) or CMOS image sensors to capture images. These CCD and CMOS sensors can be obtained with a wide range of resolutions, e.g., from 540×720 (0.39 MP), to 5184×3456 (18 MP) in a number of digital, single lens reflex cameras (Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR Camera with lens kit, 5184×3456 pixels, 18 MP, $1300) and lower cost, compact cameras (Canon PowerShot, A1300, 16 MP, $119). Recent advances have led to miniaturization such that these cameras are routinely integrated into small form factors as thin as 7.6 mm (0.3 in.), including the lens. An example of a product that integrates such a miniaturized form factor are the iPhone 5 smartphone available from Apple Inc. as well as other smartphones. In addition to smartphone technology, there are a number of other mobile and economical computing technologies such as tablet, mini-tablet, laptop, and desktop technologies. Each of these alternative technologies shares many capabilities with those of smartphones.
Smartphone and other mobile computing technologies such as touch sensitive tablets have significant computing and connection power as well as the inclusion of digital cameras. While early models had only limited photography capability, the latest smartphones, such as the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III have dual digital cameras (front and back facing) with resolutions of 8 MP/1.2 MP and 8 MP/1.9 MP, respectively. In addition to camera features, these smartphones have the capability for GPS location and navigation, as well as sensing vertical and horizontal phone orientation. Communication capabilities include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi standards.
Researchers at the University of Illinois are developing a smartphone-based spectrometer. See Liz Ahlberg, Cradle Turns Smartphone into Handheld Biosensor, University of Illinois, News Bureau, Public Affairs, May 23, 2013. A custom cradle holds the smartphone in fixed alignment with optical components that include a photonic crystal biosensor. This device detects shifts in the resonant wavelength of the biosensor on the order of 5 nm. The target must be dissolved in a small vial of liquid and placed on a microscope slide. The slide is in turn placed in a slot on the cradle attached to the smartphone. While this device contains a smartphone display for observing a single, resonant wavelength of a biosensor for the given target substance on the microscope slide, it does not provide mobile, high-resolution, chemical imaging capability. This device cannot be used for high volume or instantaneous analysis of a target substance due to the time required to dissolve the target substance in water, place the solution on a microscope slide and await a 30 second analysis which consults a web-based, data base.
Heinold, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20140022381, describes a spectral imaging apparatus that includes a multi-camera system having multiple camera elements, a set of filter elements attached to the camera elements and a light-sensor array, and a second set of filter elements attached to the light-sensor elements.
Even with the multitude of technologies described above, there presently exists no mobile, economical and convenient method or apparatus to rapidly, remotely and accurately detect, locate or quantify information of interest, such as the presence or amount of a target substance at particular location(s) in a scene. Therefore, there is a strong need for a spectral imaging system that has detection capabilities associated with hyperspectral and multispectral imaging systems but is economical, able to acquire high-resolution data rapidly from moving targets, is mobile, and is suitable for agricultural, medical, veterinary, sanitation, industrial, business, and consumer uses. Also, there is a strong need for spectral imaging systems whose detection capabilities can be easily changed on demand to be able to detect information for a wide range of desired applications.

Spectral imaging system for remote and noninvasive detection of target substances using spectral filter arrays and image capture arrays


A sill height morphing feature may comprise an upper chamber comprising an orthogonal foot section and a first foot tube, a lower chamber, relatively below the upper chamber, coupled to the upper chamber and comprising a second foot tube, a sliding surface between the upper chamber and the lower chamber, wherein the first foot tube lies relatively beneath the sliding surface, wherein the second foot tube lies relatively beneath the sliding surface and relatively behind and proximate to the first foot tube, wherein the sliding surface is coupled to the first foot tube at a top surface of the first foot tube.

Emergency evacuation slides may be used to exit an aircraft absent a jet way or other suitable means of egress for passengers. The slides may deploy from a door sill or a side of the aircraft fuselage, for example. High door sills tend to increase the velocity of egressing passengers tending to cause injury to the passengers.


A thrust reverser of a nacelle may include a translating sleeve and an inner fixed structure a pressure relief assembly. A pressure relief mechanism may include a pressure relief door coupled via a hinge and a latch to the inner fixed structure. Alternatively, a pressure relief door may be coupled to a frame via a hinge and a latch to the inner fixed structure. The pressure relief assembly may limit deflections between the thrust reverser and the pylon in response to a burst duct. The pressure relief door may release from the latch automatically in response to an over pressurization event.

Modern aircraft may utilize one or more turbofan propulsion systems powered by a gas turbine engine. The propulsion system may include a nacelle, which is a system of components that house the engine and its ancillary systems, and help form aerodynamic surfaces for flight, including a fan bypass air duct. Often, the nacelle includes a thrust reverser. The thrust reverser includes an inner fixed structure ("IFS") surrounding the engine which forms part of the interior surface of the bypass air duct through the thrust reverser. The volume between the IFS and the engine core defines the core compartment. In the core compartment, there are high pressure, high temperature pneumatic ducts that can fail, which would lead to catastrophic failure of the IFS structure. In order to relieve this rapid pressurization, pressure relief doors are provided that limit the pressure in the compartment to acceptable levels until the engine is shut down. Similar conditions can be found in other compartments where high pressure pneumatic ducts are present.


Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for monitoring an individual and activities performed thereby, detecting a possible adverse biological condition caused by the activities, and submitting instructions to equipment utilized by the individual to cause the individual to adjust the same or related activities to mitigate the possible adverse biological condition. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Biological sensors can be used for measuring temperature, respiration, pulse rate, blood pressure, among other things. Some biological sensors can be implanted and can be configured to be battery-less. Battery-less sensors can utilize one or more antennas to receive radio frequency signals, and which can be converted to energy that powers components of the sensor while the radio frequency signals are present. Some biological sensors can also be configured to deliver dosages of a controlled substance.

Method and apparatus for monitoring biological conditions


A bib system includes a liquid resistant flexible body member having a bottom configured to cover a torso of a user extending a lower periphery. A closure system is configured to engage the flexible body member with the torso of the user. A collapsible support structure is integrated with the flexible body member and is coupled to the closure. The collapsible support structure is configured to support the lower periphery of the flexible body member when the closure is engaged so that the bottom of the flexible body member forms an open pouch at the bottom of the flexible body member. The collapsible support structure is also configured not to form the pouch when the flexible body member is not applied around the torso of the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bibs and, more specifically, to a bib system that forms a pouch when worn by a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bibs are typically used to prevent food from staining an infant's clothing. Typical bibs are little more than pieces of cloth or vinyl that protect the clothing. However, such bibs allow food to slide down into the infant's seating area.
Therefore, there is a need for a bib that protects the infant's seating area.


A wind turbine includes a tower, a nacelle supported at an upper end of a tower, a rotor having at least one blade and being arranged at the nacelle, and a vibration load reduction system disposed at either the tower or the nacelle. The vibration load reduction system includes a base, at least two columns extending from the base, and a flowable mass located within the base and the at least two columns.

This invention relates generally to wind turbines and more particularly to a vibration load reduction system for a wind turbine.
During operation, wind turbines are subjected to two types of loading. One of them is the temporary loading that occurs during an extreme gust of wind acting on the wind turbine rotor blades or an extreme wave breaking in offshore sites. The second type of loading is the relatively lower amplitude fatigue loading that repeats itself during a much longer period. This type of loading occurs during general wind turbulence and regular wave breaking in offshore situations. Current measures to counteract the extreme loading situation include turning the pitch angle to a feathered position and ensuring the tower design is adequate by properly selecting the material and reinforcing the structure. In addition a vibration opposer could help mitigate the extreme loading as well as reduce fatigue-loadings.
The dynamic loading on the wind turbine is the vibration in the tower induced by the single extreme peak load or periodic excitation force from wind or wave. Generally, designing a stiff tower is the simple and safe solution to counteract the loads. However, when the height exceeds 60–70 meters, this solution is not always practical because of the huge mass of material needed. Thus, the stiffness should be kept as low as is feasible, which leads to a "soft" tower design and the potential for more vibration.
One solution for reducing the vibration loading in a tower of a wind turbine is discussed in WO 00/77394, which uses a square box partially filled with liquid for damping oscillations of the first natural bending frequency of the wind turbine. The box provides for uni-directional damping of vibrations in the tower of the wind turbine along the two straight sides. However, because the vibrations on the tower can be multi-directional, this solution is not as effective against the vibrations on the tower from all of the directions.

Vibration reduction system for a wind turbine


A service processing method, a baseband processor chip and a terminal are disclosed in embodiments of this invention, wherein the service processing method comprises: in response to a need for processing a CS domain service by a terminal, identifying whether PS domain data that is being received/transmitted in a PS domain service currently processed by the terminal is critical data for maintaining the QoS level of the PS domain service; in response to that the PS domain data being received/transmitted is not critical data, suspending the processing of the PS domain service and processing the CS domain service. The embodiment of this invention enables a terminal of Class B to process a CS domain service during the process of receiving/transmitting PS domain data.

In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TS 22.060 specification, according to the types of services offered, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) terminals are divided into Class A, Class B, and Class C, to distinguish their capabilities of handover between a GPRS data service and a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) voice service.
Wherein, a terminal of Class A can be attached to a GPRS network and a GSM network simultaneously, and supports the concurrent operation of a packet switched (PS) domain service and a GSM voice service. It is possible to browse a network and receive/send an email while a voice call is proceeding, that is, voice calling and data transmission can be performed simultaneously.
A terminal of class B can be attached to a GPRS network and a GSM network simultaneously, but it does not support the concurrent operation of a PS domain service and a GSM voice service, and can only operate one service at a certain time. Handover between a PS domain service and a GSM voice service can be realized through signaling. For example, PS domain data transmission is temporarily suspended when a call request is initiated by a terminal user, and is resumed after the completion of the call. However, in existing networks, a terminal of Class B is unable to receive a GSM service message, such as a voice call or a SMS message while receiving a PS domain data transmission.
A terminal of Class C only supports PS domain services but not GSM voice services. A terminal of Class C is primarily applied in a GPRS modem, and is not used for PS domain service requests.
The operation of a terminal of Class A needs a large amount of Central Processing Unit (CPU) bandwidth, which results in high cost and expensive price. Accordingly, terminals of Class A are uncommon on the current market. Terminals of Class C are not suitable for PS domain service requests, and thus most of the GPRS terminals available on the current market are terminals of Class B.
During the realization of this invention, the inventors have found that existing terminals of Class B have at least the following problems:
Because a terminal of Class B does not support the concurrent processing of a PS domain service and a Circuit Switched (CS) domain service, when the terminal of Class B is engaged in a continuous reception/transmission of PS domain data during the process of a PS domain service, it is unable to process a CS domain service.
For example, when a terminal of Class B is continuously receiving PS domain data, if a calling user makes a call to a called user, the call request can not be admitted to the called terminal, and the called terminal does not present any prompt except to the called user while the calling terminal will receive a prompt that "the number you dialed is engaged", which may impacts the success admission rate of a GMS voice service consequently. In practice applications, even if the called user has turned on a missed call reminder service, because SMS and the voice service both belong to CS domain services, during the continuous reception of PS domain data by the called terminal, the missed call reminder platform is unable to send a SMS message notifying an incoming call to the called terminal, and until the called terminal has stopped receiving the PS domain data, the missed call reminder platform can send to the called terminal the SMS message, notifying the called user of the calling number, the calling time and other information of that call the SMS message. If the missed call reminder service is not turned on, the called user cannot be informed about the missed call at all, leading to serious impacts on user experience about the service.

Service processing method, a baseband processor chip and a terminal

Spreadtrum Communications (Shanghai) Co., LTD


A device and method for neural transplantation in the human brain comprising a microinjector (1), transplantation cannula (2) and bullet guide (16) is disclosed. The microinjector (1) is designed to connect to the proximal end of a syringe barrel (7) and plunger (12) while the transplantation cannula (2) interfaces with the distal end of the syringe barrel (7). In combination, the microinjector (1) and transplantation cannula (2) permit the delivery of multiple cell grafts in a three-dimensional array using a unique spiral technique. The bullet guide (16), which is attachable to a commercially available stereotactic frame, is a multiple channel adapter that functions as a mechanical guiding system for the transplantation cannula (2) and permits plural, spaced deployment of the cannula (2) without adjusting or disturbing the frame.

Neural transplantation of fetal ventral mesencephalic (VM) tissue has been studied for the past two decades as a potential surgical strategy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinical trials in Parkinsonian patients have been conducted in several centres worldwide with more than 200 patients receiving fetal transplants into the striatum (Mehta et al., Can. J. Neurol. Sci., 24, pp. 292–301, 1997; Olanow et al., TINS, 19, pp. 102–109, 1996; Rehncrona et al., Adv. Tech. Stand. Neurosurg., 23, pp. 3–46, 1997; Tabbal et. al. Curr. Opin. Neurol., 11, pp. 341–349, 1998). Survival of the grafts has been documented with positron emission tomography (PET) scanning (Freeman et al., Ann. Neurol., 38, pp. 379–388, 1995; Remy et al., Ann. Neurol., 38, pp. 580–588, 1995; Wenning et al., Ann. Neurol., 42, pp. 95–107, 1997) and postmortem studies (Kordower, et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 332, pp. 1118–1124, 1995). Although the results of these trials have been promising, (Hauser et al., Arch. Neurol., 56, pp. 179–187, 1999; Wenning et al., Ann. Neurol., 42, pp. 95–107, 1997) clinical efficacy has not reached the stage for neural transplantation to become a routine therapeutic procedure for PD. Implantation trauma, which decreases graft survival, and inadequate reinnervation of the host striatum due to suboptimal distribution of graft deposits are considered detrimental factors in achieving optimal clinical efficacy. Decreased implantation trauma and a more complete reinnervation of the dopamine-depleted striatum have been achieved in animal models of PD by decreasing the size of the implantation cannula and increasing the number of deposits of fetal dopaminergic cells (Nikkhah et al., J. Neurosci., 15(5), pp. 3548–3561, 1995; Nikkhah et al., Neurology, 63, pp. 57–72, 1994). These modifications to the implantation technique have produced improvements in host reinnervation and functional recovery in the rodent model of PD (Nikkhah et al., J. Neurosci., 15(5), pp. 3548–3561, 1995; Nikkhah et al., Neurology, 63, pp. 57–72, 1994).
The use of neural transplantation to treat neurological conditions such as PD has the potential to be an important therapeutic strategy in the near future. There is strong evidence of long-term survival of transplanted dopaminergic neurons (Kordower et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 332, pp. 1118–1124, 1995) and clinical results are promising (Hauser et al., Arch. Neurol., 56, pp. 179–187, 1999; Wenning et al, Ann. Neurol., 42, pp. 95–107, 1997). Transplantation in patients with Huntington's disease has also been reported (Kopyov et al., Cell Transplantation for Neurological Disorders, Humana Press, pp. 95–134, 1998) and porcine xenografts are being studied in clinical trials (Deacon et al., Nature Medicine, 3, pp. 350–353, 1997; Isacson et al., al., Nature Medicine, 3, pp. 474–475, 1997). A great deal of experimental work in animals is being conducted for novel cell types as an alternative source to human fetal tissue for neural transplantation. This research may expand the use of reconstructive-strategies in the future (Borlongan et al., Exp. Neurol., 149, pp. 310–321, 1998; Fitoussi et al., Neuroscience, 85, pp. 405–413, 1998; Svendsen et al., Exp. Neurol., 137, pp. 376–388, 1996).
In view of the above comments, neural transplantation holds great promise as a method of achieving a more complete reinnervation of neural tissue and therefore, functional recovery, providing (1) the number of cell deposits to a target site in a subject can be maximized, (2) the distribution of graft deposits can be optimized, and (3) implantation trauma caused by multiple insertions of a transplantation device can be avoided.
Presently, a neural transplantation device and method used for administering neural cells and/or tissue is described by Cunningham in U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,110 wherein the device essentially comprises a guide cannula for penetrating a selected transplant site in a subject to a predetermined depth, and a delivery cannula with a single opening for delivering neural cells and/or tissue to the subject. The guide and delivery cannulas both have an interior lumen and openings at their proximal and distal ends. The delivery cannula, however, has an outer diameter and particular shape that enables it to fit and move within the interior lumen of the guide cannula. Furthermore, the delivery cannula is capable of protruding through the distal end of the guide cannula by way of a flexible distal end portion which enables it to be deflected at a suitable angle from the guide cannula. The method of delivering cell deposits essentially involves advancing the guide cannula into the brain to the transplant site wherein the delivery cannula, which carries the cells, is advanced within the lumen of the guide cannula, and beyond the distal opening of the guide cannula. Cells are deposited along a first extension pathway by advancing the delivery cannula to a distal targeted site and performing a series of injections alternated with incremental retraction of the delivery cannula at predetermined sites along the path. The three dimensional array is essentially achieved by executing several penetrations of the delivery cannula at other distal transplant sites to achieve a similar arrangement of cell deposits along different extension paths located an equidistance from one another.
The delivery device and method described by Cunningham possesses a number of certain disadvantages. In particular, because the outside diameter of the guide cannula is relatively large, e.g. 1.07 mm, the insertion of the guide cannula into the brain during standard neural transplant procedures has the potential to cause localized trauma to the tissue and ultimately result in cell death and poor graft integration. Other disadvantages associated with a transplant cannula having a large diameter is a lower precision in graft placement and a lower reliablity in delivery of very small volumes to a selected site in a subject. In addition, the design of this particular transplantation device only allows multiple grafts to be delivered along a single path with each insertion of the delivery cannula. Supplementary grafts at sites which are not along this path, require the delivery cannula to be removed and reinserted along a new path. Although it is desirable to deliver multiple grafts along different paths in a three dimensional configuration, reinsertion of the cannula increases the risk of trauma to the brain of the transplant recipient with each new penetration thereby contributing to low and variable graft survival and functional recovery. Furthermore, because the delivery cannula is deflected at an angle from the guide cannula and causes the delivery cannula to enter the brain tissue in an oblique fashion, this is also potentially harmful to the brain. Another disadvantage of the Cunningham transplantation device is that the shape of the opening at the extreme distal end of the delivery cannula is not blunt and is potentially harmful to the brain. Moreover, the opening of the tip of the delivery cannula has the potential to become obstructed in the course of performing multiple insertions of the delivery cannula, thereby eventually preventing ejection of a cell and/or tissue suspension.
Accordingly, there is a need for a neural transplantation device and method which can precisely deliver a predetermined volume amount of cells and/or tissue to a selected transplant site in a three dimensional configuration without having to perform multiple insertions of the device. Furthermore, such a device and method should minimize tissue damage and provide for increased survival of the cells and functional integration of the graft in the subject.
According to the present invention, there is provided a neural transplantation system, comprising a microinjector, transplantation cannula and bullet guide in combination with a syringe mounted to a stereotactic frame, which affords a simple, reliable and safe system for improved delivery and maximization of the number of cell graft deposits to the host brain with minimal trauma using a unique spiral technique.

Queen Elizabeth II, Health Sciences Centre


A support element for positioning a first element, in particular a cover, on a second element, in particular a housing, includes an annular disk-shaped base body that can be positioned on a support rod fastened on the second element, the base body having on a first end face a support surface for making supporting contact with the first element, where the support element has, on the first end face, a plastically deformable projection forming the support surface.

Electrically operated brake boosters for motor vehicles often have a multi-part housing, a cover being frequently positioned on a gear housing that protects components of the brake booster situated outside of the gear housing, such as a return spring for example, against external influences. The cover in this instance abuts single-endedly on the housing, an elastically deformable sealing element, in particular in the form of an annular silicon seal, normally being interposed. In order to be able to do without screw connections in the area of the silicon seal, the cover rests on support elements that, in turn, rest at a distance from the sealing area on support rods fastened on the gear housing. The support elements absorb forces acting on the cover and thereby prevent the silicon seal from being overloaded. In order to be able to ensure an optimal fit of the cover with respect to the silicon seal and to satisfy the attendant gap dimension requirements, it is known to design the support element as a support nut that is screwed onto a free end of the support rod so as to make it possible to adjust the height of the support surfaces formed by the support nut and thereby the distance from the gear housing in optimal fashion by turning the support nuts. Although this makes it possible to adjust the gap dimension precisely, the adjustment process is time-consuming.

Support element, support assembly, brake booster and method


This invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control system for an engine which can continuously detect the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine using an air-fuel ratio sensor within a wide range including the theoretical air-fuel ratio, and can then, based on the sensor output, perform feedback correction of the air-fuel ratio to the theoretical air-fuel ratio or to another air-fuel ratio. The deterioration of the air-fuel ratio sensor is judged based on the difference between the feedback correction coefficient when feedback control is performed to the theoretical air-fuel ratio, and the feedback correction coefficient when it is performed to another air-fuel ratio. Deterioration of the sensor is thereby detected completely separate from scatter or deterioration of performance of the fuel injector or other components.

In air-fuel ratio (hereinafter referred to as AFR) control systems using an AFR sensor for continuously detecting AFR from the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas, an air-fuel mixture can be obtained having any AFR over a wide range. This AFR includes, but is not limited to, the theoretical AFR.
For this purpose, a basic fuel injection amount is determined according to the engine load and speed, and the fuel injected from a fuel injector is feedback corrected based on the difference between a real AFR detected by the AFR sensor and a target AFR.
In this type of AFR control system the precision of the AFR sensor is of vital importance, and if it deteriorates, the precision of AFR control is also poorer.
A method of detecting AFR sensor deterioration is disclosed in, for example, Tokkai Sho 62-186029 published by the Japanese Patent Office.
According to this detection method, it is judged whether or not a feedback correction coefficient computed from the difference between the output of the AFR sensor and a target AFR is within a predetermined range. If the value of this coefficient lies outside this range, it is judged that the AFR sensor has deteriorated.
However, the feedback correction coefficient may lie outside the predetermined range due not only to deterioration of the AFR sensor, but also to other factors such unevenness or deterioration in the performance of the fuel injector or the air flow sensor which detects the intake air volume of the engine. Using this method, therefore, there was a possibility that the AFR sensor was judged to have deteriorated even when it had not deteriorated.

Air-fuel ratio control system for engines


An apparatus for etching a workpiece in which a first abrasive particulate material, for example aluminium oxide, and a second particulate material, for example glass dust, are entrained together in a stream of gas. The apparatus recycles exhaust particulate material by introducing it into said gas stream, the exhaust particulate material including particulate material removed from the workpiece by the action of the gas stream with entrained particulate material. The apparatus is particularly suited for etching toughened glass.

As used herein, the term "etching" is intended to mean cutting the surface of a workpiece.
Toughened glass is widely used and has many applications as a safety feature, e.g., in buildings and in cars. For example, toughened glass is used as a safety feature in glazed doors and low level windows, and in table tops where it can withstand high temperatures associated with cooking pots, and the like. Toughened glass, also called tempered glass, is generally produced by applying a special treatment to ordinary float glass. The treatment involves heating the glass so that it begins to soften, and then rapidly cooling it. This produces a glass, which, if broken, breaks into small pieces without sharp edges. It is generally known that this treatment must be applied only after all cutting and processing has been completed on the float glass, as once "toughened", any attempt to cut the glass will cause the glass to shatter. It is therefore very difficult, if not impossible, to etch toughened glass.
Conventional sandblasting generally comprises using a conventional sandblasting gun and a stream of air under pressure combined with grit, to etch glass. Such conventional processes have been found to cause toughened glass to shatter.
It would be desirable to mitigate the problems associated with the prior art.


A device to measure the flowrate of a fluid containing electrical charges which flows in a pipe section. The device includes at least one electromagnet connected to a current source which generates a magnetic field through the pipe section and at least two electrodes whose central imaginary connecting line passes through the flow stream in the region of the magnetic field to measure the potential resulting from the charge displacements. The circuitry also includes a timing circuit which periodically changes the strength of the excitation current from the current source to the electromagnet and switches a signal shunt which is connected between the electrodes and at least two signal memories. The timing circuit also controls a current sink which is connected in parallel with the electromagnet. The two signal memories, which store signals from the electrodes, are connected to a correction circuit to which the signals stored in the memories are supplied to produce an output signal corresponding to the flowrate of the fluid in the pipe section which is only minimally dependent of the flow profile or the level of the fluid in the pipe section.

The present invention relates to a circuit for a device to measure the flowrate of a fluid containing electrical charges which flows in a pipe section. Such a device includes (1) at least one electromagnet connected to a current source which generates a magnetic field through the pipe section, (2) at least two electrodes whose central imaginary connecting line passes through the flow stream in the region of the magnetic field to measure the potential resulting from the charge displacements in the flowing fluid, and (3) a timing circuit which periodically changes the strength of the excitation current from the current source to the electromagnet and switches a signal shunt which is connected between the electrodes and at least two signal memories which are connected to a correction circuit, which, from the signals stored in the memories, produces an output signal corresponding to the flowrate of the fluid in the pipe section which is only minimally dependent on the flow profile or the level of the fluid in the pipe section.
The known electromagnet described in DE-OS 27 43 954 can be deenergized or have its polarity reversed to change the magnetic field in the pipe section and thereby develop a correction function from the signals coming from the electrodes, with which it is possible to produce an output signal corresponding to the flowrate of the fluid in the pipe section which is essentially independent of the flow profile.
A similar circuit arrangement for a pipe section is known from EP-0451 308 Al, which contains two pairs of electrodes with which the level of the fluid in the pipe section can be determined and through a correction function develop an output signal which is essentially independent of the flow profile in the flow stream and/or the level of the fluid in the pipe section.

Apparatus for measuring the flowrate of a fluid


A method and apparatus is provided for detecting defective seams in cans having metal lids. The apparatus is mounted in cooperation with a conveyor to evaluate the cans being conveyed in a continuous operation. The apparatus includes a detecting device which has a pair of electrical contacts positioned to cooperate with a seam on the can. The electrical contacts are spaced apart a distance to contact a bulge in the seam which completes an electrical circuit between the contacts. A signal is then produced indicating a defective can, and the defective can is removed from the conveyor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for detecting defective containers on a conveyor. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting bulges in crimped seams of metal cans.
2. Description of the Background Art
Metal cans and particularly aluminum cans are commonly used in the beverage industry. The use of aluminum cans is advantageous since the manufacture of cans is less expensive than other containers, and the cans are easily handled by automated equipment.
A disadvantage of using cans for beverages is the tendency of the seams between the lid and the sidewall to form improperly. Various defects in the seam can be very difficult to detect during the manufacturing and packaging operations. Moreover, slight defects in the seam can result in leakage of the contents long after the cans are shipped to the customer. Such latent leaks in the cans often result in significant losses and additional expenses for the manufacturer, since the manufacturer is typically responsible for replacing defective merchandise.
Several devices have been used to maintain quality control in the manufacture and filling of beverage cans. An example of one such device projects a low-intensity, gamma-radiation beam through the sidewall of the can to ensure that the can is filled to the proper level. A sensor is positioned on the opposite side of the can to measure the intensity of the beam passing through the can. Under normal conditions, the beam passes through the sidewall and through the contents of the can to provide a certain intensity detected by the sensor. When the contents are below the level of the beam, the sensor detects a different beam intensity which indicates an improperly filled can. Although an improperly filled can often is indicative of a defective seam, cans with latent leaks are not detectable.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the industry for a device that is capable of detecting defective seams in a continuous manufacturing assembly.


A system for holding an electronic device comprising a first substrate, a pocket assembly, and a fastener system comprising first, second, third, fourth, and fifth fasteners. The first substrate is adapted to be supported by a wearer. The pocket assembly is adapted to hold the electronic device. The first and second fasteners are rigidly connected to the pocket assembly, while the third, fourth, and fifth fasteners are rigidly connected to the substrate. In a first mode, the first fastener engages the third fastener and the second fastener engages the fourth fastener to attach the pocket assembly to the first substrate. In a second mode, the first fastener engages the third fastener and the second fastener engages the fifth fastener to attach the pocket assembly to the first substrate.

People performing strenuous physical activities often carry small devices such as electronic devices, water bottles, and the like. These devices often allow or require human interaction during normal operation. Desirably, these devices can be used while performing the strenuous physical activity without the need for using hands. For example, a person may drink from the water bottle while performing a biking. As another example, a person may wish to listen and/or talk to portable electronic devices such as a radio transceiver.
The present invention is of particular significance in the context of a two-way radio transceiver and will be described below in that context. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the present invention may also be used with other portable devices such as water bottles, food canisters, cellular telephones, portable radio receivers, portable audio devices, and the like.
Radio transceivers that allow two-way communications have long been used by police, firefighters, ski patrol, and others. In addition, a new class of two-way radio transceivers has recently gained broad acceptance by the general public for recreational use. Modern radio transceivers are small and light-weight enough to be carried and even used during physical activities such as walking, biking, and skiing.
The present invention relates to holders for small devices such as radios that allow these devices to be used during strenuous physical activities. The present invention is particularly suited for use during physical activities, such as mountain biking or skiing, in which the device may interfere with the activity or that require use of the hands.

Systems and methods for holding portable electronic devices


A method of mapping processes to processors in a parallel computing environment where a parallel application is to be run on a cluster of nodes wherein at least one of the nodes has multiple processors sharing a common memory, the method comprising using compiler based communication analysis to map Message Passing Interface processes to processors on the nodes, whereby at least some more heavily communicating processes are mapped to processors within nodes. Other methods, apparatus, and computer readable media are also provided.

High performance computing (HPC) involves the use of parallel supercomputers and/or computer clusters. A computer cluster is a computing system that consists of multiple (usually mass-produced) processors linked together forming a single system.
Parallel computing typically refers to the simultaneous use of multiple computer resources to solve a computational problem. The multiple computer resources could be a single computer with multiple processors, an arbitrary number of computers or nodes connected via a network, or a combination thereof.
Parallel computing saves time and is advantageous for solving larger problems. Parallel computing is currently used in a number of industry segments, which for example include, the energy industry (e.g. for seismic analysis, and reservoir analysis), the financial industry (e.g., for derivative analysis, actuarial analysis, asset liability management, portfolio risk analysis, and statistical analysis), manufacturing (e.g., for mechanical or electric design, process simulation, finite element analysis, and failure analysis), life sciences (e.g., for drug discovery, protein folding, and medical imaging), media (e.g., for bandwidth consumption analysis, digital rendering, and gaming), government (e.g., for collaborative research, weather analysis, and high energy physics, etc. Uses of such parallel computing in other areas are of course possible.
In high performance computing, multiple types of parallel computer architectures exist, which for example include shared multiprocessor systems and distributed memory systems. For example, a Shared Multi-Processor (SMP) system typically includes multiple processors sharing a common memory system.
In a distributed memory system, a cluster is defined by multiple nodes that communicate with each other using a high speed interconnect. A node typically includes a collection of cores or processors that share a single address space. Each node has its own CPU, memory, operating system, and I/O subsystem (e.g., a computer box with one or multiple processors or cores is a node). In a distributed memory system, a master node is typically assigned, which is configured to divide work between several slave nodes communicatively connected to the master node. The slave nodes work on their respective tasks and intercommunicate among themselves if there is any need to do so. The slave nodes return back to the master node. The master node assembles the results and further distributes work.
A SMP is more expensive and less scalable than a Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) system. However, programming is easier in an MPP system because all data is available to all processors.
A disadvantage with a distributed memory system is that each node has access to only its own memory. A further disadvantage is that data structures must be duplicated and sent over the network if other nodes want access to them, leading to network problems.
In high performance computing, there are multiple programming models. There is a single program multiple data (SPMD) model and a multiple program multiple data (MPMD) model. In a SPMD model, a single program is run on multiple processors with different data. In a MPMD model, different programs are run on different processors and different tasks may use different data.
For SPMD, in order to have an executable program run on multiple CPUs, a protocol or interface is required to obtain parallelism. Methods to obtain parallelism include automatic parallelization (auto-parallel), requiring no source code modification, open multi-processing (OpenMP), requiring slight source code modification, or a message passing system such as Message Passing Interface (MPI), a standard requiring extensive source code modification. Hybrids such as auto-parallel and MPI or OpenMP and MPI are also possible.
Two versions of the MPI standard are currently popular: Version 1.2 (MPI-1), and Version 2.1 (MPI-2). MPI has become a de facto standard for communication among processes that model a parallel program running on a distributed memory system. Most MPI implementations consist of a specific set (library) of routines (API) that can be called from Fortran, C, C++, or from any other language capable of interfacing with such routine libraries.
The assignee of the present application is an implementer of the MPI standard. Also, an implementation known as MPICH is available from the Argonne National Laboratory's website www.anl.gov. Argonne National Laboratory has continued developing MPICH, and now offers MPICH 2, which is an implementation of the MPI standard.
An example of an MPI call is init MPI_Init(int*argc, char***argv), used for MPI initialization, which is the first routine called.
Different processes have ID numbers known as ranks. Ranks are used to identify the source and destination of a message, as well as to allow different processors to execute different code simultaneously. Rank is defined as a number ranging from 0 to size-1 (where size is the total number of processes), which identifies a process uniquely. The rank of each running process in an MPI application is set up by an MPI call MPI_Comm_Rank( ) at runtime. The ranks remain unchanged throughout the lifetime of the MPI application.
Point-to-point communication is communication between two processes. A source process sends a message to a destination process. A destination process receives the message. Communication takes place within a communicator. The destination process is identified by its rank within the communicator. MPIs send calls include MPI_Send (Standard), which lets MPI decide whether outgoing messages will be buffered; MPI_BSend (Buffered), which can be started whether or not a matching receive has been posted, which may complete before a matching receive has been posted, MPI_SSend (Synchronous), which can be started whether or not a matching receive as been posted and which will complete successfully only if a matching receive is posted; and MPI_RSend(Ready) which completes immediately and which can be started only if the matching receive has already been posted.
MPI_Bcast is an MPI call using which a selected processor broadcasts or sends to all other processors. MPI_Scatter( ) spreads an array to other processors. The source is an array on the sending processor. Each receiver, including the sender, gets a piece of the array corresponding to its rank in the communicator.
These are just a few of multiple function calls available for MPI. Others can easily be learned by reviewing readily available information about MPI.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


InxGa1xe2x88x92xAs structures with compositionally graded buffers grown with organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMPVE) on GaAs substrates. A semiconductor structure and a method of processing such a structure including providing a substrate of GaAs; and epitaxially growing a relaxed graded layer of InxGa1xe2x88x92xAs at a temperature ranging upwards from about 600xc2x0 C.

The invention relates to the field of lattice-mismatched epitaxy, and in particular to the field of creating lattice-mismatched devices based on relaxed InGaAs alloys.
Most electronic and optoelectronic devices that require layers deposited by epitaxial growth utilize lattice-matched epitaxial layers, i.e. the crystal structure of the layer has the same lattice constant as that of the substrate. This lattice-matching criterion has been important in creating high quality materials and devices, since lattice-mismatch will create stress and in turn introduce dislocations and other defects into the layers. The dislocations and other defects will often degrade device performance, and more importantly, reduce the reliability of the device.
The applications of lattice-mismatched layers are numerous. In the InGaAs material system, one important composition is in the range of 20-30% In. These compositions would allow the fabrication of 1.3 xcexcm optical devices on GaAs substrates, as well as high electron mobility transistors with superior performance on GaAs substrates. Alloys in the desired composition range are lattice-mismatched to GaAs and InP substrates, and therefore usually suffer from high dislocation densities. One known method to minimize the number of dislocations reaching the surface of a relaxed, mismatched layer is to compositionally grade the material (in this case through grading the In composition) so that the lattice-mismatched is reduced over a great thickness.
Compositional grading is typically accomplished in InGaAs alloys by grading the In composition at a low temperature of growth, typically less than 500xc2x0 C. The dominant technique for depositing these relaxed layers in the InGaAs system has been molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The MBE has a limited growth rate, and therefore the growth of these relaxed buffers is tedious and costly. A supply of virtual InGaAs substrates (i.e., a GaAs substrate with a relaxed InGaAs layer of high quality at the surface) would be in demand commercially, since the user could buy the substrate and deposit the device layers without having to deposit the graded InGaAs layer. To create a supply of these wafers at low cost, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) offers greater potential.
There have been no successful reports of high quality relaxed graded InGaAs layers grown by MOCVD. There are fundamental materials problems with InGaAs graded layers grown in a certain temperature window. Thus, most attempts to grow relaxed layers with MOCVD have most likely failed for attempting to grow the layers under standard conditions, i.e. temperatures in the deleterious window.
It is therefore an object of the invention that with the appropriate grading rate, there is an unforeseen higher temperature window, which can be accessed with MOCVD and not MBE, in which high quality relaxed InGaAs alloys can be grown. Relaxed InGaAs grown with MOCVD in this temperature range have the economic advantages of using the MOCVD technique, as well as creating completely relaxed InGaAs layers of high quality.
Another object of the invention is to allow the fabrication of relaxed high quality InGaAs alloys on GaAs substrate with the MOCVD deposition technique. These virtual InGaAs substrates can be used in a variety of applications, in particular 1.3 xcexcm optical devices and high-speed microwave transistors can be fabricated on such substrates. It is a further object of the invention to disclose the appropriate conditions during growth in which it is possible to achieve high quality material and devices using this InGaAs/GaAs.
InxGa1xe2x88x92xAs structures with compositionally graded buffers grown with organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMPVE) on GaAs substrates and characterized with plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (PV-TEM and X-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Surface roughness experiences a maximum at growth temperatures near 550xc2x0 C. The strain fields from misfit dislocations induce a deleterious defect structure in the  less than 110  greater than  directions. At growth temperatures above and below this temperature, the surface roughness is decreased significantly; however, only growth temperatures above this regime ensure nearly complete relaxed graded buffers with the most uniform composition caps and highest quality material. With the optimum growth temperature for grading InxGa1xe2x88x92xAs determined to be 700xc2x0 C., it was possible to produce In0.33Ga0.67As diodes on GaAs with threading dislocation densities  less than 8.5xc3x97106/cm2.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of processing semiconductor materials, including providing a substrate of GaAs; and epitaxially growing a relaxed graded layer of InxGa1xe2x88x92xAs at a temperature ranging upwards from about 600xc2x0 C.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor structure including a substrate of GaAs, and a relaxed graded layer of InxGa1xe2x88x92xAs which is epitaxially grown at a temperature ranging upwards from about 600xc2x0 C.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.


A solid-state imaging device is provided which has preferable linearity of signal outputs according to light intensities and does not cause dark defects even at a low light intensity. The solid-state imaging device comprises: a ring gate having a non-uniform width; a source region formed inside the ring gate; a drain region formed surrounding a circumference of the ring gate; and a carrier pocket formed under the ring gate, wherein a region where (X divided by Y) is the smallest substantially coincides with a region where Z is the shortest; X is a pocket-to-source distance; Y is a pocket-to-drain distance; and Z is a source-to-drain distance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device providing high image quality and low power consumption and, especially, a solid-state imaging device, having a ring-shaped gate, which can obtain signal outputs by modulating threshold voltages (Vth) in accordance with subject light.
2. Related Art
As solid-state imaging devices to be built in cellular phones, etc., there are two types of image sensors: charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors; and CMOS image sensors. CCD image sensors are superior in image quality, while CMOS image sensors consume lower power and process cost. In recent years, proposals have been made for MOS imaging devices employing threshold voltage modulation which provides both high image quality and low power consumption. A type of MOS imaging device providing threshold voltage modulation is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Serial No. 2513981.
The image sensor disclosed in Japanese Patent Serial No. 2513981 obtains image outputs by arranging sensor cells, which correspond to unit pixels, in a matrix and repeating a three-state cycle of initialization, storage and read-out. Each unit pixel of the image sensor has a photodiode for storage, a modulation transistor for read-out, and an overflow drain gate for initialization. The gate of the modulation transistor is ring-shaped.
A light-generated charge generated by incident light entering the photodiode is transferred to a P-well region provided under the ring gate and stored in a carrier pocket formed in the region. The light-generated charge stored in the carrier pocket changes the threshold voltage (Vth) of the modulation transistor, which makes it possible to obtain a pixel signal corresponding to the incident light from a terminal (source contact) coupled to the source region of the modulation transistor.
FIG. 8 is a schematic top-view drawing of a modulation transistor unit of an image sensor.
The image sensor shown in FIG. 8 has a photodiode 110 and a modulation transistor 101 adjacent to each other for each unit pixel on a board. A gate 102 of the modulation transistor 101 is formed in a ring. In an opening at the center of the ring gate 102, a source region 104 is formed. A gate contact is formed, though not illustrated, on part of the surface of the ring gate 102. Provided around the ring gate 102 is a drain region 106. A light-generated charge (carrier) generated by incident light entering the photodiode 110 is stored in a carrier pocket 108, which is a ring-shaped narrow band formed in a P-well region provided under the ring gate 102. When the stored charge changes the threshold voltage (Vth) of the modulation transistor 101, a pixel signal corresponding to the incident light can be output from a source contact 105 coupled to the source region 104 of the modulation transistor 101. By applying bias voltages of, for example, 5V and 0V to a drain contact 107 and the source contact 105, respectively, electric current flows between the drain and the source in accordance with the intensity of incident light entering the photodiode 110, and a signal output is output from the source contact 105.
If a locally low-potential region 109 is formed at part of the carrier pocket 108 under the ring gate 102 due to, for example, an uneven impurity concentration within the well, carriers (holes) are not stored uniformly in the carrier pocket 108 which is ring-shaped, but stored first in the locally low-potential region 109 when light enters the photodiode 110. If there is no locally low-potential region 109, an electric current-flow path (hereinafter referred to as "current path") from all directions of the region (drain region 106) outside the circumference of the ring gate 102 toward the source region 104 is formed, and electric current flows uniformly on this path. In the latter case, a signal starts being output linearly from the time the amount of stored electric charges is still small (see line g in FIG. 9). Whereas, if there is the locally low-potential region 109, electric current does not flow from all directions of the region (drain region 106) outside the circumference of the ring gate 102 toward the source region 104, but starts flowing into the locally low-potential region 109. Therefore, low light intensity results in the slow rising of signal outputs, worsening linearity (see line h in FIG. 9), and thereby causing dark defects.
Similar problems are disclosed in, for example, FIG. 15 and FIG. 17 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-65138. However, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-65138, a countermeasure is taken by forming a current path in a specific region in accordance with impurity distribution instead of a configuration forming a gate in a ring shape. Also, examples of forming a ring-shaped gate are shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-164527, as well as Japanese Patent Serial No. 2513981 (discussed above).
As described above, local non-uniformity of potential in the carrier pocket on the ring gate has been causing a problem of dark defects when the amount of stored electric charges is small, that is, when the light intensity is low.
Accordingly, the present invention has been developed in view of the above problem and aims to provide a solid-state imaging device which has preferable linearity of signal outputs according to light intensities and does not cause dark defects even at a low light intensity.