The present invention is a case for a stick product that prevents the release of the stick product from the holder cup the case comprises an inner sleeve having a wall and a longitudinal track within the wall. The longitudinal track has a first upper lateral segment and a second upper lateral segment, said first upper lateral segment having a ramp. An outer sleeve is fitted about the inner sleeve so as to be able to rotate with respect to the inner sleeve, said outer sleeve having an inner wall, an outer wall, and a helical track along the inner wall. A holder cup is fitted into the inner sleeve. The holder cup comprises a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface. A lug is attached to the outer surface and extends through the longitudinal track to engage the helical track. A bellows portion is located below the lug and comprises part of the shell of the holder cup, said bellows capable of occupying a first stretched position and a second contracted position. When the bellows is in the stretched position, the stick product can be easily inserted into the holder cup without damaging the stick itself. In the contracted position, the bellows forms ridges which grip and penetrate the stick product, thus holding the product in place.

Generally, when lipsticks are manufactured, the cases are assembled separately from the molding of the lipstick product itself. After the assembly of the case and the molding of the stick, the holder cup is placed in the advanced position, ready to receive the lipstick product. Then the lipstick product is placed within the holder cup of the case, the holder cup is moved into the retracted position, a cover is placed on the case, and the case is ready for sale to a consumer
The means by which the stick product is held in the cup is usually via a friction fit between the stick product and the inner wall of the holder cup. These two elements, the holder cup and the stick product, are dimensioned so that a proper friction fit is obtained. The problem with this means of holding the stick product in the holder cup is that, over time, the dimensions of the stick product often will change due to a number of different causes. For example, the dimensions of stick products change due to the method of cooling of the product after molding or filling into the holder cup whereby the cooling causes product to shrink.
Also, with the increasing use of volatile ingredients within the formulations for stick products, shrinkage problems are a concern. These volatile ingredients tend to evaporate, which then causes the product to shrink, thereby causing the friction fit between the cup and the product to be insufficient to hold the product in place during a shock to the case. In either case, when this happens, a once proper fit between the holder cup and the product will no longer be sufficient to hold the product in place. Once shrinkage has occurred to the point where the fit between the holder cup and the product is insufficient to hold the product in place, a small shock to the case will cause the product to release. Once the product has released from the holder cup, it is virtually useless to the consumer.
Current holder cups try to remedy this problem in a number of different ways. Some cups provide a holder wall which protrudes from the bottom of the holder cup, so that when the stick product is inserted into the holder cup a greater surface area of contact between the product and the holder cup is provided (see DE Patent No. 3319031). Along the same premise of increasing the contact surface area, longitudinally extending internal ribs are added to the holder cup as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,680 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,134. U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,070, provides that the longitudinally extending internal ribs be a dove-tail design to further provide greater contact area and to hold the stick in place after shrinkage of the stick has occurred.
With the new formulations of stick products that contain a considerable amount of volatile ingredients, the frictional forces created by the above mentioned configurations of holder cups may not be sufficient to hold the product in place after shrinkage of the stick has occurred and then the case experiences a shock. Insufficient frictional force is available after the stick shrinks because the aforementioned holder cups all pre-form grooves within the stick product when the stick is inserted into the holder cup. The product then shrinks away from the pre-formed grooves, thereby lessening the contact surface and the frictional forces.
WO 9632031 provides for a holder cup that employs the use of a spike which penetrates a lipstick to hold the lipstick in place. This spike is either attached to a snap-ring or an arm. Both embodiments allow the spike to pass through an aperture in the holder cup, thereby puncturing a lipstick. This type of holder cup is effective in holding a stick product in place after shrinkage because a groove is not formed when the product is inserted into the holder cup. However, these embodiments require additional assembly or may be difficult to manufacture via known holder cup molding techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,727 discloses the use of spring elements provided on the lipstick holder to aid in holding the lipstick mass in place. These spring elements are pressed into the lipstick to form rear-engaging lugs as the lipstick holder is retracted into the case. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that the rear-engaging lugs do not lock in place after they are pressed into the lipstick.
An alternative configuration holder cup is one which utilizes horizontal ribs in order to assist in securing the mass within the cup. This type of holder cup, however, also requires the use of new machinery and manufacturing methods. With the traditional method of manufacture for a longitudinal ribbed cup, the stick product is heated and poured into a mold of the desired shape. After the stick has cooled and sufficiently solidified, the stick is removed from the mold and placed within the holder cup of a pre-assembled case. When using a horizontal ribbed cup, instead of first filling the stick product within a separate mold, the stick is molded within the holder cup itself and then the case is assembled around the stick. This modified method of manufacture and assembly requires the enormous expense of the purchase of new machinery and the retraining of personnel. If, however, the stick was molded and subsequently inserted into a holder cup with horizontal ribs, assembly of the salable product would be impossible without destroying or substantially deforming the stick product. Moreover, after the stick is deformed by the horizontal ribs, a frictional force sufficient to hold the stick within the cup upon a shock to the case is not likely to be obtained.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a stick product case which will secure the stick product in place when the case is exposed to a shock.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a stick product case that is simple to manufacture.
Another purpose of this invention is to provide a stick product case which will continue to hold a stick product in place even after the product changes its dimensions.
Further, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a stick product case which is a relatively simple device that avoids interference with package aesthetics.


A driver extension with hand knobs is shown and described. The driver extension with hand knobs includes an elongated rod. The elongated rod has a first end opposite a second end. The first end of the elongated rod is a tool attachment end. The second end of the elongated rod is a securement end for a socket or a screwdriver. A pair of opposing hand knobs are secured along the elongated rod extending away from the elongated rod. The knobs are positioned in the same plane.

The present invention relates to driver extensions with hand knobs. More particularly, the present invention provides a socket extension or screwdriver extension with hand knobs location thereon.
There are several different common types of tools that are used to tighten and secure fasteners. One of these tools is a socket wrench. Typically, socket wrenches have different sized attachments that are used in order to tighten the fastener. Often an extender is used to move the attachment away from the tool making it easier to use. In some instances, however, the socket wrench is still difficult to position in a small space. In this instance it can be difficult to secure the fastener solely by grasping the extender without the wrench.
Another tool that is used to secure items together via a fastener is a power drill and a screwdriver extension. Often an individual that has a power drill and interchangeable screwdriver heads does not also carry a screwdriver. This means that in areas where the drill does not easily fit it can be difficult to use a screw to fasten items together. An extension of this nature is often narrow with no gripping section as this is not the intended use.
Consequently, there is a need for an improvement in the art of hand tools. The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art while at the same time solves a problem many people face when fastening items in small spaces using varying tools. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.


A refrigerated merchandiser including a case defining a product display area to support product and a refrigeration system at least partially coupled to the case to condition the product display area. The case includes case structure at least partially exposed to the product display area. The merchandiser also includes a heat guide that is in communication with cold air within the product display area, and a heat source that is coupled to the case structure within the product display area. The heat source is further coupled to the heat guide by a thermal recovery device. The heat guide forms a bridge between the thermal recovery device and the cold air in the product display area such that power is generated based on a temperature difference across the thermal recovery device.

The present invention relates to a refrigerated merchandiser, and more particularly, to a refrigerated merchandiser including a light assembly and a thermal recovery device that generates power based on a temperature difference associated with the light assembly.
Conventional light assemblies generally include a frame or bracket that attach to a portion of a merchandiser (e.g., shelf, mullion, canopy) and that support a light (e.g., LEDs) for illuminating a display area of the merchandiser. Existing light fixtures are often secured to the merchandiser using a magnet or a fastener (e.g., screw or bolt).

Merchandiser including power-generating thermal recovery system


Tasks to be performed for a user can be outsourced to a workload service operable to process those types of tasks. Information for the tasks, such as code to be executed and data to be processed, can be stored to a queue for the workload service. The workload service can pull the task when an appropriate resource is available and provide the result to the user. The user can be charged only for the approximate time of the processing, without need to obtain the resource for an extended period of time resulting in unused capacity. The user can take advantage of queuing, data, and code storage services whereby tasks can contain pointers to code, data, and other information needed for a task. The workload service can pre-load the supporting code or information needed to provide an environment in which code of the type for the user task can be executed.

As an increasing number of applications and services are being made available over networks such as the Internet, an increasing number of content, application, and service providers are turning to technologies such as remote resource sharing and cloud computing. Cloud computing, in general, is an approach to providing access to electronic resources through services, such as Web services, where the hardware and software used to support those services is dynamically scalable to meet the needs of the services at any given time. A user or customer typically will rent, lease, or otherwise pay for access to resources through the cloud, and thus does not have to purchase and maintain the hardware and/or software to provide access to these resources.
In many environments, a customer utilizing a cloud resource, such as a virtual server, must still obtain dedicated access to that server for at least a period of time. For example, certain cloud vendors charge for servers by the hour for an amount of resource capacity, and the customer must pay for that hour of capacity independent of how much capacity the customer actually utilizes. Such an approach can be particularly problematic when a customer has scheduled jobs or tasks that can occur concurrently, as the customer must obtain enough capacity to handle the concurrent tasks even though the capacity will be largely unused during other periods of time. Certain systems enable a customer to sell at least a portion of the resource capacity that has been provisioned for that customer to one or more other users, but such an approach generally enables those other users to obtain that capacity for a period of time that might prevent the customer from being able to utilize the capacity when needed. Further, the customer might have code that the customer wants executed on the resource, and the code would have to be reinstalled and a server or instance restarted each time the customer takes the resource back from another customer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Queued workload service in a multi tenant environment


A power inlet box suitable for outdoor or external use is configured in such a manner so as to prevent moisture from entering the power inlet enclosure. A hinged lid assembly is installable directly on the top face of a flanged power inlet enclosure to provide a face seal therewith. The hinged lid assembly has a cover and a base that form a tongue-and-groove seal, thus providing a first line of defense from moisture or other contaminants entering the inlet. As a second line of defense, a tapered stopper is provided on the inside of the cover to provide a stopper seal. A lateral seal is provided at the hinge point of the hinged lid assembly to prevent moisture from entering the hinge area where a tongue-and-groove seal is not present.

The present invention relates to a power inlet box, which is typically mounted to the exterior of a building and which provides an inlet for the supply of electrical power from an auxiliary power source such as a generator, and more particularly, pertains to a power inlet box equipped with an protective lid to prevent outside elements from entering the power inlet.
In an auxiliary power supply system, a remote power generator is interconnected with a power inlet box, which is typically mounted to the exterior of a building or dwelling. The power inlet box is, in turn, typically interconnected with a transfer switching arrangement, which is connected to the main electrical panel or load center of the building. A cord is interconnected with the power outlet of the generator and with a power inlet receptacle or socket associated with the power inlet box for providing power from the generator through the power inlet box to the transfer panel, and ultimately to the main electrical panel in order to supply power to certain circuits of the building in the event of a power outage or the like.
Prior art power inlet boxes generally include a base member adapted to be mounted to a wall of the building, and a cover member or assembly that is movably interconnected with the base member. The base member defines an internal cavity, and the cover member is configured to enclose the internal cavity. The power inlet includes an access cover, which is pivotable between a closed position in which the access cover prevents access to the power receptacle socket structure, and an open position providing access to the power receptacle socket structure. Other prior art power inlet boxes having a base member and a cover assembly are known wherein a power inlet is mounted to a bottom wall of the cover assembly such that the inlet is openly accessible from beneath the power inlet box.
With such conventional power inlet boxes, moisture and dirt may easily enter the power inlet box through the many air gaps and openings provided between the base member and the cover.
In order to prevent ingress of moisture, dirt and other contaminants, which may damage the electrical components, the current state-of-the art for power inlet boxes involves a generally circular spring-loaded lid that closes against a generally circular base element, into which a flanged socket-type inlet is installed. In order to protect the flanged inlet and the interior of the enclosure into which the flanged inlet is installed from the outside elements, current units have utilized gaskets to provide a weatherproof seal. Gaskets are typically made from a resilient material, e.g., neoprene rubber, which is able to deform and tightly fill any space irregularities. However, gaskets are expensive, difficult to install, and are prone to failure from loss of compliance over time due to compression set, temperature aging, tearing, adhesion to the cover, and a host of other issues.
The present invention seeks to improve upon such prior art by providing a gasketless assembly for a power inlet protection lid, while still providing the weatherproofing feature desired.

Gasketless flip lid for a flanged power inlet receptacle


In a micronanobubble reaction vessel 3 of wastewater treatment equipment, wastewater containing organic matter is treated with micronanobubbles. Thereafter, the wastewater is introduced into an aeration tank 7. Part of organic matter in the wastewater is oxidized in the micronanobubble reaction vessel 3 by micronanobubble treatment prior to treatment with activity of microorganisms enhanced in the aeration tank 7. After organic matter load is thus reduced, the treatment water is introduced into the aeration tank 7, in which microorganisms exist in high concentration due to submerged membranes 17, so that the organic matter in wastewater can be effectively treated. This makes it possible to accomplish miniaturization of the aeration tank 7, reduction in scale of the whole equipment and therefore reduction in initial cost. Also, a photocatalyst tank 22 is provided downstream of the aeration tank 7, so that a minute amount of organic matter unaffected by the microbial treatment alone can be oxidized at high-level by using a photocatalyst plate 24.

Conventionally, general microbial treatment systems have an aeration tank with a large capacity, which makes it difficult for factories having smaller installation areas to install the aeration tank. This gives rise to a demand for wastewater treatment methods and wastewater treatment equipment which has a small installation area therefor as well as good performance.
The high-concentration microbial treatment system with use of a submerged membrane suffers a problem of reduction in filtered water amount due to clogging of the submerged membrane as time passes. This gives rise to a demand for a method which makes it possible to effectively clean oil and fat content on the surface of the submerged membrane that causes clogging, even when the clogging of the submerged membrane occurs.
In the case of systems involving only the high-concentration microbial treatment, or in the case of requiring further advanced treatment, treatment of activated carbon adsorption is sometimes added. This causes a problem of higher running cost due to replacement of activated carbon after adsorption of organic matter or the like. This gives rise to a demand for a method which can effectively be cleaned oil and fat content on the surface of the submerged membrane that causes clogging, even when the clogging of the submerged membrane occurs.
As another prior art, JP2004-121962A has disclosed a treatment method and a treatment device with use of nanobubbles.
This prior art utilizes characteristics of nanobubbles such as decrease in buoyancy, increase in surface area, increase in surface activity, generation of local high pressure fields, a surface active property and an antiseptic property which are attained by achievement of electrostatic polarization. More specifically, this prior art has disclosed that the correlation among these characteristics shows a fouling component adsorption function, a substance surface high-speed cleaning function and an antiseptic function, so that it becomes possible to clean various substances with high performance and low environmental load so as to purify contaminated water.
As yet another prior art, JP 2003-334548A has disclosed a nanobubble generation method.
In the nanobubble generation method according to this prior art, there is provided with (1) a step for gasifying part of liquid by decomposition in liquids, (2) a step for applying ultrasonic waves in liquids, or (3) a step for gasifying part of liquid by decomposition and a step for applying ultrasonic waves.
Both these two prior arts have disclosed purification of contaminated water by using nanobubbles or removal of dirt on the surface of solids by using nanobubbles. However, the two prior arts fail to disclose any technology for enhancing efficiency in treatment and quality of treated water by increasing the activity of microorganisms when treating wastewater containing organic matter with use of microorganisms.

Wastewater treatment method and wastewater treatment equipment


A wave-guiding system and method for mode-selective transmission of a spatially coherent light beam is disclosed. The system comprises a wave-guide with an inlet and an outlet for transmitting one or more modes; a first mode-shaping optical element for shaping the spatially coherent light beam before it enters through the inlet of the wave-guide to a desired mode of the wave-guide; and a second mode-shaping optical element for shaping light beam after it exits from the outlet of the wave-guide for obtaining a desired vectorial field.

Hollow waveguides present an alternative to solid core fibers at the infra-red (IR) regime where suitable optical materials are scarce. In addition, due to their air core, they can be used for broad-spectrum high power transmission as they suffer from small insertion losses. As a result, hollow waveguides are used in industrial and medical applications involving CO2 and Er:YAG lasers as well as for spectroscopic and radiometric measurements. In 1897, Lord Rayleigh was the first to consider using hollow metallic waveguides for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation. However, he considered the metal to be a perfect conductor, thus his solution is inadequate in optical regimes where metal behaves more like a lossy dielectric. In 1961, Snitzer presented a general treatment for the propagation of electromagnetic fields inside cylindrical waveguides of arbitrary material. A convenient approximation for circular metallic waveguides was later presented by Marcatili and Schmeltzer in 1964. In 1984, Kawakami and Miyagi proposed an improved design in which an additional inner dielectric multilayer stack is used to reduce transmission losses. Recently, a new design for a circular hollow Bragg waveguide, which is a type of photonic band gap fiber, has been presented [S. Johnson, M. Ibanescu, M. Skorobogatiy, O. Weisberg, T. Engeness, M. Soljacic, S. Jacobs, J. Joannopoulos, and Y. Fink, "Low-loss asymptotically single-mode propagation in large-core OmniGuide fibers," Opt. Express 9, 748-779 (2001), and B. Temelkuran, S. D. Hart, G. Benoit, J. D. Joannopoulos, Y. Fink, "Wavelength-scalable hollow optical fibres with large photonic bandgaps for CO2 laser transmission", Nature 420, 650 (2002)]. In this case, guiding is obtained by reflection from a periodic dielectric layers rather than by metal cladding. Therefore, the waveguide performance is no longer limited by the metallic losses.
A hollow waveguide supports vectorial modes in a manner determined by its structure and material composition. It is customary to classify the modes: transverse electric-TE0m, transverse magnetic-TM0m, and hybrid-HEnm, and EHnm-modes. The integers n, m>0 denote the azimuthal and radial mode orders. The commonly used modes of circular hollow waveguides are the TE01 and HE11; The TE01 is an azimuthal linearly polarized vectorial vortex having a dark central core. This mode possesses the least amount of loss in a bare circular metallic hollow waveguide as well as in the circular hollow Bragg waveguide; The HE11 mode is linearly polarized and has a bright central core. It is the lowest order mode in terms of waveguide cutoff. It is important to note that a general hollow waveguide mode has a spatially varying polarization state, with the exception of the linearly polarized HE1m set of modes.
While current applications of hollow waveguides, such as power delivery, rely on multimode operation, future applications might benefit from the ability to excite only a single waveguide mode. Such applications include hollow waveguide lasers and single TE01 mode circular Bragg waveguides. We expect that additional applications of hollow waveguides might emerge once higher order modes are exploited. For example, the mode's dark core increment with azimuthal mode order n might prove useful for blue detuned atom guiding. Also higher order modes can be used for dispersion compensation.
Coupling a single hollow waveguide mode requires matching the phase, amplitude, and polarization state. Phase and amplitude matching methods are well developed and can be achieved by conventional optical devices, irregular waveguides, and diffractive or holographic optics. However, matching the polarization state is more challenging. Several techniques for this purpose exist such as liquid crystal spatial light modulators, interferometric techniques, and lasers with intra-cavity optical devices. However, all these methods are either cumbersome, have low power thresholds or inadequate in the IR regime.
Recently, we have demonstrated spatial polarization state manipulation by space-variant subwavelength gratings [E. Hasman, G. Biener, A. Niv, and V. Kleiner, "Space-variant polarization manipulation," in Progress in Optics, vol. 47, E. Wolf ed. (Elsevier, Netherlands, Amsterdam, 2005)]. These devices act as waveplates with space-variant orientations and as inhomogeneous anisotropic subwavelength structures, they are particularly well suited for polarization manipulation. As the optical properties of these devices stem from the geometric Pancharatnam-Berry phase, they are called Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements (PBOEs). PBOEs are both compact and efficient optical devices. They were used for the formation of propagation invariant vectorial Bessel beams [A. Niv, G. Biener, V. Kleiner, and E. Hasman, "Propagation-invariant vectorial Bessel beams obtained by use of quantized Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements," Opt. Lett. 29, 238-240], rotating vectorial vortices [A. Niv, G. Biener, V. Kleiner, and E. Hasman, "Rotating vectorial vortices produced by space-variant subwavelength gratings," Opt. Lett. 30, 2933-2935 (2005)], and for the excitation of a vectorial hollow waveguide mode in the 1.55 μm wavelength regime [W. S. Mohammed, A. Mehta, M. Pitchumani, and E. G. Johnson, "Selective excitation of the TE01 mode in hollow-glass waveguide using a subwavelength grating", Photon. Technol. Lett. 17, 1441 (2005)]. Furthermore, we have presented the use of PBOEs for the coupling and inverse coupling of free-space linearly polarized beams to a hollow waveguide's azimuthally polarized vectorial TE02 mode [Y. Yirmiyahu, A. Niv, G. Biener, V. Kleiner, and E. Hasman, "Vectorial vortex mode transformation for a hollow waveguide using Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements," Opt. Lett. 31, 3252-3254 (2006)].
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a general approach for coupling free space beams to any of the hollow waveguide modes, thus enabling single mode operation.

Apparatus and method for excitation of a single mode in a waveguide

Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd.


When lack of a part data on a time code included in a received standard radio wave is detected, the lack is filled up with a corresponding data part of another time code. The time of a radio-wave timepiece is corrected in accordance with the time code whose lack has been filled up.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radio-wave receivers, radio-wave timepieces, and radio-wave reception integrated circuits.
2. Background Art
At present, standard radio waves including time codes are available in many countries including Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland and Japan in the world. In Japan, long-wave standard radio waves of 40 and 60 kHz amplitude-modulated with time code formats transmitted by two transmission stations installed in Fukushima and Saga prefectures are available. Each time a unit digit of a number indicative of minutes of correct time is updated, or at intervals of one minute, a time code of the radio wave is sent out in the form of a frame of 60 seconds.
At present, radio-wave timepieces are commercially available which receive the standard radio waves and correct the time that they count (hereinafter referred often to as "internal time" of the timepieces) (see TOKKAIHEIS 7-198878, 5-157859 and -142363 publications).
Generally, the radio-wave timepieces receive the standard radio waves at a predetermined time, for example at 2 o'clock, once per day. The reason for this is that time correction made substantially once per day suffices for accurate timekeeping in terms of an error involving the time counting and a time interval at which the time correction is performed. Reception of the radio waves at all times for time correction would increase power consumed in the radio-wave reception circuits of the timepieces.
However, with a radio-wave timepiece of the wristwatch type, power consumption is a problem that directly involves the continuously operable time of the wristwatch. Thus, even more reduction of the power consumption is required. To this end, various techniques are invented in which the operating time of the radio-wave reception circuit is minimized as much as possible. For example, an invention is known in which correction of the whole internal time by receiving the whole time code involving one frame included in the standard radio wave and correction of the "second" part of the internal time by using a signal called an M signal appearing when the time code is switched are selectively employed as requested (see TOKKAI 2000-235093 publication).
At least 60 seconds are required for receiving the whole time code. Actually, reception of the radio wave must continue for more than 120 seconds because a time required for the receiving operation of the radio wave reception circuit to be stabilized and a margin time required for receiving a time code for at least one frame should be considered. When the M signal described in TOKKAI 2000-235093 publication is received, the standard radio wave must be received continuously until the M signal is received and if the time required for the receiving operation of the radio wave reception circuit to be stabilized is considered, the reception of the radio wave must continue for a time corresponding to at least one frame. Thus, the time for receiving the standard radio wave is still large.
It is an object of the present invention to provide radio-wave receivers, radio-wave timepieces and time reception apparatus in which reduced time and hence power consumption are required for reception of the standard radio wave for use in time correction.

Radio-wave timepieces and time information receivers


A neural network is disclosed in which communication between processing elements occurs by radio waves in a waveguide. Radio wave communication using common carrier signals by transceivers in a waveguide allows processing elements to communicate wirelessly and simultaneously. Each processing element includes a radio frequency transceiver and an accompanying antenna which performs the neuron summing operation because input signals simultaneously received from plural processing elements by the antenna add. The weights on each input are provided by different spatial relationships between the transmitting processing elements and the receiving processing element which causes signal strength loses through the waveguide to be different. Each receiving processing element performs a neural threshold or sigmoid operation on the summed signal received from the transceiver and then a strength (amplitude scaling) can be applied to the output before the processing element transmits that output to the other processing elements in the system. Processing elements are grouped, allowing one group to transmit while the other group is receiving. Wafer scale electronics including transceivers and analog processing elements are combined with a comparably sized waveguide to produce a compact device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a neural network in which communication between plural processing elements is accomplished simultaneously, and wirelessly, by communicating via electromagnetic waves and, more particularly, to a neural network in which each processing element includes a radio frequency transceiver receiving common carrier outputs from other neural processing elements and transmitting thresholded or non-linearly transformed common carrier outputs to other processing elements via a waveguide which spatially weights the signals between the processing elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional neural networks communicate to each other via dedicated or shared connections between processing elements. In the dedicated type in which an individual wire connection exists between each processing element, the number of connections and wires grows rapidly as the number of processing elements grow. The number of connections required for a two-layer fully connected network is N.sup.2 where N is the number of processing elements per layer. When a network has a large number of processing elements, such as 1,000, a dedicated connection arrangement, requiring 1,000,000 wires, becomes impractical both physically and economically. One solution to the connection problem is to have the processing elements share one or more buses. However, since each processing element must occupy the bus to which it is connected, during a dedicated time period in each computation cycle, the speed of a system with a large number of processing elements can be very slow.
There are numerous approaches to the neural network processing performed by each processing element (neuron). Most are based on the very simple and conventional algorithm or transfer function, ##EQU1## where Y.sub.j is the output from the j-th processing element, X.sub.i is the output from the i-th neuron, W.sub.ij is the weight of the connection between processing element i and processing element j, and .theta..sub.j is the threshold level for neuron j. This algorithm simply determines that the output from a processing element is to be activated if the weighted summation of the inputs to this processing element is greater than some pre-defined threshold. This algorithm, (and related variants) has been the center of neural research for over forty years because it is a simple mathematical model of what is believed to take place within nervous tissue. Teaching neural networks which have such a conventional algorithm to perform some desired transformation is also well known. What is needed is a neural network connection arrangement that allows large numbers of processing elements to communicate very rapidly with each other and which sufficiently conforms to the traditional way of performing neural processing element operations allowing conventional teaching methods to be used to the best advantage.

Wireless neural network and a wireless neural processing element


A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores therein an extraction program that causes a computer to execute a process including: generating a plurality of combinations of conditions relating to a plurality of item values included in data; calculating an index value that indicates a degree of cooccurrence between a specified response variable and each of the plurality of combinations, by using a machine learning model that estimates a response variable from the plurality of item values, the machine learning model having been trained by using the data; and extracting a specific combination from among the plurality of combinations based on any one of the condition and the index value.

A technique of optimizing advertising placement has been known. Particularly, in digital marketing, planning and implementation of a measure for the optimization can be done based on results of log data analysis (for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-028732).
However, the above technique has a problem that it can be difficult to increase efficiency of planning and implementation of a measure. For example, a case in which a significance of each item value in log data is calculated by logistic regression or the like, and based on the significance, analysis is further performed, combining multiple item values is considered. In this case, the number of combinations is enormous, and it is difficult to perform the analysis, considering all kinds of combinations by the related technique. Therefore, in the related technique, it can be difficult to bring the results of log data analysis to contribute to improvement of efficiency of planning and implementation of a measure.

Extraction method, extraction device, and computer-readable recording medium


A method of treating a water-swellable clay, initially having a Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2 ratio of at least 1.0, preferably at least 3.0, and most preferably in the range of about 5.0 to about 15.0, after the clay has been mined and dried. After the common initial drying of the clay to a moisture content of 12% or less, the clay is re-wetted to a moisture content of more than 12% by weight, preferably at least about 15% or more, based on the dry weight of the clay, then re-dried to a moisture content of 12% by weight or less, based on the dry weight of the clay. This re-wetting and re-drying processing of a dried clay unexpectedly improves the water absorbency, and viscosity properties; increases the effectiveness of the clays as binders in sand molds and iron ore pelletizing; unexpectedly increases the rheology properties of the clays for oilwell drilling fluids, and lost circulation fluids, and as a suspending agent in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries; improves the binding characteristics of the clays to act as a binder for iron ores, such as taconite, and sand molding (foundry industry); and provides unexpectedly increased water absorption in forming water-swellable clay-based water barriers.

Water-swellable clays that have acceptable water-swellability and colloidal properties, e.g., the non-blue bentonites having a Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2 ratio above 1.0, and preferably above 3.0, have a great number of industrial uses that rely upon the ability of the clay to absorb many times its weight in water, to provide a gel structur of sufficient strength to hold solids in suspension, and the ability of the water-swellable clays to act as a binder in forming sand molds in the metal casting industry and in pelletizing finely divided ores, e.g., iron ores, such as taconite. Some bentonite clays, such as the blue bentonites disclosed in Clem U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,442, require the uptake of calcium ions to provide acceptable water swellability and colloidal properties for industrial acceptance. The water-swellable clays useful as starting materials in accordance with the present invention are non-blue bentonites (green to greenish yellow to yellow to cream colored) that have industrially acceptable water swellability and colloidal properties and have a Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2 ratio greater than 1.0, preferably at least 3.0, and most preferably in the range of about 5.0 to about 15.0. Some of the industrial uses for these non-blue bentonites are generally described below.
1. Drilling Muds
In drilling wells by rotary methods it is a common practice to circulate, continuously, a drilling mud or fluid into and out of the borehole during the drilling operation. The drilling mud is pumped into the drill pipe from a mud pit and the mud passes down to the bottom of the borehole. The drilling mud then flows upwardly through the annular space between the borehole wall and the drill pipe, and finally flows from the borehole through a mud ditch back to the mud pit, wherein the mud is mechanically or chemically treated before recirculation through the borehole.
The drilling mud serves several purposes that influence such factors as the drilling rate, cost, efficiency and safety of the operation. The drilling mud lubricates and cools the drill bit, acts as a vehicle to carry the cuttings from the borehole, and provides sufficient equalizing hydrostatic pressure against the formation wall to prevent the borehole wall from cave-in during drilling. By using proper mud formulations, the borehole entry of gases and fluids encountered in the formations pierced by the drill is inhibited, thereby preventing possible collapse or blowouts resulting from uncontrolled influxes of these formation fluids. The drilling mud also exerts a "wall-building" effect whereby it often forms a thin filter cake on a borehole wall, thus sealing off the borehole and reducing water loss to the penetrated formations.
An acceptable mud must have body, yet be free-flowing with relatively low viscosity in order to facilitate pumping. The mud must also have an acceptable gel strength in order to suspend solid material, if circulation is interrupted, and to prevent accumulation of solids at the drill bit to avoid mechanical jamming. Acceptable drilling muds may be either oil-based or water-based, and they are normally treated to provide the rheological properties that make them particularly desirable and useful for drilling wells. For example, drilling muds may be treated with barium sulfate (barite) or lead sulfide (galena) to increase their density.
The efficiency of the drilling process is related to the velocity of the mud flowing up the annular space between the borehole wall and the drill pipe. This velocity is in turn related to the viscosity, density and flow properties of the mud. In addition, the drilling mud viscosity is known to depend upon the quality, concentration and state of dispersion of the colloidal solids of the mud. As the drilling operation proceeds, the rheological properties of the mud may be adversely affected by such factors as the nature of the drilled strata, loss or gain of water to the mud, chemically-active contaminants that may flocculate the mud, mud pH, and most importantly, the increasing temperatures and pressures encountered at deeper drilling depths. In order to maintain workable viscosities, the muds must be formulated to respond to varying circumstances and conditions encountered during use. Since improvements in efficiency are realized as the viscosity and density of a mud are increased, it is desirable to optimize drilling mud formulations to possess the highest viscosity and density workably feasible for a given formation at a given depth.
Whenever possible, usually for reasons of economy, water-based drilling muds are used throughout the drilling operation. The suspending solids in water-based drilling muds are typically clays from the kaolinite, montmorillonite or ilite groups. These clays impart desirable thixotropic properties to the drilling mud and also coat the walls of the well with a relatively impermeable sheath, commonly called a "filter cake", that retards fluid loss from the well into the formations penetrated by the well.
An exemplary montmorillonite clay that can be used in a water-based drilling mud is non-blue bentonite. The bentonite is dispersed within the water-based liquid as colloidal particles and imparts various degrees of thixotropy to the drilling mud. Non-blue, e.g., sodium bentonite, water swellable clays, that are re-wetted and re.dried, in accordance with the present invention are initially non-blue clays, e.g., are initially industrially acceptable for this purpose, having good water swellability and colloidal properties and having a sufficient ratio of Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2, at least above 1.0, preferably at least 3.0 and most preferably in the range of about 5.0 to about 15.0, and, after processing, have excellent rheological properties for use in preparing aqueous drilling muds.
2. Lost Circulation Fluid
One difficulty often encountered in rotary drilling operations involves the loss of unacceptably large amounts of the drilling mud into a porous or cracked formation penetrated by the drill. The loss of drilling mud is termed "lost circulation", and the formation is termed a "lost circulation zone" or a "thief formation".
Lost circulation occurs when the well encounters a formation either having unusually high permeability or having naturally occurring fractures, fissures, porous sand formations, cracked or cavernous formations and other types of strata characterized by crevices, channels or similar types of openings conducive to drilling fluid loss. In addition, it is also possible for a formation to be fractured by the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling mud, particularly when a changeover is made to a relatively heavy mud in order to control high internal formation pressures.
When lost circulation occurs, the drilling mud pumped into the well through the drill string enters the cracks in a cracked formation or the interstices of a porous formation and escapes from the wellbore, therefore precluding return of the drilling mud to the surface. In the most severe situation, the lost circulation zone takes the drilling mud as fast as it is pumped into the wellbore, and, in less severe situations, circulation of the drilling mud can be greatly reduced, and eventually result in a shutdown of drilling operations. Normally, the maximum amount of drilling mud loss that is tolerated before changing programs is approximately one barrel per hour. If a greater amount of drilling mud is lost, corrective measures are needed. Drilling generally is not resumed until the thief formation is closed off and circulation of the drilling mud reestablished.
The interruption of normal circulation prevents the entrainment of cuttings and other materials from the borehole, leads to reduced hydrostatic pressure, possibly followed by the influx into the wellbore of high pressure formation fluids, and can result in the flooding of oil.producing zones with mud or the like, and may eventually cause the drill string to become stuck in the borehole. Even in situations where circulation is not completely lost and some drilling mud can return to the surface, the drilling mud flowing into the lost circulation zone must be replaced continuously. If the drilling mud loss is sufficiently high, the cost of continued drilling or well operation may become prohibitive. Therefore, the lost circulation of drilling mud is a condition that must be prevented or be corrected as quickly as possible.
The best method of controlling lost circulation is to conduct a drilling program such that mud loss will not occur. However, situations exist wherein even correct drilling techniques cannot avoid lost circulation. Therefore, many methods have been used in attempts to plug the cracks or interstices of lost circulation zones to prevent the escape of drilling muds. As a result, a wide variety of materials have been pumped into the well with the drilling mud in an effort to bridge or fill the cracks or interstices of thief formations. It has been found that some materials are successful under certain drilling conditions, yet the same material is unsuccessful under other drilling conditions.
One common method is to increase the viscosity of the drilling mud or to increase the resistance of the drilling mud to flow into the formation. Another technique involves the addition of a bulk material, such as cottonseed hulls, cork, sawdust, perlite, ground walnut shells, hay, wood shavings, granular plastic, vermiculite, rock, mica flakes, leather strips, beans, peas, rice, sponges, feathers, manure, fish scales, corn cobs, glass fiber, asphalt, ground tires, burlap or other fabrics to the drilling mud. By adding these fibrous, flaky or granular solids to the drilling mud and pumping the resulting mixture into the borehole, a bridge or mat forms over the cracks or interstices responsible for drilling mud escape.
Although lost circulation zones frequently are plugged by such bulk materials, successful plugging of the thief formation is not assured. Even if large volumes of a solids.containing drilling mud are pumped into the borehole, a bridge or mat may never form over the cracks or interstices of the thief formation. Moreover, the introduction of large quantities of a drilling mud containing a relatively high percentage of bulky solids can produce pressure surges that cause further fracturing and therefore result in additional fissures for even greater drilling mud losses. Bulk materials further proved unsuccessful in sealing off porous formations because they have a tendency to deteriorate under the high drilling pressures, and therefore decrease in volume and become slimy so as to "worm" into the formation openings without forming an effective seal.
The water-swellable clays processed in accordance with the present invention are processed by starting with an industrially acceptable, e.g., non-blue bentonite clay, that is initially industrially acceptable for this purpose, having good water swellability and colloidal properties and having a sufficient ratio of Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2 above 1.0, preferably at least 3.0 and most preferably in the range of about 5.0 to about 15.0. The non-blue bentonite clay is re-wetted and re-dried, as described in more detail hereinafter and, after processing, have the ability to continue to swell and increase viscosity upon entering the interstices of a thief formation for effective plugging.
3. Foundry Industry Binders
Green sand molding is the production of molded metal objects from tempered molding sand and is the most diversified molding process used to cast ferrous as well as non.ferrous metal castings. Green sand molding is favored by foundry men because it is economical and permits both quality and quantity production. Green sand is defined as a water tempered molding sand mixture with plasticity. A green sand mold used for casting steel usually consists of silica sand, a clay binder, and/or an organic additive mulled together with temper water.
One or more binders mixed with the silica sand are essential to maintain the sand in a predetermined mold configuration. One of the most commonly employed green sand binders is clay, such as a water-swellable sodium bentonite clay or a low-swellable calcium bentonite clay. The amount of the clay binder that is used together with the sand generally depends upon the particular type of sand used in the mixture and the temperature of firing. Silica sand grains expand upon heating. When the grains are too close, the molding sand moves and expands causing the castings to show defects such as "buckles" (a deformity in the casting resulting from excessive sand expansion), "rat tails" (a rough, irregular depression that appears on the surface of a casting, or a minor buckle), and "scabs" (a breaking away of a portion of the molding sand when hot metal enters the mold). To overcome this harmful expansion, more clay is added to the sand mixture since the clay contracts upon firing thereby compensating for the expansion of the silica sand grains. In green sand molding, the reproducibility of the dimensions obtained on the casting are the result of such factors as shrinkage, changes in dimensions of mold cavity, hardness of mold, stability of molding sand, mechanical alignment of flask and maintaining a fixed temperature.
Clays have been blended in the past in an attempt to achieve acceptable combinations of premeabilities, green compression strengths and dry compression strengths in the molding sand mixture or composition. Toward this end, it is known to mix a sodium bentonite with a calcium bentonite or a kaolinite clay in an attempt to achieve the high dry compression strength of the sodium bentonite clay together with the high green compression strengths of the calcium bentonite clay and the low permeability of the kaolinite clay. See Foundry Sand Practice by Clyde A. Sanders, 6th Edition, 1973, pp. 585-590. As set forth in a co.pending application, Ser. No. 336,095 filed Apr. 11, 1989, hereby incorporated by reference, a mixture of sodium bentonites as a binder in the preparation of a foundry sand provides synergistic results with respect to green compressive strength; hot compressive strength; dry compressive strength; flowability; surface finish; activation speed; and/or shake-out. One or more of these properties are better in the blend than each of the sodium bentonites, prior to blending.
It has been found that by processing water. swellable, e.g., bentonite, clays by re-wetting and re-drying, in accordance with the present invention, by starting with non-blue, e.g., initially industrially acceptable water-swellable clays having good water swellability and colloidal properties and having a sufficient ratio of Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2 above 1 0, preferably at least 3.0 and most preferably in the range of about 5.0 to about 15.0, after processing, by re-wetting and re-drying, such clays have improved foundry properties for use as binders in the foundry industry, when used alone or in combination with other water-swellable clays.
4. Iron Ore Pelletizing
Taconite is a high.grade iron ore that consists chiefly of fine.grained silica mixed with magnetite and hematite. As the richer iron ores approach exhaustion in the United States, taconite becomes more important as a source or iron. To recover the ore mineral in a usable form for the production of iron, taconite must be finely ground, and the magnetite or hematite is concentrated by a magnetic or other process. The concentrate must be agglomerated into chunks of size and strength suitable for the blast furnace.
Industrially acceptable, non-blue, water-swellable clays, particularly sodium bentonites, have been used as binders for iron ores, such as taconite ores, in the formation of pellets having sufficient strength for subsequent processing of the iron ore pellets. Some of the important characteristics for the iron ore pellets bound with water-swellable clay are: ballability, the balling characteristics (kinetics) of the ore-water.clay mixture; wet compression strength of the pellet; resistance to fracture by impact (drop test); deformation under load; resistance to over-wetting of the pellet surface by recondensation of moisture onto the green balls in colder layers during drying; resistance to decrepitation (shock temperature), i.e. sudden pellet-spalling occurring when pellets are heated too rapidly; and dry compression strength.
Green ball agglomerates are normally produced by rolling fine ore in drums, discs or cones. Through the rolling action in the drum, the ore particles are rearranged and come into contact, with each other. At the point of contact, the liquid layers around the particles coalesce, causing a reduction of the external surface of the water film. A decrease in the free surface energy of the agglomerate is the driving force for the formation of the nuclei. During the subsequent growth, these aggregates are compacted. The porosity decreases and the pore-water is forced to the surface. In this so-called transition region, the rate of growth is maximal. Investigations into the mechanism of pellet formation have demonstrated that the kinetics of green pellet formation are extremely dependent on the free moisture content of the system.
Each system, dependent on ore and the water-swellable clay, has critical moisture limits within which strong green pellets are formed. At low moisture contents, the rate of pellet growth is slow and the pellets are brittle. The rate of pellet growth increases as the amount of moisture increases. Beyond this moisture limit, the rate of growth becomes excessive, and the pellets produced are irregular, weak and too plastic. Therefore, there exists a narrow range in which optimum pelletization results are achieved.
Since it is virtually impossible to extract water from the system, it is imperative that the binding additive must have moisture binding ability in order to control the effect of moisture in the feed. Bentonite, the most common additive, makes less water available to participate in the pelletizing process, due to an intracrystalline absorption.
The starting water-swellable clays that are processed in accordance with the present invention, by re-wetting and re-drying, are non-blue, e.g., are initially industrially acceptable for this purpose, having good water swellability and colloidal properties and having a sufficient ratio of Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2 above 1.0, preferably at least 3.0 and most preferably in the range of about 5.0 to about 15.0, and, after processing, have new and unexpected properties in pelletizing iron ores, particularly taconite.
5. Water Absorbency and Swellability
The water-swellable clays re-wetted and re.dried in accordance with the principals of the present invention are capable of new and unexpected water-absorbency and swellability making them very useful for a number of industrial products and processes. The water-swellable clays re-wetted and re-dried in accordance with the principles of the present invention provide unexpected water absorbency and swellability making the clays very suitable for use in moisture impervious panels; for preventing water contaminated with industrial waste from seeping through soil containing one or more of the treated water-swellable clays; for water.proofing compositions in non-viscous sprayable forms, or paste or putty-like forms, capable of being applied by spray methods, caulking gun, or trowel; for use together with elastomers and/or plasticisers for preventing the seepage of water through the compositions; together with other additives such as xanthan gum and/or other gums for maintaining stability in salt.contaminated water; together with other components to manufacture a flexible grout composition; for use as a water-swellable material in a layered water.sealing article of manufacture; for use in filtering contaminants from oils; for use in clarifying aqueous solutions, such as in the wine industry, and to flocculate contaminants from waste water; and for use in carbonless copy paper when acid treated.
Examples of these technologies and uses for water-swellable clays are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference: Clem U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,896; Clem U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,373; Clem U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,402; Clem U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,382; Clem U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,365; Clem U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,547; McGroarty U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,833; Piepho U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,693; Harriett U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,925; Harriett U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,926; Alexander U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,538; Harriett U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,724; Harriett U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,698; Harriett U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,699; Alexander U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,550; Harriett U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,989; Alexander U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,793; Harriett U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,573; and Alexander U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,226.
Excellent gel strength is achieved when industrially acceptable, water swellable, non-blue starting clays are processed in accordance with the present invention. The water-swellable clays processed in accordance with the present invention are non-blue, e.g., are initially industrially acceptable for gel strength, having good water swellability and colloidal properties and having a sufficient ratio of Fe.sup.+3 /Fe.sup.+2 above 1.0, preferably at least 3.0 and most preferably in the range of about 5.0 to about 15.0, and after processing by re-wetting and re-drying, the clays are excellent suspending agents for use in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries in amounts well known in the art.

Method of improving water-swellable clay properties by re-drying, compositions and articles


A fool-proof device on the heatsink thermal module for the notebook computer is provided. With an interference member installed on one side of the case of the heatsink thermal module, when installing the heatsink thermal module, the interference member and a predetermined recognition area on the printed circuit board (PCB) can provide a fool-proof function to avoid assembling error of two modules with different standard but similar in appearance in the assembling process.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a structural improvement of the heatsink thermal module of a computer, and particularly a heatsink thermal module for the notebook computer having fool-proof function.
2. Description of the Related Art
The progress in information technology has made the notebook computers being widely used. With upgrading in the operation and operation speed of the electronic components, such as Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Video Graphics Array (VGA) chips, the high-speed and mass operation of these electronic components are accompanied by the problem of high temperature generated. However, electronic component has its working limit temperature. High temperature will affect the working efficiency and, more seriously, lead to a damage or combustion of an electronic component. Thus, the heat dissipation function becomes indispensable to the design of a product, and in order to let computers work below a presetting temperature, the heatsink thermal module has becomes an indispensable component to a computer.
Nowadays, the factories have usually some special designs on certain parts in the production of notebook computers to meet clients' demand for specific functions. Since most of designs remain the same or interchangeable, the same modules can therefore be used in different models, especially while many models have merely slight difference in the function or standard, the modules only need some little modification. Moreover, in order to reduce manufacturing cost, factories will try their best to repeatedly use the same modules when they design their products to lower the manufacture, material management and inventory cost of the modules.
Although it can effectively lower the manufacture, material management and inventory cost of modules by repeated using similar modules, the operators on the manufacturing line often misuse the modules and thus result in assembling errors. The defective products need therefore to be re-worked and re-tested, which, on the contrary, results in the increase of the complexity and the cost for the manufacturing. Hence, preventing assembling error without sedulous artificial identification by the operators while using similar modules during the manufacturing becomes an urgent task.
Notebook computers often have the same product structure without using identical type of CPU or VGA chip. The difference in operation speed or efficiency of CPU or VGA models is mainly designed to meet the demand of different clients. However, different models of CPUs or VGA chips have different requirement for thermal dissipation. For example, Model A requires a thermal dissipation efficiency of 50 W while Model B requires 70 W, the heatsink thermal modules used-by the two models will be different. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a perspective view of a heatsink thermal module having a single heat pipe and double heat pipes respectively used on the Model A and Model B with the thermal dissipation efficiency requirement of 50 W and 70 W. While there is no significant difference in the appearance of the two heatsink thermal modules and only the number of heat pipes under the upper case is different, the assembling error often occurs during manufacturing because of the difficulty of recognition by worker.

Fool-proof device on heatsink thermal module for the notebook computer


In a dynamic RAM of a CSL system, a memory array is divided into a plurality of memory array portions, and bit line pairs provided in the respective memory array portions are connected to their corresponding I/O line pairs simultaneously in response to a CSL output. In such an RAM, only the I/O line pair of a memory array portion to be accessed is precharged to the level of V.sub.CC -V.sub.th, while the I/O line pair of a memory array portion not to be accessed is precharged to the level of 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC which is the same level as the bit line pairs. This makes it possible to achieve a faster data reading operation and also prevent unnecessary currents from flowing between the bit line pairs and the I/O line pair in the unaccessed memory array portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to random access memories (hereinafter referred to as RAMs) and, more particularly, to a precharge system of input/output lines in an RAM including a memory array divided into a plurality of memory array portions.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, an RAM having a memory array divided into a plurality of memory array portions has been employed in general. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing structure of a conventional MOS dynamic RAM as one example of the RAM thus structured.
With reference to FIG. 1, a plurality of memory array portions 2-1, 2-2, . . . , 2-n constituting a single memory array as a whole are formed on a semiconductor chip 1. Sense amplifier portions 3-1, 3-2, . . . , 3-n are formed corresponding to respective memory array portions 2-1, 2-2, . . . , 2-n.
A plurality of CSL (column select line) lines extend from a column decoder 4 through the plurality of memory array portions and the plurality of sense amplifier portion to correspond to respective columns of memory cells constituting the memory array. Column decoder 4 activates one of the plurality of CSL lines, which corresponds to a Y address of a memory cell from which data is to be read, in response to a column (Y) address signal applied from an external address signal source not shown.
A plurality of word lines (WL) extend from a row decoder 5 into their corresponding memory array portions to correspond to respective rows of memory cells constituting the memory array. Row decoder 5 responds to a row (X) address signal applied from an external address signal source not shown to activate one of the plurality of word line, which corresponds to an X address of a memory cell from which data is to be read.
Data read from a single memory cell which is included in any of the memory array portions and specified by those X and Y addresses is applied via a bit line pair not shown to one of sense amplifier portions 3-1, 3-2, . . . , 3-n, which corresponds to the above memory array portion. The applied data is amplified in the corresponding sense amplifier portion and then output to the outside via a corresponding I/O line (data line) pair.
FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged diagram showing a part relating to a certain CSL line, of the entire structure of the dynamic RAM shown in FIG. 1. That is, with reference to FIG. 2, each of the plurality of CSL lines extending from column decoder 4 extends through memory array portions 2-1, 2-2, . . . , 2-n and are connected in common to control inputs of gates 6-1, 6-2, . . . , 6-n corresponding to the respective memory array portions.
A single column which is constituted by a plurality of memory cells (not shown) and provided in each memory array portion (e.g., 2-1) with respect to the single CSL line is connected to a pair of bit lines (BL, BL). This bit line pair is connected through a sense amplifier SA (e.g., 3-1) and a gate (e.g., 6-1) corresponding to each memory array portion to a pair of I/O lines (I/O, I/O) corresponding to each memory array portion. Bit line precharge circuits 7-1, 7-2, . . . , 7-n for precharging the above-described bit line pairs (BL, BL) are provided corresponding to the respective bit line pairs.
Signals on the I/O line pairs are amplified, respectively, by preamplifiers 9-1, 9-2, . . . , 9-n and then output to the outside. I/O line precharge circuits 8-1, 8-2, . . . , 8-n for precharging the above-described I/O line pairs (I/O, I/O) are provided. It is assumed that with respect also to each of the remaining CSL lines not shown in FIG. 2, the circuits of the same structure as in FIG. 2 are formed.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing in detail parts relating to first and second memory array portions 2-1 and 2-2 in FIG. 2. A description will now be given on the structure and operation of the first memory array portion 2-1 shown in FIG. 3 and each circuit relating to the first memory array portion.
While memory array portion 2-1 inherently includes a plurality of memory cells arranged two-dimensionally in rows and columns, only one memory cell MC to be accessed is shown in FIG. 3 for facilitating the description. This memory cell MC is provided at a crossing point of a corresponding word line WL and a corresponding bit line BL.
A bit line pair 11-1 constituted by bit lines BL1 and BL1 is connected through sense amplifier 3-1, bit line precharge circuit 7-1 and gate 6-1 to a corresponding I/O line pair 10-1. Bit line precharge circuit 7-1 includes transistors Q1, Q2 and Q3 which are turned on/off in response to a clock signal BLP1 applied from an internal signal generating source not shown. When those transistors are turned on in response to clock signal BLP1, bit line pair 11-1 is connected via transistors Q1 and Q2 to a precharge voltage source and is further equalized by transistor Q3. As a result, bit lines BL1 and BL1 are respectively precharged to a bit line precharge voltage V.sub.BL. This precharge voltage V.sub.BL is normally set to a half (1/2) of a supply voltage V.sub.CC.
Gate circuit 6-1 includes transistors Q4 and Q5 which are turned on/off in response to a potential on the CSL line extending from column decoder 4. When those transistors are turned on in response to the potential on the CSL line, bit line pair 11-1 is connected via transistors Q4 and Q5 to I/O line pair 10-1.
I/O line pair 10-1 is connected to its corresponding preamplifier 9-1, and this I/O line pair is connected with an equalizing transistor Q6 and I/O line precharge circuit 8-1 in its course. I/O line precharge circuit 8-1 includes transistors Q7 and Q8 which are turned on/off in response to a clock signal IOPC applied from an internal signal generating source not shown. When those transistors are turned on in response to clock signal IOPC, I/O line pair 10-1 is connected via transistors Q7 and Q8 to the above-described precharge voltage source, and I/O line pair (I/O, I/O) is precharged to the above-described precharge voltage V.sub.BL. This I/O line pair 10-1 is equalized by transistor Q6 which is turned on/off in response to an equalizing signal EQ applied from an internal signal generating source not shown. The same structure as above is also applied to other memory array portions and their circuits relating thereto.
A description will now be made on an operation of the circuitry of FIG. 3 in a case where a request for access is actually made. The following description is about a case where first memory array portion 2-1 shown in FIG. 3 is accessed, whereas second memory array portion 2-2 is not accessed.
First, in a standby period, a potential on the CSL line of FIG. 3 is at a logic low level, and each bit line pair and each I/O line pair are separated from each other by a gate circuit in any of the memory array portions. Each precharge circuit is activated in response to each type of clock signals, and all the bit line pairs and I/O line pairs are precharged to the above-described precharge voltage V.sub.BL =1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC.
When first memory array portion 2-1 is accessed, each of the above clock signals BLP1 and IOPC and equalizing signal EQ attains a logic low level, so that transistors Q1, Q2, Q3, Q6, Q7 and Q8 are turned off. Consequently, both bit line pair 11-1 and I/O line pair 10-1 are separated from precharge voltage source V.sub.BL and maintain their respective precharged potentials intactly.
When a potential on word line WL corresponding to memory cell MC from which data is to be read rises, the data stored in the memory cell is read out onto a bit line BL, and a potential difference occurs between paired bit lines BL1 and BL1. The potential difference is amplified by sense amplifier 3-1. The potential on the corresponding CSL line is subsequently raised to a logic high level by column decoder 4, so that transistors Q4 and Q5 constituting gate 6-1 are turned on. As a result, the data on the bit line pair is transferred via gate 6-1 onto I/O line pair 10-1. The transferred data is then amplified by preamplifier 9-1 and then output to the outside.
In second memory array portion 2-2, clock signals BLP2 and IOPC are at a logic high level, and precharge circuits 7-2 and 8-2 remain activated. That is, both of the potentials on bit line pair 11-2 and I/O line pair 10-2 are kept at V.sub.BL =1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC.
Now, if the potential on the CSL line is raised to a logic high level by column decoder 4 as described above, then transistors Q14 and Q15 constituting gate 6-2 are turned on concurrently with the foregoing transistors Q4 and Q5, so that bit line pair 11-2 and I/O line pair 10-2 are connected to each other. Since the potential on bit line pair 11-2 and that on I/O line pair 10-2 are originally the same potential, the respective potentials on bit line pair 11-2 and I/O line pair 10-2 are kept at V.sub.BL =1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC intactly even after gate 6-2 is opened as described above.
As mentioned above, in such an RAM that employs a system (CSL system) in which each connection of a bit line pair and I/O line pair is controlled in common by a signal on a single CSL line of column decoder 4 in both of the memory array portion (e.g., 2-1 of FIG. 3) to be activated and the memory array portion (e.g., 2-2 of FIG. 3) not activated, bit line pair 11-2 and I/O line pair 10-2 are short-circuited in access time also in the inactivated memory array portion (2-2). Accordingly, if a precharge level of the bit line pair is different from that of the I/O line pair, a current flows between the bit line pair and the I/O line pair in accordance with the rising of the potential on the CSL line also in the memory array portion not to be accessed, resulting in an increase in consumption of currents.
Thus, in the conventional RAM, the precharge level of the bit line pair and that of the I/O line pair are set to the same level (1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC), thereby preventing such unnecessary consumption of currents. As described above, such an approach that the precharge level of the I/O line pair is set to the level of 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC like the precharge level of the bit line pair in the RAM of the CSL system is disclosed in, for example, "An Experimental 1 Mb DRAM with On-Chip Voltage Limiter" by K. Itoh et al. on page 282 of Digest of Technical Papers of 1984 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference.
However, setting the precharge level of the bit line pair and that of the I/O line pair independently to different potentials results in the following merits.
FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing changes in logic level of a bit line pair in the case where a sense amplifier is activated for data reading from memory cell MC; and FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing changes in a logic level of an I/O line pair which has received data from the bit line pair. A description will now be made on merits provided when the respective precharge levels of the bit line pair and the I/O line pair are set to independently different potentials with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
First, if a potential on a word line WL (FIG. 4(a)) rises to a level not lower than V.sub.CC and word line WL is activated, then charges in a memory cell MC connected to this word line WL are read out onto one bit line BL of the bit line pair. In a case where memory cell MC in memory array portion 2-1 of FIG. 3 has stored data of a logic low level, for example, a potential on bit line BL1 changes by .DELTA.V.sub.L as shown in FIG. 4(b), while a potential on the other bit line BL1 does not change.
Then, the logic level of bit line BL1 is lowered to a ground potential GND by sense amplifier 3-1, so that the level difference .DELTA.V.sub.L is amplified (time t.sub.1). The logic level of bit line BL1 is subsequently restored to supply potential V.sub.CC by sense amplifier 3-1 (time t.sub.2). The reason why a discharge from bit line BL1 of the logic low level is carried out in advance is as follows. That is, assuming an n channel transistor and a p channel transistor having the same dimension, since mobility of electrons is greater than that of holes, the n channel transistor employing electrons as carriers switches at a higher switch speed than the p channel transistor employing holes as carriers and hence it can operate faster.
The data amplified by sense amplifier 3-1, as shown in FIG. 4(b), is transmitted onto I/O line pair 10-1 when gate 6-1 is opened in response to a CSL output of column decoder 4. Then, the potential on this I/O line pair is amplified by a self-amplifying action of sense amplifier 3-1.
FIG. 5(a) indicates a speed of amplification of a potential difference between a pair of I/O lines when the precharge level of the I/O line pair is set to the level of V.sub.CC -V.sub.th higher than the level of 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC ; and FIG. 5(b) indicates a speed of amplification of a potential difference between the pair of I/O lines when the precharge level of the I/O line pair is the level of 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC. In comparison between (a) and (b) in FIG. 5, with respect to time required when the potential difference between the paired I/O lines is amplified up to 200 mV, time t.sub.3 in the case where the precharge level of the I/O line pair is V.sub.CC -V.sub.th is shorter than time t.sub.4 in the case where the precharge level is 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC. That is, since discharge is carried out at a higher speed via the n channel transistor of sense amplifier 3-1 in the case with the higher precharge level of the I/O line pair, the potential difference between the paired I/O lines is amplified at a higher speed. This leads to a conclusion that the case with the higher precharge level of the I/O line pair is more advantageous than the case with the lower precharge level.
As mentioned above, in order to achieve a faster data reading operation of the RAM, it is desirable that the precharge level of the I/O line pair is set to the level of V.sub.CC -V.sub.th higher than 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC which is the precharge level of the bit line pair. Furthermore, if the precharge levels of both I/O line pair and bit line pair are set to 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC, the load imposed on a 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC voltage generating circuit will be increased. In such a case, there is a possibility that the I/O line pair may not be precharged sufficiently if the equalizing time period is relatively short. If the capability of the 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC voltage generating circuit is enhanced, on the other hand, there is a problem of the increase of currents consumed by generating circuit itself. Accordingly, in order to reduce load imposed on a 1/2.multidot.V.sub.CC voltage generating circuit, it is desirable that the level of V.sub.CC -V.sub.th which can be easily generated is employed as the precharge level of the I/O line pair.
However, if the precharge level of the I/O line pair is set independently of that of the bit line pair, there arises a problem that an unnecessary current flows through the inactive memory array portion unaccessed and thus consumption of currents increases, as described above.
In addition, in order to eliminate such a problem as increased consumption of currents, such structure is considered, unlike the CSL system shown in FIGS. 1-3, that column decoders are provided corresponding, respectively, to a plurality of memory array portions 2-1, 2-2, . . . , 2-n, so as to avoid short-circuits between the bit line pair and the I/O line pair in the unaccessed inactive memory array portion. There is a disadvantage, however, that if a column decoder is provided for each memory array portion, a chip area is substantially increased.

Random access memory of a CSL system with a bit line pair and an I/O line pair independently set to different precharge voltages


A headphone, headset, or ear protector incorporating adjustable clamping pressure and providing configurable distribution of headband pressure. In one embodiment, the headphones, headsets, or ear protectors include a headband or neckband and at least one earcup coupled to the headband or neckband. The headphone, headset, or ear protector further includes an adjustment mechanism coupled to the headband or neckband and the at least one earcup that provides continuously variable adjustment of clamping pressure provided by the at least one earcup to the head of a user. In another embodiment, the headphone, headset, or ear protector include a headband or neckband, a first earcup coupled to the headband or neckband and a second earcup coupled to the headband or neckband. The headphone, headset, or ear protector further include an adjustment mechanism coupled to the headband or neckband and the first and second earcups that adjusts clamping pressure provided by the first and second earcups to the head of a user and a single control configured to control the adjustment mechanism. In other embodiments, the headphone, headset, or ear protector allows a user to maintain correct left/right stereo imaging while allowing the user to choose which side is placed over the right or left ear.

Headphones (or headsets) and ear protectors are often uncomfortable due to the pressures they exert on a user's head and ears. Headphones or ear protectors designed for noisy environments include features that reduce or eliminate environmental noise. The most common type of headset or ear protection consists of a left and right earcup that physically shields the ears from outside noise. Active or electronic noise canceling is also commonly implemented to reduce noise levels further than passive methods alone achieve.
The effectiveness of passive noise reduction or noise shielding is often dependent on how well the earcups are mated to the user's ears and head. A poor seal results in more noise. A common cause of a poor seal between an earcup and a user's head is due to the difficulty of adapting a headset to the different sizes and shapes of heads; especially the non-uniform shape surrounding the ear where the earcups mate to the head.
Headsets and ear protectors are often designed with a one-size-fits-all approach where the headset includes thick cushions which bend and conform to the user's head in order to mate the earcups to the head. The cushions are designed of material that acoustically reflects and/or absorbs sound, minimizing the sound that passes through the cushion to the inside of the earcup. This method carries the drawback that enough clamping pressure must be applied to the earcup so as to force the cushion into compliance with the head, and this necessary pressure often becomes uncomfortable over time. In order to fit a wide variety of heads, sufficient pressure must be applied to the earcups and cushions to conform the cushion to larger or smaller heads of various shapes. Thus the pressure may be more than necessary to achieve the desired noise reduction, or it may be less than needed, so the comfort level and/or the noise level is not optimized.
Another pressure point applied to the head by headphones or ear protectors is across the headband. The headband holds the headset in place so the earcups stay fixed over the ears. The headband, in combination with stirrups on each side of the headband, also provides a mechanical connection between the earcups so that sufficient pressure may be exerted to conform the earcup cushions to the head. The weight of the headphones is the primary force causing the headband to apply pressure to the top of the head. Ideally, a headset would apply the pressure evenly across the top of the head, and distribute the weight over as large an area of the head as possible. Unfortunately, headset manufacturers use a one-size-fits-all approach which applies most of the weight of the headset to a few points on the user's head, rather than distributing it evenly and across a large area.
Headphones and ear protectors typically use earcups shaped like an ear or ellipse, rather than round earcups. The earcups follow the shape of the ear as closely as possible in order to maintain a better noise seal, since variations in head shape become larger as distance from the ear increases. One problem headsets have with an ear-shaped earcup is that it prevents the user from moving the headband to the most comfortable position on their head, since moving the headband also rotates the earcup around the ear. If a user moves the headband to a comfortable position, the earcup may no longer be aligned correctly with the ear. Thus, it is often undesirable for the user to necessarily change the width, length, or shape of the headband when the user adjusts clamping pressure because the shape of the headband is a separate factor affecting comfort. It is desirable for shape and pressure to be adjustable in isolation of each other. Further, it is often desirable to have a single control for adjusting clamping pressure of both earcups, rather than a separate control for each earcup. However, typical headphones often require a separate control for each earcup or cause the adjustment of shape and pressure to not be adjustable in isolation of each other.
Many headphones have a cord, microphone, or other feature on one side of the headphone. The feature may be on the wrong side for maximum comfort and convenience. For example if the user is a pilot, the headset cord may be on the right side of the headset while the headset jacks in his aircraft are on the left, causing the cord to cross his lap. Another example is if the microphone boom is on the left side of the headset, and interferes with an oxygen boom which is also on the left. Some headset manufacturers simply allow the headset to be turned around, placing the cord and microphone on the opposite side; however this causes the right and left audio to be swapped causing right audio in the left ear and vis-versa. For a pilot, this can be a problem since some Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) send verbal traffic warnings to the right earphone if another aircraft is detected on the pilot's right or 3 o'clock position. Thus the stereo spatial direction the pilot hears the warning coming from in his headset is the direction he should look to see the threat.

Adjustable mechanism for improving headset comfort


Certain aspects of the invention provide a system and a method for treating an epileptic condition or a tumor of the brain. In one embodiment, the method of treating the epileptic condition includes acquiring inter- and post-ictal imaging profiles and from the brain of the patient and determining an ictal propagation pathway based on the profiles. A volume of cortical activation is determined for each of a plurality of virtual electrode placement positions based on the ictal propagation pathway and the virtual electrode placement position. An electrode is implanted at a position selected from the plurality of virtual electrode placement positions, based on the volume of cortical activation at the implantation position. An electrical pulse is delivered from the electrode, where the electrical pulse is of a magnitude and duration effective to at least reduce the epileptic seizure.

Epilepsy is one of the world's oldest recognized conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy. See WHO Fact Sheet No. 999 (January 2009). Epilepsy is caused by sudden, usually brief, electrical discharges in the brain. The symptoms can range from a brief loss of attention to prolonged and severe convulsions.
An EEG (electroencephalogram) remains the cornerstone for diagnosis of epileptic seizures. An EEG is a test that detects brain waves, or electrical activity in the brain. Sensitive electrodes are placed on the scalp to pick up electrical charges propagating through the brain. These charges are then mapped on a recording or a computer screen. The mapped electrical activity is interpreted to assist in the identification of the type and location of the seizure.
However, sometimes the root cause of epileptic seizures is difficult to find. When routine EEGs using electrodes on the scalp surface cannot locate where a patient's seizures are originating, neurosurgeons may need to do more invasive monitoring. Intracranial electrode placement is a surgical technique that puts electrodes directly on the surface of the brain, allowing for very precise and effective EEG monitoring. Intracranial EEG monitoring is used to precisely map epileptic areas of the brain. Not only does this technique allow for very precise mapping of areas causing the onset of seizures, but it also helps physicians identify and map critical areas of the brain, such as those controlling speech and motor control, that will need to be avoided during surgery.
In many patients with epilepsy, seizures can be well controlled with appropriate medication. However, current estimates indicate that 20-30% of patients with epilepsy are refractory to all forms of medical therapy. Many individuals are affected by such medically intractable epilepsy where surgical options are minimal or non-existent. In such cases, one alternative treatment method involves the use of a neuro-stimulator electrode implanted within the brain to deliver pulses of electrical stimulation when activity that could lead to a seizure is detected. The stimulation can help to prevent or reduce the effects of the seizure.
Such devices require the implantation of depth electrodes within the brain to allow for EEG monitoring of electrical activity inside the brain and for the delivery of the electrical pulses. Depth electrodes are probes that are inserted into specified areas of the brain via small holes made in the skull and covering of the brain. The insertion is typically stereotactically guided using, for example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, targeting a specific area within the brain. The entry point, trajectory and depth are calculated by a computer to allow for precise placement of the electrode.
Results emerging from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sponsored investigational neuro-stimulation trials are promising. However, nearly all patients enrolled in these studies continue to experience breakthrough seizures. Relatively bulky intracranial electrodes are utilized in these studies. The large size limits the number of electrodes that can be implanted. Limitations on the accuracy of placement of the electrodes may also result in limitations on the effectiveness of treatment.
Moreover, the implantation of a multiplicity of bulky electrode may result in brain tissue damage. Epileptic networks can be complex and may extend well beyond implanted bulky intracranial electrodes. To optimize stimulation of brain tissue, a multiplicity of nano-devices can be utilized, either alone or in combination with conventional in depth electrodes, to target specific brain cells while minimizing potential brain damage.
For example, carbon nanotube transponders that can be fabricated from a plurality of carbon nanotubes optionally attached to at least one biomolecule ligand and optionally connected to a nano-capacitor. An energy-releasing carbon nanotube transponder that can be placed in cellular tissue to treat multiple afflictions is disclosed in co-pending patent publication number PCT/US2010/048956, the contents of which are incorporation by reference.
In brain cancer, infiltrative primary high-grade neoplastic cells in the central nervous system (CNS) are often resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic and radiation therapies. Chemotherapy and radiation administered both inside the CNS and outside the blood brain barrier often cannot reach densely packed malignant cells even following resective debulking. Moreover, conventional chemotherapeutic agents can have limited efficacy due to factors ranging from systemic toxicity, to impaired drug transport secondary to decreased vascularization of the neoplasm core and P glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux. These limitations of conventional therapies have inspired investigational nanotechnology approaches to therapy.

Electrode placement and treatment system and method of use thereof