A method for displaying dynamically determined priority lanes for customers returning vehicles to a vehicle rental company. The method includes identifying a vehicle being returned by a customer to a vehicle rental company by an identification device and dynamically determining directions for the customer based on at least one of vehicle and customer specific parameters. The dynamically determined priority lanes are displayed to the customer in real time using a sign board, a display panel, etc.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of business practice and management for a vehicle renting company. More particularly, the invention is about better utilization of high-price and high-demand vehicles owned by the vehicle renting company.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle rental company rents vehicles for short periods ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. It owns vehicle rental shops located near airports or busy city areas. The vehicle rental company primarily serves people who have a vehicle that is temporarily out of reach or out of service, for example, travelers who are out of town or owners of damaged or destroyed vehicle who are awaiting repair or insurance compensation.
The vehicle renting industry has grown rapidly in recent times. A recent survey conducted among the major players of this industry showed that in a year the reservation center of a typical vehicle rental company handles approximately 40 million requests and delivers approximately 30 million reservations. The rental companies own a large number and variety of vehicles.
One of the problems faced by the vehicle rental companies is that returning vehicles have to be taken to a servicing bay where the vehicles are cleaned, serviced, and repaired, if necessary. The process of cleaning, servicing, and repairing the vehicles can take a lot of time ranging from a few hours to a couple of days. None of the prior art disclosed herein teaches a method to conveniently and automatically distinguish between the high-priced, premium returning vehicles and the other returning vehicles. Similarly, none of the prior art disclosed herein teaches a method to conveniently and automatically distinguish between a premium customer and a normal customer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,148 discloses an automated vehicle return system wherein status information of a rented vehicle is automatically tracked during the rental period and is transmitted to a selected destination computer upon driving the vehicle into a return area. Electronic vehicle monitoring circuitry is tied to existing components within the vehicle to keep track of the status of the vehicle during the rental period. The status information includes, miles driven, fuel level, pick up time, drop off time, wear and tear on the vehicle, etc. The status information is used by the destination computer to determine a bill for the rented vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,397 discloses an automatic automobile rental system having a plurality of remote rental stations and a central data processing station for system control and customer billing. A system user employs a credit card that is automatically read at a rental station to identify the user, and this information is checked at the central station to verify that the card holder is entitled to receive an automobile. The same card identifies the holder when the automobile is returned to the same or a different rental station. An ignition key and machine-readable car identification and mileage module are interconnected for reading and dispensing at a rental station and for use in operating an automobile. Mileage or other measure of usage of the rented automobile is recorded in an electrolytic cell as a state of charge proportional to mileage. The cell is transferred to the automobile for mileage recording and to the rental station for discharge and mileage reading. Standard pulses of charge in a number proportional to mileage are used to charge the electrolytic cell. Data read from the electrolytic cell, from the user card, and from the automobile identification are transmitted to the central data processing unit over conventional telephone lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,948 discloses a communication system having a communication channel for transmitting data between a base station and a plurality of mobile radio units, wherein each radio unit has a unique identification (ID) code and wherein transmissions from each radio unit to the base station include the unit's ID code, a method is described for identifying which units are within RF communication proximity of the base station. The method includes: transmitting a range message, including a low ID code parameter and a high ID code parameter, from the base station over the channel to elicit a response from at least one of the mobile radio units having an ID code between the low and high parameters; determining whether radio units transmitted a message in response to the range message; and storing, responsive to transmission by the units, in an ID list a signal representative of the respective ID code assigned to such transmitting units. These steps are repeated with different transmitted range messages until each of the radio units within RF proximity of the base station is appended to the ID list.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,693 discloses a radio frequency (RF) tagging system to monitor vehicles passing through an area access to one or more vehicle storage area(s). One or more of the vehicles stored in the storage area is equipped with a RF tag, which has vehicle ID information about the vehicle stored in a tag memory contained on the tag. The tag communicates with a base station when passing through the area accesses, (entering or leaving). A central and preferably one or more remote computers accesses status information that might include vehicle identification, customer, lot identification, time of day, and vehicle and lot status. The information is used in security or marketing functions. The security function can include a paging system for sending alarms and/or messages to a manager or security personnel. The marketing function can include determining how long or how many times different makes an model of vehicle are chosen by customers for test drives. Additionally, the marketing function will identify past vehicles that were sold at the dealership as an indication of a potential interested buyer.
US Patent Publication No. 2002/0184062 discloses a vehicle management method and system to monitor and manage a fleet of vehicles with high efficiency and low cost. The management method includes the steps of providing a radio transmitter connected to a vehicle navigation system in each vehicle, providing a radio transmitter connected to a facility computer in a vehicle management facility, receiving information regarding use of a vehicle by the vehicle navigation system from the facility computer which is transmitted through the radio transmitters, monitoring usage of the vehicle and storing data thereof in a memory, and sending the stored data to the facility computer through the radio transmitters.

Method for displaying dynamically determined priority lanes to customers returning vehicles to a vehicle rental company


Computer readable program instructions perform a method including identifying a starting location and a destination for traveling in a vehicle and identifying multiple available routes. Each route includes roadway segments that have a roadway type selected from multiple roadway types reflecting a set of roadway conditions. The method obtains a fuel price available to the vehicle, obtains a fuel economy value for the vehicle on each roadway type, and calculates a cost of driving each of a plurality of available routes. The cost of driving each available route is the sum of the cost of driving each segment of the route, wherein the cost of driving each roadway segment is the mathematical product of a length of the roadway segment and the available fuel price divided by the fuel economy for the vehicle on the roadway type for the roadway segment. The lowest cost route is then identified.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to navigation systems and methods of mapping a route from one place to another.
2. Background of the Related Art
As automotive fuel prices have risen, the cost of traveling by automobile has also risen to become a greater proportion of a person's monthly expenses. Accordingly, there has been an increase in various efforts to purchase fuel at a low prices. Radio stations may announce low fuel prices reported by their listeners and websites may describe fuel prices at various locations around the country. Furthermore, online map programs or mobile navigation systems make it possible to quickly determine the distance from one address to another, while a GPS-enable mobile device can track its current location. Even the current design of automobiles reflects an increased focus on fuel efficiency, as many models now include systems that will calculate an instantaneous fuel efficiency of the automobile under current driving conditions.
Current navigation systems can use map data to calculate the fastest routes or shortest routes. Such systems use detailed map data to provide turn-by-turn directions to a driver and even recalculate a route when the driver misses a turn.

Identifying cost effective routes using vehicle fuel economy values that are specific to the roadway type

Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


An image-recording device includes a conveying portion, a carriage, a recording head, a sensor, and an edge-detecting portion. The carriage reciprocates along a scanning direction. The recording head is supported on the carriage. The sensor is supported on the carriage at a position shifted from the recording head in the scanning direction and upstream of the recording head in the conveying direction, the sensor being capable of detecting presence of the recording medium. The edge-detecting portion controls the sensor to detect at least one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of a recording medium.

One type of conventional image-recording device referred to as a serial printer is an inkjet printer. This type of inkjet printer includes a recording head having actuators configured of piezoelectric elements or electrostrictive elements that bend in response to an inputted signal, or heating elements that locally boil the ink to generate pressure. The recording head supplies ink to the actuators, which apply pressure to the ink based on an inputted signal for ejecting ink droplets. The inkjet printer also includes a carriage on which the recording head is supported for reciprocating in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of a recording paper. The carriage is scanned once each time the recording paper is conveyed a prescribed line feed amount, during which time the recording head ejects ink droplets based on inputted signals to record an image on the recording paper.
This type of inkjet printer detects edges of the recording paper in order to align the image accurately with respect to the recording paper. It is important that these inkjet printers detect both width edges of the recording paper accurately, particularly when performing edge-to-edge borderless printing.
One such method for detecting the edges of the recording paper is disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2004-182361. This inkjet printer has a carriage, and an optical sensor mounted on the carriage. The optical sensor includes a light-emitting element for irradiating light onto the recording paper, and a light-receiving element for receiving light reflected off the recording paper. The light-emitting element irradiates light onto the recording paper as the carriage moves in a scanning motion so that the optical sensor can detect the presence of the recording paper based on the amount of reflected light received by the light-receiving element.


A food-grade, all-natural cold storage anti-bacterial filter is disclosed. The filter may control moisture, gaseous contaminates, mold, and bacteria within a cold storage unit; improve food safety; and improve the life of cold storage equipment. Reduced food spoilage, reduced energy usage, and increased cold storage shelf life may result from use of the filter. The filter includes a mixture of effective amounts of a base mineral, hygroscopic plant botanicals, and anti-bacterial plant botanicals, wherein the mixture is disposed in an FDA-approved food grade material.

Refrigeration, as used herein comprising both refrigerated cold storage (temperatures above 32° F.) and freezer storage (temperatures at or below 32° F.), is an integral part of the food products trade throughout the world. An estimated 30 percent of all food products consumed in developed countries are perishable, and as much as 20 percent of perishable product shipments arrive damaged by decay. Producers, wholesalers, distributors, and the ultimate users (whether the food service industry or the consumer) of the food products rely on refrigeration to maintain food safety and quality as the food products travel through distribution and sales sectors in the global economy. The food products industry spends perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide every year to ensure the integrity and wholesomeness of the food products. Considering that an estimated 4 million refrigerated cargo containers are shipped annually, the potential economic loss due to improper cold storage is tremendous.
Food products that require cold storage may be classified as potentially hazardous foods (PHF) as defined by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Other regulatory bodies may use different terms, but all generally refer to food products that have a history of association with illness if the products are not properly temperature controlled. Such food products include dairy products (milk and milk products, eggs and egg products, produce (fruits and vegetables), meat and poultry, and fish and seafood.
Improper cold storage of these food products may promote the growth of pathogens, microorganisms, and toxins such as E. coli, Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella. In 1998, the FDA initiated a 10-year longitudinal study of 850 food service and retail food service establishments to investigate risk factors contributing to food borne illness outbreaks. The study was released in 2010, and the report was entitled: "The FDA Trend Analysis Report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Selected Institutional Foodservice, Restaurants, and Retail Food Store Facility Types (1998-2008)". Data was collected across 9 different establishments: hospitals; elementary schools; fast food restaurants; full-service restaurants; deli stores and departments, meat and poultry departments, seafood departments, and produce departments in grocery stores. Of the hospital facilities, the FDA conducted 483 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those, 50 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below, and 19 were out of compliance for cooling foods within 6 hours from 140 F to 41 F. Of the nursing homes facilities, they conducted 483 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those, 21 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below, and 23 were out of compliance for cooling foods within 6 hours from 140 F to 41 F. Of the elementary schools, they conducted 364 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those, 27 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below, and 3 were out of compliance for cooling foods within 6 hours from 140 F to 41 F. Of the fast food restaurants, they conducted 440 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those, 70 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below, and 11 were out of compliance for cooling foods within 6 hours from 140 F to 41 F. Of the full-service restaurants, they conducted 477 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those, 69 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below, and 33 were out of compliance for cooling foods within 6 hours from 140 F to 41 F. Of the delis and deli departments, they conducted 490 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those, 59 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below, and 14 were out of compliance for cooling foods within 6 hours from 140 F to 41 F. Of the meat and poultry departments, they conducted 156 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those, 19 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below. Of the seafood departments, they conducted 194 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those 15 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below. Of the produce departments, they conducted 248 observations in the "Improper Holding/Time & Temperature" category; and of those 50 were out of compliance for holding food at 41 F or below. Clearly, the FDA found that improper cold holding temperatures are a major problem across all facilities, and the causes can range from shippers propping open the doors to unload supplies to old equipment.
Cold storage is also just as integral in the distribution and sales of non-food products such as plants, fresh-cut flowers, biological/medical samples, health commodities such as medicines and medical supplies, and live animals. The total value of both the food and non-food cold chain supply industry is a 250-billion-dollar industry, that is expected to grow to over 270 billion in the next 4 years, and each product has its own unique needs and problems. For example, fresh-cut roses are susceptible to Botrytis cinerea, a necrotrophic fungus that can cause the petals to mold or rot, but it has no effect on food. So the industry is very diverse.
Whether a food product or a non-food product, some level of microorganism or contaminates will be present. The microorganisms and contaminates do lie dormant in the product, sometimes even under proper cold storage conditions. Each microorganism has its preferred temperature range for growth, as well as other environmental conditions such as humidity. Therefore, a cold storage temperature that may be effective for controlling the growth of one microorganism may have a negligible effect on another microorganism.
In addition, all food products in cold storage will decay to some extent. Ripening and/or decaying food products, particularly fruits and vegetables, can emit substantial amounts of methane, ethylene, and carbon dioxide gases. As the concentration of these gases builds within a cold storage unit (refrigerators and freezers), even as little as a few parts per million (ppm), the gases can promote accelerated decay in other food products within the cold storage unit (this is known as cross-contamination).
Humidity levels within the cold storage unit also play an important role in the rate of deterioration of food and non-food products. Higher humidity generally acts to accelerate deterioration caused by other factors. Higher humidity levels also promote mold, fungus and bacteria growth on surfaces within the cold storage unit. Excessive icing, snowing, and equipment deterioration can also be associated with high humidity levels in the cold storage unit, particularly in the presence of gaseous contaminates and acidic compounds.
To combat these cold storage issues, a number of products have been developed, such as sodium bicarbonate, potassium permanganate, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, silica-gel, activated alumina, molecular sieves, zeolites, sodium aluminosilicates, potassium-calcium-sodium-aluminosilicate, cobalt chloride, pink hexaaquacobalt(ii) chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, and sodium carbonate. While each of these products may have some use in solving cold storage problems, all of them are compounds with known toxicity levels. Owners, Executive Chefs and Operators of refrigeration units are reluctant to use products based on these compounds because of the potential for contamination of the fresh perishables. Since the health and lives of their customers are at stake, most owners and operators choose not to use these products and instead accept the problems related to cold storage.
Accordingly, what is needed are improved refrigeration food safety filters that not only stabilize temperatures by controlling the relative humidity, but also address the ripening and decaying issues that produce gases, molds, bacteria and toxic air. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

Refrigeration/cold storage food safety filters


The present invention provides a laundry bleaching composition comprising: a) a macrocycilc tetra amido N-donor metal-ligand complex (preferably, 5,6-benzo-3,8,11,13-tetraoxo-2,2,9,9,12,12-hexamethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraaza-cyclo-tridecane), and b) an alkyl benzene sulphonate surfactant, said composition being substantially devoid of any added peroxygen bleach or a peroxy-based or peroxy-generating bleach system.

Oxidation catalysts comprising metal-complexes are well known. Such catalysts have been proposed for use in laundry compositions as components of a bleaching system. These catalysts activate H2O2 or other peroxygen sources.
A particular catalyst is disclosed in WO 98/03263, filed 21 Jul. 1997, (Collins et al.), which comprises a macrocyclic (tetra) amido N-donor. The macrocycle is capable of complexing with a metal ion, for example an iron III or IV. The complex also comprises axial ligands and one or more counter ions.
One proposed purpose of these catalysts has been to assist in the bleaching of dyestuffs released from articles being laundered. If these dyestuffs are not removed from the wash liquor then they will re-deposit onto articles and cause a loss of colour definition or even catastrophic damage to 'white' articles. U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,428, filed 24 Feb. 1997, (Collins et al.) discloses use of similar catalysts in laundry detergent compositions. In both these citations the addition of hydrogen peroxide, or a source thereof, is envisaged as a means of activating the catalyst.
Bleaching agents typically present in laundry detergents include percarbonates and/or perborates, which can also act as sources of hydrogen peroxide and/or other peroxyl species.
Bleaching catalysts capable of bleaching effectively in the absence of added peroxyl sources have recently become the focus of some interest, for example: WO9965905; WO0012667; WO0012808; WO0029537, and, WO0060045. It is believed that these catalysts have the capability to use atmospheric oxygen as a source of oxidising equivalents.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Composition comprising macrocyclic tetra-amido metal complex as bleaching catalyst


A multi-port optical circulator for transmitting light from incoming and outgoing ports circularly includes one or more birefringent crystal plates disposed adjacent to one another for dividing an input beam into two beams having orthogonal polarizations and for combining two beams having orthogonal polarizations into a singe beam. Polarization beam splitting cubes introduce a beam to an opposite direction depending on the direction of the polarization of the beam and thereby substantially reflecting only one of s and p-polarizations of the beam. A polarization rotator between the first dividing and combining birefringent crystal and said polarization dependent beam splitting cube makes two orthogonal polarization vectors parallel or the two parallel polarization vectors orthogonal to one another.

A practical way to double the bit carrying capacity of an existing unidirectional fiber optic communication link is by the use of optical circulators. An optical circulator is a passive, non-reciprocal device which permits full duplex communication on a single fiber optic link. Thus, a typical fiber optic communication link operating on two fibers can be quickly and economically converted to a bi-directional, single fiber communication link by installing an optical circulator at each end of the link.
One of the major advantages of optical circulators over more traditional 3 dB couplers is that the loss penalty is much lower. Using a 3 dB coupler at each end of a fiber link, there is an insertion loss of at least 6 dB. For connections which operate near their detection limits, this additional 6 dB loss could make bi-directional communication impracticable.
In a real optical circulator insertion loss and cross-talk as well as simplicity and low cost are important considerations. Insertion loss is the difference in power between light launched into the optical circulator and the power that exits the device. Insertion loss is largely due to absorption of light and to coupling loss.
Prior art optical circulators are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,289, issued to Kuwahara; U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,022, issued to Emkey; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,014, issued to Schmitt et al. However, optical circulators made as described in these references either have high insertion loss and/or cross-talk, or are very complicated and costly. Therefore, a need exists for an optical circulator having lower insertion loss and cross-talk and simpler configuration than that found in present optical circulators.
One factor that contributes to lower insertion loss and cross-talk as well as simplicity in the optical circulator of the present invention than in prior optical circulators is the use of folded configuration with birefringent crystals and polarization spitting cubes.
A more recent prior art optical circulator that uses birefringent crystals in contact with other elements such as polarization rotators, is U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,771 issued Apr. 20, 1993 in the name of Koga. Although this invention appears to perform its intended function adequately, Koga's configuration results in a large device compared with the folded configuration of the present invention. Koga's configuration is limited in other ways. For example, there are limitations as to which ports can be circulated in a backwards direction. Koga's device allows backward control in a 4 port device however does not provide or allow backward signal propagation from port 3 to port 1 in a three port device.
Another still more recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,340 in the name of Cheng et al., issued Nov. 28, 1995 provides a simpler configuration than Koga. However, the cost of manufacturing this device is considerable due to the large size of the birefringent crystals required. Furthermore, this device is also limited in not being capable of performing a full circulating function.
It is therefore an object of the invention, to overcome many of the limitations of known prior art devices.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact optical circulator that is of a folded configuration.


A semiconductor device capable of increasing ON current while reducing channel resistance and allowing transistors to operate independently and stably, having a fin formed to protrude from the bottom of a gate electrode trench, a gate insulating film covering the surfaces of the gate electrode trench and the fin, a gate electrode embedded in a lower part of the gate electrode trench and formed to stride over the fin via the gate insulating film, a first impurity diffusion region arranged on a first side face, and a second impurity diffusion region arranged on a second side face.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, miniaturization of semiconductor devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) has been pursued. When the transistor gate length of a transistor is reduced, the short channel effect in the transistor becomes pronounced, and problems arise of increased subthreshold current and reduced threshold voltage (Vt) of the transistor.
Further, if the impurity concentration in a semiconductor substrate is increased in order to suppress drop of the transistor threshold voltage (Vt), joint leak current will be increased.
Therefore, when DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is used as a semiconductor device and a DRAM memory cell is miniaturized, degradation of refresh characteristics poses a serious problem.
In order to avoid such problems, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-339476 (Patent Document 1) and No. 2007-081095 (Patent Document 2) disclose a so-called trench-gate transistor (also called "recess channel transistor") in which a gate electrode is embedded in a trench formed in a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate.
The use of a trench-gate transistor makes it possible to ensure a physically sufficient effective channel length (gate length), and to realize a DRAM having minute cells with a minimum processing size of 60 nm or less.
Patent Document 2 discloses a DRAM having two trenches formed in a semiconductor substrate to be adjacent to each other, a gate electrode formed in each of the trenches via a gate insulating film, a first impurity diffusion region formed on a principal surface of the semiconductor substrate between the two gate electrodes and serving as a common impurity diffusion region for the two gate electrodes, and a second impurity diffusion region formed on the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate located on an element isolation region side of each of the two gate electrodes.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof


A method of manufacturing an SiC single crystal wafer according to the present invention includes the steps of: (a) preparing an SiC single crystal wafer 10 with a mirror-polished surface; (b) oxidizing the surface of the SiC single crystal wafer 10 with plasma, thereby forming an oxide layer 12 on the surface of the SiC single crystal wafer; and (c) removing at least a portion of the oxide layer 12 by a reactive ion etching process. Preferably, the surface of the wafer is planarized by repeatedly performing the steps (b) and (c) a number of times.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an SiC single crystal wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
SiC single crystals have a wider bandgap than Si or GaAs single crystals and exhibits a great dielectric strength and a high thermal conductivity. These properties are effectively applicable to making a semiconductor device operating at a high temperature or a power semiconductor device with a high breakdown voltage. Thus, to realize a semiconductor device that can exhibit outstanding characteristics that have never been achieved by any conventional semiconductor such as silicon, semiconductor devices of SiC single crystals have been researched and developed extensively. SiC single crystals grown by a conventional technique would often have unsatisfactory crystal quality. That is why a semiconductor device used to be fabricated on an SiC epitaxial layer grown on a wafer consisting essentially of SiC single crystals. Recently, however, SiC single crystals of quality can sometimes be obtained, and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device directly on an SiC wafer also started being researched.
Meanwhile, GaN based semiconductor devices that emit an ultraviolet ray or a blue ray have also been researched as a light source for reading and writing information from/on an optical storage medium at a high density, presenting an image, or providing general illumination. However, it is usually difficult to grow a GaN based semiconductor to the shape of a big single crystal ingot with few crystal defects. That is why a technique of epitaxially growing a GaN based semiconductor layer on an SiC single crystal wafer is now an object of a lot of attention in the art.
For that purpose, an SiC single crystal wafer with a flat and non-warped surface having no flaws is in high demand. The present inventor proposed a technique of making a flat SiC wafer by removing processing stress in a Japanese patent application that has not been laid open yet.
On the other hand, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process has been used often as a typical technique of planarizing the surface of an SiC wafer. However, SiC is the second hardest material after diamond, and therefore, cannot be planarized at a sufficiently high polishing rate by the CMP process, resulting in poor processing efficiency. To increase the polishing rate, there is known a method of performing a CMP process with high pressure applied to an SiC wafer. In that case, an affected layer could be easily produced deep inside the SiC wafer.
To overcome these problems, Patent Document No. 1 discloses a method of planarizing the surface of an SiC wafer by using a reactive etching and a water vapor oxidation in combination. More specifically, according to that method, the surface of an SiC wafer is mirror-polished mechanically, cleaned with organic and inorganic liquids, and then subjected to a reactive etching process. In this manner, a damage layer is removed uniformly with the surface kept sufficiently planar. Thereafter, the surface of the wafer is oxidized with water vapor and then the resultant oxide layer is removed with hydrofluoric acid.
Patent Document No. 2 discloses a process in which an affected layer is removed from the surface of an SiC wafer by a first reactive etching process using Ar, for example, and then an ion bombardment damage layer, produced in a surface area of the wafer as a result of the first reactive etching process, is removed by another reactive etching process using CF4 and O2.
Also, Non-patent Document No. 1 reports that the processing efficiency can be improved by oxidizing the surface of an SiC wafer with water vapor and then subjecting the wafer to a CMP process.
However, in the reactive ion etching processes adopted in these conventional methods, the etching action advances almost without altering the original surface shape. Accordingly, if the surface of the wafer has flaws, then those flaws cannot be flattened out completely even through the reactive etching process. In addition, in a reactive ion etching process, the wafer is bombarded with accelerated radical species, and it is difficult to fully repair the damage caused on the wafer. The process in which an oxide layer is formed by water vapor oxidation and then removed is not practical, either, because the SiC wafer needs to be exposed to water vapor for a long time while being kept heated to a high temperature.
That is why it is difficult to planarize the surface of the wafer and remove the damage layer from the wafer surface completely according to the methods disclosed in Patent Documents Nos. 1 and 2. In the method disclosed in Non-patent Document No. 1, the polishing process can be finished in a shorter time than a method by which the surface of the SiC wafer is planarized only by a CMP process. Even so, it still takes about three hours to get the oxidation process done and about two hours to finish the polishing process according to the method disclosed in Non-patent Document No. 1, which is also far from being actually usable. In addition, it is hard to eliminate the flaws from the wafer surface completely, too.                Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-188163        Patent Document No. 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 9-183700        Non-patent Document No. 1: Sinnittetsu Giho (Nippon Steel Technical Report) Vol. 374, pp. 32-36

Method of manufacturing SiC single crystal wafer


A system and method of SCSI and SAS hardware validation is disclosed. In one aspect, the present disclosure teaches a method of hardware validation in an information handling system including scanning an interconnection for hardware devices attached to the interconnection in an information handling system. The method further including determining compatibility of each hardware device place on the interconnection based on a supported device information matrix and a location of the hardware device in the information handling system. The method further including displaying a validation notification to a user for possible compatibility issues based on the determination.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
One example of an information handling system is a storage system such as a small computer system interface (SCSI) storage system or a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) storage system. Generally, a SCSI storage system includes a controller, hard disk drives and a SCSI accessed fault tolerant enclosure (SAF-TE). Whereas a SAS storage system may include a controller, hard disk drives and expanders that repeat or regenerate the SCSI signals and may provide electrical isolation. The SAS system typically uses a point to point link in lieu of a bus for the SCSI interconnector. The SCSI interconnections generally interact using an expander chip that may be transparent to the software, but not necessarily transparent to the hardware.
The SCSI and SAS storage systems typically follow a standard protocol for electronic interfacing. The protocol allows the storage system to communicate with the peripheral hardware devices such as the hard disks, tape drives, DC-ROM drives connected to the system.
However, despite adhering to a specification, the connected hardware devices may develop compatibility issues with the system based on the physical configuration of the system. For example, a compatibility issue may arise when a hard disk drive is moved from being attached to an internal backplane of a SCSI server to an attached enclosure. Because the internal backplane and enclosure use the same drive carrier, the hard disk drive is easily relocated between the different locations. However, by moving the hard disk drive between the locations, the physical configuration of the storage system is altered. Based on the new configuration, the hard disk drive may not function properly such as causing data loss that results in customer dissatisfaction.

System and method of SCSI and SAS hardware validation


Managing and treating elevated OS biomarkers in mammals such as companion animals with at least one of the supplements alpha-lipoic acid, carnitine, co-enzyme Q-10, ginger, green tea, licorice, milk thistle, garlic, honey. resveratrol, soybeans, tomatoes, turmeric, vitamin D, vitamin E, or selenium. Other compounds are Zinc, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Quercetin, L-glutamine and Robuvit. Diagnosing an oxidative stress (OS) in a mammal detects an OS biomarker, selectively isoprostane and other antioxidant biomarkers such as HODE, microRNAs, TAC, GSH, MDA, and TNF-alpha. The sample can be saliva.

The present disclosure is directed to cellular oxidative stress treatment in mammals such as companion animals.
In people and animals, cells in homeostatic equilibrium are in a state of oxidative balance, namely, when there are sufficient cellular antioxidants (both small molecule radical scavengers and enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase) to avoid a buildup of excess free radicals (oxidizing agents). However, when levels of oxidizing agents exceed antioxidants, the condition is termed oxidative stress (OS). OS is now known to trigger inflammatory responses and to be an underlying cause of most chronic diseases.
Extensive investigations of OS and chronic tissue inflammatory responses have established that they are major underlying risk factors that play key roles in the etiology of a range of human (and animal) diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, cancers, diabetes, obesity, periodontal disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. The development and progression of these chronic diseases is influenced by a range of environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors, and specific dietary components, that—along with exercise and some nutraceuticals—can significantly impact OS and inflammation.
Chronic inflammation resulting from increased free radical formation in OS, also called reactive oxygen species (ROS), occurs when tissues or organs receive inflammatory "mediator" messages that cause them to react as though a "trigger" such as a pathogen is present. Rather than repairing themselves, these cells can remain in an ongoing state of inflammation that can wax and wane for prolonged periods. Tissues thus become deficient in antioxidant mediators, such as glutathione, cysteine, ascorbic acid and other radical scavenging vitamins, as well as superoxide dismutase, catalase and other antioxidant enzymes, and these deficiencies are strongly correlated with poor clinical outcomes. For mammals in good health, ˜25% of oxygen intake gives rise to ROS, whereas this increases with age and poor health to as much as 75%.
When cells undergo damage due to OS and inflammation, the incidence and severity of infections, obesity cardiovascular disease and cancers increase. These damaged cells release molecules that can be used as biomarkers for OS and inflammation. Biomarkers of clinical relevance in people and pets include isoprostanes, malondialdehyde, and several cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (NODE), as well as certain microRNAs. Elevated levels of these biomarkers in biofluids (including plasma, urine and/or saliva) can be used to evaluate oxidative status and can addressed with diet and supplement changes to promote beneficial antioxidant effects. On the other hand, alternative biomarkers, such as glutathione, certain microRNAs, and some enzymes are indicative of a healthy antioxidant condition. Biomarkers can be analyzed assays periodically to assess the response and adjust lifestyle, nutritional and nutraceutical therapy, as needed.
Significant efforts have been made toward the dietary management of OS. In contrast to small molecule antioxidants (e.g., ascorbic acid) that can neutralize one ROS/molecule, recent studies have focused on the development of functional foods, e.g., those containing natural Nrf-2 activators since Nrf-2 upregulates expression of multiple antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione transferases and glutathione reductase. A single molecule of one of these enzymes can neutralize a huge number of ROS. Significant amounts of antioxidant radical scavengers and/or Hrf-2 activators are ingredients in many functional foods and supplements such as: turmeric (Curcuma longa); and its relative, ginger (Zingiber officiale); chili peppers (Capsicum annuum); green tea (Camellia sinensis, which contains tannins and polyphenol catechins, and other teas); soybeans (Glycine max); tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum, rich in lycopenes); grapes (not for pets); honey (not for infants or very young animals); cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon, contains pro-anthocyanidins); licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra); garlic (Allium sativum, in moderation for pets); milk thistle (Silybum marianum); cabbages and broccoli.
Some Primary Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
Isoprostanes are a series of prostaglandin-like compounds produced by non-enzymatic ROS-catalyzed peroxidation of arachidonic acid. The concentration of isoprostanes is considered the "gold standard" for quantifying OS in vivo in humans and certain animals.
MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules found mostly in the cells of plants, animals and some viruses. They function in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The function of microRNAs is in gene regulation.
Reduced glutathione (GSH) plays two key roles in the maintenance of redox balance. First, GSH is a major intracellular radical scavenger that can react with and neutralize ROS thus preventing ROS-mediated damage to macromolecules such as proteins and DNA.
GSH is also a co-substrate for Glutathione-S-Transferases (GSTs), a superfamily of isozymes best known for their ability to catalyze the conjugation of the reduced form of glutathione (GSH) to foreign substrates for the purpose of detoxification. GSTs are found in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria. In vertebrates there are over 18 distinct cytosolic GSTs which are expressed most tissues, but especially in liver, kidney, heart, lung, and brain tissues. High levels of GST are associated with resistance to the apoptosis (cell death) induced by a range of substances, including chemotherapeutic agents. The levels of specific GST isoforms in urine and serum are indicators of hepatocyte and renal tubular injury in transplantation, toxicity and viral infections of humans and rodents.
The production of GSH is dependent on the enzyme glutathione reductase (GSR), and the expression of GSR, as well as multiple cytosolic GSTs and other antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase are upregulated by the transcription factor Nrf-2. Therefore, while direct measurement of Nrf-2 activation by diet, nutraceuticals, etc. is extremely difficult, the levels of glutathione in biological fluids can serve as a surrogate biomarker for Nrf-2 activation.
Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a key byproduct of the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is very reactive and forms adducts with macromolecules, thereby altering or eliminating their function. MDA and/or MDA adducts are well established biomarkers for OS. However, some methods for the measurement of MDA, including the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) assay as it was traditionally performed do not provide consistent reliable results. Malondialdehyde is potentially mutagenic, and has been found in heated edible oils such as sunflower and palm oils. Corneas of human patients suffering from keratoconus and bullous keratopathy have increased levels of malondialdehyde, and this aldehyde also can be found in tissue sections of joints from human patients with osteoarthritis.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α), also called cachexin or cachectin, is a cell signaling protein involved in systemic inflammation and is one of the cytokines that play a primary role in the acute phase inflammatory response. It is produced chiefly by activated macrophages, although it can be produced by many other cell types such as CD4+ lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, mast cells, eosinophils, and even neurons.
TNF is an endogenous pyrogen that can induce fever, apoptotic cell death, cachexia, inflammation, inhibit tumorigenesis and viral replication, and respond to sepsis via interleukin IL-1 and IL-6 producing cells. Dysregulation of TNF production has been implicated in a variety of human diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, depression, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Hydroxyoctadecadienoic Acid (NODE) is a lipid peroxidase biomarker found to be elevated for early detection of periodontal disease, type-2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, Alzheimer's disease and hepatitis-B and -C in people.
Other Biomarker Enzymes include: Sorbitol Dehydrogenase, a cytosolic enzyme that converts sorbitol, the sugar alcohol form of glucose, into fructose; and 5′ Nucleotidase, which catalyzes the phosphorolytic cleavage of 5′ nucleotides, and is considered a maturation marker for T- and B-cells.
Measuring Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress
Traditionally, cellular biomarkers are measured in the serum and/or urine from humans and animals. However, collecting these samples especially from children and smaller animal species presents with difficulty and causes unnecessary stress.
Neither canine whole blood-, serum-, nor urine-based isoprostane quantitations are accurate, linear and predictive as a marker for tissue oxidative stress in the canine species. Similarly, there are no published studies of measuring HODE as a biomarker of OS in companion animals
There is a need for another form of OS testing in companion animals, especially canines.
Managing and Treating Elevated Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress. Use of treatments and preventive health measures including applicable drugs, diets, supplements and exercise.

Compound for treating oxidative stress in canines


A method of producing three-dimensional bodies which wholly or for selected parts consist of amorphous metal. A metal powder layer (4) is applied to a heat-conducting base (1, 13), and a limited area of the layer is melted by a radiation gun (5) and the area is cooled so that the melted area solidifies into amorphous metal. The melting process is successively repeated on new limited areas of the powder layer until a continuous layer of amorphous metal is formed. A new powder layer is applied and the method is repeated, the new layer being fused to underlying amorphous metal for successive construction of the three-dimensional body. The heat-conducting base can be a worktable or a body of amorphous metal or crystalline metal to which amorphous metal is added.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of producing three-dimensional bodies which wholly or for selected parts consist of amorphous metal.
2. Description of the Related Art
When cooling a metallic material from melt to solid phase, a polycrystalline structure is usually provided. Here the microstructure consists of a large number of different grains, the atoms in each grain being arranged according to some kind of regular pattern. The number of grains and the size of the grains can be affected, for example by using different cooling speeds from melt or by different types of mechanical working and heat treatment of the solid material. If the entire material consists of one crystal, a single crystal material is obtained, in which all atoms are positioned in a mutually ordered manner. If the atoms are instead completely disordered and there are no grains with regularly positioned atoms, the material is said to be amorphous. This can be achieved, for example, by cooling a melt very rapidly so that there is no time for grains to grow, or by very extensive mechanical deformation where the grains are disrupted. Generally seen materials with amorphous structure are common. For example, many polymer materials are wholly or partly amorphous in solid phase since the relatively complex molecule makes crystallisation to repeatable units difficult. There are also many metal oxides which easily form an amorphous structure. At the beginning of the sixties, the first amorphous metals were produced by a thin layer of melt being sprayed on a heat-conducting base. This resulted in very high cooling speeds of 105-106 K/s and there was no time for grains to grow, but the disordered structure was maintained also in the solid phase. The resulting alloys, however, were very thin with a thickness of just some tenths of a micrometer and therefore had limited ranges of application.
Amorphous bulk metals or amorphous structural metals, that is amorphous metals with dimensions that permitted structural applications, were not produced until the seventies from specially composed alloys. Bulk metals of these alloys were produced by cooling from melt at a cooling speed of about 1000 K/s but contained, inter alia, the expensive metal palladium, which prevented large volumes of production. At the end of the eighties Professor Inoue at the Tohoku University in Japan managed to develop various multicomponent systems consisting of common metallic elements which resulted in an amorphous bulk structure when cooling from melt. In the years that followed a great number of different amorphous metal systems have been found.
Table 1 below exemplifies some amorphous metal systems and the maximum thickness in which they can presently be cast and the critical cooling speed for an amorphous bulk structure to be formed.
MaximumCritical coolingAlloy systemthickness mmspeed K/sLantanide-Al—(Cu,Ni)10200Mg-Lantanide-(Cu,Ni)10200Zr—Al—(Cu,Ni)30 1-10Zr—Ti—Al—(Cu,Ni)301-5Zr—Ti—(Cu,Ni)—Be301-5Fe—(Al,Ga)—(P,C,B,Si,)3400Pd—Cu—Ni—P750.1Fe—(Co,Ni)—(Zr,Hf,Nb)—B6200
The greatest problem in casting of three-dimensional bodies (bulk metal) of amorphous metal is to achieve a sufficient cooling speed. An insufficient cooling speed results in a crystalline material instead of an amorphous material. The cooling speed restricts the size and thickness of material to be produced. The required cooling speed also makes it difficult to cast complicated geometries, thus making it necessary to produce several different components to be assembled. In practice, there will only be a limited choice of materials since there is a limited number of alloy systems that have a critical cooling speed that is practicably handleable in casting of construction components.

Method of producing products of amorphous metal


A block for enclosing, holding or connecting in a signalling pyrotecnical network exploding pyrotecnic ignition devices, such as cords or detonators. The block comprises, in sequence from a centrally arranged ignition device (9), an inner wall (2) substantially surrounding at least an axial part of the ignition device, an empty space (7), or a material of lower density than in the inner wall, substantially surrounding the inner wall, an outer wall (1) substantially surrounding the inner wall and the space and fixation means (6, 8, 12) for keeping the ignition device, the walls and space in said positions. The block may have an annular inner space (65) or channel spaces between the ignition device and the inner wall and fixation means (35,66,69) for keeping the ignition device, the walls and space in the stated positions, whereby the inner wall is axially slitted (33,64).

Ignition devices used for hooking up blasting salvo networks commonly include signalling means in the form of electrical wires, fuses or detonating cords in addition to activation means such as caps or detonators. The surface parts of the network in particular are vulnerable to damages before and during system activation. Ignition failures may result in explosive and sharp detonators remaining in the blasted rock mass. Signalling means of pyrotechnic nature poses special safety problems on the design as explosive system components make the network potentially self-destructive. The full lengths of detonating cords must be carefully positioned and connected to avoid self-cutting or damage on neighboring lines. Low energy fuses are commonly ended with explosive transmission or delay caps which may be destructive both by direct explosive shock and by the action of splinters from its metal parts. Blocks and fixtures are frequently used to securely enclose, position and in particular to connect and branch the various network parts. Block connections may be used both purely between fuses, such as between a primary detonating cord and secondary cords or fuses, and between transmission or delay caps and outgoing fuses or cords. Properly designed, connecting blocks may reduce the destructive action of explosives by aligning fuses, by absorbing or directing the explosive shock and by catching splinters. Improperly designed, the blocks may add to the problems by misaligning the components, by amplifying the explosion through confinement and by itself being the source of shrapnel parts.
Hence, suitable block characteristics means partly contradictory requirements. Although a limited explosive action is desirable to avoid the problems outlined, a sufficiently strong action is needed to secure signal transmission to the secondary ignition devices, which for safety reasons always are made insensitive. Good construction against internal damage must not interfere with maintained good properties against external damage from vehicles, falling rocks etc. on the site. Practical considerations place further constraints on the design. The device is used once which excludes massive, elaborate or otherwise expensive constructions. Connections are made in the field and any feature conditioned by safety must still allow connections to be made easily, reproducibly and without extensive requirements for skill. In manufacture the block must allow rational manual or machine assemby with various kinds of permanent ignition devices.


A method for controlling an extended-range electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electronic sound enhancement system includes selecting a preferred engine order equalization, said preferred engine order equalization achieving a desired engine sound in a passenger compartment of the vehicle responsive to an operator input to an accelerator pedal and decoupled from actual engine operation responsive to a state of charge (SOC) of a propulsion battery. Sound is generated in the passenger compartment by the electronic sound enhancement system responsive to the preferred engine order equalization.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
An extended-range electric vehicle employs electric motors and, under certain circumstances, an internal combustion engine to generate propulsion torque. Vehicle operators perceive vehicle operation audibly, including perceiving engine operation in response to accelerator pedal position, a change in the accelerator pedal position or the state of charge of the high voltage (propulsion) battery.

Method for controlling an extended-range electric vehicle including an electronic sound enhancement system


Methods, compositions, and systems for treating a well are included. A method comprises introducing a treatment fluid comprising a calcium aluminate cement, a cement set retarder, and water into a wellbore. The method further comprises removing a portion of the treatment fluid from the wellbore.

Methods of using treatment fluids and, more particularly, methods of using treatment fluids comprising calcium aluminate cement in well operations are provided.
Cement compositions may be used in a variety of subterranean operations including operations that utilize treatment fluids. A broad variety of cement compositions have been used as treatment fluids. Extended-life cement compositions are a type of cement composition. In contrast to conventional cement compositions that set and harden upon preparation, extended-life cement compositions are characterized by being capable of remaining in a pumpable fluid state for at least about one day (e.g., about 7 days, about 2 weeks, about 2 years or more) at room temperature (e.g., about 80° F.) in storage. When desired for use, the extended-life cement compositions should be capable of activation and consequently develop reasonable compressive strengths. For example, an extended-life cement composition that is activated may set into a hardened mass.
Annular pressure build-up is an increase in pressure in the wellbore and in wellbore equipment. Annular pressure build-up may rupture casings and cause wellbore collapse. In some examples, annular pressure build-up may occur when treatment fluids or portions of treatment fluids are left behind in the wellbore. Examples of some treatment fluid types which may be left behind include drilling fluids, spacer fluids, flushing fluids, spotting fluids, and the like. These treatment fluids may become trapped in the liquid state during or after the cementing process when cement is circulated above the casing shoe, when bleed-off sections or formation fractures become blocked, or in any other situation that effectively seals the annulus. Heat generated from production or drilling may volatize the treatment fluids leading to thermal expansion of the gas and consequently generating an increase in pressure. As discussed above, this pressure build-up may cause problems in wellbore applications.
Many solutions have been used to mitigate annular pressure build-up including specialized casing and casing accessories, compressible fluids and materials, and operational techniques designed to reduce the risk of annular pressure build-up. These solutions have not proven to be effective. These solutions may have drawbacks, as they have not addressed the source of the problem, which is the use of volatile treatment fluids which may become trapped in the wellbore.

Mitigation of annular pressure build-up using treatment fluids comprising calcium aluminate cement


A magnetizing apparatus capable of magnetizing a magnetic roller having a length up to 30 cm is provided. The magnetizing apparatus is comprised of at least two split members, each of which is provided with magnetic heads employed for applying magnetic fields to a magnetic roller. The end face of each magnetic head is shaped in agreement with the profile of the magnetic roller so that there would be no air gap formed between the magnetic head and the magnetic roller when they come into contact with each other. The split members are separated first and then combined to accommodate the magnetic roller within the magnetizing apparatus. After magnetization, a magnetic force is induced between the magnetic head and the magnetic roller such that an external force stronger than the magnetic force is used to pull the split members apart to fetch out the magnetic roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing magnetic rollers (MGR) having multiple magnetic poles.
2. Description of Prior Art
Magnetic rollers are essential elements utilized in electro-photographic systems. A magnetic roller is always formed with multiple magnetic poles, either symmetric or asymmetric.
A conventional technique for producing magnetic rollers is to adhere Sr- or Ba-ferrite strips to a steel bar and subsequently machine the ferrite strips into magnetic rollers. This technique has a drawback that the ferrite strips are often slightly misaligned, resulting in mispositioned magnetic poles. In addition, magnetic fields of the magnetic strips are often degaussed after machining.
In another conventional technique, a method similar to that used in magnetizing magnet rings that are employed in motors is utilized to magnetize a magnetic roller having a length longer than 22 cm. The method of producing magnet rings is adapted to magnetize magnet rings with a length less than 3 cm. Therefore, with such a length longer than 22 cm, it is a drawback of this technique that contacts between magnetic heads and the surface of magnetic roller are often not tight enough to produce magnetic poles having uniformly distributed magnetic fields. In addition to this drawback, the magnetic roller is often difficult to be separated from the magnetic heads due to magnetic forces produced after magnetization.
To solve the problem found in magnetizing a magnetic roller having a substantial length, Kodak company of U.S.A. developed a technique which divides a 30-cm magnetic roller into twelve 2.5-cm magnet rings and then combines each magnetized 2.5-cm magnet ring into a 30-cm MGR. It is a drawback of this technique that magnetic leakage is present at the joint of two 2.5-cm magnetic rings, causing unevenly distributed magnetic fields.

Apparatus for magnetizing a magnetic roller

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A method for uplink data transmission, a terminal device and a network device are provided. The method may include: receiving subset constraint indication information of an SRS resource sent by a network device, wherein the subset constraint indication information is used for indicating at least one available SRS resource subset; according to the subset constraint indication information, determining the length of an SRI, sent by the network device, in DCI for scheduling uplink data transmission; according to the length of the SRI, determining a target SRI from the DCI; determining, in the at least one available SRS resource subset, a target SRS resource subset corresponding to the target SRI; and according to the target SRS resource subset, determining a transmission parameter used for the uplink data transmission.

In a new radio (NR) system, a terminal device may use a plurality of panels for uplink data transmission, one panel contains a group of physical antennas, and each panel has an independent radio frequency channel. The terminal device may transmit data on the plurality of panels at the same time, but since channel conditions corresponding to different panels are different, different transmission parameters need to be adopted for different panels according to their respective channel information.
In order to acquire these transmission parameters, different channel sounding reference signal (SRS) resources need to be configured for different panels to acquire uplink channel information. For example, one panel may correspond to one SRS resource set, wherein each SRS resource may be used to acquire a transmission parameter of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission on the panel, or to acquire a transmission parameter of a transmission layer on the PUSCH. A network device needs to indicate one or more SRS resources through a SRS Resource Indicator (SRI), and the one or more SRS resources may be used to acquire a transmission parameter of current uplink data transmission.
However, in some application scenarios, some SRS resources or SRI indication states are unavailable, and the network device will not indicate corresponding information for the terminal device, thus wasting some SRI overhead.

Method for uplink data transmission, terminal device and network device

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


In a drying and pressing machine that includes a pressing cylinder, a flow spun stainless steel pressing cylinder is used, produced in one piece and without welding. This cylinder (10) has a reduced thickness. It rests on rollers (10) that comprise glass fiber reinforcement and a resin matrix. Each roller (12) is mounted on a fixed spindle (24) using a ball bearing (26).

This invention relates to a drying-pressing machine of the type in which the washing to be pressed makes its way between a rotating, internally heated, pressing cylinder and endless belts which are in contact with the external surface of the cylinder over the greater part of its circumference.
Such drying-pressing machines are used commonly in establishments within which a large quantity of washing is processed on a daily basis. By way of examples which are in no way limitative one could mention hospitals, clinics, retirement homes, restaurants etc.
In drying-pressing machines fitted with a rotating, internally heated pressing cylinder, the pressing cylinder is constituted by a metal sheet the extremities of which rest on rollers supported on the machine chassis. In large size machines, the diameter of the pressing cylinder goes up to about 600 mm, for a length of 4 or 5 meters.
Taking into account the large diameter of the pressing cylinder which is fitted to drying-pressing machines of this type, this cylinder is normally fabricated from a flat sheet which is bent and whose adjacent edges are finally welded along a generator.
In existing pressing cylinders fabricated according to this technique, the weld which extends over the whole length of the cylinder constitutes an area of stress, causing deformation of the cylinder under the effect of the variations in temperature which arise when the machine is being used. In order to limit these deformations, one is driven to use steel, in the form of relatively thick sheet (about 4 to 6 mm depending on the diameter).
Furthermore, the humid environment in which the pressing cylinder is permanently to be found, poses problems of oxidation for the ordinary steel commonly used, notably when the machine is in a saline environment as is the case on the coast. This corrosion phenomenon is even more difficult to control when the temperatures to which the cylinder is heated do not allow it to be protected, for example, by a resin, when the machine is in operation.
Taking account of the large dimensions of the pressing cylinder, the relatively thick nature of the sheet steel in which it is formed gives the cylinder a large mass, which is not without consequences for the sizing of the structures of the machine that are used to support this cylinder.
Hence the high mass of the pressing cylinder requires that metal rollers are used, generally cast iron or steel, in order to support the cylinder at each of its extremities. These metal rollers, which must be of relatively large size, are fixed onto spindles which are rotatably mounted, using ball bearings, in parts of the chassis of the machine situated beyond the extremities of the cylinder. In certain cases, the rollers are mounted on cantilevers which requires each to be supported by means of two ball bearings of large size. In other cases, the rollers are mounted on common spindles which extend over the entire length of the machine and which also lead to the use of large size ball bearings. In all cases, this layout, in itself relatively expensive, requires in addition that the chassis is provided with a reinforced structure, capable of bearing the high forces which are applied to it. These cumulative characteristics are therefore translated into extra costs which are not negligible for drying-pressing machines designed in this way.
In addition the metal to metal contact between the steel of the pressing cylinder and the steel or the cast iron of the rollers translates itself at the same time into both relatively unpleasant noise for the user and premature wear of the rollers and the end areas of the cylinder in contact with these rollers.
The high mass of the pressing cylinder of current machines also has the consequence of high thermal inertia, which is detrimental to good matching of the machine to the nature of the washing being pressed.

Drying and pressing machine with a flow spun pressing cylinder


A connector having juxtaposed contact modules (6). In each contact module, signal contacts (16), a first ground plate (14), and a second ground plate (15) are held by an insulator (28). The first and second ground plates comprise plate sections (14a, 15a) each having a first surface and a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, and the first surfaces face each other. Pairs of protrusions (14b, 15b) are formed at intervals on the second surfaces of the plate sections. The first and second ground plates are molded in the insulator and integrated together. The insulator has recesses (29) corresponding to the intervals of the protrusions and signal contacts are disposed in the recesses.

Even in the field where electrical signals have high frequencies, there is a demand for connecting between printed boards by a connector. The subjects required in this case are crosstalk reduction, impedance matching, measures against deviation in propagation time between signals, and so on.
This type of connector is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H6-325829 and Japanese Patent No. 2537698 and includes a plurality of contact modules each configured such that contacts are held by a mold component. In the manufacture of the contact module, there is a case where the contacts are molded-in with the insulator or a case where the mold component having grooves each with a shape resembling the contact is formed and the contacts are fitted into the grooves. Further, a component having the ground function is attached to each of the contact modules.
The foregoing connector is complicated because there are many assembly processes during the manufacture. Further, when the lengths of lines for transmitting signals are not physically equal among the contact modules, a difficult design is required, such as, adjusting the lengths of the contacts in the mold components and those in the air. Moreover, while pairs of two lines are used, the two lines are unbalanced between them and further a measure to counter crosstalk is difficult.

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


A guide wire comprises a core member, and a coil covering at least a distal end side portion of the core member. The guide wire comprises a coil fixing member which is fixed to the distal end side portion of the core member and which is adapted to fix the coil concentrically with the core member at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the coil, with the coil being fixed to the coil fixing member. The coil can be disposed concentrically with the core member, with the distal end portion of the guide wire undergoing generally uniform favorable deformations at the time of insertion into a living body, thus providing relatively excellent operationality.

Guide wires are used to guide a catheter in treatment of sites at which open surgery is difficult or which require or benefit from low invasiveness to the living body, for example PTCA (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty), or in examination such as cardioangiography. A guide wire used in the PTCA procedure is inserted, with its distal end protruding from the distal end of a balloon catheter, into the vicinity of a target angiostenosis portion together with the balloon catheter, and is operated to guide the distal end portion of the balloon catheter to the vicinity of the angiostenosis portion.
Since blood vessels are curved in a relatively complicated manner, a guide wire used to insert a balloon catheter into a blood vessel is required to have various characteristics such as appropriate flexibility and resiliency against bending, pushability and transmission performance (generically called "operationality") for torque transmissibility at the proximal end portion to the distal end side, and kink resistance (resistance against sharp bending).
To obtain appropriate flexibility as one of the above-mentioned characteristics, there has been known a guide wire in which a metallic coil having flexibility against bending is provided around a small-diameter core member at the distal end of the guide wire, or a guide wire including a core member made of a superelastic material such as an Ni—Ti alloy for imparting flexibility and resiliency.
The known guide wires of the former type, comprising the coil, include a guide wire in which two coils made of different materials are disposed in series and are fixed to a core member in a mutually screw-engaged state, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,622. In fixing the coils and the core member of the guide wire to each other, however, it has not always been easy to fix the core member in the center of the coils.
To address this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,496 discloses a guide wire produced by a method in which two coils are coupled on a centering mold, with the mold thereafter being removed. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,139 discloses a guide wire in which two coils are connected to each other through a joint coil. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,969 discloses a guide wire in which two coils are coupled through a spacer.
Joining the two coils to the core member according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,622, the solder would flow in the space between the coils and the core member so that the joint portion would have a relatively large length in the axial direction. Besides, in the methods of coupling the two coils on a mold or joint coil according to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,951,496 and 5,429,139, though the offset between the coils on the axis is reduced, there is the problem that the operation is intricate and that there would be an offset between the center axis of the coils and the center axis of the core member in connecting the coupled coils to the core member. Furthermore, although the spacer according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,969 has a radiopaque performance and other characteristic features, the publication includes no implication about the offset between the coils and the offset between the coils and the core member.


A multi-regime continuously variable ratio transmission system has coaxial system input and output shafts (16, 24), a continously variable ratio transmission unit (V) connected coaxially to the system input shaft (16) and having a coaxial variator output shaft (18) and a mixing epicyclic gear train (E1) having an input sun gear (S1) drivably connected to the variator ouput shaft (18), a planet carrier (C1) drivably connected to the system input shaft (16) and a planet gear (P1) mounted on the planet carrier ((C1). The planet gear (P1) drives a first intermediate output shaft (22) arranged coaxially with the system input shaft (16) and selectively connectable to the system output shaft via a first clutch (H) in high-regime operation of the transmission. The planet gear (P1) also provides the input for a second epicyclic gear train (E2) having an output (C2) which is selectively connectable to the system output shaft via a braking element (L) for low-regime operation of the transmission. The arrangement minimises the number of gear meshes, thereby minimising transmission losses and the absence of an annulus in the mixing epicyclic gear train (E1) allows more freedom in the choice of gear sizes, thereby permitting reduced gear speeds.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to continuously variable ratio transmission systems.
It is known to provide a continuously variable ratio transmission system having coaxial system input and output shaft and a continuously variable ratio transmission unit (known as a variator) connected coaxially to the system input shaft and having a coaxial variator output shaft. A mixing epicyclic gear train receives drives from the system input and from the variator output. By appropriate use of clutches or other braking elements, the system can operate in a high-gearing regime or low-gearing regime. Examples of such transmissions can be found in JP-A-6-174033 and JP-A-62-255655.
2. Background Art
Inevitably, small power losses arise from the intermeshing of gears. In order to maximise efficiency, it is therefore desirable to reduce the number of gear meshes, particularly in the mixing epicyclic gear train where the losses can effectively be magnified during operation in a "power recirculation" mode. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a "coaxial" continuously variable ratio transmission of the type described with a reduced number of gear meshes.
The prior art "coaxial" arrangements also require relatively high gear speeds which in turn demand more expensive bearings and tend to increase wear. It is an object of the present invention to reduce such gear speeds.

Continuously variable ratio transmission system


An amplifier circuit and a method of amplification using automatic gain control (AGC) are disclosed. A method for reducing distortions incurred by an audio signal when being rendered by an electronic device is described. The method comprises receiving an input signal; determining signal strength; determining a frequency-dependent AGC filter; wherein the frequency-dependent AGC filter is adapted to selectively attenuate the input signal within a number N of predetermined frequency ranges, according to corresponding N degrees of attenuation; wherein N predetermined frequency ranges depend upon a rendering characteristic of the electronic device; and wherein the N-degrees of attenuation depend upon the signal strength; and attenuating the input signal using the frequency-dependent AGC filter to obtain an output signal for rendering by the electronic device.

Many electrical circuits or electronic devices require a conditioning of a signal to obtain a conditioned signal that satisfies certain predetermined requirements as to e.g. signal level of the signal. For example, a transducer (e.g. a loudspeaker) may perform optimally within a certain range of the signal level delivered to the transducer. For this purpose, amplifier circuits and amplification methods may be used that receive an input signal, amplify the input signal by a gain factor to obtain an output signal, and deliver the output signal to the transducer of the electronic device for rendering.
The amplifier circuits and amplification methods may make use of automatic gain control schemes in order to determine the gain factor applied to the input signal. The gain factor may be determined such that the output signal has a predetermined signal level. The present document addresses the particular aspect of electronic devices comprising transducers (e.g. loudspeakers) which may be operated in a hands-free mode. In this context, it is desirable to determine the gain factor such that the loudspeaker and cabinet acoustic distortions and mechanical resonances are reduced (e.g. minimized). Furthermore, the gain factor should be determined such that the overall signal level of the output signal at the loudspeaker is increased (e.g. maximized). In addition, electronic devices (e.g. cordless or mobile telephones) typically comprise an echo canceller. The gain factor should be determined such the acoustic echo canceller performance is improved.

AGC circuit for an echo cancelling circuit


A remote computing device communicates bi-directionally with an on-board computing device disposed in a combustion engine vehicle, wherein the on-board computing device controls a fuel pump of the vehicle. The remote computing device queries for and receives data about the vehicle from the on-board computing device, such as the Vehicle Identification Number, diagnostic information about the vehicle, and/or data about how the vehicle is being driven.

The petroleum dependency of the transportation industry is staggering. For example, a February 2005 study indicated that 370 million gallons of petroleum based gasoline fuel was used daily in the United States. However, while the demand for gasoline remains high, its supply is limited, which in turn, drives up the price of gasoline. Companies within the transportation industry, such as rental car companies, sometimes lose their investment in gasoline as cars within their fleets are sold with the gasoline still intact. Moreover, because gasoline is a toxic substance, storage and destruction of discarded vehicles having gasoline in their tanks poses environmental and safety hazard.
It would be an advance in the art of transportation and environmental protection to provide solutions for recovery of fuel that would otherwise be wasted or economically lost.

Remote, bidirectional communication with an engine control unit


The present application provides a method for producing organic acid, such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, or another high-quality raw material designed for methane fermentation and obtained by converting waste paper and other forms of cellulose-based biomass to organic acid, wherein said method comprising a step for reacting rumen fluid collected from a ruminant animal with cellulose-containing waste matter. This method provides the effective use of cellulose-containing waste matter, which is a high-quality fermentation resource.

Used paper in an office such as classified papers is currently subjected to a finely cutting treatment. As a certain level of strength needs to be maintained during the production of recycle paper from waste paper, its recycling number has to be limited and all of the waste paper recovered is not suitable for recycling.
In the past, cellulose-containing waste such as the finely-cut office paper and a kind of waste paper that is not suitable for recycling have been mostly incinerated and not been therefore effectively utilized. Incineration leads to energy loss, and will produce a huge amount of greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. There is a necessity of a method for utilizing the waste paper that is hard to recycle.
Recently, techniques have been reported for the production of ethanol with fermentation of glycosylated products of the cellulose-containing waste by an enzyme such as cellulase (Patent Documents 1 and 2), or an acid (Patent Document 3).

Method of organic acid fermentation by rumen fluid using cellulose-containing waste matter