‘Flip and Change’ allows users to confidently change clothing without worrying about staining their clothes. The invention has two pieces of silk or polyester material that can be attached to a neck strap held together by hook-and-loop-fasteners. Other materials and fastening means may be used. Once the user has secured the neck strap, he/she may tuck the shorter piece of material into his or her collar or behind the front of the shirt (on the inside), while the longer piece may be flipped up to cover the face. When the (main) garment (such as a shirt or blouse) is removed, the invention prevents makeup from transferring to the clothing. The longer piece of material may include a decorative knot at the end.

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of garment protectors and more specifically relates to a flip and change garment device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many individuals in modern society, especially women, wear makeup to accentuate their appearance. People wear clothes that may be changed while wearing makeup. When changing clothes after work, after a workout or in a store changing room, people typically pull the garment over their head. This motion allows the shirt or dress to press against the face, which can transfer make up, oil and dirt to the material. This can leave a stain on the garment that can be difficult to remove, and a user may end up sending clothing to be dry-cleaned more often than he or she would like. If a person tries to avoid the face when removing the garment, the garment may become stretched and then it may not fit correctly. An effective solution is desirable whereby clothing may be protected and makeup is not smeared or otherwise affected.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,045,359; 7,380,284; 5,572,740; 7,788,735; 4,722,100; and Pub. No. 2009/0083893. This art is representative of garments for use with make-up. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a flip and change garment device of the flip and change system should provide protection for clothing and for makeup and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable flip and change garment device to avoid the above-mentioned problems.


An electronic device includes a housing, a touch screen display located inside the housing and exposed through a first portion of the housing, a microphone located inside the housing and exposed through a second portion of the housing, at least one speaker located inside the housing and exposed through a third portion of the housing, a communication circuit located inside the housing, a processor located inside the housing and electrically connected with the touch screen display, the microphone, the speaker, and the communication circuit, and a memory located inside the housing and electrically connected with the processor.

Modern electronic devices may support a variety of input methods, such as speech input, in addition to conventional input methods using keyboards or mouses. For example, electronic devices, such as smartphones or tablet computers, may recognize a user's speech input and may execute actions or provide search results corresponding to the speech input while a speech recognition service is executed.
The speech recognition service may recognize a user input and may provide results for the user input to a user by using specific text included in the user input, or may determine the user's intent on the basis of natural language processing technology and may provide results appropriate for the determined intent to the user.

Electronic device for processing user input and method for processing user input


An ergonomic fluid container which can stably support itself on a surface in either a horizontal or vertical orientation is described. A hollow handle portion is located approximate to the center of gravity of the container and is designed to permit a wide variety of individuals to obtain a complete hand grip. The container also comprises an angled spout and one or more rounded edges that may be used to roll the container on the surface to facilitate pouring.

Several types of mass-marketed fluid containers are known. For example, half-gallon cardboard milk containers and plastic juice containers are commonplace in supermarkets. Such containers are used by consumers on a daily basis and therefore should be designed for ease of use. However, cardboard milk containers generally lack a handle, making half-gallon and larger sizes unwieldy and difficult to pour. In addition, the average vertically-standing cardboard container offers insufficient resistance and rigidity under load conditions which can result in breakage during handling. This characteristic also tends to make these containers unstable when stacked on top of one another.
Plastic containers typically have handles, but are not designed for ease of use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,804 discloses a plastic liquid dispensing container having a handle and a ribbed construction. The spout and the handle are located on the top side of the container and are parallel to the top closure portion. The positions of the handle and spout make a described two and one-half gallon embodiment difficult to pour.
Thus, present day commercially available cardboard and plastic containers are inadequate because a large part of the population, especially the very young and the elderly, cannot easily manipulate them.


In one embodiment, a system for coupling communications signals onto a medium-voltage power line includes a metal oxide varistor, a disconnect device and a capacitor. The metal oxide varistor is electrically coupled to the medium voltage power line. The disconnect device includes a resistor in parallel with an air gap and is electrically coupled in series between the metal oxide varistor and a communications device. The capacitor is electrically coupled to the metal oxide varistor and the communications device in parallel with the disconnect device.

Power systems utilize a variety of electrical devices and connectors to deliver electricity from a power station or generator to customers. Some power systems utilize a three-tiered approach that utilizes high-voltage power lines with voltages in the range from approximately 60 kV to 100 kV, medium-voltage power lines with voltages in the range from approximately 4 kV to 60 kV, and low-voltage power lines with voltages in the range from approximately 90V to 600V.
In these three-tiered power systems, high-voltage power lines typically connect a power station or generator to a substation. The substation serves a particular area such as a neighborhood and includes a transformer to step-down the voltage from high voltage to medium voltage. Typically, multiple sets of medium-voltage power lines connect the substation to local distribution transformers. The distribution transformers typically serve the customers in close proximity to the distribution transformer and step-down the voltage from medium voltage to low voltage for use by the customers.
The power lines used to deliver electricity to customers have also been used to transmit and receive communications signals. For example, power lines have been used by utility companies to transmit and receive communications signals to monitor equipment and to read meters. Power lines have also been used to provide broadband communications for customers. Various techniques have been developed to couple broadband communications signals to medium-voltage power lines. These broadband communications signals typically occupy frequencies in the 2-50 MHz region. One approach to coupling communications signals to these medium-voltage power lines is to use the intrinsic capacitance of metal oxide varistor (MOV) lightning arresters to couple a portion of the communications radio frequency signals onto medium-voltage power lines. Most MOV lightning arresters have a special device attached to the bottom of the arrester assembly to explosively disconnect the grounding wire in case of a current fault. This device usually consists of a grading resistor in parallel with an air-gap and small gunpowder charge.

Coupling of communications signals to a power line

International Broadband Communications, Inc.


A capacitive level sensor (10) for measuring the level of a medium (14) in a container (12) is provided having a probe (16) for immersion into the medium (14) that has at least one measurement electrode (26) for a capacitance measurement and having a measurement and evaluation unit (20) that is configured to determine a capacitance at the measurement electrode (26) and to calculate a level from it. In this respect, the probe (16) has at least one reference electrode (28) for a capacitance measurement independent of the level to thus compensate environmental influences on the capacitance measurement at the measurement electrode (26).

A known principle for determining levels in a container is based on a capacitance measurement. A probe is introduced into the container for this purpose and the capacitance between the probe and a reference is measured. This capacitance is changed in dependence on the level due to the dielectric properties of the medium. The level is calculated from the measured capacitance while taking account of the dielectric constant of the medium. A metallic container, an introduced metal surface, additional electrodes on the probe or a second probe serve as the counter-electrode, typically at ground potential.
The measured capacitance, however, does not only depend on the level, but also on parasitic components, in particular on the carrier to which the electrodes are attached. The environmental conditions that influence the parasitic components are highly variable in part as in the example of a hot liquid running into a tank fast where the probe heats rapidly at the bottom and initially remains cool at the top. A further dynamic influence arises due to the so-called permeation, namely the diffusion of moisture into the probe and thereby different degrees of moisture of the probe. The measurement of the capacitance and consequently of the level is highly falsified by such effects.
A capacitive level sensor is known from EP 2 657 663 A1 whose probe has a plurality of consecutive segments having measurement electrodes in a longitudinal direction. Provision is made for the calibration to measure base capacitance values of the segments when they are not immersed in the medium. The calibration and level measurement can consequently only take place at different times so that the reaction to dynamic changes of the environment has to remain sluggish and imprecise. An embodiment of EP 657 663 A1 additionally provides a temperature sensor with which the temperature is measured to correct the capacitance values by means of a stored characteristic. This requires a teaching effort for the determination of the characteristic and in addition local temperature differences along the probe remain out of consideration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,797 B2 describes a capacitive level sensor that has at least one lower electrode for a reference measurement within the medium, an upper electrode for a reference measurement outside the medium, and a middle, actual measurement electrode for determining the capacitance in dependence on the level of the medium. However, which influences changing the capacitance act on the middle, actual measurement electrode can actually not be determined by such reference electrodes.

Capacitive level sensor and method of measuring the level of a medium


A toner supply device is disclosed that supplies toner contained in a toner container to a developing device in an image forming device. The toner supply device includes a conveyance pipe for conveying the toner from the toner container to the developing device downward, and at least one supply pipe for supplying the toner from the conveyance pipe to the developing device downward. The conveyance pipe is connected to the toner container for conveying the toner from the toner container to the developing device. The supply pipe has an upper portion connected to the conveyance pipe and a lower end capable of advancing into the developing device. In addition, a conveyance member is rotatably located in the supply pipe for conveying the toner downward. The supply pipe is located such that a center axis of the supply pipe is slanted relative to the horizontal line at a repose angle of the toner or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner supply device, and more particularly to a toner supply device for supplying toner from a toner container located apart from a developing device to the developing device.
2. Background Information
An image forming device utilizing an electrophotographic system includes a photosensitive drum as an image bearing member and other devices located circumferentially around the drum, such as a charger, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning device, and so on. In addition, a fixing device is provided downstream of the photosensitive drum in a direction in which the transfer device extends. In this image forming device, first, a surface of the photosensitive drum is uniformly charged by the charger. Then, the photosensitive drum is exposed by the exposure device in accordance with image data so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum. The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device. In a case of the full color image forming device, four developing units are provided for storing cyan developer, magenta developer, yellow developer, and black developer. The developing units develop the latent image to a toner image with four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). After that, the toner image is transferred to a transfer medium by the transfer device and then fixed to the transfer medium by the fixing device, and the transfer medium is finally discharged to a discharge unit. Residual developer remaining on the photosensitive drum is cleaned by the cleaning device.
In the above-mentioned image forming operation, the toner in the toner container is consumed as the development is carried out so that it is necessary to refill the toner. There are two systems to compensate for the toner consumed by the image forming operation.
The first system is to fill a certain amount of the toner in the developing unit and replace the developing units when the toner is completely consumed, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-45960. In this system, the developing unit and the toner container are formed into a cartridge, so that it is not necessary to supply the toner to the developing unit. Consequently, it is easy to maintain the developing unit.
The second system is to provide a toner container outside of the developing unit so as to supply the toner to the developing unit from outside, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 2001-134045 and No. 10-198149. Recently, as full color image forming devices have been increasingly used by individuals, there have been demands to reduce the size of the image forming device. It is necessary to reduce the size of the developing units in order to reduce the size of the image forming device. In the second system, by providing the toner container outside of the developing unit, the developing unit will be reduced in size.
In the first system wherein the developing unit and the toner container are formed into a cartridge, it is necessary to fill the toner for about 4,000 sheet printing in the developing unit in advance because the toner is not supplied to the developing unit from outside. As a result, it is difficult to reduce the developing unit in size. Although it is possible to set a printing capability of toner to 4,000 sheets or under, the cost per one sheet increases in that case. In addition, when the toner is completely consumed, it is necessary to replace the developing units each time. As a result, it increases the burden on the environment.
On the contrary, in the system wherein the toner container is provided outside of the developing unit and the toner is supplied to the developing unit from outside, it is necessary to prepare a member for supplying the toner from the toner container to the developing unit. For example, a plurality of toner supply paths are provided for supplying the toner to each of the developing units in the device shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-134045, and a plurality of toner supply pipes are provided for supplying the toner to each of the developing units in the device shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-198149. The toner is supplied to the developing units through the toner supply paths or the toner supply pipes from the toner container.
However, in the conventional devices, the toner may remain in the toner supply paths or the toner supply pipes. In particular, in the device shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-198149, the toner supply pipes advance and retreat relative to the developing units, so that when the toner supply pipe leaves the developing unit, the toner remaining in the toner supply pipes scatter about so as to contaminate inside of the device.
Furthermore, in the conventional device, it is difficult to precisely manage the amount of the toner supply when the toner is supplied from the toner container to the developing unit, because the toner in the toner container is supplied to the developing device by free fall.
It is an object of the present invention to restrain the toner from remaining in the toner supply unit and from contaminating the inside of the device when the toner is supplied to the developing unit from the toner container located apart from the developing unit.
It is another object of the present invention to precisely manage the amount of the toner supply to the developing unit with a simple structure.


An image sensor device and fabrication method thereof wherein a substrate having at least one shallow trench isolation structure therein is provided. At least one photosensor and at least one light emitting element, e.g., such as MOS or LED, are formed in the substrate. The photosensor and the light emitting element are isolated by the shallow trench isolation structure. An opening is formed in the shallow trench isolation structure to expose part of the substrate. An opaque shield is formed in the opening to prevent photons from the light emitting element from striking the photosensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor device and fabrication method thereof, and more particularly, to a method of forming optical guard rings for an image sensor device to eliminate interference between photodiode and adjacent light emitting structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light imaging array devices are used in a wide variety of applications in the background art. These devices utilize an array of active pixels or image sensor cells. The image sensor cells usually include active image sensing elements, such as photodiodes, in addition to adjacent transistor structures, such as transfer gate structures, and reset transistors. These transistors, as well as additional devices used for control and signal circuits in the peripheral regions of the image sensor cell, or for peripheral logic circuits, include complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices.
FIGS. 1A–1C are sectional views showing a portion of a semiconductor substrate, schematically illustrating a fabrication process for an image sensor device of the background art. A p-type semiconductor substrate 1 is provided. By performing ion implantation of boron, a p-well region 2 is formed in a top portion of the semiconductor substrate 1, and the concentration of p-type dopant in the p-well region 2 exceeds that in the semiconductor substrate 1. A shallow trench isolation (STI) structure 3 is then formed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate 1 to isolate the photodiode element and the transistor structure formed in subsequent steps.
In FIG. 1B, a gate insulating layer 4, e.g., such as SiO2, is defined on part of the semiconductor substrate 1. A gate structure 5, e.g., such as doped polysilicon, is then defined after deposition and etching. In FIG. 1C, n-type lightly doped drain (LDD) regions 6 are formed in areas of the p-well region 2 not covered by the gate structure 5. Spacers 7, such as SiN, are formed on the sides of the gate structure 5. Using the spacers 7 and the gate structure 5 as a mask, n-type heavily doped source/drain regions 8 and 9 are then formed in areas of p-well region 2 by ion implantation. An NMOS element 10 functioning as a transfer gate transistor or a reset transistor is thus obtained. This ion implantation procedure also results in the formation of photodiode element 12 in image sensor cell region. The photodiode element 12 consists of an n-type heavily doped region 11 in the p-well region 2.
FIG. 2 shows the problem of photons induced by the NMOS element 10, degrading sensor performance. For example, when the NMOS element 10 is in an ON state, unexpected photon (or light) emission 20 can be generated by hot carrier effect. The photons (or light) emission 20 can penetrate the STI structure 3 and strike the photodiode element 12, thereby causing noise and crosstalk, and seriously degrading the performance of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,422 to Edward et al., the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a method to improve the quantum efficiency (QE) of an image sensor. The image sensor includes a photodiode and a dielectric structure. The photodiode is responsive to an amount of incident light from a light source. The dielectric structure is on top of the photodiode and between the photodiode and an interlevel dielectric (ILD) oxide layer. The dielectric structure includes a nitride material. The ILD oxide layer is made of an oxide material and has an ILD oxide thickness.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,669 to Fan et al., the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a method of improving the light collection efficiency of an image sensor. A high transmittance overcoat layer with a flat top surface is formed upon the color filter, wherein the refractive index of the overcoat layer approximates that of the color filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,258 to Wuu, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a method of forming an image sensor cell and a CMOS logic circuit device. This method features the selective formation of a thin silicon oxide layer on the top surface of the photodiode element, in the image sensor cell region of a semiconductor chip. The thin silicon oxide layer prevents formation of metal silicide on the photodiode element during formation of the desired metal silicide layer on the CMOS logic devices. This allows low, dark current generation and a high signal to noise ratio.
However, the present inventors have determined that the aforementioned methods of the background art suffer from several disadvantages. For example, none of the cited methods provide shielding from light emitted from the MOS structure in the image sensor.

Image sensor with optical guard ring and fabrication method thereof

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


Synonyms for a term to be indexed are dynamically generated by applying one or more rules (e.g., splitting, deletion or addition of characters, and concatenation of portions) to the term, each synonym generated either including only a portion and not all of the term or differing from the term by at least one additional character in a position between a first character and a last character (i.e., not at either end of the term). The term and some or all of the synonyms are then indexed for subsequent searching.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to the generation of terms for search. More particularly, the present invention relates to generating synonyms for a term to be indexed, each of the synonyms including only part of the term.
2. Background Information
The Internet has vastly increased both the amount of information available to users and the speed with which it may be obtained. However, the vast increase in the amount of information has created a corresponding problem for users in finding the information of interest. Search engines have proliferated in an attempt to meet the information need.
However, a search engine is only as good as the information indexed for search, and the term(s) to be searched input by a user. Thus, if a user inputs, for example, only a portion of a term that would return the desired information, or misformats the term, it is less likely that the information actually being sought will be returned in the results. Although this is true for all searches, it is particularly so with respect to non-word searches, such as, for example, part numbers, model numbers and other such identifiers. Part numbers, for example, are seldom intuitive and are not formatted in any standard way. Thus, users frequently only know a portion of the actual part number and/or may add or omit non-alphanumeric characters, for example, spaces, dashes, etc.
It would be helpful if a user could more reliably search when a "perfect" term is not known or otherwise not available, particularly in the case of identifiers.
Thus, a need exists for a way to increase the accuracy of the search results even where the user only knows a portion of the information being sought and/or improperly formats the same.


A viscoelastic surfactant composition having improved rheological performance comprising one or more quaternized amidoamine surfactants, one or more tertiary amine amides, one or more polymeric acids and one or more electrolytes, viscosified aqueous fluids comprising the surfactant composition and methods of making and using the viscosified aqueous fluid for treating subterranean formations.

Hydraulic fracturing is used in the recovery of hydrocarbons from subterranean formations to fracture the formation and provide flow channels. These flow channels facilitate movement of the hydrocarbons to the wellbore so that the hydrocarbons may be pumped from the well.
In hydraulic fracturing operations, a fracturing fluid is hydraulically injected into a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation and is forced against the formation strata at a pressure sufficient to crack and fracture the strata.
The fracturing fluids are typically thickened or gelled aqueous compositions that also carry a proppant, which, when placed in the fracture by movement of the fracturing fluid containing proppant into the crack in the rock, "props" the fracture open, thereby providing improved flow of the hydrocarbon into the wellbore.
There has been considerable interest in using viscoelastic surfactants to increase the viscosity or induce gel formation in aqueous fracturing fluids. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,695,389, 4,725,372, 4,800,036, 5,551,516, 5,964,295, 5,979,557, 6,258,859, 6,306,800, 6,412,561, 6,435,277, 6,506,710 and PCT/US00/24142. It is believed that the viscoelastic surfactants form micelles that are able to viscosify the fluid and carry the proppant into the fractured rock. As oil is produced, it breaks the micelle, allowing the surfactants to be removed.
A viscoelastic surfactant composition comprising erucyl methyl bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium chloride and a polymer and use of the composition in subterranean formations is disclosed in published U.S. Patent Application No. 20030134751.
There is, nonetheless, an ongoing need to develop new viscoelastic surfactant fracturing fluid compositions, particularly compositions having higher viscosity performance at low temperature and improved high temperature performance relative to existing technology, thereby allowing for the use of lower surfactant concentrations as well as enhanced ability to carry sand.

Viscoelastic surfactant composition having improved rheological properties and method of using for treating subterranean formations


A method for compensating for critical dimension (CD) variations of pattern lines of a wafer, by the correcting the CD of the corresponding photomask. The photomask comprises a transparent substrate having two substantially opposite surfaces, a first back surface and a second front surface on which front surface an absorbing coating is provided, on which the pattern lines were formed by removing the coating at the pattern lines. The method comprises: determining CD variations across regions of a wafer exposure field relating to the photomask; and providing Shading Elements (SE) within the substrate of the photomask in regions which correlates to regions of the wafer exposure field where CD variations greater than a predetermined target value were determined, whereby the shading elements attenuate light passing through the regions, so as to compensate for the CD variations on the wafer and hence provide and improved CD tolerance wafer.

Photo-masks used in the manufacturing of integrated circuits (IC) are composed of a Chrome layer deposited on Quartz or fused Silica plates, which are subsequently patterned for use as a "negative", similarly to the printing process in photography, in a photolithographic process.
In a photolithographic process, UV (ultraviolet) light passes through the pattern inscribed on the Chrome layer, and an image is formed within the photo-resist layer on top of a Silicone wafer.
Additional layers, like protective layers, antireflective layers, or an embedded phase-shifting layer, such as MoSi, occasionally accompany the chrome layer.
Additional applications similar to IC are the lithographic processes for thin film magnetic read/write heads used in hard disk drives for data storage.
Front-end IC processes require sub-micron resolution, typically with an optical demagnification factor of 1:4 from a mask object to the printed image on Silicone wafers.
Such sub-micron processes require that critical dimensions (CD) of the features printed on the wafer, be uniform, with strict specifications.
However, it is well known throughout the semiconductor industry, that the lithography process suffers from CD variations, which often exceed specifications and requirements.
Not all CD variations are inherent to the homogeneity of the patterning on the photomask itself. In fact, a large proportion of CD variations may be attributed to external causes, such as the optical set-up used in the photolythographic process. There are various sources for CD variations, some of which are lenses aberrations, masks non-uniform patterning, illumination design, Photo-resist coating and development, etching processes and others.
Thorough studies of CD variations (Improvement of Shot uniformity on a wafer by controlling backside transmittance distribution of a photomask, Jong Rak Park, Soon Ho Kim, Gi-Sung Yeo, Sung-Woon Choi, Won-Tai Ki, Hee-Sun Yoon, Jung-Min Sohn, Samsung electronics co. LTD, SPIE proceedings, February 2003 (5040-45)) have shown that variations are in most cases, segmented to specific areas of the exposure field. An exposure field is equivalent to one projection of the mask on the wafer, hence a single wafer contains many exposure fields of the same mask. A good statistical model can specify numbers of percent of CD deviations for each area.
CD variations may be improved by taking an advantage of the fact that photo-resist threshold for activation, varies linearly with the logarithm of the exposure dose, with a slope constant—γ ("Resolution enhancement techniques in optical lithography" (chapter 1.3.4), Alfred Kwok-Kit Wong (SPIE PRESS 2001)).
If variations are a few percent above a specified value, a reduction of the UV radiation dose, will change the CD value, such as the printed line width (or contact-holes diameter) and will bring it closer to the required value.
One possible way of applying a dose reduction pattern to a photomask, on its back-side, is by patterning grooves or holes on the back-side surface of the mask (see US 20040067422, to Park et al.).
However, such a method is limited in its dynamic range, the process is slow, and suffers from high equipment cost.
There are other methods for CD control, which are commonly used in the semiconductors industry (like the focus/exposure (dose) process-window optimization, which determines the average CD on wafers) but are generally not suitable for controlling CD variations within and across the exposure fields on the wafer (Intra field CD variations).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a way that greatly reduces intra field CD variations associated with a photomask in the photolithographic process.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a way for reducing CD variations that employs shading elements or diffractive optical elements embedded in the photomask.

Method for correcting critical dimension variations in photomasks


A starting motor tester that may apply electricity to the starting motor while the starting motor is loaded by an engine, measure the power that is consumed by the starting motor while the starting motor is loaded by the engine, determine the condition of the starting motor based on the amount of power that is measured, and communicate the determined condition of the starting motor. The determination may also be based on the RPM of the engine.

Starting motors are commonly used to start engines by cranking them.
Starting motors may contain or develop defects. For example, a short may exist or develop in a winding of a starting motor. This can reduce the torque that the starting motor produces and cause the starting motor to draw excessive current. Mechanical problems may also develop, such as deterioration in a bushing. These mechanical problems can similarly cause a reduction in torque and excessive current to be drawn.
It may be difficult to detect defects in a starting motor, particularly without removing the starting motor from its installation. A reduction in torque or excessive current, for example, may not be apparent merely from observing and listening to the starting motor during operation. Even when it is, it may not be clear that the problem lies with the starting motor, as opposed to other components in the system (e.g., battery).
Current to the starting motor has in the past been measured as an indicia of its condition. However, this measurement often hinges upon the condition of its power source (e.g., battery), thus sometimes leading to ambiguous results.
Voltage to the starting motor has similarly been examined in the past as a means of assessing the condition of a starting motor. Again, however, this measurement often hinges on the condition of the power source (e.g., battery), again sometimes leading to ambiguous results. Further, a very powerful battery that is in good condition may mask a partially shorted starting motor from being detected by a voltage tester, as it may be able to sustain a high voltage level when driving the starting motor, even though the windings of the starting motor are partially shorted.

Starting motor tester that measures power


Ammonia monitor and method of use are disclosed. A continuous, real-time determination of the concentration of ammonia in an aqueous process stream is possible over a wide dynamic range of concentrations. No reagents are required because pH is controlled by an in-line solid-phase base. Ammonia is selectively transported across a membrane from the process stream to an analytical stream under pH control. The specific electrical conductance of the analytical stream is measured and used to determine the concentration of ammonia.

1. Field of the Invention
Real time, on-line detection and quantitation of aqueous ammonia is a critical requirement for closed loop environmental life support systems. Dissolved ammonia and the ammonium cation are primarily of biogenic origin, resulting from the metabolic degradation of nitrogenous biomolecules such as amino acids, purines, and pyrimidines. The predominant hydrophilic metabolite, urea, is unstable with respect to hydrolysis and readily decomposes to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Hence, accurate and timely characterization of ammonia levels in closed loop reclamation streams is required to ensure proper water processor operation.
Conventional analytical techniques are generally unsuitable for continuous ammonia monitoring due to sample conditioning requirements, measurement instability, interferences, discontinuous aliquot sampling, and slow response times. For example, calorimetric determinations such as Nesslerization, or the phenate method require sample conditioning as well as reaction with chromogenic reagents. Ion chromatography requires the addition of a buffer and can only analyze selected aliquots whose interval depends on the time needed for separation and elution of ionic constituents. Ammonia ion selective electrodes require pH adjustment and the presence of ionic strength adjusting buffers, need frequent recalibration, suffer from slow response at low concentrations, and can become unstable due to contamination of the ammonia permeable membrane which then must be replaced. Although some of these techniques can be adapted to quasi-real time operation, the added cost and complexity makes them unattractive.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. 1.97 and 1.98
The subject invention was made as a real time, online detection and quantitation system for aqueous ammonia for use in a closed loop environmental life support system. However, it may be used in any aqueous process stream for detection and quantitation of ammonia.
The following references relate to detection and measurement of ammonia in liquids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,709 to Kraig discloses an apparatus for determining the concentration of ammonium ion in fluid or tissue without adjusting the pH thereof, the apparatus comprising (a) an ammonia concentration measuring electrode for contacting the fluid or tissue and producing a first output signal related to ammonia concentration therein, (b) a hydrogen ion concentration measuring electrode for contacting the fluid or tissue and producing a second output signal related to hydrogen ion concentration therein, (c) temperature measuring means for contacting the fluid or tissue and producing a third output signal related to temperature therein, and (d) means for calculating ammonium ion concentration based upon the first, second and third output signals utilizing a disclosed equation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,824 to Hansen et al. discloses a method of preparing a sample for treatment in which a continuous flow of liquid carrier receives sample portions, the method comprising: passing the carrier through a conduit in a manner such that flow of the carrier is laminar, unsegmented and continuous; introducing sample portions into the carrier; controlling dispersion of the sample portion in the carrier by varying at least one of the volume of the sample portion, the flow velocity of the carrier, or the dimensions of the conduit conducting the sample and the carrier. Also disclosed is an apparatus for practicing the method.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,433 to Emmet discloses a process for determining in an aqueous sample the content of nitrogen containing compounds from the group consisting of urea and tyrosine, through chemical reaction and spectral absorbency determination. The process comprises: (1) mixing the aqueous sample at a pH between 4.0 and 8.0 with a solution containing free chlorine; (2) mixing the resultant solution between a pH of 8.0 and 11.0 with a phenol solution; (3) determining the absorbency of the resultant solution substantially in the 454 .mu. and in the 375 .mu. region of the spectrum; and (4) comparing the resultant absorbency of step 3 at 454 mu with a standard urea sample, and the resultant absorbency of step 3 at 375 mu with a standard tyrosine sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,299 to Carlson discloses a method for determining the amount of volatile electrolyte present in an aqueous liquid sample, comprising: transferring volatile electrolyte from the sample into a second liquid of known electrical conductivity through a gas-permeable hydrophobic membrane that does not pass the aqueous liquid, during a predetermined time interval, and then determining the change in electrical conductivity in the second liquid resulting from such transfer. The invention also discloses an apparatus for practicing the method.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,868 to Bergkuist et al. discloses a method for measuring a constituent of interest of a biological fluid or the like comprising the steps of: providing a reaction chamber that contains an immobilized enzyme capable of modifying a constituent of interest; providing a measuring system; placing a first portion of a biological fluid to be analyzed in the reaction chamber and concurrently exposing a second unmodified portion of the biological fluid to the measuring system to provide a first data output; oscillating the first biological fluid portion with bidirectional flow in the reaction chamber to facilitate modification by the immobilized enzyme of the constituent of interest in the biological fluid; then exposing the first portion of the biological fluid to be analyzed to the measuring system to provide a second data output; and modifying the second data output as a function of the first data output to provide an indication of the actual amount of the constituent of interest in the biological fluid. The invention also discloses a detecting means that comprises an ion selective electrode and a reference electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,841 to Paulson et al. discloses a method for determining the concentration of a component in a sample, wherein the sample, upon being introduced into solution with a reagent, reacts therewith at a rate indicative of the concentration. The method comprises: monitoring a characteristic of the solution or a component or product of the reaction which is proportional to the concentration; generating an output signal proportional to the time rate of change of the characteristic; measuring the value of the output signal; and inhibiting the measurement of the value of the output signal for a predetermined, fixed time interval from introduction of the sample into the reagent, the time interval being sufficient to permit thorough mixing of the sample with the reagent. Also disclosed is an apparatus for practicing the method.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


Apparatus and methods are provided for purging an airlock cavity created between the airlock access door and the primary explosion chamber opening sealing mechanism. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an airlock device is used to ensure that, in the event toxins are released from the primary explosion chamber opening sealing means, the toxins are properly handled and are not inadvertently released into the atmosphere. In one embodiment, negative pressure is used to vacuum the entrained air within the airlock cavity subsequent to an explosion. To facilitate the sweeping and exhausting of the cavity, an orifice in the access door may be operable to allow the flow of ambient air through the airlock access door.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods and apparatus for containing, controlling and suppressing the detonation and destruction of explosives and resultant toxic materials released, specifically biological and chemical weapons. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to purging an airlock cavity of an explosion suppression and containment chamber to minimize the risk of environmental contamination as a result of leaks from the main method of sealing the openings of the explosion suppression and containment chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, explosion containment and suppression chambers are utilized for many purposes, ranging from hardening of steel and metals to the destruction of weaponry or other explosive devices. Some common types of weaponry and other explosive devices which are intended to be destroyed within such an explosion chamber include, but are not limited to, munitions, mortars, pipe bombs, fireworks, biological, chemical and other toxin-releasing agents.
These types of weaponry and explosive devices are generally destroyed by detonating the weapon with a predetermined amount of explosive material. For example, to destroy a chemical agent weapon, the weapon is generally encased with an explosive material, placed inside of the explosion suppression and containment chamber, wherein the explosive material is detonated and the weapon is essentially vaporized. Due to the extreme and instantaneous temperature and pressure increase, substantially all of the toxic material contained within the weapon is vaporized and subsequently consumed in a fireball.
The main purpose of an explosion suppression and containment chamber is to contain and ultimately suppress the explosive forces inherent with the destruction of such weaponry and explosive devices. Furthermore, the explosion chamber is intended to provide an airtight explosion atmosphere. Whatever toxic materials remain after weapons destruction these materials remain contained in an enclosed environment where they can be properly handled and disposed of. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,354,181; 6,173,662; 5,884,569; and Re. 36,912, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, disclose a system which has exhaust orifices located along the perimeter of the explosion chamber to collect contained toxic gases and contaminants. These exhaust orifices are subsequently connected to manifolds, which run along the length of the explosion chamber. The manifolds are then connected to an air handling and cleaning device, such as an air scrubber. As such, once an explosion within the chamber commences, there is an exhaust fan which pulls the toxic laden air that escaped destruction in the fireball, due to the vaporization of the weapon and any contained chemical or biological agents, through the exhaust orifices, into the manifolds system and finally to the air handling and cleaning device. Once the air has been properly cleaned and stripped of toxic materials, it can then be released into the atmosphere.
As can be expected, there are many dangerous and toxic materials that can be destroyed within the explosion containment and suppression chamber. It is thus imperative that these dangerous toxins are properly contained and not allowed to enter the atmosphere as toxin release can be extremely deadly to the human population. As stated previously, the initial destruction of the weapon by explosion vaporizes substantially all of the toxic material which is then destroyed in a fireball. However, there are inevitably some traces of toxins in the air within the explosion suppression and containment chamber.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,354,181; 6,173,662; 5,884,569; and Re. 36,912, an airtight explosion chamber is utilized to destroy such weapons. To enhance the chamber's airtight design, disclosed therein is the utilization of an access door which opens inwardly into the explosion chamber. Thus, when the explosion occurs, the explosion itself has the effect of providing a tighter seal around the periphery of the door due to the explosion's outward forces, subsequently sealing the door even further. However, a limitation of such a design is that this type of interior access, although extremely reliable and effective, is the only method utilized to prevent inadvertent release of toxic gases and materials from the explosion chamber.

Purging an airlock of an explosion containment chamber


A container for a fire extinguishing or explosion suppressing agent is provided with a pressure responsive, frangible disc which normally closes the outflow orifice for the agent. The container is provided with at least one gas-injection port to which a compressed gas generator is connected. The container is normally in an unpressurized state; and, when the gas generator is activated, the disc will be ruptured during the pressure buildup within the container and the agent will subsequently be ejected from the container by the injected gas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the dispersal of material, a fire extinguishing agent for example, into an ambient atmosphere and particularly to release into the atmosphere of fire and/or explosion suppressant materials from sealed storage containers. More specifically, this invention is directed to containers for the storage of dry or liquid materials such as fire extinguishing and/or explosion preventative agents, and especially to such containers wherein the stored material will be caused to be ejected from the container and carried into the ambient atmosphere by means of a pressurized propulsive gas in response to the generation of a command signal. Accordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved methods and apparatus of such character.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While not limited thereto in its utility, the present invention is particularly well suited for use in protective systems and particularly as an aid in explosion suppression or fire protection. It is known in the art to provide, at judiciously selected locations within a structure, storage containers for fire extinguishing and/or explosion preventing agents. For example, in suppression systems for preventing dust and/or gas explosions, pressurized containers filled with an extinguishing agent in powder or liquid form are often provided. These containers are typically pressurized to a level of 60 bar by a nonflammable gas such as nitrogen. The containers are provided with a discharge orifice which communicates with a distribution nozzle for the extinguishing agent. In such containers, the discharge orifice is closed by means of a frangible disc which is designed to withstand the high internal pressure of the container. In order to release the contents of the container into the ambient atmosphere, the disc must be destroyed and such destruction is customarily accomplished through the use of a highly active pyrotechnic separating element which has a hollow-charging effect. Thus, when a dangerous condition is sensed, the pyrotechnic separating element or other active detonator device will be energized to destroy the closing disc to thereby release the extinguishing agent.
The prior art extinguishing agent containers, as briefly described above, have several serious disadvantages. Firstly, since the containers are constantly under pressure, they are difficult to transport and installation and service exposes personnel to a dangerous working condition. Further, the effectiveness of the dispersion of extinguishing agent from such containers is somewhat limited because the pressure in the container drops sharply when the closing disc is destroyed.

Deugra Gesellschaft fur Brandschutzsysteme mbH


A compact computer-controlled fully-packaged apparatus providing reliable multi-dimensional characterization of spherical objects in a field environment is disclosed. The apparatus has a rugged, free-space, integrated optical system with up to three lasers that generate at a laser-specific wavelength the coherent light with substantially high pointing stability. The apparatus also has a receiver. Each laser generates a pair of beams crossing each other at a predetermined laser specific angle to form a sample volume such that beams from all lasers coincide in the same spot. The receiver has photodetectors to sense the light scattered from a spherical object. Three photodetectors measure a size and one of the three photodetectors measures a first velocity component, a fourth photodetector measures a second velocity component, and a fifth photodetector measures a third velocity component of the spherical object. The velocity components are orthogonal to each other.

Information on size and velocity of spherical objects including particles, droplets, bubbles, etc., is important for numerous applications in various industries. These applications include, for example, fuel spray combustion analysis and control for the automotive industry, inhaler manufacturing for the pharmaceutical industry, household spray manufacturing, agricultural pesticide irrigation, aircraft icing analysis and control, spray nozzle manufacturing, atmospheric aerosol analysis, and various combustion related applications.
Normally, a laser light scattering interferometry technique is used to determine the size and velocity of spherical objects, such as particles, drops, bubbles, etc. According to this technique, spherical objects under the test pass the intersection point of two crossed laser beams generated from the same laser. The light scattered from the spherical object, as it passes the intersection point of two laser beams, forms a fringe pattern on the detector. The spatial period of the interference fringe pattern generated by the spherical object, as it passes through the intersection point of two crossed laser beams, is used to determine the particle size and one velocity component in the plane of two crossing laser beams. In order to obtain a reliable and accurate measurement, it is important to provide a stable interference pattern on the detector. The shape and spacing of the fringes formed by the scattered light depend on the angle between the incident laser beams, their wavelength, the direction of the light collection, and the particle diameter. In particular, the quality of the interference pattern on the detector depends on the pointing stability of two crossing beams and on the coherence length of the laser. For example, a longer coherence length of a laser provides a better quality interference pattern. Further, to obtain a substantially high signal-to-noise ratio of the signal generated from the scattered light, the probing laser needs to output enough optical power to compensate for losses in the optical system.
Certain prior art light scattering interferometry optical systems use a gas laser. A gas laser, however, typically is bulky, consumes a lot of electrical power, and requires a cooling system involving water or forced air. Accordingly, optical systems that use such lasers are typically bulky and sophisticated. Such systems usually consume a lot of electrical power and involve frequent realignment to ensure measurement reliability and accuracy. Highly skilled professionals are usually required to operate such systems. Such prior art systems typically do not reside in a single compact, portable package. Such prior art systems are typically not used for daily testing and quality control in highly-paced manufacturing and field environments.
Other light scattering interferometry prior art optical systems used to measure particle size and a velocity component employ a solid-state laser. The output of the solid-state laser is coupled to a polarization-preserving single-mode optical fiber to direct two crossing laser beams onto the spherical particle under the test. In such prior art systems, the light scattered from the particle is collected into the multi-mode optical fiber that brings the scattered light to photodetectors to measure the scattered light signal.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art optical system using a gas (He—Ne or Argon) or solid-state laser. The laser has the output light coupled into single-mode polarization preserving fibers to direct two crossing beams onto the particle. Multimode fiber optics receive the scattered light from the particle. As shown in FIG. 1, the output of the laser 110 is connected through the coupler component 120 to a single mode polarization preserving fiber 130. The optical fiber output head 140 is positioned on the rail to direct crossing beams onto the particle 190. The scattered light from the particle is collected by the input head 150 of a multimode fiber, which is positioned on the rail at a predetermined angle relative to the incident light, and directed by the multimode fiber 160 to the receiver module 170. The signal from the receiver module 170 may further be processed by a signal processor to obtain the information on the size and velocity component of the particle.
The use of movable, fragile optical fibers can, however, put the stability of the optical alignment of the system at risk. In particular, the alignment of the laser beam to a single mode polarization preserving fiber having a small fiber diameter from 2 to 5 micrometers ("um") is crucial to the stability of the intersection point of incident laser beams to provide accurate and reliable measurements. In addition, losses of the laser light in the coupling at the output of the laser typically substantially reduce the overall laser efficiency, leading to higher electrical power consumption by the system. Further, losses of the scattered light from the particle in the coupling into the multimode fiber typically significantly reduce the overall sensitivity of the receiver, leading to the system's substantially reduced operating range. Furthermore, typically time-consuming high-precision assembly of such optical systems is required to couple the light into the optical fiber.

Compact apparatus providing multi-dimensional characterization of spherical objects using coherent light


The present invention relates to a method and a network element in a telecommunications system. The telecommunications system comprises at least two telecommunications networks and means for providing number portability service between the networks and also supplementary telecommunications services. The method comprises the steps of initiating a set-up procedure for communications between two stations, sending an enquiry to the number portability service, determining if the called station is a ported station, and informing the supplementary telecommunications service of the results of said determination before initiating an use of said supplementary telecommunications service.

Users of fixed line terminals or mobile stations (such as a mobile telephone or a transceiver unit provided with data processing capabilities or a transceiver unit provided with capability of using TCP/IP protocol (Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) suite or similar user equipment) may want to switch from one operator providing an original subscription to another operator without having to change the number or address of the subscription. This kind of possibility would strengthen the user's position with respect to the operators and facilitate the user making use of the most generous offers by different operators and/or to use operators which give the best value for money and/or best service at any moment.
Mobile users have the possibility to utilise the so called mobile number portability (MNP) feature for the above. A more detailed description of one possibility for the MNP can be found e.g. from the ETSI MNP (European Telecommunications Standards Institute—Mobile Number Portability) specification. In general, the MNP allows the number of a mobile subscriber to remain unchanged when the network or the operator is changed i.e. ported from one operator to another. This means that within the MNP the mobile subscriber is able to change the subscription network within the same country while retaining his or her original MSISDN (Mobile Subscriber ISDN number) or several MSISDNs. In principle it is also possible to change from an operator in one country to an operator in another country, but there may be some international/national legislation and regulations which may prevent porting between different countries.
A mobile user (or subscriber) having used the MNP assignment is sometimes referred to as an exported or ported mobile user. Calls to the ported mobile user are, depending in most cases on national requirements, first routed to the original network of the user on the basis of the unchanged mobile number (i.e. on the basis of the MSISDN of the user). Then a specific routing register located in the old network recognises that the number is an exported number, and subsequently redirects the call related signalling to the new recipient network. The call is then routed to the called mobile subscriber by means of the routing arrangement of the new network. The MNP implementations can also route short messages (e.g. GSM SMS messages) and other non-call related signalling.
As mentioned above, special routing registers or databases have been implemented into the telecommunications networks in order to enable the operation of the number portability service, the registers containing necessary rerouting information of the ported mobile subscribers. In one network, all affected non-call related signalling messages and routing enquiry messages originated in the respective network or outside the network can be routed through the routing register (or several registers). The routing register may provide e.g. the following functions:
Relay of E.164 addressed SCCP (Signalling Connection Control Part) messages directed to the network's own subscriber to the correct HLR (Home Location Register: a register in the subscribed network containing information associated to the subscriber); and
Relay of routing enquiry messages addressed to, for example, a ported subscriber and served by another network to the MAP (Mobile Application Part) level NP (Number Portability) application. The NP application returns the routing number in MAP SRI (Send Routing Information) response message. The routing number then enables routing of the call to the recipient network for call handling.
A MAP based NP database query can be used for the required call related functionality. The specific routing register is used for identifying the ported status of the addressed MSISDN in conjunction with a MAP level application to provide necessary re-routing information in a MAP SRI response message.
Thus the routing register functionality has a key role in a telecommunications system providing mobile number portability. The main functionality of the routing register is to provide operators with rerouting capability and an application level functionality for returning the required routing information. The routing register handles both non-call and call related signalling messages. By means of the routing register the subscriber is able to keep the existing mobile telephone number when porting from one operator to the new one. The rerouting functionality is achieved with the free association of the "phone number routing information" (the subscriber phone number can be, for instance, the MSISDN). The routing information can be a real directory number for a service number, an address of a network element or, for instance, a mobile number portability routing number inquired from an internal database of the routing register.
In principle the ported subscriber should be able to use exactly the same services as a non-ported subscriber in the same subscription network. In other words, in order to receive the maximum benefit of the number portability service there should be no difference in whether the subscriber's MSISDN belongs to the used network or whether the subscriber's MSISDN is ported to the used network—the services offered to the user by that subscription network and the service level should nevertheless be the same.
These services offered to the users include supplementary telecommunication services or functionalities. The supplementary services are also sometimes referred to as intelligent network (IN) services or advanced telecommunications services. The supplementary or intelligent network service can be defined as a telecommunication feature providing various sophisticated services or value-added services to the subscribers, for instance by means of software and/or hardware implementations provided in one or several nodes of the telecommunications system. The user can access the supplementary telecommunications services by means of his terminal, either fixed or mobile. The supplementary network service comprises an ever increasing amount of services such as prepaid calls, differently priced calls to different numbers or number spaces, call blocking ("do not disturb") or barring of calls from certain numbers or number spaces, call forwarding, callback (completion of call to a busy/unreachable subscriber), remote control of services, calls for various toll free numbers ("freephone") or specially priced numbers, answering/voice mail, conference calls or group calls, announcements to the users, such as calling number information or remaining calling time, subscription or extension groups (e.g. a virtual private network, VPN), user location services, and so on.
The present implementations of the intelligent network (IN) can comprise a service switching (or detection and triggering) point (SSP) and a service control point (SCP). These two points can also be in the form of an integrated unit or node (SSCP: service switching and control point). The detection and triggering arrangement can, for example, be such that the user dials a predefined telephone number including a predefined prefix indicating an IN call or then the entire number is used as IN call indicator. The switching point recognises the IN prefix or number and subsequently suspends the call handling and request further instruction from the control point. After having received the instructions from the control point the switching point will proceed accordingly. Subsequent to the triggering the control point controls the connection to the intelligent network and the various available functions thereof, depending on the intelligent network service in question. However, it is noted there are also various other possibilities than the above described for the detection and triggering (such as different timer arrangements).
The hitherto suggested MNP implementations are such that the user is allowed to retain his original MSISDN. Contrary to that, the IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) of the user must not be ported in the current applications, but the recipient network of the porting progress has to issue a new IMSI for the ported mobile subscription.
In operation, mobile telecommunication networks make several assumptions which are based on the MSISDN. Several procedures of mobile telecommunications networks, such as sorting and screening functions, are directly based on these assumptions. These assumptions essentially affect all the procedures that make use of the MSISDN number ranges or number spaces. The problem when using the number portability service is that many of these assumptions based on the MSISDN are no longer valid. For example, the MSISDN no longer indicates the actual subscription network (it gives only an indication of the original network), which has an effect on all such services which need the information of the actual network subscribed by the called party. In addition, the number ranges or spaces of the MSISDN can no longer be used in all mobile network functions (National Destination Code, for example).
One of the problems is caused by the fact that in case the call is made to a ported number, the intelligent network control point and thus the services behind the intelligent network control point will not become aware of the actual called number (B-number), i.e. the number in the actual network of the called subscriber. In addition, instances and applications where the mobile number portability services and the intelligent network services are used simultaneously have proven to be problematic. The use of ported numbers has also disadvantageous affects e.g. in relation with so called "home zone" type services or similar services where it is essential to know where the called subscriber is located at the time of the call and/or to which network/number range the called subscriber belongs (this affects e.g. the charging or the routing of the call or the service level provided for the call). This information could be obtained from a home location register of the subscribed networks, but if the called subscriber is a ported subscriber the supplementary telecommunications service is not aware of the address of the home location register for him. The use of the current type of routing registers also causes signalling load in the used networks and also within the intelligent network service. The routing of the calls to ported numbers is not always accomplished in an optimised manner as the calls are routed through the apparatus of the original (old) operator even in situations where neither the calling party or the called party is subscribing or using the original network.
These hitherto unsolved issues may have various kinds of effects in view of the controllability and management of the calls, e.g. in view of call charging, called user location data and back-signalling. Some of these effects may even be such that they may cause malfunction situations and/or excessive amount of signalling load in the network.

Number portability service in a telecommunication system


A vacuum having a container and a cover coupled to the container. The coupled cover and container define an interior space communicating with an inlet and an outlet. A fan is fluidly disposed between the inlet and the outlet and a motor is operable to rotationally drive the fan, wherein rotation of the fan creates a fluid flow from the inlet, through the interior space, and out the outlet. A frame supports the container and a handle coupled to the frame is moveable between a use position and a stowed position.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Conventional wet/dry vacuums often include a frame that supports a collection container, which can receive and trap unwanted materials, like dirt, water, construction waste, etc. The vacuum frame usually includes four wheels, often casters, mounted to the bottom of the frame for allowing the vacuum to be moved, or rolled, about an area without having to lift the vacuum off from a floor surface.
Many vacuums are moved about the floor surface by simply pushing on or pulling on an accessible portion of the vacuum, such as a top cover, to exert a directional force on the vacuum. However, pushing or pulling an accessible portion of the vacuum can be inconvenient and ineffective. For example, the user may have to bend over to apply the directional force. For another example, applying the directional force to an upper surface of the vacuum, like the top cover, may encourage the vacuum to tip over, particularly if moving the vacuum over an uneven or rough flooring surface.
Some vacuums are equipped with a handle to provide a convenient and effective means of transferring the directional force to the vacuum. However, vacuums equipped with such handles have a larger overall size and require additional storage space. The additional storage space need may further make lifting and transporting the vacuum more difficult. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a vacuum having a handle that is moveable between an extended position to conveniently and efficiently roll the vacuum along the floor and a stowed position which reduces an overall size of the vacuum.


A synthetic resin container and a preform that can suppress increase in size of a mouth and can improve stability when a mouth is transferred by being gripped by a gripper. A synthetic resin container includes a tubular mouth and forms an accommodation space for contents. An outer circumferential surface of the mouth is provided with a gripper engaging groove to be engaged with a gripper of a transfer apparatus, the gripper engaging groove is formed such that a width of the groove of an opening opened in the outer circumferential surface of the mouth is decreased from an opening toward a bottom of the groove, and the gripper engaging groove corresponds to a shape of the gripper and has an upper side inclination and a lower side inclination respectively obliquely extending with respect to a plane perpendicular to an axis of the mouth.

Synthetic resin containers formed by synthetic resin materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the like have been commonly used as containers that contains contents such as beverages and detergents and toiletries such as shampoo, hand soap and the like (see, for example, Patent Literature 1 (PTL 1)).
Such a container includes, for example, a tubular mouth, a tubular trunk continuous under the mouth and a bottom closing a lower end portion of the trunk, and forms an accommodation space that contains contents therein. The container can be formed, for example, by blow molding using a bottomed cylindrical preform formed by injection molding or by extrusion molding using a tubular molten parison extruded by an extruder. It is to be noted that, when a container is formed by using a preform, a mouth of the preform is not stretched and deformed during blow molding, and thus the mouth of the container after molding and the mouth of the preform have a common shape.


A thin film deposition apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a main disk installed in the reaction chamber, and a gas discharging unit disposed outside the main disk. The gas discharging unit recollects a gas in the reaction chamber, and includes: a base member that includes an outer sidewall, an inner sidewall, and a lower wall that connects the outer and inner sidewalls, and is ring-shaped with an open upper portion. At least one through hole is formed in the lower wall. A discharge sleeve is configured to be inserted into the through hole, wherein a gas outlet is formed in the discharge sleeve. An upper cover that is ring-shaped covers the open upper portion of the base member. A plurality of gas inlets are formed in the upper cover.

A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus is used to form a thin film on a deposition target (e.g., a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer) via a chemical reaction. The CVD apparatus is usually configured to grow a thin film on a substrate using a reaction gas by injecting the reaction gas having a high vapor pressure in a vacuum chamber in which the substrate is arranged.
Recently, along with the development of high integration and high performance semiconductor devices, a CVD method, such as a metal organic CVD (MOCVD) method has become popular. In particular, when manufacturing a high efficiency/high output light emitting device (LED), a MOCVD apparatus is used.


A method of identifying semantic units in an electronic document includes the steps of: providing an electronic document being described in a page description language, the document having at least one page having a plurality of text fragments, each text fragment including a plurality of glyphs that have not been identified as semantic units, the document further including geometric information and page description language parameters; determining strips of at least one glyph by comparing the geometric position of subsequent glyphs; determining zones of at least one strip wherein a zone is defined by the combined area of strips, the geometrical areas of which overlap with each other; determining a boundary between two semantic units in a zone based on the geometric properties of the glyphs; sorting the identified semantic units in the zone in a sorted list; and, combining subsequent semantic units in the sorted list according to geometric considerations.

In addition to producing physical renderings of digital documents (e.g., paper prints), exchanging and archiving the digital documents themselves plays an increasing role in business as well as private communications. In order to facilitate exchange and provide universal access regardless of computer system and application, general page description languages are used instead of native word processor formats for exchanging digital documents. In order to reuse the text content of digital documents for archiving, indexing, searching, editing, and other purposes which are not related to producing a visual rendering of the page, it is desirable to identify the logical (reading) order of the text as well as semantic units (words of natural languages).
Page description languages, such as the Portable Document Format (PDF), PostScript, and PCL, provide the semantics of individual text characters as well as their position on the page. However, they generally do not convey information about words and other semantic units. The fragments comprising the text on a page may contain individual characters, syllables, words, lines, or an arbitrary mixture thereof, without any explicit marks designating the start or end of a word.
To make matters worse, the ordering of text fragments on the page may be different from the logical (reading) order. There are no rules for the order in which portions of text are placed on the page. For example, a page containing two columns of text might be produced by creating the first line in the left column, followed by the first line of the right column, the second line of the left column, the second line of the right column, etc. However, logical order requires all text in the left column to be processed before the text of the right column is processed. Extracting text from such documents by simply replaying the instructions of the page description language, and storing the characters instead of rendering them on a visual page, generally provides undesirable results since the logical structure of the text is lost.
In the following description, the terms "character" and "glyph" are used; it is important to distinguish both concepts. "Characters" are the smallest units which convey information in a language. Common examples are the letters of the Latin alphabet, Chinese ideographs, and Japanese syllables. Characters have a meaning; they are semantic entities. The known Unicode standard encodes characters. "Glyphs" are different graphical variants which represent one or more particular characters. Glyphs have an appearance; they are representational entities. Fonts are used to produce visual representations of glyphs (see description of glyph metrics below). There is no one-to-one relationship between characters and glyphs. For example, a ligature is a single glyph which corresponds to two or more separate characters.
Page description languages such as PDF offer a variety of operators for placing text on the page. The order of text and grouping of glyphs into fragments is completely up to the application creating the PDF. The PDF file format neither mandates nor guarantees any particular ordering of the text contents comprised in a page. Although PDF guarantees the faithfulness of the final visual representation of the page, a certain visual result may be achieved by many different combinations of page marking operators.
Some of these combinations may be related to the logical (reading) order of the text, while others may disturb or even invert the logical order. As an example, the text "This time" shown in FIG. 8 could be created by the following sequence in the page description which happens to contain the text in its logical order, and even includes a space character between words. In the PDF context, the numbers are x-y coordinates interpreted by the Td operator, whereas the text in parentheses is each interpreted by the operator Tj:50 700 Td (This)Tj (time)Tj
In this exemplary situation, extracting text and identifying word boundaries would be a trivial task. However, the exact same visual result could also be created by the following exemplary sequence in the page description:102 700 Td (time)Tj −52 0 Td (This)Tj
Although the visual page will look the same, the words comprising the text appear in inverted order in the page description, and a space character between the words is no longer present.
In the next exemplary combination there are no longer any words which could be identified directly in the page description, although the visual output is still exactly the same:134 700 Td (e)Tj −20 0 Td (m)Tj −5.32 0 Td (i)Tj −6.68 0 Td (t)Tj −18.664 0 Td (s)Tj −5.336 0 Td (i)Tj −13.336 0 Td (h)Tj −14.664 0 Td (T)Tj
Not only are there no longer any identifiable words, but the reading order of the characters comprising the two words is actually inverted.
To make matters worse, arbitrary mixtures of such output ordering schemes may be present in an electronic document. While it may seem pointless to create such output, it is actually very common due to the characteristics of the software creating the output. For example, a product may first create all text fragments on the page which are printed in one font, and then proceed with all text fragments in the second font, etc. Another product may proceed through all text fragments depending on their color (first all black fragments, then all red fragments, etc.). Still another product could produce output according to the order in which a human typed and edited the text: a word which has been added to the first line after many lines have been typed may appear later in the page description than the remainder of the first line.
EP 0 702 322 B1 describes a system and method of identifying words in a portable electronic format by the steps of: receiving a text segment from a page of a document having multiple text segments and associated position data including x and y coordinates for each text segment, creating a text object for each text segment, entering the text objects into a linked list, and identifying words from the linked list through analysis of the text objects for word breaks and through analysis of gaps between text objects using the associated position data. However, the method described therein in many cases gives poor results due to the following reasons. Documents with a more sophisticated structure such as documents with multiple columns are not processed correctly due to the fact that words belonging to one column are not grouped in the correct semantic order thus providing wrong results. A further problem of the above mentioned document is its disability of identifying spaced out characters as one associated semantic unit.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fast, reliable and error-proof method of reconstructing the semantic contents of a page, and a method of grouping characters into semantic units (words) to facilitate processing the textual contents of digital documents for editing, searching and similar tasks.

Method of identifying semantic units in an electronic document


A method for producing a silicon wafer for an electronic component, having the method step of epitaxially growing of a silicon layer on a carrier substrate and removing the silicon layer as a silicon wafer from the carrier substrate, in which at least one p-dopant and at least one n-dopant are introduced into the silicon layer during the epitaxial growth. The dopants are introduced into the silicon layer such that the silicon layer is formed having an electrically active p-doping and an electrically active n-doping, each greater than 1×1014 cm−3.

The invention relates to a silicon wafer for producing an electronic component, and to a method for the production thereof.
For large-area electronic components such as, for example, large-area illuminants or photovoltaic solar cells, there is a need for cost-effective semiconductor wafers having high electronic quality, since in the case of such components the material costs of the semiconductor wafer represent a significant proportion of the costs of the overall product.

Silicon wafer for an electronic component and method for the production thereof


A single-track motor vehicle or a multi-track motor vehicle with tilt technology, includes one or more environment sensors that are installed in the front of the motor vehicle and that are arranged for detecting an area in front of the motor vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit controls an actuator while the motor vehicle is travelling depending on the position of the motor vehicle that is detected by the position sensor system in such a way that when the motor vehicle is tilted along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, the movable element is moved by means of the actuator so that the position of a respective environment sensor is not rotated relative to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is tilted compared to the position of the respective environment sensor when the motor vehicle is not tilted.

The embodiments of the invention concern a motor vehicle, in which the motor vehicle is a single-track motor vehicle, such as for example a motor cycle, or a multi-track and in particular a two-track motor vehicle with tilt technology. A motor vehicle with tilt technology is characterized in that when turning the motor vehicle tilts about the longitudinal axis thereof similarly to a single-track vehicle.
Environment sensor systems have been installed in motor vehicles and inter alia also in single-track motor vehicles, in order to detect objects or road users that are in front of the motor vehicle. Said environment sensor systems are used in combination with a driver assistance system as a rule, for example with an active speed controller that adjusts the speed of the motor vehicle so that a distance from a road user ahead is not undershot.
The use of environment sensor systems in single-track or multi-track motor vehicles with tilt technology has the disadvantage that the region in front of the motor vehicle detected by the sensor system tilts when in the inclined position while turning, whereby the field of view of the environment sensor system on the outside of the turn is significantly restricted.
For instance, headlamp systems for motor cycles are can rotate about the longitudinal axis of the motor cycle. An example of a headlamp of this type is described in the document DE 10 2013 216 584 A1. Headlamps of this type can be used in combination with a position sensor system of the motor cycle so that the tilt of the light distribution produced with the headlamp with the motor cycle in an inclined position is compensated by suitable rotation of the headlamp, and thus the area of road in front of the motor cycle is always optimally illuminated.
It is one object of the embodiments of the invention to provide a single-track motor vehicle or a multi-track motor vehicle with tilt technology, with which the functionality of an environment sensor system installed in the motor vehicle is improved.
This object is achieved by an inventive single-track motor vehicle, such as a motor cycle, or a multi-track and preferably two-track motor vehicle with tilt technology. The inventive motor vehicle comprises one or more environment sensors that are installed in the front of the motor vehicle and are arranged for detecting an area in front of the front of the motor vehicle. The environment sensor(s) is/are (mechanically) rigidly connected to a movable element installed in the motor vehicle, which can be moved by means of an actuator of the motor vehicle by turning and/or pivoting. A control unit for controlling the actuator and a position sensor system for detecting the spatial position of the motor vehicle are also provided in the motor vehicle.
The control unit is designed to control the actuator while the motor vehicle is being driven depending on the position of the motor vehicle that is detected by the position sensor system in such a way that when the motor vehicle is tilted along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, the movable element is moved by means of the actuator so that the position of a respective environment sensor (i.e. any environment sensor) is not rotated relative to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is tilted compared to the position of the respective environment sensor when the motor vehicle is not tilted. In other words, the change in the position of the respective environment sensor between the upright position and the tilted position of the motor vehicle can be described purely by a translation in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
The inventive motor vehicle is thus characterized in that the tilt of a movable element or of the associated environment sensor that is caused by the tilt of the motor vehicle can be compensated by suitable movement of the movable element by means of the actuator. The term tilt or even the terms mentioned further below for tilting about the lateral axis or rotating about the vertical axis always relate to a corresponding change in position compared to the upright position of the motor vehicle that the vehicle adopts when travelling in a straight line. In the upright position, the vertical axis of the motor vehicle runs parallel to the direction of gravity and the longitudinal axis thereof corresponds to the direction of travel of the motor vehicle.
The inventive motor vehicle has the advantage that a detection region of an environment sensor system designed for travelling in a straight line is maintained even when the motor vehicle is tilted while turning and rotation of the detection region does not occur, so that the outside of the turn can be detected by the environment sensor system. A further advantage of the inventive motor vehicle is that environment sensors developed for conventional motor vehicles without tilt technology and the analysis software thereof, which are designed for a position horizontal to the road without tilt, can also be widely adopted in single-track motor vehicles or motor vehicles with tilt technology.
In the inventive motor vehicle, in addition to the environment sensors described above, which are rigidly connected to a movable element, further environment sensors may also be installed that are not movable are or that are rigidly connected to another movable element. However, all environment sensors in the motor vehicle are preferably rigidly connected to a corresponding movable element, in order to be moved when the motor vehicle is tilted in such a way that the orientation thereof does not vary in relation to the orientation thereof when the motor vehicle is in the upright position.
A sensor or a combination of sensors can be used as the position sensor system in the motor vehicle according to the invention. The sensors can for example operate capacitively or by means of a gyroscope.
In the inventive motor vehicle, the controller may be designed so as to further control the actuator during operation of the motor vehicle depending on the position of the motor vehicle that is detected by the position sensor system, so that when the motor vehicle is tilted about the lateral axis thereof, the movable element is moved in the opposite direction to the tilting so that a respective environment sensor is tilted by the magnitude of the tilting angle. In this way, in addition to the tilt, a pitching movement of the motor vehicle during acceleration or braking can be compensated.
In the inventive motor vehicle, the control unit may be designed to further control the actuator while the motor vehicle is operating depending on the position of the motor vehicle that is detected by the position sensor system, so that in the event of rotation of the motor vehicle about the vertical axis thereof, the movable element is rotated so that a respective environment sensor is rotated by the magnitude of the angle of the rotation in the opposite direction to the rotation.
In the inventive motor vehicle, the movable element may be installed in a headlamp module in the front of the motor vehicle. In particular, the movable element is a movable optical device of a headlamp of the headlamp module, whereby the light distribution produced by the headlamp is moved by means of the actuator in the same way as the environment sensor(s). By this means, in addition to good detection of the surroundings by means of the environment sensor system, at the same time good illumination of the road is achieved by means of the corresponding component during tilting or possibly also during other inclined positions of the motor vehicle.
The environment sensor(s) may be disposed in the housing of the headlamp containing the movable optical device. As a result of this, compact accommodation of the environment sensors is guaranteed. Depending on the design, the movable optical device can comprise various elements of the headlamp, in particular one or more light sources, such as for example LEDs, and/or a projection optics and/or reflection optics.
The environment sensors installed in the motor vehicle can be based on any technologies known from the prior art. In particular, the environment sensor(s) can comprise one or more camera and/or one or more ultrasonic sensors and/or one or more radar units and/or one or more Lidar units.
In a further version, the inventive motor vehicle may be designed so as to determine the course of the road ahead, in which the control unit further controls the actuator while the motor vehicle is travelling depending on said course of the road such that the movable element is moved by means of the actuator so that the regions detected by the respective environment sensors move into the turn when a turn occurs in the course of the road. Said movement into the turn is preferably already carried out before the motor vehicle is tilted in the turn. With said version, the functionality of a cornering light is achieved in the motor vehicle, which illuminates into the turn.
The inventive motor vehicle may be designed so as to determine the course of the road ahead by determining the position thereof by means of satellite-based location and matching said position with a digital street map. In this case, the street map can be contained in the motor vehicle, or the motor vehicle can call up the map from a server by means of a suitable communications device. Alternatively or additionally, the inventive motor vehicle can determine the course of the road by receiving digital data describing the course of the road via Car-to-X communications. Information can be transmitted to vehicles from other vehicles or from a traffic infrastructure (such as for example traffic lights) using said communications.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communication devices and methods configured to operate with multiple communication protocols in tune-away operations. Some aspects of the present disclosure may improve the legacy tune-away operations at an access terminal. An access terminal establishes a call utilizing a first communication protocol, tunes away from the call to receive cell signaling utilizing a second communication protocol, and tunes back to the call utilizing the first communication protocol. Following the tuning back, during a first predetermined number of subframes and if the size of a reverse link (RL) packet is smaller than a first packet size and larger than a second packet size, the access terminal forces the RL packet to be a low latency (LoLat) packet.

Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be accessed by various types of access terminals adapted to facilitate wireless communications, where multiple access terminals share the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power).
An access terminal may include a subscriber identity module (SIM), or in some examples, an application (e.g., SIM application) that runs on a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), which stores the identification information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity) of the access terminal and the other information used to identify and authenticate the subscriber of the access terminal. The SIM, UICC, and/or the applications running on the UICC may be referred to as the SIM or SIM card in this disclosure. A multi-SIM access terminal holds two or more SIM cards (or runs two or more SIM applications), and allows the use of two or more services or subscriptions on the same access terminal. In one example, an access terminal has dual SIMs and allows both SIMs to be active simultaneously such that the access terminal can make calls using either SIM at any given time. A dual SIMs access terminal may be referred to as a dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) access terminal that operate both SIMs simultaneously but shares only one RF chain or transceiver between them. Using each SIM, the access terminal communicates with the corresponding wireless network using a particular communication protocol. Examples of the communication protocols include those defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS), Long-Term Evolution (LTE, also known as the Evolved Packet System or EPS); as well as those defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), including CDMA2000 1×. Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO), etc. Of course, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any suitable communication protocol may be utilized within the scope of the present disclosure, without being limited to those examples described above.
An access terminal, while engaged in a call using a first communication protocol (e.g., EVDO), may perform tune-away operations, e.g., tuning to a channel of a second communication protocol (e.g., GSM or 1×) for every predetermined cycle or period. After receiving, for example, signaling on the second communication protocol, the access terminal tunes back to continue the call using the first communication protocol. The first communication protocol and second communication protocol may correspond to the same SIM or different SIMs. While performing these tune-away operations, however, the access terminal typically performs data ramp-down and ramp-up procedures for the first communication protocol traffic before and after tune-away. That is, before the tune-away, the access terminal reduces (ramp-down) its transmission packet sizes, and after the tune-away, the packet sizes are increased back up (ramp-up) again. The ramp-up and ramp-down operation may undesirably impact the data throughput of the call using the first communication protocol.

Apparatus and method for improving data throughput of a tune-away operation in a wireless communication system