Image files are rearranged according to the blurring amount obtained from each of blurring information pieces of the image files and displayed as thumbnail images. After several image files are selected from the displayed image files, the image information pieces of the selected image files are sequentially corrected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blur correction device installed in an electronic apparatus typified by an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera and an image output apparatus such as a display and a printer, a blur correction method thereof, and an electronic apparatus including the blur correction device. Moreover, the present invention also relates to an image file used in the electronic apparatus and an image file creating apparatus configured to create such an image file.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image information piece created with an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera sometimes suffers from image degradation due to a shake of the image pickup apparatus during its exposure period. In many cases, an image pickup apparatus is shaken by user's hands movement, that is, by the jiggling of user's hands supporting the image pickup apparatus during the exposure period. Even if a user picks up images with the utmost care, such an apparatus shake is difficult to prevent completely.
For this reason, blur correction processing has been heretofore carried out to obtain a clear image. In the blur correction processing, an apparatus shake itself is reduced when the shake occurs during an exposure period, and degradation of an image caused by the apparatus shake is corrected after the image is picked up. Examples of this blur correction processing method include an optical correction method and an electronic correction method. With the optical correction method, a shake of an image pickup apparatus is cancelled out with an optical system such as a lens and an image pickup element driven in a direction of offsetting the shake while shake detection sensors such as an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor are detecting the shake of the image pickup apparatus. In contrast, with the electronic correction method, a picked-up image information piece is analyzed to figure out blur components generated during the exposure period, and then the image information piece is corrected by use of the figured-out blur components.
In the case of using the optical correction method, however, a complicated and large blur correction device for driving an optical system needs to be mounted in an image pickup apparatus since correction must be carried out during shooting. In addition, an image pickup apparatus using the optical correction method requires high power consumption for driving an optical system and accordingly suffers from a problem of heavy battery consumption.
In contrast, in the case of the electronic correction method, a configuration of an image pickup apparatus can be simplified and downsized, and the correction processing can be carried out even in a printer or a display that does not perform an image pickup operation. This is possible because the correction processing can be performed on an image after the shooting. However, the electronic correction method has problems that it takes long time to analyze and process an image information piece, and that it is so difficult to analyze proper blur components in an image information piece that the image information piece may not be corrected sufficiently.
With this regard, in order to solve this problem, the inventors of the present application have proposed a blur correction device using an image restoration-based correction method (see Japanese Patent Application Publication NO. 2006-129236). In this blur correction device, a camera shake sensor measures an angular velocity or the like of a camera during the shooting to obtain a camera shake signal, and the image information piece is corrected based on this camera shake signal after the shooting.
Use of this image restoration-based correction method allows the configuration of an image pickup apparatus including a blur correction device to be simpler and more downsized than that using the optical correction method. In addition, the use of the image restoration-based correction method can achieve high improvement in the quality of corrected image information piece and allow a blur correction device to perform the correction operation at high speed in comparison with the case of using the electronic correction method.

Blur correction device, blur correction method, electronic apparatus including blur correction device, image file and image file creating apparatus


A trailer includes a pair of wheels rotatably coupled to a trailer frame. A motor is operable to provide drive torque to at least one of the wheels. The energy storage device is mounted to the frame and operable to selectively provide energy to the motor. A load sensor is operable to output a signal indicative of the magnitude of a load being transferred between the trailer and a tow vehicle. A controller is operable to generate control signals in response to the sensor signal. The control signals control operation of the motor.

Automobile manufacturers are actively working to develop alternative powertrain systems in an effort to reduce the level of pollutants exhausted into the air by conventional powertrains equipped with internal combustion engines. Significant development has been directed to electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Unfortunately, these alternative powertrain systems suffer from several disadvantages and, for all practical purposes, are still under development. However, several different hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) have recently been offered for sale. These hybrid vehicles are equipped with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor that can be operated independently or in combination to drive the vehicle.
There are two types of hybrid vehicles, namely, series hybrid and parallel hybrid. In a series hybrid vehicle, power is delivered to the wheels by the electric motor which draws electrical energy from the battery. The engine is used in series hybrid vehicles to drive a generator which supplies power directly to the electric motor or charges the battery when the state of charge falls below a predetermined value. In parallel hybrid vehicles, the electric motor and the engine can be operated independently or in combination pursuant to the running conditions of the vehicle. Typically, the control strategy for such parallel hybrid vehicles utilizes a low-load mode where only the electric motor is used to drive the vehicle, a high-load mode where only the engine is used to drive the vehicle, and an intermediate assist mode where the engine and electric motor are both used to drive the vehicle. Regardless of the type of hybrid drive system used, hybrid vehicles are highly modified versions of conventional vehicles that are expensive due to the componentry, required control systems, and specialized packaging requirements.
Hybrid powertrains have also been adapted for use in four-wheel drive vehicles and typically utilize the above-noted parallel hybrid powertrain to drive the primary wheels and a second electric motor to drive the secondary wheels. Such a four-wheel drive system is extremely expensive and difficult to package.
Many owners of four-wheel drive SUV-type vehicles and pickup-type trucks enjoy the ability to tow relatively large trailers with these vehicles. For example, large travel trailers and/or construction equipment trailers may be towed by vehicles ranging in size from pickup trucks to 3500 size trucks. Furthermore, tow vehicles as large as Class 8 tractors are often coupled to trailers to transport cargo over the road. Depending on the load being towed, performance of the tow vehicle and trailer combination may be very different from the performance of the tow vehicle alone.
Most trailers that are towed by SUVs are equipped with wheels that are not operable to provide drive torque to the ground. The trailer wheels are typically not braked or include relatively crude braking systems that actuate the brakes based only upon a transfer of load to the trailer tongue during a deceleration of the tow vehicle. Furthermore, even though the tow vehicle may be equipped with traction control and/or stability control systems, little or no communication occurs between the tow vehicle control systems and the trailer. Lastly, the trailers that are equipped with brakes typically decelerate by converting kinetic energy into heat. The heat energy is not stored but simply vented to the atmosphere. Thus, a need exists to develop hybrid powertrains for use in towed trailers to improve energy efficiency, vehicle performance and handling.


The invention is related to a method of treating a subject with pancreatic cancer with administration of a compound represented by Structural Formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm originating from transformed cells arising in tissues forming the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. Due to the absence of specific symptoms, the lack of early detection techniques, and highly aggressive phenotypes, pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed at an advanced-incurable and metastatic stages. Thus, pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis: for all stages combined, the 1- and 5-year relative survival rates are 25% and 6%, respectively.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs for treatment of pancreatic cancer.


A filter cloth of long pile fiber bundles is used as a tertiary filter in a wastewater processing method. The filter may be backwashed by a rotating suction head which does not touch the filter cloth. A combination of countercurrent and horizontal flow dislodges entrained solids from the filter cloth. Mounting of the filter media as modular components permits increased capacity within a single tank while avoiding down time in changeover of filter media.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for filtration of material such as suspended solids, from a liquid effluent. The apparatus has particular utility as a filter, particularly as a tertiary filter, in a wastewater treatment method and is particularly useful in reducing the last few ppm (parts per million) of solids in a previously treated wastewater effluent.
2. Background of the Invention
In my previous application, I disclosed the use of felt or pile fabric as a filter medium for a tertiary filter in a wastewater treatment process and apparatus. The use of pile fabric has become of particular interest as a filter media. A pile fabric of particular interest in this invention typically has a long-napped filter cloth or pile comprised of a plurality of fiber bundles of up to about 15 mm in length secured to a woven fiber backing. The fiber bundles, when in use, matt down to form the filter surface. Such a material has good filtering properties, but when used as a filter media, can become occluded or clogged with solid particles removed from a suspension of particles from an effluent such that the particles are retained within, and between, the fiber bundles of the filter media.
It has been previously proposed to backwash a filter media comprising fiber bundles with a suction head which exerts a mechanical pressure on the leading edge of the head with an abrupt release of pressure to cause the fiber bundles to straighten abruptly within a suction slit in the suction head; See, U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,132, the entire disclose of which is herein incorporated by reference.
However, such a process has various drawbacks, including low efficiency of filtering as the suction applied within the slit does not compensate for the varying surface areas of the filter to be backwashed. Furthermore, wear of the filter media by the impingement of the leading (and trailing) edge of the suction head against the filter media may also occur. In addition to wear of the fiber bundles comprising the pile, the mechanical pressure tends to pull the fiber bundles away from the woven fiber backing enlarging the apertures in the backing further resulting in loss of filtering efficiency. Still further, the filter media backing is pulled away from its supporting grid of structural material tending to stretch and misshape the filter media backing resulting in wrinkles in the filter media further impeding the movement of the suction head over the filter media. The filter media, when also subjected to mechanical pressure by the trailing edge of the suction head, also contributes to wear of the filter media. Continued use of the suction head under such conditions degrades the filter media and can pull out fibers or parts of the fiber bundles of the filter media and can even rupture the woven fabric backing resulting in premature failure of the filter media. Of course, upon failure of the filter media, the entire filtering process is disrupted, causing the filtering process to be interrupted and the filter tank in which the filter media of the prior art is contained needs to be drained, and the filter media replaced.
Moreover, the arrangement of the pile filter media in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,132 is mounted on a rotating shaft, with seals on the shaft about which the filter rotates. Not only do the seals leak resulting in dimunition of filter efficiency, but when the filter media fails, through either excessive wear of the fiber bundles, tear out of the fiber bundles from the fabric backing, holes in the fabric backing or, otherwise, the apparatus must be shut down, the tank in which the rotating filter is located must be drained, and the filter wheel disassembled to replace the filter media. Thus, the entire tank is taken out of commission. Furthermore, in the prior art, if one wished to increase capacity of filtering, the entire filter apparatus, including tank, and rotating filter must be duplicated when additional capacity is desired.
The invention avoids all the drawbacks of the prior art filter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,132.


An alkylating process such as hydroalkylating process comprising feeding a gas material and a liquid material into the reactor, distributing the liquid material to the upper surface of a bed of a catalyst substantially uniformly. The substantial uniform distribution of the liquid material to the upper surface allows for substantially uniform distribution of liquid reaction medium in the bed, thereby preventing hot spot and undesirable continuous liquid zone, both of which can cause the production of undesired by-products. The invention is particularly useful for the hydroalkylation reaction of benzene in making cyclohexylbenzene, which can be used for making cyclohexanone and phenol.

Phenol and cyclohexanone are important materials in the chemical industry and are useful in, for example, the production of phenolic resins, bisphenol A, ε-caprolactam, adipic acid, and plasticizers.
Currently, a common route for the production of phenol is the Hock process. This is a three-step process in which the first step involves alkylation of benzene with propylene to produce cumene, followed by oxidation of cumene to the corresponding hydroperoxide, and then cleavage of the hydroperoxide to produce equimolar amounts of phenol and acetone. However, the world demand for phenol is growing more rapidly than that for acetone. In addition, the cost of propylene feed is generally high.
Thus, a process that uses higher alkenes instead of propylene as feed and coproduces higher ketones, such as cyclohexanone, rather than acetone may be an attractive alternative route to the production of phenols. There is also a growing demand for cyclohexanone.
It is known from, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,513 that cyclohexylbenzene can be produced by contacting benzene with hydrogen in the presence of a bifunctional catalyst comprising a molecular sieve of the MCM-22 type and at least one hydrogenation metal selected from Pd, Ru, Ni, Co, and mixtures thereof. This reference also discloses that the resultant cyclohexylbenzene can be oxidized to the corresponding hydroperoxide which is then decomposed to the desired phenol and cyclohexanone co-product.
It has been found that in hydroalkylation process of an aromatic compound such as benzene, a non-negligible amount of olefins, especially phenylcyclohexene, is produced. Phenylcyclohexene is difficult to separate from cyclohexylbenzene due to their close boiling. If left unconverted to cyclohexylbenzene, phenylcyclohexene will be eventually converted into undesirable by-products, which will be discarded and cause a yield loss. Thus, WO 2011/100013 A1 teaches combining the phenylcyclohexene-containing hydroalkylation stream with other phenylcyclohexene-containing recycle stream(s), and subjecting the combined stream to hydrogenation to convert phenylcyclohexene into cyclohexylbenzene. This process would require a dedicated, separate and stand-alone hydrogenation reactor for this purpose.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved hydroalkylation process.


One embodiment of the invention includes a coax media converter (CMC) system communicatively coupled to at least one modem in a network system. The system includes a frequency reference configured to generate a clock signal in a local time domain. The system also includes a scheduling processor configured to extract a bandwidth allocation message from a data stream and to re-stamp each of at least one timestamp in the bandwidth allocation message in the local time domain based on the clock signal to generate a corresponding updated bandwidth allocation message comprising a respective at least one re-stamped timestamp. The system further includes a downstream physical interface configured to transmit the updated bandwidth allocation message to the at least one modem to schedule upstream burst transmissions from the respective at least modem based on the at least one re-stamped timestamp.

Some network systems implement a variety of media through which data is transmitted. For example, a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) cable access network can be implemented in a network system to provide broadcast media (e.g., a motion picture experts group (MPEG) data stream) for a plurality of subscribers over an optical fiber medium that is converted to a coaxial cable medium. In such a network system, cable modems can provide requests for bandwidth and implement data communications, such as according to a Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS). For example, the cable modem can communicate with upstream network equipment in the network system via upstream burst transmissions that can be allocated by a bandwidth allocation message (e.g., an Upstream Bandwidth Allocation Map (MAP) message) that is provided from a network termination system (e.g., a cable modem termination system (CMTS)). Accordingly, the cable modems can schedule respective upstream burst transmissions according to the timing set forth in the bandwidth allocation message.


A release film for soft composite materials is provided. The release film contains a film with a closely packed self-assembled monolayer. A method of applying soft composite materials to a substrate without loss of the soft composite material to the release film is also provided. The method is useful in applications such as applying thermal pastes to semiconductor packaging.

Highly filled granular pastes, comprising metal particles (0.1-100 microns) at a volume percent greater than 65% in an organic binder, are important in a variety of industries including the food, oral care, and microelectronics industries.
In microelectronics these granular pastes often referred to as thermal pastes, play an important role in packaging technology by facilitating heat removal from the chip and accommodating mechanical stresses induced by thermal expansion mismatches between the silicon die and spreader/hat. The proper dispensing of thermal pastes, such that the entire chip area is adequately and homogeneously covered, is a major concern that has been addressed through the formulation of thermal paste preforms. Thermal paste preforms are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,496, which is incorporated herein by reference. These preforms are of size approximately equal to the chip area and are applied to the backside of the chip and compressed between the chip and heat spreader or heat sink to the final desired thickness.
For optimal transfer of these preforms to the backside of the chip, the preforms are prepared on a thin backing material that is 5 mils or less with a typical thickness between about 1 and about 2 mils that facilitates paste peel off with minimal adhesion and release with minimal paste retains. Retained material can result in minor changes in the composition of the preform applied to the die with potentially major changes in its properties such as viscosity and thermal conductivity which are highly sensitive to solids loading for these highly filled granular pastes. The highly filled granular pastes typically have a solids volume fraction greater than about 65%. The retained material can also introduce microscopic roughness in the preform that could serve as sites for air entrapment with subsequent negative impact on paste thermal conductivity and reliability. The ideal properties of the preform backing material therefore include low surface energy, negligible surface roughness, and relatively good thermal stability. Fluoropolymers and polyesters are common polymer films used for release applications. Fluoropolymer films in general have better release properties than polyesters, have good thermal stability, but are more expensive and can have surface roughness on the order of 200 nanometers.


Systems and methods for securing data are disclosed. An administrative system may create a secure configuration. The secure configuration may disable functionality of a managed node that compromises sensitive data. However, the secure configuration may not prevent all user access to the managed node. The administrative system may deploy the secure configuration to at least one managed node. The administrative system may cause the secure configuration to be applied to the at least one managed node.

Computer and communication technologies continue to advance at a rapid pace. Indeed, computer and communication technologies are involved in many aspects of a person's day. Computers commonly used include everything from hand-held computing devices to large multi-processor computer systems.
Computers are used in almost all aspects of business, industry and academic endeavors. More and more homes are using computers as well. The pervasiveness of computers has been accelerated by the increased use of computer networks, including the Internet. These computers are often interconnected to form a computer network. One or more servers may provide data, services and/or may be responsible for managing other computers on a network. The managed computers are often referred to as nodes. A computer network may have hundreds or even thousands of managed nodes.
Most companies have one or more computer networks and also make extensive use of the Internet. The productivity of employees often requires human and computer interaction. Improvements in computers and software have been a force for bringing about great increases in business and industrial productivity.
Maintaining and supporting computer systems is important to anyone who relies on computers. Whether a computer or computing device is in a home or at a business, at least some maintenance and/or support is often needed. For example, sometimes there are problems with computer hardware. In addition, computer hardware is often upgraded and replaced with new components. Similarly, computer software is also frequently upgraded or replaced. New computer hardware and software is continually being integrated into systems across the world.
As corporate performance and end-user productivity have become increasingly dependent on computers, computer support personnel are continuously under pressure to accomplish more with existing or reduced staff head counts. They are also under pressure to perform tasks as efficiently as possible, which may include minimizing effects to existing computer systems and networks.
Further, computers on a managed network, including laptop computers, are increasingly utilized to store sensitive and confidential information. If a managed computer's security is compromised, the risk of disclosure of confidential or sensitive information is significant. Current systems for managing computer networks and for protecting sensitive information on a managed network or on computer systems have limitations.
As shown from the above discussion, there is a need for systems and methods that will improve the ability to manage and support computer systems and that will limit the disclosure of confidential information stored on a computer system or network. Improved systems and methods may enable a person performing computer support to work more efficiently and accomplish more in less time and to also limit the disclosure of confidential or sensitive information stored on a computer system or network.


The disclosure relates to compositions for treating and/or preventing fire blight in plants or parts thereof, to their methods of production, to concentrates for producing said compositions and to uses and methods based on said compositions.

Fire blight is a plant disease caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, and is the cause of massive commercial damage worldwide, especially in the field of pomiculture. The disease is spreads rapidly and is difficult to treat and control with current agents.
Known signs for the manifestation of the disease are the dark-brown to black leaf stalks of leaves and blossoms already dead located in the proximity of diseased branches as well as the blackened midrips of the leaves. During spring and summer, sticky, moist droplets appear on the affected sprouts, fruits and on the downside of the leaves, these droplets being colorless at first but later on assume a brownish color. The infectious oozes (the bacterial exudates) preferably form under hot and humid conditions.
Traditionally, for treating fire blight already present, affected parts of the plant are removed and burned or plant protection agents containing antibiotics, e.g. streptomycin, are employed comprehensively. While burning is only marginally successful and the recurrence of disease can be prevented only if all affected plant material is completely deposited, the treatment with antibiotics is problematic for a variety of reasons. From a food technology perspective, the use of antibiotics in orchards requires elaborate testing for residual antibiotics in the treated plants as well as in the fruits produced by these trees, to ensure, in the interest of the consumer, that the fruit itself is free from antibiotics. Moreover, the development of antibiotic resistances in bacterial strains is a risk, occurring e.g. when antibiotics are applied inexpertly for extended periods of time at too low concentrations.
Furthermore, the use of plant protecting products containing antibiotics in orchards localized in the vicinity of a honey producing apicultural facility is problematic as well. Antibiotics may be taken up by worker bees and appear as undesired antibiotic residues in the honey produced by those bees.
From the state of the art, some agents suitable for treating and preventing fire blight are known which are free from antibiotics and work more or less effective. The prior art documents WO 2005/1048717, CA 2291984 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,841 disclose biotechnological or fermentation-based methods for treating fire blight. Finally, the documents WO 2002/1052942 and EP 0 565 266 disclose compositions containing inorganic substances for treating fire blight.
WO 2005/099454 relates to combinations of active substances which contain a valinamide derivative, a phosphonate and folpet and which can be used for combating phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria. Compositions used in the examples contain fosetyl-Al (Aliette) as an active ingredient, in which aluminum is bound to an ethylphosphonate residue. The concentration of the fosetyl-aluminum in these compositions, however, amounts to a maximum of only 250 mg/L (see Table 1 of this disclosure), which corresponds to an aluminum concentration of about 0.7 mmol/L. The principle of action of Fosetyl-Al is based on a systemic transformation into phosphonic acid and on an enhancement of the plant's resistance against harmful fungal and bacterial organisms. Additionally, in the prior art document WO 2005/099454, no pH value of the compositions is given.
Furthermore, the documents DD-A 273 192, JP-A 630099005 and GB-A 1315430 disclose methods of treatment and prevention by using known antibiotics. The documents GB 1049116, JP 1090102, U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,389, EP 1 075 185, EP 0 158 074, EP 1 300 078 and DE 3640048 disclose other organic compounds effective against fire blight.
None of the cited prior art documents, however, discloses a composition characterized by an excellent efficiency with respect to treating and preventing fire blight, while at the same time being ecologically safe and non-harmful from a health point of view in the context of food production. Moreover, none of the documents discloses a composition which contains aluminum (III) ions at the concentrations and at the specific pH value as defined in the patent claims.

Compositions and method for preventing and treating fire blight


A method for the production of a particulate hydrated gel polymer, which includes heating a hydrated gel polymer possessed of a cross-linked structure to a temperature in the range of from 45.degree. to 90.degree. C. and extruding the resultant hot hydrated gel polymer through a perforated plate containing holes of a diameter in the range of from 6.5 to 18 mm and an absorbent resin which includes drying the resultant particulate hydrated gel polymer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for the production of a particulate hydrated gel polymer and an absorbent resin. More particularly, it relates to a method for the production of a particulate hydrated gel polymer, characterized by extruding a hydrated gel polymer possessed of a cross-linked structure through a perforated plate containing holes of a specific diameter at a specific temperature. It further relates to a method for the production of an absorbent resin by drying the particulate hydrated gel polymer described above and optionally disintegrating and/or pulverizing the dried polymer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The absorbent resins heretofore known to the art include cross-linked polyacrylates, saponified acrylic ester-vinyl acetate copolymers, modified cross-linked polyvinyl alcohols, cross-linked isobutylene-maleic anhydride copolymers, and starch-acrylic acid graft polymer, for example. They have found extensive utility for sanitary absorbents such as sanitary napkins and disposable diapers and for water-retaining agents and dewatering agents in the agricultural and horticultural field and the civil engineering field.
As methods for the production of these absorbent resins, the methods disclosed in JP-A-56-161,408, JP-A-57-94,011, JP-A-57-158,209, and JP-A-198,714 have been known as resorting to the technique of reversed-phase suspension polymerization and those disclosed in JP-A-57-34,101, JP-A-48,42,466, JP-A-58-49,714, JP-B-59-37,003, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,286,082, and 4,625,001 have been known as resorting to the technique of aqueous solution polymerization.
The methods by the reversed-phase suspension polymerization, because of the inevitable use of an organic solvent, have the possibility of not merely jeopardizing the shop environment but also threatening a fire or an explosion and dictate adoption of a countermeasure to preclude such adverse phenomena and, as a natural consequence, boost the cost of operation inclusive of the expense for the organic solvent and the expense for the removal of used organic solvent. Moreover, since the organic solvent persists in the finished product, though in a very minute amount, an effort to obtain perfect removal of the remaining organic solvent further adds to the cost. The absorbent resin which is produced by the methods resorting to the reversed-phase suspension polymerization comprises spherical particles of a small diameter. When this resin is used such as in a disposable diaper, for example, it has a problem of inconvenience of handling because the spherical particles are not retained fast in a fibrous absorption core such as of pulp but suffered to spill out.
In contrast, the methods by the aqueous solution polymerization are free from the problems mentioned above. The methods disclosed in JP-A-57-34,101 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,001 are directed to producing a cross-linked polymer by placing in a vessel provided with stirring blades the aqueous solution of a monomer destined to form a cross-linked structure and mature into a hydrated gel polymer in the process of aqueous solution polymerization and a polymerization initiator, initiating polymerization of the monomer therein, and finely dividing a hydrated gel polymer being formed in consequence of the progress of the polymerization with the shear force of the stirring blades generated by the rotation of the stirring blades and meanwhile continuing radical aqueous solution polymerization. These methods of production have the advantage of not merely operating ideally but also producing a finely divided hydrated gel polymer possessed of a cross-linked structure in the molecular unit thereof in a high yield. Even these methods, however, have sometimes disadvantage of producing only in a low yield an absorbent resin which has a high absorption ratio and a small water-soluble component.
It has been well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art that the absorption ratio is increased by lowering the cross-link density. It has been also known that the water-soluble component in the absorbent resin is large when the absorbent resin is produced by an operation involving a work of lowering the cross-link density. The water-soluble component, when the absorbent resin forms a hydrogel texture on contact with a liquid such as water, urine, or body fluid which is given to be absorbed, exudes from the affected area. The water-soluble component which is thus extracted by the liquid subjected to absorption not only lowers the absorption ratio but also aggravates the deterioration of the absorbent resin. This exudation entails the disadvantage of imparting a ropy unpleasant texture to the absorbent resin and contaminating the liquid under treatment.
A desire has been expressed, therefore, for a method which is capable of producing an absorbent resin enjoying a high absorption ratio and having only a small water-soluble component.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,039 and JP-A-1-144,404 disclose methods for producing an absorbent resin having a high absorption ratio and only a small water-soluble component by subjecting a monomer of a free acid type or a monomer having a specific neutralization ratio to aqueous solution polymerization. These methods are disadvantageous in necessitating an extra aftertreatment for neutralization, operating with complexity and poor efficiency, and imposing a restriction on the conditions of polymerization.
The hydrated gel polymer which is obtained by polymerization is generally pulverized after the step of drying and is consequently marketed in the form of a powdery product. Heretofore, for the purpose of ensuring efficient drying of this hydrated gel polymer, efforts have been directed to enlarging the surface area of the hydrated gel polymer to the fullest possible extent. Methods for crushing the hydrated gel polymer by extrusion through a perforated plate (JP-B-54-32,176, JP-A-50-136,348, etc.), for example, have been known. These conventional methods have been unable to produce a particulate hydrated gel polymer because the minute hydrated gel polymer particles resulting from the extrusion are suffered to agglomerate again and form cords.
Methods which rely on the incorporation of such additives as a lubricant for preventing the agglomeration of the pulverized hydrated gel polymer during the extrusion of the hydrated gel polymer through a perforated plate (JP-A-59-30,826, JP-A-59-119,172, etc.) have been known to the art. These methods, however, have at times occasioned the additive persisting in the polymer to exert an adverse effect on the quality of the product. A method which effects the pulverization of a water-soluble hydrated gel polymer possessed of no cross-linked structure by extruding this polymer through a perforated plate at a specific temperature (JP-A-54-106,568) has been known to the art. This method has entailed a problem of poor productivity because it requires to decrease the diameter of holes in the perforated plate for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency of drying of the hydrated gel polymer. In this method, the pulverization has produced no discernible improvement in physical properties.
No method has yet been established for producing a particulate hydrated gel polymer and an absorbent resin having a high absorption ratio and a small water-soluble component in high yields by a simple process without requiring any special device. A method for producing in a high yield a particulate hydrated gel polymer containing no additives such as lubricant, succumbing to no excess pulverization, and allowing a highly efficient drying remains yet to be established.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a method for the production of a particulate hydrated gel polymer having a high absorption ratio and a small water-soluble component and an absorbent resin.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for producing in high yields a particulate hydrated gel polymer and an absorbent resin both having a high absorption ratio and a small water-soluble component by a simple process without requiring any special device.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a method for producing in a high yield a particulate hydrated gel polymer containing no additives such as lubricant and succumbing to no excessive pulverization.

Method for production of particulate hydrated gel polymer and absorbent resin


Described herein are systems and methods for rapid heatless extraction of flavor from a soluble by a solvent. The system includes in one or more embodiments, a brewing chamber containing a soluble and a solution chamber containing a solvent with a filter between the two chambers, and a circulation pump for moving the solvent from one chamber to the other (i.e., agitation). The circulation pump recycles the solvent between the containers to form a solution that that reaches a static equilibrium of flow to and from the brewing chamber allowing the least saturated solution to be in contact with the soluble substance. In one or more embodiments, agitation is performed by beaters, propellers, magnetic mixers, rotation of one or more chambers, or by making a slurry mixture.

The general concept of extracting flavors from a soluble by using a solvent in order to form a resultant solution is one that is well-known. One such common extraction practice is that of brewing coffee. When brewing coffee, water is used as a solvent to extract the coffee flavor from coffee beans into a concentrated solution. The produced coffee flavor can be varied depending on the extraction method. For example, conventional cold brew coffee methods do not use hot water and brew a long period to produce a solution having a desirable flavor and chemical traits compared to brew methods involving heat. The lack of boiling reduces acidic taste, and the long time-extraction provides a stronger flavor and increased caffeine content.
One typical cold brewing method uses a brewing system having a container for water and a filtering device. Coffee grounds are measured and submersed in water in the container. The filtering device (e.g., a cheese cloth or stainless steel mesh) allows soluble flavors and caffeine to diffuse into the water while keeping larger insoluble coffee grounds separate. This process can take 12 to 24 hours depending on particular coffee blend used and the desired coffee concentration. After waiting the desired time period, a human operator removes insoluble material and any undesirable soluble material still remaining from the system using the filtering device. Another conventional method proceeds similarly as above, except that the water is slowly dripped onto the soluble coffee material and through the filtering device. Slow drip methods require large soluble to solution ratios, have long brew times, and are less efficient at extracting as much coffee soluble material.
Because conventional cold brewing methods take 1-2 days to produce a desirable product, in order to meet daily demand for cold brewed coffee, brewers typically produce large batches, dispense as necessary, and store leftovers for as long as two weeks in the brewing system. After two weeks, the taste has deteriorated, and what remains of the initial brew should be disposed. Since the product is kept in the brewing system, if the cold brew is in high demand, a brewer may also resort to brewing several batches simultaneously, requiring several brewing systems, which takes up a large amount of space. Additionally, if the brewed batch is stored outside of the brewing system and not refrigerated, such as at a coffee shop counter, the batch will spoil much faster, usually within 36 hours.
Therefore, what is needed are improved systems and methods of extracting flavor from a soluble to produce a desired solution, and in particular, systems and methods of heatless flavor extraction (i.e., cold brewing coffee) in less than 12-24 hours, thereby minimizing product waste and increasing product availability.
It is in regard to these issues and others that the present disclosure is provided.

Rapid heatless extraction of flavors from a soluble substance, method and systems thereof


An intermediate layer of switch service management between a number portability administration center and a switch selects those ported telephone numbers for in switch-based ported number routing, thus greatly improving the efficiency of number portability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telephone systems in general and to Intelligent Network (IN), Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) systems and Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) in particular. More particularly still, it relates to telephone number portability, also known as local number portability (LNP) within such systems. More particularly yet, it relates to an intermediate service management system (SMS) architecture advantageous for LNP.
2. Prior Art of the Invention
North American Numbering Plan defines a telephone number as NPA-NXX-XXXX, (a glossary of abbreviations is found in the Appendix attached to this specification), where NPA are three digits which define the area code of the telephone subscriber, NXX indicates the switching exchange or switch where the subscriber is served. N represents a digit from 2 to 9 and X represents a digit from 0 to 9. The NPA has the NXX format.
A set of requirements has been defined for local Number Portability that defines the functionality for SSP (switches) STPs, SCPs, NPACs and L-SMS as well as the interfaces between these elements. These requirements describe how the LRN method uses AIN to a central LNP database (e.g. SCP) to access routing information for telephone numbers in areas where Number Portability occurs. A typical call flow in conformance with such requirements runs as follows:
1. Line A (708-224-1111) dials Line B (708-713-2222). PA1 2. The Originating Switch performs digit analysis on the dialed digits to determine how to route the call. The switch determines that B is in a portable NPA-NXX (708-713) and the line does not reside on the switch. PA1 3. The switch sends an AIN (info.sub.-- Analyzed) or IN (InstructionStart) query based on the dialed digits to the LNP-SCP. PA1 4. The LNP-SCP sends an AIN (Analyze.sub.-- Route) or IN (ControlConnect) response containing the LRN of the Recipient Switch. PA1 5. The Originating Switch receives the LNP-SCP response and analyzes the data. The LRN is translated in the LNP Routing Tables and an ISUP route out of the switch is determined. The LRN is stored in the CdPN parameter and the dialed digits are stored in the GAP parameter of the ISUP IAM message. The FCI Translated Called Number Indicator is set to indicate a query has been done (set to "translated number"). PA1 6. The call is routed to the Recipient Switch based on the LRN. PA1 7. The Recipient Switch receives and processes the contents of the IAM message. The switch determines than an LRN is received and that it is the switch's LRN, and the switch replaces the CdPN parameter's contents with the dialed digits stored in the GAP parameter. The switch does digit analysis on the dialed digits and finds the subscriber on the switch. PA1 8. The Recipient Switch completes the call to the subscriber. PA1 (a) a plurality of databases at said S-SMS intermediate, a number portability administration center (NPAC) and a switching office; PA1 (b) means at said S-SMS for downloading ported telephone numbers from said NPAC into said databases; and PA1 (c) means at said S-SMS for downloading selected ones from said ported telephone members into an LNP-database in said switching office. PA1 (a) maintaining a plurality of databases at said S-SMS intermediate, a number portability administration center (NPAC) and a switching office; PA1 (b) downloading ported telephone numbers from said NPAC into said databases; PA1 (c) selecting telephone numbers that have been ported from said switching office from said ported telephone numbers; and PA1 (d) storing the telephone numbers selected in step (c) for storage in an LNP database in said switching office.
This implementation relies heavily on the IN or AIN technology and is not efficient, since it is a complex protocol that must communicate across network elements while a call is in active progress.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,681 to Stratus "Method and Apparatus for Telephone Number Portability" relies on the AINs SCP, although it is somewhat short on implementation detail.

Intermediate switch service management system architecture and method


A surgical stapler may include a catheter connected to a stapler head and a handle. The stapler head may be configured for introduction into the vasculature of a patient. The stapler head may include a driver movable in two dimensions relative to a plurality of staples. Each staple may be held by a holder, where the holders may be connected together or fabricated as a unitary cartridge.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an abnormal ballooning of the abdominal portion of the aorta, which is the major artery routing blood from the heart to all organs. Abdominal aortic aneurysm involves a dilation, stretching, or ballooning of the abdominal aorta, which is the section of the aorta residing in the abdominal cavity. Causes of abdominal aortic aneurysm include infection, tissue disease (such as atherosclerosis) resulting in weakening of the connective tissue component of the arterial wall, trauma, and Marfan's syndrome. Abdominal aortic aneurysm can affect anyone, but it is most often seen in men aged 40 to 70. Most commonly, abdominal aortic aneurysms occur in the portion of the vessel below the renal artery origins, and may extend into the vessels supplying the hips and pelvis.
A common complication of AAA is rupture. This is a medical emergency where the aneurysm breaks open, resulting in profuse bleeding. Aortic rupture is life-threatening; the likelihood of death after rupture is generally considered to be 80-90%. Once an aneurysm reaches 5 cm in diameter, it is usually considered necessary to treat it to prevent rupture.
Surgical repair or replacement of the section of aorta that includes the aneurysm is recommended for patients with symptoms and for patients with aneurysms greater than 5 cm in diameter, as they are at high risk of fatal rupture. Because surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm is risky, the surgeon may wait for the aneurysm to expand to a size at which the risk of complications exceeds the risk of surgery. Below 5 cm, the risk of the aneurysm rupturing is lower than the risk of conventional surgery in patients with normal surgical risks. However, it is undesirable to wait for a known AAA to get worse in order to treat it.
Placement of an AAA graft is also a treatment option. An AAA graft is a tube or tubelike structure placed inside the aorta. Its placement can be performed without an abdominal incision, with specialized catheters that are introduced through arteries at the groin. However, not all patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms are candidates for grafts, however. Further, some AAA grafts in the past have had difficulties that have resulted in their removal from the marketplace, such as breakage of the hooks that hold the AAA graft in place in the aorta, and difficulties with the tools for deploying the AAA grafts.
The use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to a method of fabricating a CMOS device, comprising providing a semiconductor substrate (101) having therein a layer of insulating material (102), the method comprising providing a layer (106) of a first material over the insulating layer (102), the thickness of the layer (106) of the first material being less in a first region (103) for supporting a first active device than in a second region (104) for supporting a second active device. A layer (107) of a second material is then deposited over the layer (106) of a first material, and the structure is then subjected to a thermal treatment to alloy the first and second materials. The portion of the layers over the first region is entirely alloyed, whereas the portion of the layers over the second region is not, so that a portion (109) of the layer (106) of the first material remains.

Conventional Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) utilize poly-silicon for forming gate electrodes, in view of its good thermal stability, i.e. its ability to withstand high temperature processing. More specifically, the good thermal stability of poly-silicon-based materials permits high temperature annealing thereof during formation/activation of implanted source and drain regions. In addition, poly-silicon-based materials advantageously block implantation of dopant ions into the underlying channel region of the transistor, thereby facilitating formation of self-aligned source and drain regions after gate electrode deposition and patterning are completed.
However, poly-silicon-based gate electrodes have a number of problems associated therewith, as a result of which, CMOS structures have been proposed in which two different materials are used as the gate materials for respective NMOS and PMOS devices, and suitable integration techniques are therefore required.
There are currently two such integration techniques proposed. A first technique, known as a dual metal gate process, consists of deposition of a first electrode material A with work function φA on both NMOS and PMOS devices, its complete removal on one transistor type, and then uniform deposition of a second gate electrode material B with work function φB, followed by the final gate patterning process. However, a major difficulty arises in this technique, in respect of the complete removal of the first gate electrode material without damaging the gate oxide.
A second technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,518,154, in which a process is described for fabricating a semiconductor device including a plurality of active devices, such as NMOS and PMOS transistors, formed on a common semiconductor substrate. In the described process, a first blanket layer of a first metal is deposited over a gate insulator layer provided on the substrate, then a masking layer segment is laid over the layer of metal in the region of the first active device and a second blanket layer of a second metal or semi-metal is deposited over the upper surface of the resultant structure covering the masked and unmasked upper surface thereof. The structure is then subjected to a thermal treatment at an elevated temperature in an inert atmosphere for effecting an alloying or silicidation reaction between the first and second blanket layers where they are in contact (i.e. in the region of the second active device), whereas the masking segment prevents such alloying or silicidation in the region of the first device. The second blanket layer and masking segment are then removed from the region of the first active device, leaving a first gate electrode layer of the first material in the region of the first device and a second gate electrode layer of the alloyed first and second materials in the region of the second active device. Finally, the gate electrode layers are patterned.


A method of driving a plasma display panel wherein a selective inversion system is used to perform an address operation. In the method, a reset step makes an entire write discharge of the cells to form wall charges. An address step makes an address discharge of specific cells of the cells undergoing said entire write discharge to invert the polarities of the wall charges of said specific cells and to keep the polarities of the wall charges according to said entire write discharge as they are at the remaining cells excluding said specific cells. A sustain step makes a sustain discharge of only the specific cells having the inverted wall charge polarity by a sustain pulse. Accordingly, a data is written by the selective inversion addressing method to permit a high-speed driving and to prevent a contrast deterioration.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of driving a plasma display panel, and more particularly to a method of driving a plasma display panel wherein a selective inversion system is used to perform an addressing operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a plasma display panel (PDP) feasible to a manufacturing of a large-dimension panel has been highlighted as a flat panel display device. The PDP usually controls a discharge period of each pixel in accordance with a digital video data to thereby display a picture. The PDP typically includes a three-electrode, alternating current (AC) type PDP that has three electrodes and is driven with an AC voltage as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 shows a structure of each discharge cell arranged in a matrix type in a conventional AC type PDP.
Referring to FIG. 1, the PDP includes an upper plate provided with a sustain electrode pair 12A and 12B, an upper dielectric layer 14 and a protective film 16 that are sequentially formed on an upper substrate 10 of the discharge cell, and a lower plate provided with a data electrode 20, a lower dielectric layer 22, barrier ribs 24 and a fluorescent layer 26 that are sequentially formed on a lower substrate 18 thereof. The upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 18 are spaced in parallel by the barrier ribs 24. Each of the sustain electrode pair 12A and 12B consists of a transparent electrode having a relatively large width to transmit a visible light and a metal electrode having a relatively small width to compensate for a resistance component of the transparent electrode. Such a sustain electrode pair 12A and 12B consists of a scan electrode 12A and a sustain electrode 12B. The scan electrode 12A mainly applies a scan signal for a panel scanning and a sustain signal for a discharge sustaining, whereas the sustain electrode 12B mainly applies a sustain signal. Electric charges are accumulated in the upper and lower dielectric layers 14 and 22. The protective film 16 prevents a damage of the upper dielectric layer 14 caused by the sputtering to prolong a life of the PDP as well as to improves the emission efficiency of secondary electrons. This protective film 16 is usually made from MgO.
These dielectric layers 14 and 22 and protective film 16 can lower a discharge voltage applied from the exterior thereof. A data electrode 20 crosses the sustain electrode pair 12A and 12B. This data electrode 20 supplies a data signal for selecting cells to be displayed. The barrier ribs 24 are formed in parallel to the data electrode 20 to prevent a ultraviolet ray generated by the discharge from being leaked into adjacent cells. The fluorescent layer 26 is coated on the surfaces of the lower dielectric layer 22 and the barrier ribs 24 to generate any one of red, green and blue visible lights. A discharge space is filled with an inactive gas, such as He, Ne, Ar, Xe and Kr, etc., for a gas discharge, a discharge gas consisting of a combination of said inactive gases or an Excimer gas capable of generating an ultraviolet ray by the discharge.
The discharge cell having the structure as mentioned above is selected by an opposite discharge between the data electrode 20 and the scan electrode 12A to keep the discharge by the surface discharge between the sustain electrode pair 12A and 12B. In the discharge cell, the fluorescent layer 26 is radiated by an ultraviolet ray generated upon sustain discharge to emit a visible light into the exterior of the cell. In this case, the discharge cell controls a discharge sustain period, that is, a sustain discharge frequency of the cell in accordance with a video data to implement a gray scale required for an image display.
FIG. 2 shows an electrode arrangement structure of a three-electrode, AC type PDP having the discharge cells shown in FIG. 1 arranged in a matrix type.
Referring to FIG. 2, a discharge cells 30 is provided at each intersection among scan electrode lines Y1 to Ym, sustain electrode lines Z1 to Zm and data electrode lines X1 to Xn. The scan electrode lines Y1 to Ym apply scan pulses and sustain pulses to scan the discharge cells 30 for each line and keep the discharge at the discharge cells 30. The sustain electrode lines Z1 to Zm commonly applies sustain pulses to keep the discharge at the discharge cells 30 along with the scan electrode lines Y1 to Ym. The data electrode lines X1 to Xn applies data pulses synchronized with the scan pulses for each line to select the discharge cells 30 in accordance with logical values of the data pulses.
Such a PDP driving method typically includes an address and display separation (ADS) driving method wherein the PDP is driven with being divided into an address period and a display period, that is, a discharge sustain period. In the ADS driving method, as shown in FIG. 3, one frame 1F is divided into 8 sub-fields SF1 to SF8 corresponding to each bit of 8-bit image data. Each sub-field SF1 to SF8 is again divided into a reset period RPD, an address period APD and a sustain period SPD.
The reset period RPD provides an initial condition for permitting the next addressing operation. In other words, the reset period RPD allows wall charges to have a reproducible and constant state just before the address period APD for the purpose of providing each cell with a stable operation having a uniform brightness. The address period APD selects cells to be turned on and cells to be turned off depending upon the data pulses. The sustain period SPD keeps a discharge for the cells having turned on in the address period APD. The reset period RPD and the address period APD of each sub-field SF1 to SF8 are equal, and the sustain period SPD is given with a weighting value of a ratio of 20:21:22: . . . :2n−1 to express a gray scale by a combination of the sustain periods SPD.
In such an ADS driving method, the addressing method is largely classified into a selective write method and a selective erase method.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart representing a driving sequence of one sub-field according to the selective write addressing method.
The selective write addressing method applies above a discharge initiation voltage between the scan electrode and the data electrode so as to selectively turn on the discharge cells in accordance with a data to thereby generate a discharge.
More specifically, at step S10, an entire write discharge is generated at all the cells of the panel with the aid of the reset pulse and thereafter is turned to an off state having the residual wall charges so as to initialize the PDP. At steps S12 to S16, the cells are selected in accordance with a display data such that a write discharge is generated at the cells to be turned on with the aid of the scan pulses and the data pulses and a discharge is not generated at the cells to be turned off. At step S18, a sustain operation is performed during the corresponding interval of the on/off state of the cell determined at said steps S14 and S16 to thereby realize a gray scale. Particularly, the cells having the on state by the write discharge at said step S14 keeps the discharge during the corresponding interval. Subsequently, at step S20, an erasure operation allowing all the cells to have an off state is performed to prepare the next sub-field operation. At the next sub-field, the PDP repeats the operations of said steps S10 to S20.
FIG. 5 is a driving waveform diagram for explaining the PDP driving method employing the above-mentioned selective write addressing method. Herein, X represents a signal waveform applied to the data electrode 20; Y represents a signal waveform applied to the scan electrode 12A; and Z represents a signal waveform applied to the sustain electrode 123, in one sub-field interval.
In FIG. 5, in the reset period RPD, an entire write discharge is generated with the aid of a reset pulse RP and thereafter wall charges are erased, thereby initializing the cells into an off state having the residual wall charges.
More specifically, the reset pulse RP has a positive-going ramp pulse slowly increasing into a peak voltage Vr on a basis of a step voltage Vs and a negative-going ramp pulse slowing decreasing into a ground voltage (0V). By this positive-going ramp pulse, a primary dark discharge is generated between the scan electrode 12A and the sustain electrode 12B and between the scan electrode 12A and the data electrode 20. This dark discharge forms negative wall charges on the scan electrode 12A while forming positive wall charges on the sustain electrode 12B and the data electrode 20. Then, a secondary dark discharge is generated between the two electrodes 12A and 12B with the aid of the negative-going ramp pulse applied to the scan electrode 12A and a bias voltage pulse BP applied to the sustain electrode 12B. Subsequently, since the scan electrode 12A pulls positive ions generated by the secondary dark discharge while the sustain electrode 12B pulls electrons, wall charges formed on the scan electrode 12A and the sustain electrode 12B are reduced in accordance with a decrease of the negative-going ramp voltage. In this case, the polarities of the scan electrode 12A and the sustain electrode 12B can be inverted depending upon a voltage condition of the negative-going ramp voltage. Herein, if negative wall charges are left at the sustain electrode 12B, then they help a sustain discharge caused by the first sustain pulse in the sustain period SPD with the lapse of the address period APD. During such an application of the negative-going ramp pulse, a voltage of the data electrode 20 is fixed to a ground voltage 0V. Thus, the wall charges formed on the data electrode 20 by said positive-going ramp pulse cancels an external electric field, so that a discharge is not generated between the scan electrode 12A and the data electrode 20. Furthermore, since an amount of the wall charges formed on the scan electrode 12A by the secondary dark discharge is reduced, an address voltage applied to the scan electrode 12A or the data electrode 20 in the following address period SPD must be increased.
In the address period APD, a scan pulse SP having a voltage of Vsc is applied to the scan electrode 12A for each line and, at the same time, a data pulse DP having a voltage of Vd is applied to the data electrode 20 of the cell corresponding to a data '1', thereby generating an address discharge. By this address discharge, the scan electrode 12A and the sustain electrode 12B are turned to an on state in which wall charges for the next sustain discharge are sufficiently formed. An amount of the wall charges formed by the address discharge is increased in accordance with an increase of the bias voltage BP applied to the sustain electrode 12B. Otherwise, since a voltage between the scan electrode 12A and the data electrode 20 fails to exceed a firing initiation voltage at the cells corresponding to a data '0' and supplied with only the scan pulse SP, a discharge is not generated to keep an off state.
In the address period APD, when an address operation for each line has been finished, sustain pulses SUSPy and SUSPz are alternately to the scan electrode 12A and the sustain electrode 12B in the next sustain period SPD to keep a state of the cell determined in said address period. More specifically, the cells having an on state in which wall charges are sufficiently formed in the address period APD keep an on state owing to a discharge caused by the sustain pulses SUSPy and SUSPz, whereas the cells having an off state keep an off state as they are without any discharge.
In the erase period EPD following such a sustain period SPD, an erase pulse EP is applied to the sustain electrode 12B to cause an erasure discharge, thereby erasing wall charges existing in all the cells. In this case, a positive-going pulse is applied as the erase pulse EP so as to provide a small light-emission magnitude.
Such a selective write addressing method requires a write discharge interval of more than about 3 μs in order to sufficiently form wall charge required for the next sustain discharge with the aid of a write discharge according to a data pulse. Accordingly, there is raised a problem in that, since each of the scan pulse and the data pulse must have a pulse width of more than about 3 μs, the address period is lengthened and hence the sustain period becomes relatively insufficient, thereby causing a low brightness. Moreover, there occurs a problem in that, since the address period is more lengthened when it is intended to realize a high resolution picture, a gray level implementation becomes impossible due to a lack of the sustain period.
For instance, when red (R), green (G) and blue (B) discharge cells, 256 gray levels (8 bits) and a frame frequency of 60 Hz are considered for a high resolution of 1280×1024, a data amount to be processed is 1.75 Gbits (i.e., 1024×1280×3×8×60) per second, 30 Mbits (i.e., 1024×1280×3×8 bits) per frame (16.67 ms in the case of an image signal adopting the NTSC system) or 30 Kbits (i.e., 1280×3×8) per scan line. Furthermore, as a high resolution is heightened, a data amount to be processed is dramatically increased. Accordingly, since it is impossible for the selective write addressing method to display all the data with a high resolution with a limited time, there has been suggested a scheme of dividing a field into a plurality of blocks for a driving. However, a divisional driving of the field requires a greater number of driving circuits to drive each block to cause a cost rise.
In addition, the selective write addressing method requires a reset discharge for initializing all the cells by the entire write discharge so as to uniform a discharge condition such as internal electric fields of the discharge cells having kept an on state and the discharge cells having kept an off state at the previous sub-field. However, the reset discharge causes a spurious light generated every sub-field and failing to contribute to the brightness to thereby heighten a black level. Accordingly, a contrast ratio is reduced to deteriorate a display quality.
In order to solve such problems of the selective write addressing method having an insufficient sustain period, there has been suggested a selective erasure addressing method as shown in FIG. 6. The selective erasure addressing method generates a write discharge at all the cells to sufficiently form wall charges and then applies a scan pulse and a data pulse so as to selectively turn off a desired cell.
Referring to FIG. 6, at step S22, a write pulse is applied to all the cells of the panel to generate an entire write discharge, thereby allowing all the cells to be in an on state and forming wall charges sufficiently. At steps S24 to S28, the cells are selected in accordance with a display data to generate a wall charge erasure discharge at the cells to be turned to an off state with the aid of a scan pulse and a data pulse while sustaining sufficient wall charges formed at said step S22 without any discharge at the cells to be turned to an on state. At step S30, the sustain operation is performed to keep the on/off state of the cell determined at said steps S26 and S28 during the corresponding interval, thereby realizing a gray scale. Particularly, the cells in which the wall charges has been sufficiently kept without any discharge at said step S26 generates a sustain discharge during the corresponding interval. Subsequently, at step S32, an erasure operation allowing all the cells to have an off state is performed to prepare the next sub-field operation. At the next sub-field, the PDP repeats the operations of said steps S10 to S20.
Such a selective erasure addressing method requires a pulse width of about 1 μs so as to selectively turn off all the cells having an on state in the reset period by an erase discharge according to a data. Accordingly, the selective erasure addressing method permits a relatively high speed of driving in comparison to the selective write addressing method, so that it can improve the brightness owing to an increase of the sustain period and is suitable for realizing a high resolution picture. However, the selective erasure addressing method has a disadvantage in that the brightness at the off-state cell is too high in comparison to the selective write addressing method due to a light caused by the erase discharge. This reduces a contrast ratio to deteriorate a display quality. Moreover, the selective erasure addressing method requires a stable entire write discharge that allows all the cells to be in an on state at which wall charges are sufficiently formed in the reset period. To this end, since a stabilization discharge for equalizing the wall charges after the entire write discharge is added to the reset period, there is raised a problem in that a spurious light is increased to more deteriorate the contrast ratio.
As described above, the selective write addressing method and the selective erasure addressing method having been applied to the conventional PDP driving method have problems of a relatively long address period and a deterioration of contrast ratio. Therefore, there has been required a PDP driving method of improving a display quality while driving the PDP at a high speed.

Method of driving plasma display panel using selective inversion address method


A data structure, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, representing a polymer of chemical units is disclosed. The data structure includes an identifier including a plurality of fields for storing values corresponding to properties of the polymer. The polymer may, for example, be a polysaccharide and the chemical units may be saccharides. Also disclosed is a computer-implemented method for determining whether properties of a query sequence of chemical units match properties of a polymer of chemical units. The query sequence is represented by a first data structure, and the polymer is represented by a second data structure, each are tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, including an identifier including a plurality of bit fields for storing values corresponding to properties of the query sequence and polymer, respectively. The invention also involves a notational system referred to as Property Encoded Nomenclature.

Various notational systems have been used to encode classes of chemical units. In such systems, a unique code is assigned to each chemical unit in the class. For example, in a conventional notational system for encoding amino acids, a single letter of the alphabet is assigned to each known amino acid. A polymer of chemical units can be represented, using such a notational system, as a set of codes corresponding to the chemical units. Such notational systems have been used to encode polymers, such as proteins, in a computer-readable format. A polymer that has been represented in a computer-readable format according to such a notational system can be processed by a computer.
Conventional notational schemes for representing chemical units have represented the chemical units as characters (e.g., A, T, G, and C for nucleic acids), and have represented polymers of chemical units as sequences or sets of characters. Various operations may be performed on such a notational representation of a chemical unit or a polymer comprised of chemical units. For example, a user may search a database of chemical units for a query sequence of chemical units. The user typically provides a character-based notational representation of the sequence in the form of a sequence of characters, which is compared against the character-based notational representations of sequences of chemical units stored in the database. Character-based searching algorithms, however, are typically slow because such algorithms search by comparing individual characters in the query sequence against individual characters in the sequences of chemical units stored in the database. The speed of such algorithms is therefore related to the length of the query sequence, resulting in particularly poor performance for long query sequences.


A method for reducing motion induced voltage in marine electromagnetic measurements includes measuring an electromagnetic field parameter at at least one position along a sensor cable towed through a body of water. Motion of the sensor cable is measured at at least one position along the cable; Voltage induced in the cable is estimated from the motion measurements. The measured electromagnetic field parameter is corrected using the estimated voltages.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of electromagnetic surveying. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing induction noise in measurements made with a towed electromagnetic survey system.
2. Background Art
Electromagnetic geophysical surveying of the Earth's subsurface includes "controlled source" and "natural source" electromagnetic surveying. Controlled source electromagnetic surveying includes imparting an electric field or a magnetic field into subsurface Earth formations, such formations being below the sea floor in marine surveys, and measuring electric field amplitude and/or amplitude of magnetic fields by measuring voltage differences induced in electrodes, antennas and/or interrogating magnetometers disposed at the Earth's surface, or on or above the sea floor. The electric and/or magnetic fields are induced in response to the electric field and/or magnetic field imparted into the Earth's subsurface, and inferences about the spatial distribution of conductivity of the Earth's subsurface are made from recordings of the induced electric and/or magnetic fields. Natural source (magnetotelluric) electromagnetic surveying typically includes deploying multi-component ocean bottom receiver stations and by taking the ratio of perpendicular field components, it is possible to eliminate the need to know characteristics of the natural source.
Controlled source electromagnetic surveying known in the art includes imparting a substantially continuous, time varying electromagnetic field into the subsurface formations by passing time varying electric current through a transmitter antenna. The alternating current has one or more selected discrete frequencies. Such surveying is known as frequency domain controlled source electromagnetic (f-CSEM) surveying. Another technique for controlled source electromagnetic surveying of subsurface Earth formations known in the art is transient controlled source electromagnetic surveying (t-CSEM). In t-CSEM, electric current passed through a transmitter at the Earth's surface (or near the sea floor), in a manner similar to f-CSEM. The electric current may be direct current (DC). At a selected time, the electric current is switched off, switched on, or has its polarity changed, and induced voltages and/or magnetic fields are measured, typically with respect to time over a selected time interval, at the Earth's surface or water surface. Alternative switching techniques are possible. Structure of the subsurface is inferred by the time distribution of the induced voltages and/or magnetic fields. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/232917 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,914,433, issued to Wright et al., describe a method of mapping subsurface resistivity contrasts by making multichannel transient electromagnetic ("MTEM") measurements on or near the Earth's surface using at least one source, receiving means for measuring the system response and at least one receiver for measuring the resultant earth response. All signals from each source-receiver pair are processed to recover the corresponding electromagnetic impulse response of the earth and such impulse responses, or any transformation of such impulse responses, are displayed to create a subsurface representation of resistivity contrasts. The system and method enable subsurface fluid deposits to be located and identified and the movement of such fluids to be monitored.
The above methods for f-CSEM and t-CSEM have been adapted for use in marine environments. Cable-based sensors have been devised for detecting electric and/or magnetic field signals resulting from imparting electric and/or magnetic fields into formations below the bottom of a body of water. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0238200 filed by Johnstad. The amplitude of electric field signals detected by electrodes on cables such as described in the Johnstad publication may be on the order of fractions of a nanovolt. Accordingly, a particular consideration in the design and implementation of electromagnetic survey receiver systems is reducing the amount of noise that may be induced in the signals detected by the various sensing elements in the receiver system.
It is desirable to have a marine electromagnetic survey system in which receivers can be towed in the water behind a survey vessel, analogously to a marine seismic survey. By towing the receivers, the efficiency of surveying may be substantially increased over methods known in the art in which receivers are deployed on the water bottom and retrieved after part of the subsurface is surveyed. A particular consideration in designing a towed electromagnetic receiver system is that velocity of parts of the system may result in voltages being induced in the system. Such voltages may be sufficiently large so as to make it impracticable to measure signals related to subsurface electromagnetic phenomena. There is a need for a towed marine electromagnetic receiver system which may have enhanced capability of attenuating induction noise in the signals detected with such system.

Method and apparatus for reducing induction noise in measurements made with a towed electromagnetic survey system


A shroud canister for reducing the oxidation of extruded metal in an extrusion press. The shroud canister introduces a relatively inert substance which is gaseous at standard temperatures and pressures into the bore of the platen of an extrusion press, confines the relatively inert substance with the bore of the platen, and precludes any of the relatively inert substance which is in liquid form from coming into contact with the extruded metal. In one embodiment, the shroud canister consists of a faceplate to be attached to the platen of the extrusion press, a fluid supply tube to inject the relatively inert substance into the bore of the platen, and a shield to preclude any of the relatively inert substance which is in liquid form upon leaving the fluid supply tube from coming into contact with the extruded metal. A second embodiment consists of a cylindrical canister having one or more product apertures for the extruded metal and a main relatively inert substance supply cavity communicating with secondary relatively inert substance supply cavities to inject the relatively inert substance into the product apertures.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device and method for improving extrusion, particularly but not exclusively for easily oxidized metals, especially aluminum and aluminum alloys.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process of extruding aluminum, a ram is pushed from a hydraulic cylinder against a billet of aluminum which is slidably held within a container that is heated to high temperatures.
The heated aluminum billet is, consequently, pushed through a die that is housed in a die ring and supported by a bolster, through the bolster, and through a platen to provide the desired shape for the extruded piece or pieces of aluminum.
At the high temperature of the aluminum, any contact of the surface of the aluminum with oxygen produces an aluminum oxide on the surface of the extruded piece or pieces of aluminum which degrades the quality of the finished product.
To reduce the possibility of such oxidation, an inert gas, especially nitrogen, has traditionally been pumped into the die ring and from the die ring into the cavities within the die which assist in producing the desired shape of the aluminum piece or pieces. Also, the speed at which the aluminum is pushed through this process of extrusion is maintained low in order to enable the aluminum piece or pieces to cool significantly before they exit the platen.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,865 provides, in lines 34 through 47 of column 2, "As has been mentioned already in connection with the known extrusion methods, the formation of an oxide layer at the downstream end of the tool, i.e., at the end of the working surface, is increased by the presence of atmospheric oxygen and by an increased deformation heat in the tool. By the total displacement of the atmospheric oxygen the formation of the oxide layer can suitably be avoided, so that with the optimum removal of heat an additional increase of extrusion speed with tolerance of an increase tool temperature becomes possible. Accordingly the invention can be advantageously embodied in that gaseous nitrogen is directed from the tool in the direction towards the downstream end of the tool."
In lines 53 through 57 of column 3 and line 65 of column 3 through line 9 of column 4, U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,865 explains that "t!he tool 16 consists, in the direction of flow of the metal which is flowing through extrusion pressure, of the die 28 which is provided with a mandrel 29 fixed to a bridge . . . The die 28 with insert 32 are set in a holder 33, which abuts through a sealing ring 34 on a pressure ring 35, which in turn is received in a pressure ring holder 36. In this case a channel shaped recess 37 is provided . . . , extending annularly in the pressure ring 35, from which passages 38 open near the downstream end of the working surface 31. In the recess 37 open two delivery pipes 39 for production of a uniform removal of heat from the tool 16, and the coolant liquid nitrogen which goes from a liquid to a gaseous state! supplied flows through the outlet opening 40 into the respective cavities 41 and 42 of the pressure ring 35 and pressure ring holder 36 . . . "
Similarly, line 67 of column 2 through line 2 of column 3 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,126 state that " . . . an inert gas, for example, nitrogen gas or argon gas is blown into the extrusion die in the invention because the surface of the aluminum . . . might otherwise become oxidized at high temperature . . . "
Contrary to the suggestion in U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,865, however, oxygen is not totally displaced throughout the portion of the extrusion press following the die.
Three other patents protect from oxidation only the inner surface of a tube. These are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,316,373; 4,578,973; and 4,860,565.
From line 66 of column 3 through line 2 of column 4, U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,373 provides, "To extrude a billet 11 into a tube 17, the tip of the mandrel 16 is pressed through the billet 11, which is provided with a center bore, into the opening of the die 7 and in doing so widens the bore and centers the billet." The patent continues, "Protective gas is conveyed through the inner pipe 25 through a feed pipe 29 from the back of the mandrel holder carrier 14 to the mandrel tip 27 and flows through a bore 30 into the inside of the copper tube 17 being formed in the extrusion process."
Lines 59 through 62 of column 2 in U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,973 state, "A!n inert gas alone or a mixture of oxygen and inert gas may be supplied to the hollow portion of the tube! from the start of extrusion of the shaped material." Then, on lines 43 through 47 of column 3, the patent clarifies, "The male die 4 is centrally formed with a gas injection outlet 8. A gas channel 10 extending from a gas inlet 9 in the lower end of the die holder 6 to the outlet 8 is formed in the male die 4 and the die holder 6." U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,565 is identical to U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,973 except that it employs dry air or pure oxygen instead of an inert gas or a mixture of oxygen and inert gas.
Rather than pumping an inert gas into the die ring and from the die ring into the cavities within the die which assist in producing the desired shape of the aluminum piece or pieces, the method of U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,708 involves enclosing the entire extrusion press within a container of inert gas. Although minimizing the possibility of ignition of the reactive material with which that method deals, it would be too cumbersome for the commercial production of ordinary metals such as aluminum.
Two further patents--U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,303 and 5,392,628--use an opposite technique to the insertion of an inert gas. In the area around the ram, the billet, and the die, the devices of these two patents create a vacuum. Such a vacuum does not, however, extend beyond the die into the bore of the extrusion press.


A system is disclosed for use in assembling a plurality of rotatable elements in the assembly of a turbine engine. The system includes an initialization unit, a measurement unit, and a processing unit. The initialization unit is for entering initialization data into a database. The initialization data includes a first set of initialization data that is representative of characteristics of a first rotatable element, and a second set of initialization data that is representative of characteristics of a second rotatable element. The measurement unit is for permitting a user to enter measured data including a first set of measured data characteristic of measured features of the first rotatable element, and a second set of measured data characteristic of measured features of the second rotatable element. The processor unit is for determining an optimal order and rotational arrangement of the first and second rotatable elements with respect to one another responsive to the first and second sets of initialization data and the first and second sets of measured data.

The invention relates to the production and assembly of engines, and relates in particular to systems and methods for assembling rotors in gas turbine engines.
A configuration of the modules of a typical gas turbine engine include a low pressure compressor 10, a high pressure compressor 12, a high pressure turbine 14, and a low pressure turbine 16. During operation of the engine system of the invention as shown in FIG. 1. During operation, air flows into the low pressure compressor 10, then to the high pressure compressor 12, through the high pressure turbine 14, and lastly through the low pressure turbine 16. A first shaft 18 connects the low pressure compressor 12 to the low pressure turbine 16, and a second concentric shaft 20 of larger diameter connects the high pressure compressor 14 to the high pressure turbine 14. The shaft 20 spins faster (in revolutions per minute) than the smaller diameter shaft 18. The blades that are inserted on the respective rotors vary in size. The blades on the rotors of the faster shaft 20 are smaller and produce less thrust than the blades on the rotors of the slower shaft 18. The spacing between the concentric shafts 18 and 20 is maintained with bearings and journals.
As shown in FIG. 2, a typical conventional procedure for assembling each module of an engine begins (step 200) by providing the rotatable parts for assembly (step 202). The rotatable parts are then measured using a conventional measuring system, such as Coordinate Measuring Machine, or CMM (step 204). From the measurements of the parts, the angle of maximum runout, or the maximum unbalance point, of each part is used to orient the component parts in a rotor assembly stacking, and a runout table is consulted to identify the largest deviation from flatness of each component part (step 206). When the components are stacked, the points of maximum unbalance, runout or flatness deviation, are alternately offset by 90 or 180 degrees in an attempt to build a straight rotor (step 208). Runout measurements are then taken with a dial indicator of an assembled stack on tooling supplied by an engine manufacturer (step 210). If the runout is not within tolerance (step 212), then the rotor is disassembled (step 214), and the problem is diagnosed (step 216). A revised plan is then developed to build the rotor (step 218) and the system returns to step 210. If the runout is within tolerance (step 212), then the rotor is placed in an engine, and the engine is moved to a test cell where its performance is tested (step 220). If the engine performance meets the defined criteria, then the system ends (step 222). If the engine performance does not meet the defined criteria, then the system returns to step 216 and diagnoses the problem.
This iterative process may require several days or weeks to build the modules of an engine that meets the specified deviation and an engine that meets the specified performance tolerances.
There is a need for a system and method for assembling rotors in a turbine engine that more efficiently and economically achieves an engine that meets any specified deviation and performance tolerances.


Apparatus and methods consistent with the present disclosure route electronic communications to an appropriate resource that can efficiently and effectively provide responses to inquires included in or that are associated with a particular electronic communication. Methods and apparatus consistent with the present disclosure may be optimized for various different types of communication mediums with different sets of capabilities, requirements, or constraints by evaluating data that may be associated with historical information or with a stream of information.

Field of the Invention:
The present invention is generally directed to systems and methods for routing client communications. More specifically the present disclosure is directed to providing information to clients efficiently as possible.
Description of the Related Art:
Customer call centers receive calls each day from customers, clients, or interested parties that have a need or a concern that need be addressed. Call centers receive calls regarding various different subjects. Such subjects may, for example, be related to understanding product information, acquiring information, or to have a question answered. No matter what subject, each call center is concerned with cost effectively providing excellent customer service by answering questions or providing relevant information to callers quickly and politely.
Large companies, organizations, or enterprises are increasingly concerned with maintaining or improving customer satisfaction by being able to quickly and efficiently service their customer needs when such needs arise. Strategically, the organization with the best customer satisfaction will more likely retain customers for the long term. Today, call centers not only receive telephone calls from customers or clients, they also receive communications via other forms of communications, such as instant messages of various sorts (text messages, short message service (SMS) messages, 'chat' messages), and electronic mail (email) for example. In such instances, communications may be routed to either automated assistants or to live persons when a customer or client message is received.
While attempting to provide users with efficient and effective responses, many call centers fail to meet or exceed user expectations. In certain instances, this may be because an automated assistant is not optimized or capable of providing a response that can satisfy a user. Alternatively or additionally, even live persons communicating with an individual may be unable to provide a customer with responses that meet that customer's needs for reasons that may include fatigue or lack of specific knowledge.
What are needed are new ways to identify how best to forward and process user communications in quick and efficient ways that meet or exceed user expectations.

Systems and methods for communication routing


A vehicle driving force control apparatus is provided for a vehicle having a drive source configured to drive a generator and an electric motor configured to drive an electric motor driven wheel by electricity from the generator. The vehicle driving force control apparatus basically has a driving force detection section and a driving force control section. The driving force detection section is configured to detect at least one of a requested acceleration amount and a vehicle traveling speed. The driving force control section is configured to set a target generator driving force from the drive source based on at least one of the requested acceleration amount and the vehicle traveling speed. The vehicle driving force control apparatus is configured to provide a batteryless electric motor four-wheel drive vehicle that can ensure stability when starting from a stop on a low friction coefficient road, while maintaining vehicle acceleration performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle driving force control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle capable of driving the main drive wheels by an internal combustion engine, and driving the subordinate drive wheels by an electric motor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a driving force control apparatus for a so-called batteryless four-wheel drive vehicle where the internal combustion engine drives a generator that supplies the generated electric power to the electric motor.
2. Background Information
An example of a driving force control apparatus for a batteryless four-wheel drive vehicle is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-318472. The driving force control apparatus of this publication is constituted so that, in a range below a predetermined traveling speed set to, for example, approximately 15 km/h, an electric motor is driven when the speed differential between the front and rear wheels reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, i.e., when the acceleration slippage reaches or exceeds a predetermined value. The electric motor is driven in accordance with an accelerator position opening degree. For example, when the accelerator position opening degree is in a range greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a fixed distribution amount of the engine output is used as the driving force for the generator, and the electric power generated by that driving force is supplied to the electric motor, which drives the subordinate drive wheels.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved driving force control apparatus. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.