An artificial skin system for use with a robotic assembly such as to provide an animated robot head with realistic skin movement. The skin system includes a receiving component for contacting the manipulator mechanism of the robotic assembly and also includes an exterior skin component that extends over the receiving component. An inner surface of the exterior skin component is integrally bonded to the receiving component such that the exterior skin component moves with the receiving component when a manipulator mechanism or robotics anchored to the receiving component moves or applies a force. The exterior skin component is formed of an elastic material with a second hardness that differs from a first hardness of elastic material of the receiving component, e.g., is less than the first hardness. The skin system includes a backing component bonded to the other components with a third hardness less than the first and second hardnesses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to creating realistic skin for robots or for use with robotics or other applications in which skin or similar coverings are applied (e.g., robotics used to simulate movement of a human's or a character's face, hands, or the like), and, more particularly, to skin assemblies and methods for providing skin over robotics that are effective for producing realistic or desired movement in response to applied mechanical forces such as may be applied by an actuator or mechanical driver in a robotics system to create facial animation.
2. Relevant Background
Robotics involves the design and use of robots such as to provide programmable actuators or drivers to perform tasks without human intervention. Many advances in robotics were produced due to the demand for robots to perform manipulation tasks in manufacturing such as the automobile, steel, and other industries. More recently, however, there have been significant demand for robotic devices (or robots as these terms may be used interchangeably in this document) that simulate human, animal, and other living beings. These robotic beings are relied upon heavily in the entertainment industry such as to provide special effects for movies and television and to provide robots for use in shows and displays in amusement or theme parks. For example, robotics may be used to provide a character in a theme park ride or show that repeats a particular set of movements or actions (e.g., programmed tasks) based on the presence of guests or a ride vehicle or another triggering event.
It is likely that the interest in robotics will continue to expand in the coming years, and a growing area of interest is how to provide robots that appear more realistic. Many robotics companies have focused on creating robots with software, processing hardware, and mechanical actuators or drivers that allow the robots to behave more like the natural creature that is being simulated. Much work has been done to create robots that can move and even behave similar to humans such as by manipulating objects with mechanical assemblies that behave like hands configured to be human-like. Significant effort has also been directed to providing robots with realistic facial animation such as having a robot open and close its mouth to provide lip synchronization with output audio (e.g., with speech). Robotics may be used also to show emotion by providing particular facial movements including eye movement such as frowning, smiling, and the like.
While many advances have been made in realistically simulating the physical movement and facial movement of a character, problems persist with maintaining a realistic or desired movement or facial animation occur when the robotics (e.g., internal components of a robot including mechanical/structural portions as well as software, hardware, power systems, and the like) are covered. For example, a robot used to simulate a particular creature would be covered with skin or a covering assembly to imitate the natural or desired covering for the creature such as skin and fur/hair for many creatures, clothes for some creatures such as humans or characters (e.g., characters from animated films or television or puppets), or more fanciful covering system such as a metallic suit or any other desired covering. In simulating humans, the robotics are typically covered in a skin that is fabricated of flexible material to move naturally with the underlying robotics. The skin may be formed of a rubber material or a silicone that is attached or anchored to the mechanical actuators or drivers of the robotic system, and the skin is configured to have an outward appearance similar to the character or creature being simulated by the robot. For example, the facial skins can be formed so as to have an uncanny resemblance to the character (or person) they are imitating, but often this resemblance ends when the attached robotics begin animating the face. The connection or anchoring points often will become apparent as the skin is pulled or pushed from behind. Additionally, the movement may be undesirably localized with movement only at the appoint of attachment, whereas a human face generally stretches and contracts more as a unit (or the movement is more widespread across the face), e.g., a human's skin around their nose and eyes may move when skin around the mouth moves while a robotic skin may only move near the manipulating robotics.
Efforts have been made to try to create a material for use as the skin for robotics, and especially for a facial skin for human-like robots, but most of these materials still only provide a layer of skin that has a tendency to move at the point of attachment. Other work has been directed to changing how the skin is attached such as by providing multiple contact points to cause two or more areas to be manipulated concurrently, but these systems require more complex robotic actuators or drivers and, often, more complex programming.
Currently, a skin for a robotic animation system is made using a manual process relying on skill and experience of the craftsperson creating the skin. A sculpture is created, such as from clay, that represents the exterior skin shape (e.g., a person's face). The sculpture is molded, and then a sheet wax or layer of clay is laid by hand into this exterior mold to define a desired thickness for the skin. An interior core is then fabricated by hand such as by using fiberglass and resin, and this core may be configured to include skin attachment points to allow robotics to later be attached or anchored to the skin. A fiberglass or similar material is used to form a mold from this core, and hard shells, e.g., fiberglass shells, to support the skin, when the robot is later assembled, are then created from this core mold. A skin is formed by pouring a rubber or other flexible material into the gap between the exterior mold (with the sheet wax removed) and the core mold. After it is set, the skin is then removed from the molds and placed on the supporting shell(s) and attached to portions of the robotics. Skin fabrication has been a cumbersome process and animation (or transfer of mechanical forces applied by the robotics) has often not met the needs of the robotics industry as the unitary skin reacts to the attached robotics in undesirable ways, which may include exposing the underlying robotics, moving only or mainly at the attachment point, and durability of skin at mounting or contact locations with the robotics.
Hence, there remains a need for improved methods for covering robotics to provide more realistic and/or desirable transfer of mechanical forces to the covering, e.g., to provide more realistic skin that can be attached to the drivers, actuators, manipulators, and the like of the robotics such as to improve facial animation.

Skin system with elastic components having differing hardnesses for use with robotics


A wireless handheld device able to accept text input, including a display screen and a virtual keypad having a plurality of keys displayed on the display screen, wherein a first key of the virtual keypad is operable to display a first character associated with the first key in a text passage shown on the display screen in response to a first contact of a pointer with a first area on the display screen corresponding to the first key, the first contact including the pointer contacting and moving from the first area along a first direction while the pointer is in continual contact with the display screen, and wherein the first key of the virtual keypad is also operable to display a second character associated with the first key in the text passage shown on the display screen in response to a second contact of the pointer with the first area the display screen corresponding to the first key, the second contact including the pointer contacting and moving fro the first area along a second direction while the pointer is in continual contact with the display screen.

Numeric keypads are commonly found in handheld electronic devices which may not be able to incorporate a QWERTY keyboard due to size constraints. These devices may include, for example, mobile phones, media players, remote controls and so forth. The increasing number of communication functions incorporated in the aforementioned devices, such as, for example, instant messaging, short string messaging and the like has led to a need for text input using these numeric keypads.
A common way to input text using a numeric keypad is the "multi-tap" method where keys 2 to 9 are labeled with the letters A-Z in a way that every key is labeled with either 3 or 4 letters. In order to enter text, letters can be typed by activating the corresponding key repeatedly. For example, key 6 is labeled with the letters "MNO". A single key press leads to an M, a double key press results in an N while pressing the key three times produces the letter O. While this method is commonplace, it is undeniable that it requires a high level of dexterity for a user's fingers and is also rather tedious.
Another common method of inputting test using a numeric keypad relates to Predictive Text Input systems. In this method, the desired word/phrase is proposed from an initial sequence of single key presses. For example, if the key 2 is pressed twice and the key 3 is pressed once, then words like "BET, BELL, BETTER" and so forth may be suggested. However, the accuracy of such systems is questionable especially when entering names, addresses and abbreviations, and may hamper rather than improve text input.

Wireless handheld device able to accept text input and methods for inputting text on a wireless handheld device


A high-rate portable self-contained combination screening/dosing/mixing plant is mounted on a single tractor trailer for highway travel in most states without requiring travel escort vehicles. The plant has a nominal capacity of about 100 tons of soil or dirt per hour, and includes an apparatus train for preliminary separation of large objects, hopper storage, uniform feed rate, shredding-pulverization, particle size screening, additive dosing, mixing and conveyance to an elevated position for transfer to a dump truck, bin or pile.

This invention relates generally to machines for screening a particulate, granular or other multi-sized material and treating a size fraction thereof. More particularly, this invention pertains to portable apparatus useful for soil remediation and the like.
At numerous locations, the ground has been contaminated by accidental or deliberate application of gasoline, fuel oil, used petroleum products, or various chemicals. In most soil remediation processes, the contaminated soil is first removed from the ground and separately treated to chemically or biochemically remove the contaminant or transform it into a non-soluble, non-volatile and/or non-offensive material. In most of these processes, a remediating additive is to be introduced and mixed with the contaminated soil.
In one type of process, specialized microorganisms which consume the contaminant may be introduced or dosed in either solid or a liquid form.
In other remediating processes, various chemical entities may be added which bind with or encapsulate the contaminant. Certain contaminants may be chemically converted to non-toxic or less toxic substances.
In most cases, the soil must be pulverized into small particles so that material surfaces are effectively exposed to the additive. In addition, the contaminated soil and additive must be intimately mixed to ensure rapid remediation.
The extent of many contaminated sites requires large quantities of soil to be removed and treated. For example, a 5 acre site contaminated to a depth of 6 feet requires the removal of about 50,000 cubic yards of material weighing about 40,000 to 100,000 tons, depending upon the type of soil and moisture content. Economic treatment typically dictates high treatment rates of 50 or more tons per hour. Thus, a treatment plant operated at 80 tons per hour will take about 5 months (at 168 hours/month up-time) to complete the remediation operation.
Many contamination sites are much smaller, of course, requiring much less treatment time. Likewise, some contamination sites are of considerably greater extent.
In the past, equipment for performing such large-scale remediation was mounted on a plurality of trailers or trucks, each separately transported to the remediation site. Multiple trailers requiring intermediate process equipment results in higher equipment costs. Significant costs associated with such operations include the use of multiple truck drivers. In addition, if oversize trailers are used, escort vehicles may be required, increasing the overall cost of travel between operation sites.
The plurality of trailer mounted units also requires considerable on-site assembly time for connecting the trailers with conveyors to form a single operating train. Additional conveyors may be required for transporting the process material from trailer to trailer, and the plant may require more ground area than is desirable, i.e. have an excessive "footprint".
One of the factors which must be addressed in designing a treatment train is the change in elevation of the material being treated as it passes through a treatment step. When the elevation drop is great enough so that the material cannot be discharged from one treatment step directly into the following step, a conveyor must be used to gain the desired elevation. Because of the sizeable elevation drop of the "fines" through a screening operation, portable apparatus for screening have required an intermediate hopper and conveyor for collecting screened material and feeding it to a mixer.
A related constraint affects the sizes of the belt conveyors. The angle at which solids may be conveyed upwardly by belt conveyor has a relatively low maximum value. If this value is exceeded, the materials being conveyed may slip backwards and/or fall off the sides of the conveyor belt. At a given angle, the minimum length of a conveyor is proportional to the vertical difference between the inlet and outlet elevations.


There is disclosed a multi-material extruder and extrusion method for 3D printing, and more particularly to an apparatus and method that is adapted to extrude a wide range of materials for printing 3D structures. In an aspect, the apparatus comprises a frame adapted to receive a removable syringe or cartridge with a depressible piston in an extended position, the syringe or cartridge containing material to be extruded. An extrusion motor is under the control of an extruder logic module to determine how quickly the piston of the syringe or cartridge is to be depressed to achieve a desired rate of extrusion of the material. A flexible length of tubing connects the tip of the syringe or cartridge to an extruder nozzle, which nozzle is mounted to a stylus which may be hand-held or mounted to a chassis of a 3D printing device. A feedback signal is used to provide a feedback signal to the extruder logic module to determine the rate of extrusion of material. The syringe or cartridge may include a label containing information on the type of material in the syringe or cartridge, and one or more extrusion parameters to be used with the material in the syringe or cartridge.

In recent years, 3D printing has seen rapid growth as new processes are developed for additive manufacturing of 3D objects, whereby a 3D object of virtually any shape can be formed by adding successive layers of materials. This has allowed the development of new manufacturing processes such as rapid prototyping, and manufacturing of custom parts or replacement parts.
Common forms of additive processes include extrusion deposition, granular materials binding, lamination, and photopolymerization. With extrusion deposition, small beads of material are extruded from a nozzle to be fused to material that has already been laid down. Common types of materials used in extrusion deposition include thermoplastics and metals, typically supplied as filaments or wire that is unreeled and melted just prior to extrusion through a nozzle head. By extruding successive layers of beads of material through a nozzle under the control of one or more controller driven motors, it is possible to form articles with highly complex shapes that have heretofore not been possible, or prohibitively expensive to manufacture.
While there are now many 3D printing devices commercially available for 3D printing, the cost of the 3D printing devices has remained prohibitively high. As well, the types of materials that can be used for 3D printing has been limited by the extruder designs that have been heretofore available.
What is needed are improvements in the design of extruders and methods for use with 3D printing that can significantly reduce costs, and significantly increase the different types of materials that may be used.

Multi-material extruder and extrusion method for three-dimensional (3D) printing


An apparatus for initial ion cleaning, vapor metal deposition and protective coating of objects by vacuum deposition. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber for receiving the objects which are held on a movable rack or support. A metal such as aluminum is vaporized centrally in the chamber in a well known fashion after the chamber has been substantially evacuated of air molecules for uniform vapor deposition of the metal atop exposed surfaces of the objects. A polymerization gun includes an elongated housing which is connected to an external surface of the chamber over an elongated opening formed through a chamber side wall. The polymerization gun also includes an elongated conductive preferably aluminum rod disposed along the opening and two apertured delivery tubes or members positioned within the housing. The conductive rod is electrically isolated from the housing and chamber and connected to a d.c. or a.c. high voltage power source as a cathode to produce plasma during ion cleaning and when applying the protective monomer coating. By positioning the two delivery tubes in close proximity to the conductive rod, both inert gas used for ion cleaning and a liquid monomer which is vaporized as it is drawn into the housing by chamber vacuum must each in proper sequence pass through the plasma before entering the chamber to enhance uniformity of cleaning, deposition and polymerization of the protective coating of the objects.

1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to systems for coating objects by vacuum deposition, and more particularly to such a system having a uniquely configured plasma producing gun and protective vapor deposited coating arrangement.
2. Prior Art
Vacuum deposition of vaporized metal and plasma-energized protective coatings onto the exterior and interior surfaces of objects such as plastic components for automobile manufacturers which require a high degree of uniformity and finish quality are well known. One major manufacturer of such equipment is F. J. Stokes Corporation.
These prior art vacuum deposition systems typically include a medium to large sized vacuum chamber, a large moveable rack or carriage for holding and supporting a plurality of objects for coating within the chamber, means for conveniently moving the loaded object support carriage into and out of the chamber, an arrangement for producing vaporized metal for depositing a first metallic layer of vaporized metal onto the surface of the objects and a source of vaporized protective liquid such as a monomer which is applied atop the vaporized metal first deposited onto the surfaces of the objects within the vacuum chamber.
The use of a plasma created within the vacuum chamber in the vicinity of the metal coated objects is also typically utilized to energize the vaporized liquid monomer and to accelerate the liquid monomer within the vacuum chamber to facilitate a uniform protective coating applied to the objects.
A shortcoming with respect to the plasma coating technique for energizing and applying the liquid monomer is with respect to the placement of the discharge or spray bar utilized to disperse the vaporized monomer into the vacuum chamber. Typically, the monomer discharge is within a lower portion of the vacuum chamber while the plasma source is positioned in another location within the vacuum chamber whereby the vaporized liquid monomer entering the vacuum chamber must first be drawn toward the plasma and then energized and dispersed throughout the vacuum chamber. This arrangement leads to premature, undercured and non-uniform deposition of the liquid monomer onto the metal coated surfaces of the objects before being fully energized by the plasma condition created for that purpose within the vacuum chamber.
Applicant is aware of a number of patented prior art systems which are listed below which typically represent the state of the art in vacuum deposition.
______________________________________ 3,086,889 Strong 3,097,113 Welsh 3,117,887 Shepard, et al. 3,518,108 Heiss, Jr., et al. 3,524,426 Ogle, et al. 3,641,973 Shrader 3,713,869 Geffeken, et al. 3,970,820 Mahl 4,173,944 Koppl, et al. 4,338,883 Mahler 4,447,374 Tanaka 4,478,174 Ranger 4,673,588 Bringmann, et al. 4,687,679 Beale 4,863,756 Hartig, et al. 5,053,243 Schuurmans, et al. 5,182,000 Antonelli, et al. 5,217,749 Denton, et al. 5,312,529 Antonelli, et al. 5,340,628 Tanisaki, et al. 5,401,541 Hodnett, III 5,538,909 Poliquin, et al. 5,560,963 Tisack ______________________________________
However, for the most part, these prior art references are of limited scope and of a specialty nature, some of which utilize metal vaporizing boats for vacuum deposition of a metallic film. A portion of these references also do not depend upon or require the plasma atmosphere within the vacuum chamber in a fashion similar to that of the present invention.

Apparatus and polymerization gun for coating objects by vacuum deposit


In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to provide at least a portion of a linear program guide to a display for presentation to a user. The linear program guide includes a list of media content carriers and associated media content instances, and an endpoint located at one end of the list. The media content carriers and the endpoint are navigable by the user, and the endpoint is associated with at least one selectable navigation tool for navigating within the linear program guide. In certain embodiments, the selectable navigation tool includes a selectable shortcut to a predefined location within the linear program guide.

The advent of computers, interactive electronic communication, the Internet, and other advances in the digital realm of consumer electronics have resulted in a great variety of enhanced programming, recording, and viewing options for users who view media content such as television programs. In implementing such enhanced options, the set-top box ("STB") has become an important computing device for accessing media content services and the media content within those services. In addition to supporting traditional analog broadcast video functionality, STBs also support an increasing number of two-way digital services such as video-on-demand, internet protocol television ("IPTV"), and personal video recording.
An STB is typically connected to a cable or satellite, or generally, a subscriber television system, and includes hardware and software necessary to provide enhanced options for a subscriber television system at a subscriber location. Conventional STBs include a processor, communication components, and memory and are connected to a television or other display device, such as a personal computer. While many STBs are stand-alone devices that are externally connected to a television, an STB and/or its functionality may be integrated into a television or personal computer, a mobile device such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant ("PDA"), or even into an audio device such as a programmable radio.
An STB is usually configured to provide users with a large number and variety of media content choices. For example, a user may choose to view a variety of broadcast television programs, pay-per-view services, video-on-demand programming, Internet services, and audio programming via an STB.
The large number of media content choices often makes it difficult for an STB user to find and select desired media content for viewing. On-screen program guides have alleviated this confusion to some degree. However, the use of a conventional on-screen program guide is limiting in many instances. For example, conventional on-screen program guides are typically circular so that when a user scrolls beyond the highest-numbered media channel in a particular program guide, the guide automatically wraps around to the lowest-numbered media channel in the guide. This may be rather limiting to some users who desire enhanced navigation options. Moreover, a user casually scrolling through a circular program guide may not notice the automatic "wrap-around" occurring, which may lead to confusion and/or redundant scrolling.

Linear program guide for media content access systems and methods


A hood assembly is provided for a conveyor having a housing with an inlet opening, a belt or auger for transporting particulate material through the housing from the inlet end to the outlet end. The hood assembly includes a hood pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between a closed position substantially closing the inlet end and an open position substantially exposing the inlet end. When the hood is opened, the inlet end of the conveyor housing can be visually inspected and physically cleaned to remove particulate material remnants remaining in the inlet end after the conveyor is shut off. A hopper is provided on the hood to facilitate introduction of material into the conveyor.

Agricultural conveyors are used for conveying various grains and seeds. With advances in bioengineered seeds, there is a need to avoid cross contamination from different seeds and hybrids. Conventional conveyors, including a tube conveyor with an internal belt, typically have spillage problems, both at the inlet and at the discharge end. During operation of the conveyor, spilled seeds tend to migrate downwardly to the conveyor inlet end. Conventional conveyors have a small door on the end of the inlet housing to facilitate clean-out of remnant seeds. However, the small size of the door limits access to the components at the inlet end, including the brush, skirts, roller, and corners of the housing. Thus, an operator cannot conduct a full or complete visual inspection of the lower end of the conveyor to assure that all seeds have been cleaned out. If a batch of seeds becomes contaminated, the batch must be thrown out, at a cost of thousands and tens of thousands of dollars.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved belt conveyor assembly having a pivotal inlet hood for complete clean-out of the inlet housing.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a conveyor hood which allows complete visual inspection of the conveyor inlet housing.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a conveyor hood which opens fully to allow access to all of the components at the lower end of the conveyor for removal of seed remnants.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a hood on an agricultural conveyor which provides complete and easy removal of all seed, grain and other similar materials collected in the inlet end of the conveyor.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of an agricultural conveyor having an improved inlet hood which can be quickly and easily moved between a closed use position and an open clean out position.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a method for preventing biological contamination of seeds and grains in an agricultural conveyor.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a method for quickly and easily cleaning out particulates from the inlet end of a grain and seed conveyor.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an agricultural conveyor with an improved hood which is economical to manufacture, and safe and durable in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.


Provided are porous, biocompatible implant bodies and materials. These materials suitably comprise a population of randomly arranged thermoplastic constituents, with at least some of the constituents being bonded to one another The implant bodies are capable of being manipulated at room temperature from a first shape to a second shape, and of maintaining the second shape at about internal body temperature. Also provided are related methods of fabricating such implants and installing the implants into a subject.

Orthopedic implants fabricated from porous high density or ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (HDPE or UHMWPE) are currently in use clinically for augmenting or replacing bone, typically in the craniofacial skeleton. These products are generally manufactured by melt fusing or sintering generally spherical particles of polymer with a controlled diameter range to form a porous solid. One advantage of porous polyethylene is that the pores allow ingrowth of soft tissue into the material after implantation, which anchors the material in place and integrates it into the body. Polyethylene also has material properties (e.g., density, flexibility) that are similar to native soft tissue.
One limitation of these implants is that while they are flexible, and can be easily bent to match the contour of the bone, they do not easily take a permanent bend. These implants are also easily cracked if bent too far, since the melt points bonding the particles of polymer together are the weak points of the structure. Because of the porosity, the porous material is also in general more flexible than a solid polyethylene shape of similar dimensions. This tends to limit the potential applications of the material to sites where significant rigidity or strength is not required.
One solution to these limitations has been to incorporate a titanium mesh into the porous polyethylene. The titanium mesh improves strength and ductility of the composite material, but the presence of a metal component is undesirable when x-ray or MRI imaging of the implant site is required. There is therefore a need for an improved implant material with similar tissue compatibility to current porous polyethylene implants, but with increased strength and the ability to be bent to shape intraoperatively in the absence of metal or other reinforcement materials.

Porous implant materials and related methods


A method by which ingots of thixotropic metal alloy are brought to the semisolid or semiliquid state comprises the steps of introducing the single solid ingots at ambient temperature into a heat chamber, generating air currents within the chamber so that the ingots are heated principally by convection, controlling the temperature of the ingots, and removing them from the chamber once a predetermined temperature has registered and been held steady in the metal alloy for a duration sufficient to induce the semisolid or semiliquid state; the ingots are supported and conveyed through a circular path internally of the heat chamber by a set of radial platforms revolving between an infeed zone and an outfeed zone.

The present invention relates to a method by which solid metal alloy castings such as ingots, billets and the like destined for thixotropic forming are brought to the semisolid or semiliquid state, also to equipment for its implementation. More exactly, the castings brought to the semisolid or semiliquid state by the equipment in question are alloys of aluminum, magnesium and copper.
A recent addition to the range of processes adopted hitherto for the shaping of metal alloys, typically pressure diecasting, forging, and others, is the method known as thixotropic forming: such a method employs ingots prepared from a metal alloy that is brought to the semisolid or semiliquid state before being shaped and exhibits a particular structure consisting in a homogeneous arrangement of solid crystals, globules or granules immersed in a liquid phase. Accordingly, this particular type of process requires a partial or total fusion of those phases of the alloy with a lower melting point, whilst the globular phases determining the thixotropic nature of the alloy must be maintained in the solid state.
In practice, the resulting structure is composed of solid globules distributed homogeneously within a liquid phase, hence with no dendrites, i.e. devoid of crystals growing arborescently around nuclei.
It is essential that the proportions between solid phase and liquid phase can be reproduced at will in any ingot cast as a thixotropic starting material, compatibly with the type of alloy and the forming process adopted, so as to ensure that the behaviour of the alloy in forming and the specifications of the end product can be maintained constant.
Referring momentarily to the accompanying drawings, the state of a metal alloy suitable for thixotropic forming is indicated schematically by the graph of FIG. 1: the part of the curve to the left of point A represents material entirely in the liquid state, whereas the part to the right of point C represents material entirely in the solid state. The parts of the curve between points A and C indicate semisolid or semiliquid material and, more exactly, the part between B and C represents a material composed of solid crystals or granules or globules immersed in a liquid phase, which is the eutectic. Progressing from point C to point B, the percentage of eutectic in the liquid state as opposed to solid crystals increases from 0 to 100. From point B to point A, on the other hand, it is the percentage of crystals in solid solution passing to the liquid state that increases from 0 to 100. In the case of thixotropic alloys, the areas of interest are generally B-C, where one has solid crystals together with eutectic in the liquid state, and a part of B-A depending on the liquid fraction effectively required.
An ingot of such a material will behave as a solid when simply conveyed or handled, but in the manner of a liquid when subjected to any type of forcible shaping operation.
To reiterate, an ingot in this condition is devoid of dendrites tending to jeopardize its homogeneous composition and mechanical strength, as any person skilled in the art will be aware.
Again referring to FIG. 1, and in particular to the part of the curve between B and C, it will be noted that the mere application of heat is not enough to induce the required semisolid or semiliquid state of the material; in practice, the material must be maintained at the requisite temperature for a given length of time.
Conventionally, an ingot of any given description in the solid state and at ambient temperature is brought to the semisolid or semiliquid state using induction furnaces, the heat produced by generating a magnetic field of which the flux lines directly envelop the ingot. The correct heating action, in terms of obtaining the requisite temperature and maintaining the ingots at this same temperature for the correct duration, will be determined by trial and error, whereupon the conditions which are seen to produce the desired end result must be repeated exactly.
The typical induction furnace consists essentially in a cylindrical crucible accommodating a single ingot and encircled by induction coils disposed in such a manner as to generate a magnetic field with flux lines impinging on and enveloping the ingot. Clearly, any variation in value and frequency of the magnetic field will occasion a corresponding variation in the temperature applied to heat the ingot and a different distribution of heat between the skin and the core of the ingot. By regulating and monitoring the value of the magnetic field in the appropriate manner, the type of heating action applied to the ingot can be controlled selectively, targeting areas further and further in toward the core.
The time taken by such furnaces to bring each ingot to the desired temperature will naturally depend on the diametral dimensions of the material.
For a better illustration of the problem addressed by the present invention, reference may be made to a specific example: to bring an ingot some 150 mm in diameter and 380 mm in height to the semisolid or semiliquid state in the correct manner using an induction furnace of conventional type, a time of approximately 18 minutes is required. This may well be acceptable in an experimental situation, but is certainly not acceptable in a context of industrial scale manufacture.
Considering a production tempo of one ingot per minute as acceptable, a battery of 18 conventional furnaces would be required to achieve such a rate. First of all, there are serious problems of economy associated with the operation of so many furnaces, given their high overall power consumption. What is more, one has the drawback of the considerable bulk exhibited by the equipment, given that an induction furnace able to heat the size of ingot in question will have an external diameter of some 600 mm, to which the dimensions of the electrical panels must also be added. The bulk of the furnace is augmented further by being associated, necessarily, with an automatic or semi-automatic device for changing the ingot. The overall dimensions of the installation could be reduced to a degree by utilizing a single change device serving all the furnaces, though this would lead to notable structural complexities.
The prior art does in fact embrace one particular multiple type of induction furnace albeit designed for use with smaller ingots, smaller in transverse dimensions especially, which comprises a platform rotatable about a vertical axis and supporting a plurality of ingots spaced apart around the axis of rotation at equidistant intervals. Located above the platform is a support capable of movement in the vertical direction and carrying a plurality of open bottomed induction furnaces, the number of the induction furnaces being identical to the number of ingots carried by the platform beneath. The support is designed to alternate between a lowered position in which the induction furnaces each encompass a relative ingot, the open bottom ends engaging in a close fit with the platform, and a raised position in which the platform is able to index through one angular step, corresponding to the distance between any two adjacent ingots. The furnaces are put into operation in such a way that the orbit around the axis of rotation can be divided substantially into three zones of different temperature, including one in which the temperature and the structure of the ingots is rendered uniform.
Not even this special multiple furnace can meet the requirements stated previously, however, inasmuch as a furnace able to heat ingots of the dimensions indicated above would be disqualified by excessive dimensions and similarly excessive operating costs: accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and equipment by means of which ingots can be heated to the semisolid or semiliquid state both swiftly and at reasonable cost.

Method and equipment for bringing metal alloy ingots, billets and the like to the semisolid or semiliquid state in readiness for thixotropic forming


Fumaric acid or a salt thereof, such as a fumaryl halide (e.g. fumaryl chloride), which contains unsaturated carbon-carbon double bonds that can be used for in situ crosslinking, is copolymerized with poly(caprolactone)diol in the presence of an alkali metal salt. The resulting photocrosslinkable biocompatible and bioresorbable poly(caprolactone fumarate) biomaterial is useful in the fabrication of injectable an in-situ hardening scaffolds for application in skeletal reconstruction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to photocrosslinkable, biodegradable polymeric materials that in one application can be injected and then hardened in situ to form scaffolds for tissue and/or skeletal reconstruction.
2. Description of the Related Art
The clinical needs for bone regeneration are diverse, and there are roughly 1,000,000 patients who have skeletal defects each year in the United States that require bone graft procedures to achieve union. These include applications arising from resection of primary and metastatic tumors, bone loss after skeletal trauma, primary and revision total joint arthroplasty with bone deficiency, spinal arthrodesis, and trabecular voids following osteoporotic insufficiency fractures. Current clinical decision making in the selection, preparation and application of bone graft materials often involves many factors. From a structural perspective, several decisions need to be addressed prior to deciding on a surgical management plan.
First, the type of bone lost must be determined. The defect may be trabecular bone, cortical bone, or a combination of both structural bone types. Second, the nature of the defect must be defined, whether it is contained and has a bony or soft tissue shell, or is non-contained and represents a segmental loss of bone continuity. Third, the size of the defect (size of trabecular voids or length of segmental defects) must be determined. Mechanical issues that enter into the graft selection decision include the skeletal location of the defect to be reconstructed and the anticipated loads in that location. In addition, biologic issues such as host co-morbidities (for example, diabetes) may all have an effect on the bone graft incorporation process. Finally, surgical issues that play a role in the selection of graft material include consideration regarding the size of the surgical access portal relative to the size of the defect.
Current clinical methods of treating skeletal defects involve bone transplantation or the use of other materials to restore continuity. Autologous bone graft has been the gold standard of bone replacement because it provides such essential elements as osteogenic cells, osteoinductive factors, and an osteoconductive matrix for healing. However, the limited supply of autograft bone, and donor site morbidity both restrict the spectrum of cases in which it can be used alone. Allograft bone, although available in abundant supply, has drawbacks that include reduced rates of graft incorporation compared to autograft bone, and the possibility of pathogen transfer from donor to host.
Metals provide immediate mechanical support at the defect site but exhibit less than ideal overall integration with host tissue and can eventually fail due to fatigue loading if the bone does not heal prior to fatigue failure of the metal. Ceramics, such as β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite are both osteoconductive, and have found clinical use as surface coatings on metal prostheses to enhance bonding of those prostheses to bone. In particulate form, they offer increased mechanical strength to polymeric composite materials primarily in compression, but are less effective in enhancing resistance to torsional and bending forces. Poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement can be injected or molded and is sometimes used to fill both cavitary and segmental defects, such as those that result from the curettage of a giant cell tumor or from the resection of a vertebral body in metastatic disease to the spine, respectively. However, the temperature can rise up to 100° C. during the exothermic polymerization reaction, and the heat released risks local tissue injury. Additionally, poly(methyl methacrylate) is non-biodegradable and can thus accumulate fatigue damage with time and eventually undergo mechanical failure.
Synthetic biodegradable polymers may provide treatment options not currently available. These materials can be manufactured in virtually unlimited supply and the flexibility in their design allows the synthesis of a wide range of polymers with varying mechanical, biologic, degradation, and rheologic properties. For instance, their mechanical and degradation properties can be manipulated by changing the polymer molecular weight during synthesis, and can thus be tailored to fit a particular application. The injectable nature of the skeletal regeneration biomaterial would be ideal to fill defects with limited accessibility or irregular shape. For example, minimally invasive endoscopic techniques now in clinical use would allow the injectable form of the biomaterial to be inserted for posterolateral intertransverse process spinal fusion. This would decrease the surgical trauma from the extensive exposure and muscle stripping that must now be done to put the graft material into position. The injectable material could be placed into cancellous voids from periarticular fractures, osteoporotic spinal fractures, or bone cysts without creating a large access hole in the surrounding cortical bone. These clinical situations represent the motivation for the development of injectable biodegradable polymeric composite materials for bone tissue engineering.
Thus, biodegradable scaffolds that can be injected and crosslinked in situ to fill defects offer attractive additions to existing methods (see, Yaszemski et al., "Clinical needs for bone tissue engineering technology", in Bone Engineering, J. E. Davis, Ed. Toronto, Em Squared, 2000, pp. 541-547). Recently developed injectable materials have fulfilled many design criteria for diverse orthopedic applications. A candidate material of this type is poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF), an unsaturated linear polyester that can be modified or crosslinked through its fumarate double bonds. PPF degrades by simple hydrolysis of the ester bonds and the degradation time depends on polymer characteristics such as molecular weight, type of crosslinker, and crosslinking density. Although many efforts have been made to explore the applications of PPF-based materials, there are still many important limitations of this material. The propylene glycol in each repeating unit provides only one free rotating carbon-carbon bond that contributes to the rigidity of the PPF polymer chain. In addition, a crosslinker is needed to form crosslinked PPF networks via redox initiation, which may lead to cytotoxicity associated with unreacted crosslinking monomers.
Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a well-known biodegradable polymer and FDA-approved for use as resorbable sutures. It has excellent biocompatibility and flexibility. PCL was recently studied as a potential material for a temporary joint spacer (Elfick, Biomaterials, 23, p. 4463-4467, 2002) and tissue-engineered skin (Ng, Tissue Engineering, 7, p. 441-455, 2001).
An injectable copolymer based on PCL and fumarate segments, poly(caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF) is described in PCT International Patent Application No. WO 2005/004811. Due to the presence of PCL unit, the PCLF chain is much more flexible than the PPF chain. This renders PCLF self-crosslinkable by redox initiation without the use of any crosslinker.
The previously developed PCLF, however, has a dark brown color due to the proton scavenger triethylamine used in the condensation reaction. Because of the dark color, UV light cannot go through the PCLF material to allow it to crosslink efficiently by photoinitiation. Photocrosslinking is the formation of a covalent linkage between two macromolecules or between two different parts of one macromolecule. Photocrosslinking allows in vivo curing, which provides great flexibility for the placement and handling of implantable polymers for surgeons. The main advantages of photocrosslinking over other crosslinking techniques are spatial and temporal control of the polymerization, fast curing rates at room temperature, and ease of fashioning and flexibility during implantation (see Anseth, Nature Biotechnology, 17, p. 156-159, 1999).
Therefore, there is a need for photocrosslinkable poly(caprolactone fumarate), and in particular there is a need for photocrosslinkable poly(caprolactone fumarate) that is useful as a biocompatible, bioresorbable, injectable, and in-situ hardening scaffold for tissue engineering applications.

Photocrosslinkable poly (caprolactone fumarate)

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research


A fuel distribution tube for a direct injection fuel rail assembly includes an elongate cylindrical conduit, a plurality of first scalloped features that receive fuel injector sockets formed in the conduit, and plurality of second scalloped features that receive mounting bosses formed in the conduit. The scalloped features are designed to closely match the outer radii of the injector sockets and the mounting bosses. The scalloped features provide necessary dimensional control to injector sockets and mounting bosses and fuel passage from the fuel distribution tube to the fuel injector sockets. The scalloped features enable a leak test of the braze joints of the fuel rail assembly. By providing a direct injection fuel rail assembly that includes the fuel distribution tube having scalloped features formed in the conduit, optimization of true position location of fuel injector sockets and improved braze joints are enabled.

Fuel rails for supplying fuel to fuel injectors of internal combustion engines are well known. A fuel rail assembly, also referred to herein simply as a fuel rail, is essentially an elongate tubular fuel manifold connected at an inlet end to a fuel supply system and having a plurality of ports for mating in any of various arrangements with a plurality of fuel injectors to be supplied. Typically, a fuel rail assembly includes a plurality of fuel injector sockets in communication with a manifold supply tube, the injectors being inserted into the sockets and held in place in an engine head by bolts securing the fuel rail assembly to the head.
Gasoline fuel injection arrangements may be divided generally into multi-port fuel injection (MPFI), wherein fuel is injected into a runner of an air intake manifold ahead of a cylinder intake valve, and direct injection gasoline (DIG), wherein fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber of an engine cylinder, typically during or at the end of the compression stroke of the piston. DIG is designed to allow greater control and precision of the fuel charge to the combustion chamber, resulting in better fuel economy and lower emissions. This is accomplished by enabling combustion of an ultra-lean mixture under many operating conditions. DIG is also designed to allow higher compression ratios, delivering higher performance with lower fuel consumption compared to other fuel injection systems. Diesel fuel injection (DID) is also a direct injection type.
For purpose of clarity and brevity, wherever DIG is used herein it should be taken to mean that both DIG and DID, and fuel rail assemblies in accordance with the invention as described below are useful in both DIG and DID engines.
A DIG fuel rail must sustain much higher fuel pressures than a MPFI fuel rail to assure proper injection of fuel into a cylinder having a compressed charge during the compression stroke. DIG fuel rails may be pressurized to about 100 atmospheres or more, for example, whereas MPFI fuel rails must sustain pressures of only about 4 atmospheres. Error proof braze joints are, therefore, necessary for the assembly of fuel rails.
DIG fuel rails further require high precision in the placement of the injector sockets in the fuel supply tube because the spacing and orientation of the sockets along the fuel rail assembly must exactly match the three-dimensional spacing and orientation of the fuel injectors as installed in cylinder ports in the engine. For example, direct injection fuel rail assemblies typically require injector socket to injector socket true positions of less than about 0.5 mm. Braze joints typically require gaps less than 0.05 mm to approach base metal strength. When utilizing the brazing process for producing direct injection fuel rail assemblies both of these requirements must be met. Typical multi-port fuel rail fabrication components and techniques do not meet these requirements making it necessary to find alternate methods.
For example, matched radii with a braze joint have been suggested, where a radius is added to the injector socket to match the radius of the fuel supply tube. This concept requires features to be added to injector sockets and mounting bosses and further requires the use of drawn over mandrel tubing or tubing with improved straightness, which is expensive, labor and cycle time intensive. Accordingly, efforts to form satisfactory DIG fuel rail assemblies by metal forming and welding have not heretofore been successful.
What is needed in the art is an inexpensive, high-precision fuel rail assembly for DIG engine fuel systems.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a fuel distribution tube that enables optimization of the true position location of injector sockets as well as improved braze joints.
It is a further object of the invention to enable the use of inexpensive parts and welding methods.

Fuel distribution tube for direct injection fuel rail assemblies


Apparatus for producing uninterruptible power upon loss of power from an electric grid, comprising at least one hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system including a vapor turbine and a generator for producing power upon loss of power from the electric grid; a control unit for sensing loss of power from the electric grid and activating the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system; and means for rotating the turbine when power is available from the electric grid. In addition, a method for producing uninterruptible power upon loss of power from an electric grid, said method comprising the steps of: providing at least one hot organic Rankine cycle turbine system including a vapor turbine and a generator for producing power upon loss of power from the electric grid; sensing loss of power from the electric grid and activating the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system; and rotating the turbine in the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system when power is available from the electric grid.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for producing power, and more particularly, to a method of and apparatus for producing uninterruptible power for communication systems such as communication systems that are also located in urban areas or in the vicinity of towns and also only stand alone systems.
In systems provided for providing uninterruptible power particularly for communication systems several options have been available: photovoltaic systems, thermoelectric generators (TEG) or organic Rankine cycle energy converters (OEC). In addition, uninterruptible power sources (UPS) for short time periods as well as UPS""s and diesel generators for long time use or diesel generators and a flywheel system.
In photovoltaic systems, batteries are used to compensate for the hours/days without solar radiation. Usually, the batteries are very large and, in most cases, the choice is for Nickel-Cadmium batteries. The reason is that the photovoltaic systems require batteries to work on deep discharge cycles, for which the Ni-Cad batteries are much better adapted than Lead Acid batteries. The problems arexe2x80x94very high cost for batteries and the need for maintenance of the batteries. In any case, in a 20-year project, the Ni-Cad batteries have to be replaced at least once. In telecommunication systems powered by photovoltaic cells need always batteries.
As far as thermoelectric generators (TEG) are concerned, since telecommunication equipment operates at varying load, and the TEG are continuously delivering full rated power, batteries are necessary for correcting the supply of power to the equipment. Moreover, the TEG requires use of dummy loads for dissipating the surplus of power delivered and not used by the telecommunications equipment. As TEG cannot trickle charge the batteries, additional battery chargers are required. If not, the battery will not be properly charged, and will require additional maintenance and manual charging during maintenance and the lifetime will decrease. The telecommunication systems powered by TEG always need batteries.
Turning to organic Rankine cycle energy converters (OEC), since they operate at varying load, they can trickle charge the batteries and thus increase their lifetime. In telecommunication systems, the OECs can be used in hot standby configuration. If one OEC fails, the second will deliver the full station load. The transient period until the second OEC will deliver the full load is of a few minutes (up to about 20-50 minutes) and could be reduced by either adding a very small standard battery to OECs to deliver a few AH during the transient period.
In a related system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,589, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, a hybrid power plant is disclosed that includes an intermittently operable non-fuel consuming power generator, such as a photovoltaic cell array, or a wind generator, connected through a control-circuit to a battery for changing the same and for supplying current to a time-wise, substantially constant, electrical load. In addition, this hybrid power plant includes an electric generator connected to an intermittently operable prime mover, such as a Rankine cycle organic vapor turbogenerator, for charging the battery and supplying current to the electrical load when the prime mover is operated, and a sensor for sensing at least one electrical parameter of the power plant. With such an arrangement, the prime mover is operable only when the power generator is not operating.
Batteries are used in all the telecommunication projects to provide DC power to the telecom equipment and the reliability and availability of the system depends strongly on the battery characteristics.
The batteries have a limited lifetime and if not properly charged and maintained they have to be replaced a few times during the life of a project estimated as 20-25 years.
In addition, the battery condition cannot be correctly assessed, and it will normally fail without any kind of advance notice, thus causing shut down of the stations. Moreover, the battery fails when they are actually needed so that, when there is an electric grid power outage, the diesel generator fails when it is attempted to start it consequently causing the battery, UPS and diesel generator not to provide power.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of and apparatus for providing uninterruptible power wherein the disadvantages as outlined are reduced or substantially overcome.
Apparatus for producing uninterruptible power according to the present invention comprises a hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system. No batteries are needed in the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention apparatus for producing uninterruptible power according to the present invention includes a high-speed flywheel; and a single hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system. In another embodiment of the present invention apparatus for producing uninterruptible power according to the present invention includes two hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine systems operating in parallel. In this embodiment both hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine systems include a sonic nozzle for ensuring that the pressure in the boiler of the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system operates at relatively high pressure. Furthermore in this embodiment one hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system includes a control valve for opening and closing in accordance with the output of the generator of the other hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system. In addition, here the other hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system also includes a control valve for opening and closing in accordance with the output of the generator of the other hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system. In this embodiment, the relatively high pressure of the boiler is suitable for producing full power output from the organic Rankine cycle turbine included in said hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system.
Furthermore in the embodiment of the present invention including a high-speed flywheel a motor is included for rotating the turbine when electric power is available from the electric grid. This embodiment also includes a heater comprising a burner for combusting fuel. In addition, the present embodiment includes an electric heater for heating to liquid organic working fluid when electric power is available from the electric grid. Moreover, in the present embodiment a three-way valve is included for supplying, when electric power is available from the electric grid, sufficient organic working fluid vapor for operation of the turbine bearings only.
In addition, the present invention includes a method for producing uninterruptible power and comprises the step of providing a hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system for producing uninterruptible power. In one embodiment of the method for producing uninterruptible power a high-speed flywheel is provided; and a hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system that produces power is provided. In a further embodiment of the method for producing uninterruptible power by providing a hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system two hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine systems operating in parallel are provided. In this embodiment, relatively high pressure is maintained in the boiler of the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system by using a sonic nozzle for supplying organic working fluid vapor to the organic turbine. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a control valve is provided for supplying further working fluid vapor from the boiler to the organic turbine in response to a signal from the output of the generator of the other hot standby turbine when the output falls below a certain threshold such that the output of the first hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine is substantially full power. In addition, in this embodiment relatively high pressure is maintained in the boiler of the other hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system by also using a sonic nozzle for supplying organic working fluid vapor-to the organic turbine of the other hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system. Moreover, in the present embodiment a control valve is provided for supplying further working fluid vapor from the boiler to the organic turbine contained in the other hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system in response to a signal from the output of the generator of the first hot standby turbine when the output falls below a certain threshold such that the output of the other hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine is substantially full power. Additionally, in this embodiment, the relatively high pressure maintained in the boiler of the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system is such that the relatively high pressure of the boiler is suitable for producing full power output from the organic Rankine cycle turbine included in said hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system.
Furthermore, in the embodiment of the method for producing uninterruptible power in which a high-speed flywheel; and a hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system that produces power are provided, an electric motor is operated for rotating the turbine when electric power is available from the electric grid. In this embodiment, sufficient organic working fluid vapor is supplied to the condenser for supplying organic working fluid condensate only to the bearings of the turbine when electric power is available from the electric grid. In addition, in the present embodiment, an electric heater is operated when electric power is available from the electric grid that heats the organic working fluid liquid present in a boiler such that sufficient organic working fluid vapor is produced for supplying organic working fluid condensate from the condenser only to the bearings of the turbine. Furthermore, in this embodiment, power is supplied to the electric grid using the high-speed flywheel when electric power is not available from the power grid. Moreover, in accordance with the present embodiment, organic working fluid vapor is supplied only to the nozzles of the turbine and the turbine is rotated using heat stored in the heated working fluid present in the boiler of the hot standby organic Rankine cycle turbine system when electric power is not available from the power grid. In addition, a burner for heating the organic working fluid liquid present in said boiler is switched on when electric power is not available from the power grid. Additionally, the electric heater is switched off when electric power is not available from the power grid.

Method of and apparatus for producing uninterruptible power


A method of selecting inks for use in imaging with an imaging apparatus includes determining a maximum usage of a diluted ink for use in conjunction with a saturated ink based on visual perception characteristics relating to a combination of the diluted ink and the saturated ink; generating an initial colorant space based on the maximum usage of the diluted ink, the initial colorant space expressing an initial usage of the diluted ink and an initial usage of the saturated ink at each point in the initial colorant space; optimizing the initial usage of the diluted ink and the initial usage of the saturated ink in the initial colorant space to generate a final usage of the diluted ink and a final usage of the saturated ink in a final colorant space; and generating a color conversion lookup table based on the final colorant space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printing, and, more particularly, to a method of selecting inks for use in imaging with an imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years many inkjet printers with multilevel color inks, sometimes referred to as "photo printers," have been developed for home and office use. These printers typically perform six-color printing, and employ saturated cyan, saturated magenta, saturated yellow, saturated black, diluted cyan, and diluted magenta inks (CMYKcm). The photo printer cartridges are generally organized in such a way that the saturated cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are in one cartridge, referred to as a "color cartridge," and the diluted cyan, diluted magenta, and saturated black are in another cartridge, referred to as a "photo cartridge." The use of diluted inks helps to improve image quality so as to achieve photo-quality images. However, visual artifacts, such as mottling and smearing, are created if the diluted inks are not used appropriately.
The inks in the color and photo cartridges are typically either dye-based or pigment-based inks. The dye-based inks have a larger color gamut than pigment-based inks, but poorer light fastness, especially for the diluted inks, whereas the pigment-based inks have a smaller color gamut but much better light fastness. Light fastness pertains to the ability of a printed image to retain its original colorfulness, without excessive fading over a period of time. In order to provide a large color gamut while providing good light fastness, a hybrid approach has been taken, wherein both dye-based inks and pigment-based inks are employed by the photo printer to render images. Another advantage of using the hybrid approach is that it has good dynamic range of lightness across the range of different types of print media.
However, a problem with the hybrid approach is that the gloss transition between the pigment-based inks and the dye-based inks on glossy paper results in serious visual artifacts. Thus, in order to improve image quality by using the hybrid approach, not only must problems associated with using diluted and saturated inks be resolved, but the problems associated with using both dye-based inks and pigment-based inks must also be resolved so that both diluted and saturated inks in the form of dye-based inks and pigment-based inks may be employed by the photo printer.
What is needed in the art is an improved method of selecting inks for use in imaging with an imaging apparatus.

Method of selecting inks for use in imaging with an imaging apparatus


One can identify and quantify one or more glycosylation markers of a physiological condition such as a disease or a stage of disease by utilizing quantitative HPLC analysis of glycans which have been released from unpurified glycoproteins. The unpurified glycoproteins can be total glycoproteins or a selection of the total glycoproteins. The identified glycosylation marker can be a native glycan or a digestion product which has been segregated and amplified by exoglycosidase digestions. This strategy is compatible with a high throughput format and glycan data base searching. One can utilize the identified glycosylation marker, for example, for monitoring the physiological condition in a subject. One can also use the glycosylation marker to identify glycoproteins that carry the glycosylation marker which can also be used to monitor the physiological condition. The biomarker may also be a subset of glycoforms of a glycoprotein that are separated in trains of spots on 2D gel.

Specific disease related glycosylation changes for glycans released from purified serum IgG were first reported for rheumatoid arthritis, see Parekh et. al. "Association of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Primary Osteoarthritis with Changes in the Glycosylation Pattern of Total Serum IgG," Nature, 316, pp. 452-457, 1985, incorporated herein by reference. Subsequent work demonstrated that these changes were not only diagnostic of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but could also be used as prognostic indicators as well as monitors of RA disease activity, see e.g. "Galactosylation of IgG associated oligosaccharides: Reduction in patients with adult and juvenile onset rheumatoid arthritis and relation to disease activity," R. B. Parekh, D. A. Isenberg, B. M. Ansell, I. M. Roitt, R. A. Dwek and T. W. Rademacher (1988) Lancet, 1(8592), 966-969; "A comparative analysis of disease-associated changes in the galactosylation of serum IgG" R. B. Parekh, D. Isenberg, G. Rook, I. Roitt, R. A. Dwek and T. W. Rademacher (1989) J. Autoimmunity, 2, 101-114; 3rd Jenner International Immunoglycobiology Meeting Abstract R. B. Parekh, Isenberg, D., Dwek, R. A. and Rademacher, T. W. Glycoconjugate Journal (1994) 1, 3 195-227, all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Later, it was demonstrated that specific glycosylation changes in total serum glycosylation can be also bio-markers of other diseases. For example, Block et. al. determined specific glycosylation changes in total serum of hepatocellular carcinoma woodchucks infected with hepatitis B virus by performing a glycosylation analysis on glycans enzymatically released from a total serum solution, i.e. by a method not compatible with a high throughput format, see Block, T. M., Comunale, M. A., Lowman, M., Steel, L. F., Romano, P. R., Fimmel, C., Tennant, B. C., London, W. T., Evans, A. A., Blumberg, B. S., Dwek, R. A., Mattu, T. S. and Mehta, A. S. (2005). "Use of targeted glycoproteomics to identify serum glycoproteins that correlate with liver cancer in woodchucks and humans." Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102: 779-84, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Glycosylation analysis of whole serum glycoproteins from patients and healthy controls using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (see Guile, G. R., et. al., "A rapid high-resolution high-performance liquid chromatographic method for separating glycan mixtures and analyzing oligosaccharide profiles." Anal. Biochem. 240: 210-26, 1996; Royle, L., et. al. "An analytical and structural database provides a strategy for sequencing O-glycans from microgram quantities of glycoproteins." Anal. Biochem. 304: 70-90, 2002) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) technology was first used to confirm the diagnosis of a patient with congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs) type II and to establish the faulty glycosylation processing step in an undiagnosed patient, see Butler, M., et. al. "Detailed glycan analysis of serum glycoproteins of patients with congenital disorders of glycosylation indicates the specific defective glycan processing step and provides an insight into pathogenesis." Glycobiology 13: 601-22, 2003. The glycan profile and analysis were flawed because hydrazinolysis was used to release the glycans. The use of hydrazinolysis results in the desialylation of a significant proportion of the sugars and the introduction of a number of artifacts such as loss of N-acetyl and N-glycolyl groups from the amino sugar residues (which are subsequently re-N-acetylated and this can result in both under and over acetylation), as well as loss of O-acetyl substitutions in sialic acids. Callewaert et al. used enzymatic release in whole serum glycosylation analysis by capillary electrophoresis on a microfluidic platform, see Callewaert, N., Contreras, R., Mitnik-Gankin, L., Carey, L., Matsudaira, P. and Ehrlich, D. (2004). "Total serum protein N-glycome profiling on a capillary electrophoresis-microfluidics platform." Electrophoresis 25: 3128-31 and Callewaert, N., Schollen, E., Vanhecke, A., Jaeken, J., Matthijs, G., and Contreras, R. (2003). "Increased fucosylation and reduced branching of serum glycoprotein N-glycans in all known subtypes of congenital disorder of glycosylation I." Glycobiology 13: 367-375. Although enzymatic release of Callewaert et. al. is compatible with a high throughput format, their analyses determined only major desialylated structures. Thus, a need still exists to develop a high throughput fully automated method for determining robust glycosylation markers of diseases based on a detailed glycosylation analysis of total glycoproteins in samples of body fluid or body tissue.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automated strategy for identifying physiological glycosylation markers(s)

National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training Limited (NIBRT)


A display driver comprising: a high-speed serial interface circuit which receives a packet from a host device through a high-speed serial bus using differential signals, and outputs a command or data included in the received packet; a driver circuit which drives a main display panel based on the output command or data; and a low-speed serial interface circuit which outputs a command or data to a sub display driver through a low-speed serial bus when the packet received from the host device includes the sub display driver command or data. And the display driver inserts dummy data to the packet to adjust the difference of the transfer rate by inserting a dummy the dummy data. And the display driver adjust the difference of the transfer rate.

The present invention relates to a display driver and an electronic instrument.
In recent years, a high-speed serial transfer interface such as a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface has attracted attention as an interface aiming at reducing EMI noise or the like. In such a high-speed serial transfer, data is transferred by causing a transmitter circuit to transmit serialized data using differential signals and causing a receiver circuit to differentially amplify the differential signals (JP-A-2001-222249).
An ordinary portable telephone includes a first instrument section provided with buttons for inputting a telephone number or a character, a second instrument section provided with a main liquid crystal display (LCD), a sub LCD, or a camera, and a connection section (e.g. hinge) which connects the first and second instrument sections. The number of interconnects passing through the connection section can be reduced by transferring data between a first substrate of the first instrument section and a second substrate of the second instrument section by serial transfer using differential signals.
A sub LCD is generally provided in the second instrument section of a portable telephone in addition to a main LCD. It is desirable that the sub LCD be controlled by a display driver which drives the main LCD in order to reduce the number of parts of the portable telephone.
A host device (e.g. MPU, baseband engine, or display controller) provided in the first instrument section transfers data at high speed through a high-speed serial bus. The operation speed of a sub display driver which drives the sub LCD is generally lower than that of the display driver for the main LCD. Therefore, if the data transferred from the host device through the high-speed serial bus is directly output to the sub display driver, there may be a case where the sub display driver cannot receive the data.

Display driver and electronic instrument


Disclosed herein is a distributed ledger method for a fifth-generation (5G) network. A network slice is created in the 5G network and a root block is generated in response, containing parameters of the network slice and contracts between participants in the network slice. A blockID of the root block is transmitted to identified participants in the network slice, who sequentially commit a plurality of new blocks to a blockchain beginning from the root block. The plurality of new blocks comprises auditing information of the network slice, wherein the information is collected by the participants in the network slice. The blockchain is stored in a blockchain network of a plurality of disparate blockchains. Desired auditing information for the network slice is retrieved by using the blockID of the root block to traverse the blockchain beginning at the root block until all blocks with the desired auditing information have been read.

Fifth generation (5G) mobile and wireless networks will provide enhanced mobile broadband communications and are intended to deliver a wider range of services and applications as compared to all prior generation mobile and wireless networks. Compared to prior generations of mobile and wireless networks, the 5G architecture is service based, meaning that wherever suitable, architecture elements are defined as network functions that offer their services to other network functions via common framework interfaces. In order to support this wide range of services and network functions across an ever-growing base of user equipment (UE), 5G networks extend the network slicing concept utilized in previous generation architectures.
Within the scope of the 5G mobile and wireless network architecture, a network slice comprises a set of defined features and functionalities that together form a complete Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) for providing services to UEs. This network slicing permits for the controlled composition of a PLMN with the specific network functions and provided services that are required for a specific usage scenario. In other words, network slicing enables a 5G network operator to deploy multiple, independent PLMNs where each is customized by instantiating only those features, capabilities and services required to satisfy a given subset of the UEs or a related business customer needs.
However, there is little collaboration or information sharing in such network slicing scenarios, be it between the disparate actors associated with any given network slice or across multiple different network slices.

Blockchain-based auditing, instantiation and maintenance of 5G network slices


A control device managing a plurality of nodes transmitting and receiving data containing an error correcting code, comprises means accepting, when any one of the nodes detects an uncorrectable error from the data containing the error correcting code, a signal transmitted by the node detecting the error, means judging from a record of the detection of a first node, when accepting the signal from a second node receiving data transmitted by the first node, whether or not the first node has detected the uncorrectable error from the data transmitted to the second node, and means stopping, when the first node has detected the uncorrectable error from the data transmitted to the second node, a process attributed to the acceptance of the signal from the second node.

The present invention relates to a control device managing a plurality of nodes and to a node device cooperating with the control device.
In a system capable of recognizing poisoning data attached to uncorrectable data, when an existing node receives the poisoning data, a data packet containing the poisoning data is sent to an existing node situated at a posterior stage. Therefore, a fault detection rate is improved without detecting unnecessary uncorrectable errors. The uncorrectable data is defined as the data that can not be corrected. Further, the uncorrectable error is defined as the data error that can not be corrected. "Poisoning" connotes that when the node receives the uncorrectable data, respective bits of an ECC (Error Correcting Code) attached to a tailing part of the data are converted into a specified pattern (data). Namely, the poisoning comes under one category of the term "uncorrectable".
Data processing can be executed at the existing node at the final stage by flowing the data packet through to the end of the system. In FIG. 1, the uncorrectable error occurs in a bus 1 between an existing node A and an existing node B (which is represented by Occurrence of UE in FIG. 1). In this case, the existing node B receiving the uncorrectable data from the existing node A detects the uncorrectable error (which is represented by Detection of UE in FIG. 1). Then, the existing node B executes a poisoning process about the ECC attached to the uncorrectable data, and transmits the data packet containing the poisoning data to an existing node C.
The existing node C can recognize the poisoning data attached to the uncorrectable data and therefore, even when receiving the data packet containing the poisoning data, detects none of the uncorrectable error. Then, the existing node transmits the data packet containing the poisoning data to an existing node D. Thus, the detection of the uncorrectable error is made by only the existing node B but gets unnecessary in the existing node C and in the existing node D, thereby improving the fault detection rate.
There has hitherto been a poisoning data recognizing method in a case based on such a premise of the system that all of the nodes are capable of recognizing the poisoning data attached to the uncorrectable data.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-242294

Node device, control device, control method and control program


A barrier film formed on top of a substrate, a barrier film formed so as to cover a functional element region fabricated on top of a substrate, or a barrier film formed on both a substrate and a functional element region, wherein the barrier film includes at least one layer of a silicon nitride film formed by laminating two or more silicon nitride layers having different Si/N composition ratios.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a barrier film and a method of producing a barrier film.
2. Related Art
Silicon nitride films fabricated by parallel plate RF plasma CVD methods using silane gas, ammonia gas and nitrogen gas and the like as raw materials are used as passivation films for semiconductors. When a silicon nitride film is to be used as a barrier film for a low glass transition temperature (Tg) material such as a resin or an organic thin film, film formation must be conducted at high speed, and at a low substrate temperature of approximately 200° C. or lower. However, silicon nitride films formed under these types of conditions may oxidize under conditions of high temperature and high humidity, causing a deterioration in the barrier properties.
H. Kubota et al. have proposed a technique, in Journal of Luminescence, 2000, 87 to 89, page 56, in which a silicon nitride film is formed using only silane gas and nitrogen gas, without the use of ammonia gas. Furthermore, JP 05-6890 A, JP 05-335345 A, JP 06-291114 A and JP 2002-158226 A have proposed the lamination of a plurality of silicon nitride films with differing properties. Moreover, JP 2004-63304 A and JP 2005-222732 A have proposed applications of laminated structures containing a plurality of silicon nitride films with differing properties formed at a low substrate temperature to organic electroluminescent elements.
However, with the method disclosed by Kubota et al. in Journal of Luminescence, 2000, 87 to 89, page 56, the resulting silicon nitride film tends to suffer from large quantities of pinholes and the formation of dark spots, and the color of the silicon nitride film is brown, meaning use of the film in optical applications or as a barrier film is problematic. Forming this type of silicon nitride film with a thin enough film thickness (for example, 50 nm or less) to prevent any significant deterioration in the optical transmittance is one possible technique, but reducing the film thickness raises other problems such as a deterioration in the coating properties and an increase in the number of pinholes.
Furthermore, the methods disclosed in JP 05-6890 A, JP 05-335345 A and JP 2002-158226 A are all designed with the purpose of controlling the level of internal stress and the hydrogen content when film formation is conducted at a high substrate temperature of approximately 240 to 400° C., and make no reference to the conditions required for suppressing oxidation of the film at low substrate temperatures, simply because the film undergoes almost no oxidation under high substrate temperature conditions. JP 05-6890 A describes the internal compressive stress and the hydrogen content, but the level of stress and the hydrogen content are not essential factors in suppressing oxidation of the film at low substrate temperatures. JP 05-335345 A and JP 2002-158226 A describe the hydrogen content and the refractive index, but these are also not essential factors. JP 06-291114 A describes the ratio between the peak surface areas for N—H bonds and Si—H bonds within the infrared absorption spectrum for the film (namely, the ratio N—H/Si—H), but under the prescribed conditions of a ratio of 2 or less, oxidation of the film cannot be suppressed.
JP 2004-63304 A and JP 2005-222732 A have been designed with the purpose of controlling the stress within the film, and use only silane, nitrogen and hydrogen gases as the film formation gases, without the use of ammonia. Furthermore, although reference is made to Si—H bonds, the Si—H bonds are not an essential factor in improving the oxidation resistance, and oxidation of the film cannot be suppressed based solely on this factor.
The present invention provides a barrier film and a method of producing the barrier film that exhibit superior resistance to oxidation under conditions of high temperature and high humidity, suffer from minimal pinholes, and exhibit a high degree of optical transmittance.

Barrier film and method of producing barrier film


A motorcycle includes an integrated locking system. The locking system actuates a seat lock from the main switch as well as a handlebar or steering lock. The steering lock is structured such that an overlap of components results in a locking pin passage that extends into a locking pin chamber. The locking pin passage is substantially shielded by a labyrinth defined by overlapping components. The main switch is positioned forward of at least one gauge and a meter cover surrounds at least the gauge and the main switch as well as covers at least a portion of the fuel tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to locking systems for motorcycles. More particularly, the present invention relates to integrated locking systems for motorcycles that include seat locks and/or steering locks.
2. Related Art
Motorcycles are enjoying a resurgence in popularity in recent years. This resurgence is due, at least in part, to the open air feeling associated with riding a motorcycle. Of course, this feeling is directly a result of a lack of an operator compartment. Along with the enjoyment of the wind whisking by, operators are confronted with a number of problems that are exasperated by the lack of a lockable operator compartment.
For instance, motorcycles often feature a removable seat. These seats often conceal engine maintenance openings as well as storage compartments. To reduce the likelihood of theft and tampering, locks have been introduced that secure the seat to the motorcycle. The locks are often operated with keys and typically include lock cylinders that are positioned adjacent or below the seat. Also, the locks are usually located toward a rear portion of the seat.
In addition, because there is no operator compartment, motorcycles are exceedingly susceptible to being pushed by thieves. To hinder the ability to push the motorcycles, the steering mechanism can feature a lock. The lock limits or completely eliminates steering movement of the front wheel of the motorcycle. Accordingly, the motorcycle is not able to be steered while it is being pushed. This, of course, reduces the theft rate of the motorcycles. However, the steering locks are often positioned in a region of the motorcycle which leaves the locks themselves subject to substantial tampering. For instance, chisels or hacksaws can be used to break or cut the locking mechanism such that the motorcycle can once again be steered even though the operator made an effort to lock the steering mechanism.
As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, these two problems often are resolved through the use of two distinct locking mechanisms. Accordingly, the seat lock is positioned and manipulated in the region of the operator seat while the steering column lock is separately manipulated and located proximate the steering column. Having completely separate locking mechanisms unnecessarily complicates the construction of the motorcycle.
Therefore, a streamlined locking system for a motorcycle is desired. The steering lock, can integrate the seat lock with the steering lock and can position the main switch within a single dash pad or meter cover. In some arrangements, the steering lock, the seat lock and the motorcycle""s electrical system are tied together to be operated by a single key operated switch or a single remote transmitter. Such a configuration reduces duplicative components and streamlines the controls of the motorcycle. Additionally, such a configuration reduces the clutter of the dash region of the motorcycle.
In one arrangement, the steering lock may be positioned in an internal location such that tampering made substantially more difficult. In such an arrangement, an overlap of moving components is preferably arranged such that a straight cutting or chopping tool, such as a chisel or hacksaw, cannot be easily wedged into a position that will compromise the integrity of the steering lock.
One aspect of the present invention, therefore, involves an integrated locking system for a motorcycle. The system comprises a main switch adapted to be mounted on the motorcycle, a steering lock and a seat lock. The seat lock is remotely positioned relative to the main switch and the seat lock selectively locks a seat of the motorcycle in a closed position. A cable connects the seat lock to the main switch with the main switch selectively unlocking the seat lock by moving the cable. The steering lock is constructed to selectively limit movement of a steering system of the motorcycle and the steering lock also is actuated by the main switch between a locked position and an unlocked position. The main switch is operated by a key and controls various electrical components of the motorcycle.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a motorcycle comprising a frame, a front wheel being dirigibly connected to a forward portion of the frame with a steering assembly, a seat being moveably attached to the frame, and a fuel tank being mounted on the frame and being positioned at least partially between the seat and the steering assembly. A main switch is positioned forward of at least a portion of the fuel tank and a gauge is mounted above the fuel tank. A dash cover extends around the gauge and the main switch. The main switch controls at least a portion of an electrical system of the motorcycle and the main switch controls a front wheel lock and a seat lock. The front wheel lock comprises a strike member that limits steering movement of the front wheel when engaged and the seat lock comprises a latch mechanism that locks the seat to the frame when engaged.
A further aspect of the present invention involves a seat locking mechanism for a motorcycle. The mechanism comprises a main switch positioned forward of a substantial portion of a fuel tank of the motorcycle. The main switch is operated by rotating a key. A seat lock is mounted to a seat of the motorcycle and a wire extends between the main switch and the seat lock. The wire extends away from the main switch in a direction generally parallel to an axis of rotation of the key in the main switch. The main switch moves the wire in a direction generally parallel to the axis.