A hand-held processing device, such as a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a portable computer, includes a physically or electronically adjustable camera and is operative to track a specified object of interest. Relative movement between the hand-held device and the object of interest is detected using an orientation determination device such as a gyroscope, an image-based tracking operation, or a hybrid combination of orientation determination and image-based tracking. A setting of the camera is then adjusted so as to maintain a desired framing of the object of interest within an image generated by the camera.

Hand-held processing devices such as PDAs and mobile telephones have recently been configured to incorporate or support a digital camera. For example, PDAs such as the Palm Pilot™ and Handspring Visor™ are now configured to support attachable digital camera modules, as described in Cyberscope, "Gadgets From the Desert," Newsweek, Feb. 21, 2000, page 9. An example of a mobile telephone which incorporates a digital camera is the VisualPhone VP-210 from Kyocera, http://www.kyocera.co.jp. These and other hand-held devices which incorporate or support digital cameras can be used in a variety of image processing applications, including applications such as taking still pictures or video, and video telephone services ("visiophony").
A significant problem which can arise in the above-noted conventional hand-held devices is the lack of stability of the image content as the user manipulates the device. For example, in visiophony or other applications involving a video signal generated by a camera, it is generally desirable to have the camera automatically frame and track the user or another object of interest. This framing and tracking process not only provides a more useful video signal in terms of its information content, but also facilitates compression of the video for subsequent transmission. Unfortunately, the conventional hand-held devices described previously fail to provide effective framing and tracking features for their associated digital cameras. A need therefore exists for techniques for providing such features in hand-held processing devices which incorporate or support a digital camera.

Method and apparatus for tracking an object of interest using a camera associated with a hand-held processing device


There is provided a computer-implemented method, device and system for automatically configuring a computer device located at a particular location of an entity having an associated local network. The method, system and device further comprises: detecting from another computer device metadata characterizing the particular location; determining from the metadata whether the computer device requires configuration and if so, performing configuration steps of: automatically determining a device type for the computer device based on one or more connected peripheral devices, the device type defining a role of the computer device within the particular location; sending metadata comprising the particular location and the device type to a central server for requesting configuration of the computer device and in response, receiving configuration information for the computer device. The configuration information comprises configuration settings for configuring the computer device to allow said one or more transactions to be performed thereon.

In each branch of a financial institution, a number of computer workstations are utilized to execute various financial transactions and perform administrative functions relating to the institution. Typically, a developer or technician determines whether a new workstation requires manual setup, enrollment and configuration to be recognized as part of the institution. Devices are then manually associated with a particular branch of the financial institution in accordance with a "Book of Records" before any transaction can be effected. This means that in order to properly track transactions and ensure authorization to access financial information and/or execute any transactions, a workstation executing transactions on behalf of a particular branch must be authorized, uniquely identifiable and configured within a local network (e.g. retail LAN) of that branch. Currently, any such configurations are performed manually according to manually checking requirements and can quickly become out of date. Such manual processes can be time consuming, inconvenient, and rely on the availability of a skilled technician at the local branch to perform the required configuration. Also, as the role of a workstation changes, these manual configurations quickly become obsolete and erroneous. Notably, where a large number of workstations are mobile and thus can travel to different branches or can move to different locations within the branch and thereby have different functional roles within the location such as a branch (e.g. teller, back counter, side counter, etc.) and thus need not be consistently configured with the same parameters and/or associated with the same branch's LAN at all times, the concerns regarding manual configuration of the workstations are particularly magnified. For example, such manual configuration is not scalable as the number of workstations increases and also becomes prone to human errors. This manual configuration is also prone to downtime of resources until manual setup is complete.
It would thus be desirable to provide new and improved systems and methods for automatically and dynamically configuring computer devices such as workstations in a location of an entity, such as a branch of a financial institution for accurately and efficiently effecting transactions in association with the location of the entity.

System and method for automated configuration of a computing device


Systems and methods for providing fast forwarding recommendations based on the user's consumption history are disclosed. The consumption history includes data relating to attributes that were previously rewinded and watched and those that were skipped and forwarded. It also includes scores for attributes that were present and absent in a portion that was previously rewinded or forwarded. A score is assigned to the attributes and used for determining a consumption pattern. If the consumption pattern indicates that the user previously rewinded and watched the attribute, then a recommendation not to skip an upcoming portion that includes the attribute is provided. A graphical timeline that depicts the amount of time saved by skipping the portion of the media asset with the attribute is also provided.

Consumption of media assets has been on the rise over the recent years. Access to a library of numerous media assets provided by services such as Netflix™, Hulu™, Disney™, and HBOGO™ through various media and mobile devices has made it easy to find and consume a media asset at any time. (Netflix is a trademark owned by Netflix, Inc, Hulu is a trademark owned by Hulu. LLC, Disney is a trademark owned by Disney Enterprises, Inc, and HBOGO is a trademark owned by Home Box Office, Inc.). At the same time, individuals lead busy lives and have limited time to consume a media asset in its entirety. As such, it has become a common practice to fast forward portions of the media asset during its display.
There may be several reasons for fast forwarding and watching the media asset. For example, viewers may fast forward to save time and watch the media asset in a shorter amount of time. Viewers may also fast forward portions of the media asset that are not interesting to them. For example, viewers that are not interested in fighting scenes, nudity, songs, politics may choose to forward the portions of the media asset that contain such segments.
On the flip side, there may be some portions of the media asset that are interesting to the viewer. For example, a viewer may like dialog, action, car chases, romantic scenes, a specific character, or a location/setting of a particular scene, and, as such may rewind and rewatch such segments of the media asset one or more times.
Although fast forwarding and rewinding is a common practice, a problem with current methods is that they require the viewer to perform manual operations in order to fast forward or rewind a portion of the media asset. For example, when using a remote, the viewer may need to pick up their remote device and press a fast-forward or rewind button, and when watching the media asset on their touch screen device, the viewer may need to manually scroll across a timeline or drag and move the play position of the display to a fast forwarded or a rewinded play position.
In addition to the fast forward and rewind requiring manual operations to be performed by the viewer, yet another problem with current methods is that even when the media assets are manually fast forwarded or rewinded by the user on their remote device or touch screen, the viewer is unaware of the length of display that needs to be fast forwarded in order to skip a portion of the media asset that is not of interest or is unaware of the length of display that needs to be rewinded to ensure that the rewind places the display at a play position that is of interest. As such, the viewer either fast forwards too little or too much or rewinds too little or too much and ends ups maneuvering back-and-forth to determine their desired play position in the media asset from which the display is to be continued.
This is especially the case when the viewer is watching a portion of the media asset for the first time and does not know the exact length to fast forward or the exact frame at which the undesired scene will end. For example, a viewer not wanting to watch a car chase may fast forward too little resulting in the car chase still being displayed or fast forward too much and miss out on some essential portions of the plot that follows the car chase.
Yet another problem with the current methods is that a viewer may perceive that the upcoming segment is not of interest and fast forward the segment when in fact the segment relates to an area of interest that the user would have desired to watch. For example, a viewer that is interested in Tom Cruise may end up forwarding a segment that may depict an initial scene that is disliked by the viewer without knowing that segment also includes dialog from Tom Cruise at some play position after the initial scene.
As such, there is a need for systems and methods that provides intelligent fast forwarding capability that overcomes the above mentioned deficiencies in the current methods.


A flexible tubular pipe having a pressure sheath, a pressure vault comprising at least one pressure-resistant armor, an intermediate sheath and at least one tensile armor layer. The inner annular space formed between the pressure sheath and the intermediate sheath comprises a layer which is used to drain the gases present in the annular space. The drainage layer is formed by a short-pitch winding of at least one long element having transverse drain holes or spaces which can drain gases between the successive turns of the winding. The transverse holes or spaces extend in a direction which is essentially transverse to the winding turns.

The present invention relates to a flexible tubular pipe of the type used for the production and transport of fluids in the offshore oil industry. More precisely, it relates to pipes designed to transport gas or multiphase fluids.
Pipes intended for transporting a fluid in the offshore oil industry have been described in many patents of the Assignee hereof, such as, for example, EP 0 937 932. They comply with, among others, API (American Petroleum Institute) Recommended Practice 17B. The pipes are formed by a combination of various layers, each intended to allow the flexible pipe to withstand the service and handling stresses, and also the stresses specifically related to their offshore use. In particular, these layers comprise polymeric sheaths and reinforcement layers formed by the winding of profiled wires, strips or composite wires, but they may also include the winding of various tapes between the various reinforcement layers. More particularly, they include at least one internal sealing sheath or pressure sheath designed to carry the transported fluid. The sealing sheath may be the innermost element of the pipe and that pipe is called a smooth-bore pipe or the sheath may be placed around a carcass formed, for example from the short pitch winding of an interlocked strip and that pipe is then called a rough-bore pipe. Reinforcement layers formed from the winding of metal or composite wires are generally placed around the pressure sheath and may comprise, for example:                a pressure armor formed by the short-pitch winding of an interlocking profiled metal wire, said pressure armor being placed directly around the sealing sheath so as to take up the radial component of the internal pressure;        optionally, a hoop formed by the short-pitch winding of a non-interlocking profiled wire placed on top of the pressure armor in order to contribute to the internal pressure resistance, the pressure armor, with or without said hoop, forming what is called the pressure vault of the pipe; and        tensile armor plies formed by long-pitch windings of metal or composite profiled wires, said plies being intended to take up the axial component of the internal pressure and also the longitudinal stresses to which the pipe is subjected, such as for example the forces when laying said pipe.
An external polymeric sheath or protective sheath is generally provided on top of the abovementioned reinforcement layers. In certain cases, an intermediate polymeric sheath is also provided. This intermediate sheath may, for example, be an "anti-collapse" sheath generally placed around the pressure vault. The purpose of this intermediate sheath is in particular to prevent the sealing sheath and the optional carcass that it surrounds from collapsing when the annulus (the space lying between the sealing sheath and the external sheath) is exposed to excessive pressure compared with the internal pressure of the fluid that it transports. This may be the case when the external sheath is damaged and no longer fluidtight, and therefore the hydrostatic pressure prevails in the annulus. This anti-collapse intermediate sheath is generally present in the case of a smooth-bore pipe since the sealing sheath is all the more liable to collapse when it is not supported by a carcass.
In flexible production pipes, the transported fluid is often a multiphase fluid and contains gases such as H2S, CO2 or methane, which may diffuse through the pressure sheath. Gas diffusing through the sealing sheath of the flexible pipe increases the pressure in the annulus progressively with the diffusion. This pressure increase in the annulus may lead to problems of the internal sealing sheath collapsing, and this is so in particular in the case of a smooth-bore pipe in which said sheath is not supported by a carcass. This is, for example the case when the pressure in the annulus becomes very much greater than the pressure inside the pipe, as during a production shutdown or under certain particular conditions in service. Provision is also made for the gases present in the annulus to drain away in order to reduce the pressure therein. The gases drain away through and along the tensile armors toward a drainage valve generally located at a terminal end-fitting of the flexible pipe.
In the case of a smooth-bore pipe, the intermediate sheath located on top of the pressure vault prevents gas drainage into the tensile armor ply. Gas drainage therefore has to take place inside the pressure vault, but such a solution cannot be envisaged as it is very difficult for the gas in a layer such as the pressure vault, the winding angle of which is close to 90°, to be drained away effectively. Thus, smooth-bore flexible pipes are not used for transporting multiphase fluids or gases and are exclusively reserved for water injection lines, for which lines there is no gas diffusion problem. Thus, only rough-bore pipes are used for producing production lines, although these structures are more costly owing to the presence in particular of an additional expensive metal layer. Furthermore, the geometry of this layer is unfavorable for draining of the transported fluid.
Thus, there exists a real need for a low-cost structure of the smooth-bore type that can be used to transport gases or multiphase fluids. To try to satisfy this need, solutions have been proposed that consist in draining the gas closest to the internal pressure sheath. International Patent application WO 01/33130 describes a flexible pipe whose internal sheath has grooves in its external surface, said grooves being designed to drain away the gas between said sheath and the pressure vault. In the Assignee's patent application FR 01/11135 (not yet published), the internal pressure sheath is formed in two layers (double sheath) and the gas is drained away between the two sheaths in longitudinal grooves provided for this purpose. However, these solutions are very complicated to implement, especially because of problems due to creep of the thermoplastics used to produce the sheaths.
Another application (WO 99/66246), relating to bonded-type flexible pipes, mentions the flow of a liquid or gas above the pressure vault in an open or partly open space. However, there is no mention or even a suggestion of any solution to the problem of overpressure in the annulus due to gas diffusing through the pressure sheath.
In another patent (EP 0 937 932), the Assignee has disclosed a pipe with a structure that includes two tensile armor pairs and an intermediate sheath lying between the external armor pair and the internal armor pair, it being possible for such structure to be a smooth-bore structure. In such a structure the gas present in the internal annulus (the space lying between the internal sheath and the intermediate sheath) is drained away into the inner tensile armor pair, which has a lay angle of between 30 and 55°. However, this proposed solution does not make it possible to produce a low-cost smooth-bore pipe that can be used in production, especially because of the four tensile armor plies for the pipe, which increase its cost.
Moreover, whatever the type of pipe used (smooth-bore or rough-bore), the problem of gas diffusion means that the metal elements of the structure (pressure vault and tensile armors) that are located in the annulus must in particular be resistant to H2S. This entails a higher cost due to the particular treatments that they undergo, and the mechanical properties obtained remain modest.


A system and method for managing user activity context includes monitoring a user's actions on an electronic device; analyzing a resource accessed by the user; identifying an activity being performed by the user based on the analysis of the resource; and generating an activity context graph for the identified activity, wherein the activity context graph includes information regarding the resource. The activity context graph may be updated with additional resources accessed by the user if the additional resources are associated with the identified activity. The activity context graph may be provided to another user and may be updated to reflect the other user's profile, settings, or other information.

Users engage in various task-based activities in both their personal and professional lives. These activities may be, for example, researching and writing a paper, preparing a quote or proposal, developing a presentation, learning a language, planning a vacation, planning a wedding, purchasing a home, researching financial information such as retirement or other investing, researching education options such as colleges or school districts, or any other activity in which the user consults a plurality of resources. These activities are largely conducted on electronic/digital devices such as computers, phones, tablets, other smart devices, etc., that allow the user to quickly access and review various resources through the internet and other information sharing means.

Managing user activity context using an activity context graph

International Business Machines Corporation


A rotating suction chamber apparatus for sorting a mixture of materials comprises a cylindrical drum with its upper end is at a higher elevation than its lower end. An upper housing connected to the upper end has a material intake for receiving the mixture of materials for introduction to the upper end. The mixture of materials includes a light fraction and a heavy fraction, and the upper housing has an outlet for the light fraction. A suction hood connected to the light fraction outlet includes a light separator shaft with a substantially vertical portion, and an air blower is adapted to create an airflow from the lower end, to the upper end, through the light fraction outlet and through the suction hood. A rotator rotates the drum about its longitudinal axis so that the heavy fraction is moved through the drum and falls out of the lower end.

Air separation is the most effective method for cleaning shredded paper out of glass cullet, a situation which often arises in single-stream recyclable processing plants. Yet modern air separation devices suffer from several potential hazards. First, there is a potential for material to bridge, clog, or otherwise jam the suction chamber, causing downtime. Second, a lack of dwell time within the separation area results in reduced separation efficiency and increased sensitivity to material surge and layering. Third, a sensitivity to material orientation, rather than to specific gravity, causes a reduction in separation efficiency. A final hazard is that some material, especially wet material, tends to stick together as a composite and not be separated.
The first type of hazard typically occurs in suction chambers, where material is dropped through a flow of air produced by a vacuum. These types of devices usually have chutes, plates, or other devices to contain and restrict the airflow, because air takes substantial energy to move in high volumes. Straight drop-out chambers and zig-zag chambers are susceptible to this hazard. Because the cross-sectional area of the separation chamber is small, the device can jam on large items or "divers" (e.g. rebar and sticks) in the fines fraction. The large items bridge the chamber and other items build up on top of the bridge. Potential throughput is also small due to the small chamber.
In response, "air knife" style air separators were developed. Rather than pull the light components (e.g. shredded paper) through a vacuum system, a blower is used to generate a knife of air that pushes the light components forward while the heavy components (e.g. glass) fall through, as for example, in Westeria, Nihot and Walair drum-style separators. While this largely solves the jamming and throughput issues that exist with suction chambers, these air knife separators suffer from the second and third hazards described above. Because it uses only a thin knife of air, this type of machine has a single opportunity to separate the materials, rather than the several seconds or bounces that occur in suction chambers. Thus a large item, such as a rock, on top of a light item, such as a piece of paper, will push the light item through the knife of air and improperly sort it into the heavy components. This effect is particularly acute during "surges" of material, where a large clump of items will bind together and act like a heavy component as the air knife is not strong enough to push it in the desired direction. For the same reason, when wet or sticky materials clump together the air knife cannot separate them due to the absence of material agitation.
Further, the air knife concept acts not as a specific gravity separator, but as a separator based on the ratio of weight to cross sectional area of the item perpendicular to the air flow. For example, a large, flat, heavy item, such as a plate, can either catch the air stream on its broad face and be pushed over or "Frisbee" on top of the air stream, reducing separation efficiency. In a mixed waste stream, items are of extremely variable shape, reducing the separation efficiency of air knives.
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 depict other prior art approaches that introduce the material in the middle part of a rotating drum. These devices, however, have several of the same disadvantages described above. First, because the material is introduced mid-drum, the light fraction is in immediate contact with the heavy fraction within the drum, allowing the light fraction to either stick to the heavy fraction or wrap around the heavy fraction, causing the light fraction to be improperly sorted. Second, the air circulation is open, which blows potentially solid waste particulate that may contain bio-hazard (bio-aerosols) and other hazards such as glass dust into the atmosphere. Third, the drum operates as the sole separation device such that once material leaves the upper part of the drum, it is no longer sorted. This limits the efficiency by not giving the apparatus a chance to correct a mis-sorted fraction, and by not proving a way of sorting for a medium fraction.
Another sorting strategy is a suction hood placed above a material stream. While this solves the jamming issue of a separation chamber, it tends to be of low efficiency for same reasons recited above for air knives.
Thus there is a need in the art for a sorting apparatus which addresses the above issues.


A magnetic recording apparatus having a magnetic recording medium having a recording layer formed on a substrate, the recording layer being constituted by magnetic grains and a nonmagnetic material formed between the magnetic grains, a heating unit configured to heat the recording layer, and a magnetic recording unit configured to apply a magnetic field to the recording layer. The magnetic recording medium, the heating unit and the magnetic recording unit are constituted so as to meet the following relationship:

The present invention relates to a magnetic recording apparatus in which recording and reproduction of information are performed magnetically and to a method of magnetic recording.
With improvement in computer processing speed in recent years, a magnetic recording apparatus (e.g., hard disk drive (HDD)) designed to record and reproduce information is required to improve recording speed and density more and more. However, there is a physical limitation in increasing the recording density.
In order to perform high-density recording with a magnetic recording apparatus, it is required to make small magnetic domains recorded in a recording layer. In order to distinguish the small recording magnetic domains, it is required that magnetic domain edges are smooth. In order to meet the above requirement, it is required to reduce the size of magnetic grains constituting the recording layer. It is also required to reduce the thickness of the recording layer for high-density recording, which also results in reducing the size of magnetic grains. However, when the magnetic grain size is reduced, magnetic anisotropy energy of the magnetic grain (i.e., the product of magnetic anisotropy energy density Ku and the volume of the magnetic grain) would likely to be smaller than thermal fluctuation energy. If the magnetic anisotropy energy of magnetic grains becomes smaller than the thermal fluctuation energy, magnetization of the recorded magnetic domains would be reversed again, thereby making it no more possible to retain the recorded information. This phenomenon is referred to as a thermal fluctuation limit or a superparamagnetic limit. It is conceivable, for the purpose of preventing the magnetization reversal due to the thermal fluctuation, to increase Ku of magnetic grains. However, when Ku of magnetic grains become higher, the coercive force of the magnetic grains would increase in proportion to Ku. Therefore, it may become impossible to reverse the magnetization by means of a magnetic field generated by an ordinary recording head.
An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic recording apparatus and a method of magnetic recording, which make it possible to perform such high-density recording as exceeding the thermal fluctuation limit.
According to the present invention, there is provided a magnetic recording apparatus comprising a magnetic recording medium having a recording layer formed on a substrate, the recording layer being constituted by magnetic grains and a nonmagnetic material formed between them, a heating unit configured to heat the recording layer, and a magnetic recording unit configured to apply a magnetic field to the recording layer, wherein the magnetic recording medium, the heating unit and the magnetic recording unit are constituted so as to meet the following relationship:
T/RKu(T) less than 11200/(ln(t)+20.72)
where, setting that Ku(T) is magnetic anisotropy energy density of the recording layer at a temperature T, and Ku(Ta) is that at ambient temperature, RKu(T) represents a ratio Ku(T)/Ku(Ta), and t represents an elapsed time after the magnetic field application is completed.
In the magnetic recording apparatus of the present invention, the recording layer preferably has coercive force of 4 kOe or more at ambient temperature.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of magnetic recording for a magnetic recording medium comprising a recording layer formed on a substrate and constituted by magnetic grains and a nonmagnetic material formed between them, the method comprising steps of heating the recording layer, and applying a magnetic field to the recording layer, thereby performing recording, wherein the steps meet the following relationship:
T/RKu(T) less than 11200/(ln(t)+20.72)
where, setting that Ku(T) is magnetic anisotropy energy density of the recording layer at a temperature T, and Ku(Ta) is that at ambient temperature, RKu(T) represents a ratio Ku(T)/Ku(Ta), and t represents an elapsed time after the magnetic field application is completed.
In the present invention, a method may be used, for example, in which the recording layer is heated such that RKu(Tmax) at the highest temperature Tmax becomes 0.01 or less in the heating step, and the recording operation is completed within 1 ns to 50 ns after the recording layer reaches the highest temperature in the recording step.
In the present invention, another method may be used in which the recording layer is heated such that RKu(T) becomes 0 before the recording layer reaches the highest temperature in the heating step, and the recording operation is completed within 20 ns to 100 ns after the recording layer reaches the highest temperature in the recording step.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.

Magnetic recording apparatus and method of magnetic recording

Abstract: T/RKu(T) less than 11200/(ln(t)+20.72)

Abstract: where, setting that Ku(T) is magnetic anisotropy energy density of the recording-layer at a temperature T, and Ku(Ta) is that at ambient temperature, RKu(T) represents a ratio Ku(T)/Ku(Ta), and t represents an elapsed time after the magnetic field application is completed.


A reflective mask includes a substrate and a multilayer reflective film formed on the substrate. An absorption pattern is formed on the multilayer reflective film. A recess is formed in the multilayer reflective film in a peripheral region of the absorption pattern.

In a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a Large Scale Integration (LSI) circuit, a fine circuit pattern is formed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer. A lithography technology is used to form the circuit pattern. In the lithography technology, a photomask (also called a reticle) that is an original plate of a circuit pattern is irradiated with exposure light, whereby the circuit pattern is transferred onto the surface of the semiconductor wafer through a reduction optical system.
In recent years, with increased integration and speed of LSI circuits, further reduction in the size of the circuit pattern is rapidly being progressing. To increase the resolution of lithography, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-212220 describes extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography in which EUV light having a wavelength of approximately 3 nm to 30 nm is used as a light source. In the EUV lithography, a reflective mask is used because a significant decrease in intensity of the EUV light occurs when using a transmissive mask such as a glass reticle.
A Mask blank that is used to form a reflective mask includes a multilayer reflective film and an absorption layer that are stacked on a glass substrate, such as quartz glass or low thermal expansion glass substrate. The multilayer reflective film has a high reflectance to the wavelength of an exposure light source. The absorption layer absorbs the EUV light used as exposure light. The absorption layer of the mask blank is partially removed through electron beam lithography and etching to form an absorption pattern. The absorption pattern and the multilayer reflective film form a desired circuit pattern. The EUV light is absorbed by the absorption pattern and is reflected by the multilayer reflective film in a part in which the absorption layer is removed. As a result, an optical image reflected by the reflective mask is transferred on a semiconductor wafer after passing through a reflection optical system.
In lithography, the finer the circuit pattern, the lower the uniformity of dimensions. One of factors of decreasing the uniformity of dimensions is a focus error (variation in focus) in an exposure apparatus. Such a focus error causes a pattern formed to have a variation in dimensions. In particular, in an isolated pattern (non-dense pattern) having a narrow focus margin and a small depth of focus (DOF), a variation in dimensions caused by a variation in focus greatly appears. This may cause a significant reduction in width dimension. Further, in the EUV lithography, when the size of the isolated pattern is reduced, a variation in dimensions significantly appears.

Reflective mask and method for manufacturing the same


A method and device for calibrating a mobile terminal including a motion sensor reduces erroneous calibrations. The method of calibrating a mobile terminal by detecting an inclination of at least two directions preferably includes: activating a calibration mode for calibrating an error of the motion sensor. When a calibration mode is activated, a user interface screen for calibrating the motion sensor is output. The user interface screen outputs a coordinate system for displaying at least two facets of information; and inclination information of at least two directions received from the motion sensor is output as one image on the coordinate system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device for calibrating a mobile terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and device for calibrating a mobile terminal including a motion sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals are now very widely used throughout the world, as the development of mobile communication technology provide various functions such as an Moving Picture Experts Group layer-3 (MP3) function, a mobile broadcasting reception function, a moving picture reproducing function, and a camera function has increased their usefulness. Nowadays, a mobile terminal that includes a motion sensor that can recognize a motion has been developed, and a user interface (hereinafter, an UI) and along with a game that utilizes the motion sensor have been developed. However, the motion sensor is a device requiring a great deal of accuracy for proper function. Therefore, in general, the mobile terminal provides a calibration menu of the motion sensor. The calibration is to adjust accuracy of a measuring device by comparing with a reference device in order to enhance accuracy of a measuring device and to adjust a reference point and a scale of the measuring device in order to reduce the measurement error.
For example, the calibration may indicate setting a zero of a scale. That is, while using a mobile terminal, when it is determined that a motion sensor does not appropriately operate, the user can calibrate (or re-calibrate) the motion sensor. However, a calibration UI screen provided by a conventional mobile terminal divides into a horizontal (inclination) degree of the mobile terminal recognized by the motion sensor in a landscape orientation and a portrait orientation. Thus, a calibration UI screen of a conventional mobile terminal is inconvenient in recognizing a horizontal degree of the mobile terminal at a glance. Furthermore, conventionally, a degree of progress of a calibration function is not displayed, and even when a mobile terminal moves (or is moved) while performing a calibration, the calibration process was still performed. Accordingly, as the motion sensor performs a calibration, the error rate may increase.

Method and device for calibrating mobile terminal

Maetan-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do


The invention provides a polishing composition that contains (a) α-alumina particles that have an average particle size of about 250 nm to about 300 nm, (b) a per-type oxidizing agent, (c) a complexing agent, wherein the complexing agent is an amino acid or an organic acid, and (d) water. The invention also provides a method of polishing a substrate, especially a nickel-phosphorous substrate, with the polishing composition.

The demand for increased storage capacity in memory or rigid disks and the trend towards miniaturization of memory or rigid disks (e.g., due to the requirement for smaller hard drives in computer equipment) continues to emphasize the importance of the memory or rigid disk manufacturing process, including the planarization or polishing of such disks for ensuring maximal performance. While there exist several chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) compositions and methods for use in conjunction with semiconductor device manufacture, few conventional CMP methods or commercially available CMP compositions are well-suited for the planarization or polishing of memory or rigid disks.
The term "memory or rigid disk" refers to any magnetic disk, hard disk, rigid disk, or memory disk for retaining information in electromagnetic form. The memory or rigid disk typically has a surface that comprises nickel-phosphorous, but the memory or rigid disk surface can comprise any other suitable material. The planarity of the memory or rigid disks must be improved, as the distance between the recording head of a disk drive and the surface of the memory or rigid disk has decreased with improvements in recording density that demand a lower flying height of the magnetic head with respect to the memory or rigid disk. In order to permit a lower flying height of the magnetic head, improvements to the surface finish of the memory or rigid disk are required.
Surface characteristics of memory or rigid disks affecting the flying height of the magnetic head include waviness and microwaviness. Waviness or warp is a gross deviation from flatness over the entire disk surface. An intermediate form of surface deviation, herein referred to as microwaviness, may exist. Microwaviness is a waviness of a disk surface for a range of wavelengths that are on the order of the length of the transducing head. Using current technology, these wavelengths are approximately in the range of 10 to 5000 microns. For low flying head heights, microwaviness can create an airbearing resonance, thereby causing excessive head to disk spacing modulation. The spacing modulation resulting from microwaviness can cause poor overwriting of data on the disk surface, and in some cases can even cause collision of the head with the disk surface with resulting damage to the disk surface and/or the recording head.
During the polishing of a memory or rigid disk, typically the edges of the disk receive a higher pressure from the polishing tool than the remaining surface of the disk, which leads to the formation of a curved, or rounded, contour at the edges of the disk. The rounded edge areas are known in the art as edge roll-off, rub-off, or dub-off. Such rounded areas on a disk are unsuitable for recording. Because of the increased storage requirements of memory or rigid disks, there is a need to utilize as much of the disk as possible, including the extreme edge.
There remains a need in the art for a polishing composition and method for planarizing or polishing memory or rigid disks which improve short frequency microwaviness and extreme radius of curvature edge roll-off, without sacrificing the removal rate of the substrate.

Polishing composition and method for nickel-phosphorous coated memory disks


Systems and methods are provided for controlling a color masterbatch feed rate in production of a manufactured part to match a color of the manufactured part to a target color by adjusting a concentration of masterbatch that is mixed with a raw material and fed into a processing machine for producing the manufactured part. Control of the color masterbatch feed rate is based on optical spectral properties of an in-line manufactured part, a known reference part having the target color, and an algorithm for calculating and adjusting the color masterbatch feed rate.

Plastics are currently the material of choice for the manufacture of a seemingly unlimited number of products. These products are produced by a variety of industrial processes, e.g. injection molding, blow molding, extrusion, and 3-D printing. These machines produce manufactured parts from material flows that are generally a mixture of polymers (commonly referred to as resin, raw material, or virgin in the industry) in the form of small beads, colorants, and other additives (e.g. ultraviolet light inhibitors). The colorants and other additives in the mixed material flow are normally supplied as masterbatches, powders, or concentrated liquids. A masterbatch is a concentrated mixture of pigments and/or additives that is produced in advance of the production process by heating the pigments and/or additives to encapsulate the same in a carrier resin, and then cooling and cutting the carrier resin into a volume of granules.
Among target properties of interest in the manufacturing of plastic products, accurate and reliable production of a target color is especially challenging. Conventionally, plastic products are formed with a color made by feeding a masterbatch with a concentrated mixture of pigments (a color masterbatch) into a raw material for forming that plastic product, with the exact color shade of a final manufactured part depending on the composition and amount of the color masterbatch fed into the raw material. Continuously accurate control of the system is required throughout production of the plastic part to reliably and consistently attain the target color.
Correlation between the amount of color masterbatch fed into the raw material and the resulting color of the final product is a function of multiple parameters, and the accurate and efficient control of the resulting color through adjustments to the release of color masterbatch is a difficult task. In the current state of the art, systems for controlling the release of a color masterbatch to achieve a target color in a final plastic product require a complex setup with precise calibrations specific to each unique setup. For example, conventional systems generally require specifics as to: the intended geometry and surface properties of the manufactured part; the raw material type to be used in forming the manufactured part; and the specific pigments that are to be used in coloring the manufactured part, as well as the concentrations of each pigment.
Current approaches to production of plastic parts with target colors include the use of predetermined color formulations (the type of pigments and their relative concentrations) or color matching software to evaluate the concentration of each pigment to be added to a raw material, with control over feed rate parameters of the separate pigments. Another approach is that of trial-and-error, in which test runs are performed in advance to produce trial samples with varying pigment concentrations, measuring the resulting color shades of the various test run samples, and then using the measured data to determine empirical set-points and feedback control parameters for controlling subsequent production runs.
The methods used to date are limited in their practical utility. Specific pigment formulations are not always available or otherwise disclosed to the production plant. Trial-and-error approaches are generally undesirable, as they are labor intensive and necessarily result in wasted materials and time, which is further complicated when a production plant is rapidly changing between several different produced parts and/or color variations of common produced parts.
In addition to the foregoing shortcomings in determining appropriate pigment parameters of a color masterbatch, further complications arise in the accurate delivery of color masterbatches into a raw material for production of the plastic part. Conventional, plastic processing systems use volumetric and/or gravimetric feeders for accurately dispensing a targeted amount of a masterbatch for mixing with raw material, with one or more such feeders commonly installed at a throat section of an inlet to the system. Both of these feeder types have drawbacks.
Volumetric feeders operate by releasing a pre-defined volume of masterbatch into a mixing machine. These feeders provide an advantage of simplicity, in that they may be used together with a feeding screw to easily calibrate a dispensing volume of the masterbatch based on a rotation speed of the screw. However, volumetric feeders compromise accuracy for simplicity, as reliance on a volumetric measurement alone may easily result in large variances in the actual weight of masterbatch released in successive cycles, for example, as when separate cycles of masterbatch vary from one another in density, granule size, or other weight-altering parameters.
Gravimetric feeders generally operate by releasing masterbatch based on a measured weight thereof. This is typically done by adding a weighing mechanism and control system to a masterbatch feeding screw, and periodically measuring the exact weight of the released masterbatch. A control system may then use a difference between the measured weight and a predetermined set-point to determine an error signal for controlling the release of masterbatch in an exact amount defined by the set-point, usually in terms of mass-per-time unit or percent of the raw material. Gravimetric feeders can generally provide greater accuracy as compared to volumetric feeders, which results in an improved material efficiency and savings of masterbatch. Examples of gravimetric feeders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,401 (Johnson), U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,493B2 (Margalit) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,456B2 (Margalit), the entire contents and disclosure of each of which are incorporated herein.
Both volumetric and gravimetric feeders present shortcomings in that both feeder types operate to release masterbatch based on empirical set-points (e.g., predetermined volume or weight), which can easily result in the downstream mixture having off-target properties based on variances in one or more other properties of the masterbatch or the base resin that are not adequately accounted for by the predetermined set-point.
Despite the advances provided to date in the art, there remains a need for improvements to plastic production systems for yet further advancing the state of the art, and improving the manufacture of plastic products with accurate and reliably consistent target colors.

Systems and methods for masterbatch feed control based on color feedback


In an in-vehicle mount electronic controller, a constant-voltage power supply generates a high-precision small-capacity 5V output voltage Vad, a low-precision large-capacity 5V output voltage Vif and a low-precision large-capacity 3.3V output voltage Vcp, and also generates at least one of a low-precision small-capacity 2.8V output voltage Vup and a high-precision small-capacity 3.3V output voltage Vsb. A judgment signal input circuit logically combines comparison results of divided voltages of the above output voltages Vif, Vcp, Vup and Vsb with a divided voltage of the output voltage Vad as a reference voltage, and inputs relative voltage information ER2, ER3, ER4 and ER5 to a microprocessor. The microprocessor comprehensively judges the output voltages containing the comparison reference voltage, and reports abnormality or saves abnormality occurrence information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-vehicle mount electronic controller, and particularly to an in-vehicle mount electronic controller that contains a constant-voltage power supply source for generating plural stabilized output voltages and is improved so as to comprehensively detect the presence or absence of abnormality of each output voltage and a comparison reference voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
A constant voltage source in an in-vehicle mount electronic controller is required to generate plural stabilized output voltages. For example, a constant-voltage power supply source disclosed in JP11-265225A titled as "POWER SUPPLY DEVICE FOR ENGINE CONTROLLER" generates various output voltages, 7.8V for a converter for flash writing, 5V for a high-precision sensor and a converter for ADC (analog/digital conversion), 3.3V for a converter for CPU, 3.3V for a converter for CPU standby, and 5V for a chopper type 5V converter. The output voltage of 5V for the chopper type 5V converter is generated by ON/OFF control, and the other output voltages are generated by a continuous control dropper. This constant-voltage power supply can be designed to be compact in size and be high in efficiency, and also it can be used as a power supply for an engine controller which is suitably adaptable to requirements of the output voltage, the precision thereof, etc.
JP2001-352675A titled as "POWER SUPPLY FOR IN-VEHICLE MOUNT OPERATING EQUIPMENT" discloses a specific circuit which is supplied with power from an in-vehicle mount battery to generate stabilized output voltages of DC 5V, 3.3V, 2.7V, and it contains the description of a circuit associated with protection of over current of a transistor for controlling a constant voltage. Furthermore, JP10-288634A titled as "POWER SUPPLY VOLTAGE DETECTING CIRCUIT" discloses a power supply voltage detecting circuit including a reference voltage generating section for generating a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage lower than the first reference voltage from a power supply voltage by resistance division, an integrating section that is supplied with a voltage achieved by resistance-dividing the power supply voltage and has an output voltage having an intermediate potential between the first and second reference voltages at a stationary time, a lower limit comparator that is supplied with the first reference voltage at one terminal thereof and the output voltage of the integrating section at the other terminal thereof and detects that the power supply voltage is equal to a lower limit value or less, and an upper limit comparator that is supplied with the second reference voltage at one terminal thereof and the output voltage of the integrating section at the other terminal thereof and detects that the power supply voltage is equal to an upper limit or more. The power supply voltage detecting circuit is not required to remake a reference voltage in accordance with the specification of the power supply voltage, and detects only the rapid variation of the power supply voltage due to noise or the like.
With respect to the constant-voltage power supply source shown in JP11-265225A, there is presented a concept that the same DC 5V output voltage is separated to a small capacity power supply requiring high precision and a large capacity power supply which may be low in precision. Provision of many output voltages induces a problem that complicated processing is needed when some output voltage is abnormal. However, there is not presented a concept associated with the detection of abnormality of each output voltage. Furthermore, the constant-voltage power supply source shown in JP2001-352675A aims to prevent burnout of the constant-voltage controlling transistor due to abnormality of overcurrent, but it does not aim to accurately check the output voltage precision and thus predict occurrence of abnormality. On the other hand, the power supply voltage detecting circuit shown in JP10-288634A detects the upper and lower limit of ripple variation of the output voltage by a pair of comparison circuits, and detect variation abnormality by the logical sum of the upper and lower limits. However, the voltage as a comparison reference is a variation average value of the voltage to be detected, and thus the power supply voltage detecting circuit neither judges whether the average value itself is right nor comprehensively detects occurrence of abnormality of plural output voltages.


A cleaning device capable of ensuring prevention of extraneous substances, such as the toner, paper powder and so on, from releasing outside an extraneous substance removing region, and an electrophotographic apparatus having the cleaning device. The cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus includes an extraneous substance removing arrangement for removing extraneous substances, such as toner, paper powder and the like, from a surface of a member to be cleaned; an extraneous substance containing arrangement for collecting the extraneous substances removed by the extraneous substance removing arrangement; and a barrier forming arrangement for preventing the extraneous substances from releasing out of an extraneous substance removing region, the barrier forming arrangement being located in the extraneous substance removing region where the extraneous substance removing arrangement acts on the member to be cleaned.

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for removing extraneous substances, such as toner, particles of paper and the like, which have become attached onto or remain on a surface of a member to be cleaned, and to an electrophotographic apparatus having the cleaning device.
The known construction of a cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus, such as a typical laser printer or a copying machine, is that a cleaning brush is supported rotatably around a shaft inside a housing, a part of the cleaning brush is exposed through an opening provided in the housing, the cleaning brush exposed through the opening in the housing is caused to rub against a surface of a member to be cleaned, such as a photosensitive drum, to remove extraneous substances, such as toner and particles of paper, from the surface of the member to be cleaned.
In a cleaning device of this kind, even though the extraneous substances are at first collected into the housing of the cleaning device by the cleaning brush, part of the extraneous substances are sometimes carried by rotation of the cleaning brush and again discharged onto the photosensitive drum surface through the opening in the housing, resulting in the contamination of the inside of the machine. Therefore, it has been considered effective in preventing extraneous substances collected inside the housing from leaking into the area of the photosensitive drum by arranging an electrode at an inner surface of the housing so as to form an electric field curtain by applying a voltage to the electrode, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-3157.
If the cleaning brush could certainly scrape and collect extraneous substances, such as toner and so on, from the surface of the photosensitive drum into the inside of the housing from an extraneous substance removing region where the cleaning brush acts on the photosensitive drum, the construction disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-3157 would be satisfactory. However, in actual practice, it is impossible to collect all the extraneous substances into the inside of the housing in the extraneous substance removing region, and so there exist floating extraneous substances in a scraping portion between the cleaning brush and the photosensitive drum.
The floating extraneous substances flow out along the rotating photosensitive drum to attach onto a charger arranged in a downstream portion in the rotating direction of the photosensitive drum with respect to the cleaning device, or part of the floating extraneous substances again attach onto the surface of the photosensitive body. This causes contamination of the inside of the electrophotographic apparatus. Further, the toner attached onto the charger and the toner attached onto the surface of the photosensitive drum not only contaminate the inside of the electrophotographic apparatus, but cause a degradation of printing quality.

Cleaning device for electrophotographic apparatus and electrophotographic apparatus having the same


Testing apparatus, systems and methods are provided to obtain measurements pertaining to aircraft control surfaces mounted to stationary aircraft structures for displacements about a hinge axis. A support structure and an actuator carried by the support structure may be provided, the support structure including attachment assemblies for positionally fixing the testing apparatus to the stationary aircraft structure. The actuator carried by the support structure includes a rectilinearly movable actuator shaft which contacts the aircraft control surface when the support structure is positionally mounted to the stationary aircraft structure. Actuation of the actuator will thereby cause the actuator shaft to apply a load to the movable aircraft control surface to cause deflection thereof about the hinge axis.

The free play of an aircraft's control surfaces physically introduces decreased rigidity effects into the aeroelastic system. Such decreased rigidity effects attributable to such free play may in some cases be sufficiently large to cause limit cycle oscillations (LCO) in the surfaces that use surface rigidity to suppress flutter. The LCO can in turn reduce the aircraft fatigue life or, in certain extreme cases cause catastrophic failure. A free play test is therefore required to be conducted on an aircraft's control surfaces before an aircraft can be released for conducting a Flight Flutter Test (FFT) so that the free play is characterized and the aircraft safety is warranted.
Once the free play of a control surface is determined, according to the MIL 8870C standard (incorporated by reference hereinto), other tests are necessary in order to monitor free play evolution during the aircraft service life. These other monitoring tests of free play are known as backlash tests which are performed by the manufacturer before aircraft delivery and by the operators during aircraft service life.
In order In guarantee the aircraft safety, both the military and the FAA have published standards that define the amount of free play allowed on different aircraft control surfaces for the aircraft service life. In addition, these standards provide set points at intervals throughout the aircraft service life in which backlash must be tested.
Free play of an aircraft control surface can be tested statically or dynamically. Dynamic free play testing involves the placement of accelerometers in or on control surfaces with the surfaces thereafter being vibrated by shakers or actuators so that the free play can be monitored by a computer system. However, this type of dynamic free play testing system is generally applied to control surfaces of larger aircraft and allows for the correlation of the vibration frequency and the free play of the control surfaces which is not possible to obtain with smaller and medium sized aircraft. One such conventional dynamic free play testing system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,933,691 issued on Apr. 26, 2011 (the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference).
Because of the deficiency noted above with respect to dynamic testing, smaller and medium sized aircraft must have free play statically tested. Currently, however, static testing of the control surfaces is performed by applying a known load to the control surface and then measuring the corresponding deflection (linear measurement or angular displacement). In this regard, a typical static free play test is started a zero load and increased to some percentage of ultimate load. During testing, the moment or applied load is plotted versus displacement, i.e., to provide a L/D plot. For a control surface with no free play and a linear spring stiffness, the L/D plot is a straight line with the slope of the line being the measured spring stiffness. As free play is introduced into the system, a discontinuity in the curve occurs near the zero load range. For larger displacement values the slope increases and is more representative of the effective stiffness without the free play. As hysteresis is introduced into the system, the L/D plot forms a known type of curve.
The conventional static free play test method is timely, expensive and not very accurate. Moreover, the static test setup is relatively complex since the loading device must be fixed physically to the control surface without damaging the aircraft. Loading is typically executed with lead baskets of known mass which may in turn require certain system accommodations during each loading step thereby resulting in a very time consuming (and thus costly) process.
What has been needed therefore are improved systems and methods whereby static free play and backlash data may be obtained for control surfaces associated with small and medium sized aircraft. It is towards fulfilling such a need that the embodiments herein are directed.

Testing apparatus, systems and methods for statically determining free play of aircraft control surfaces


The present invention pertains to a method for producing a colloidal suspension of zirconia particles, including successively subjecting a mixture of zirconium oxychloride and an alkali metal halide in an aqueous solvent to hydrothermal treatment at a temperature above 150° C, separating the slurry obtained from the supernatant, and peptizing said slurry by adding a strong acid thereto, and desalting said slurry, for example by ultrafiltration, so as to form a colloidal suspension of zirconia. The present invention also pertains to the transparent colloidal suspension obtainable by this method, and to an optical article, such as an ophthalmic lens, comprising a transparent polymer substrate and at least one coating prepared from a composition comprising said colloidal suspension.

It is well-known in the ocular glass field to use inorganic colloids in scratch-resistant and/or abrasion-resistant coatings (also referred to as "hard coatings") for improving the surface properties of organic glasses and/or for modifying the refractive index thereof. Such colloids are also used in anti-reflection coatings as well as in impact-resistant primers.
Zirconia, or zirconium dioxide, is one of these known colloids, because it provides a number of useful mechanical and physical properties, including high fracture toughness, mechanical strength and hardness, low thermal conductivity, high refractive index and transparency in the visible and infra-red spectral regions. However, it may be difficult to produce in a simple and reproducible manner a colloidal suspension of zirconia with high crystallinity in the form of a stable homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles (having an average particle size of less than 20 nm) at high solids content (about 20 wt. %), and also to avoid their aggregation both during the preparation of the sot and during incorporation into a polymer matrix, for instance an epoxysilane matrix. Such a homogeneous dispersion is however required for the formation of a transparent zirconia-containing composite film and it directly affects the haze and transparency of the optical coating. This stable homogeneous dispersion may be expressed by the zeta potential of the suspension, which absolute value should be of at least 30 mV, and by its viscosity, which should be less than 10 cPs at 25° C. (no gelling should occur). The transparency is ensured by the low particle size with uniform and narrow size distribution. The high refractive index is related to the high crystallinity of the colloidal zirconia.
Several methods have already been proposed to prepare colloidal zirconia.
One known method for preparing acid zirconia colloids was to directly heat an aqueous solution of acid zirconium sources, such as zirconium oxychloride or zirconium nitrate, as disclosed in EP 0 229 657 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,928. Due to the strong acidic system, this kind of method results in zirconia colloids having a low crystallinity and in an incomplete reaction of the precursor, even through long heat treatment time of several days. This low crystallinity of the product would affect the refractive index of zirconia colloids, and directly affects their application in optical coatings.
Still another approach described in CN-101613123 and by HUANG Y. et al. in Wujiyan Gongye, 37(7), 15-17 (2005) has consisted in reacting a zirconium source, such as zirconium oxychloride, with an alkaline precipitant such as ammonia to obtain a zirconium hydroxide precipitate which is then subjected to hydrothermal treatment in the presence of a mineralizer, such as NH4Cl, a hydroxide or a carbonate, for instance at a temperature of 125-350° C. After drying, a zirconia powder having a small and/or uniform particle size and a good dispersibility is said to be obtained. However, these methods lead to dry powders. When redispersed in a solvent, the particles will remain aggregated in some extent, which will be detrimental to the transparency of the colloidal suspensions obtained.
Similarly, US 2010/0144918 discloses a method for preparing colloidal zirconia suspensions, starting from a zirconium hydroxide suspension which may be prepared by adding a basic precipitant such as ammonia to zirconium oxychloride. Zirconium hydroxide is then reacted with an inorganic acid such as HCl before hydrothermally treating the suspension at 150-200° C. This method results in a zirconia sol having a dry matter content of 3-10% only, in which. zirconia is provided as mainly tetragonal crystals.
It has now been found that the addition of a specific type of mineralizer to zirconium oxychloride, before subjecting it to a hydrothermal treatment performed within a specific reaction temperature range, allowed the formation of a colloidal suspension of monoclinic zirconia. at high dry content, having the properties required for an application in optical coatings, especially a high crystallinity, small particle size and a good dispersion.

ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL (COMPAGNIE GENERALE D'OPTIQUE)


Disclosed is a method of selecting analgesic agents based on their selective ability to block tetrodotoxin-insensitive sodium channels, particularly in comparison to blocking tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium channels. Also disclosed is a novel class of compounds that is selective for blocking tetrodotoxin-insensitive sodium channels.

The present invention relates to a screening method for identifying analgesic compositions and to a novel class of analgesic agents.
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Chronic or intractable pain, such as may occur in conditions such as bone degenerative diseases and cancer, is a debilitating condition which is treated with a variety of analgesic agents, and often opioid compounds, such as morphine.
While brain pathways governing the perception of pain are still incompletely understood, sensory afferent synaptic connections to the spinal cord, termed xe2x80x9cnociceptive pathwaysxe2x80x9d have been documented in some detail. In the first leg of such pathways, C- and A-fibers are primary afferents which project from peripheral sites to the spinal cord, carrying nociceptive signals. Polysynaptic junctions in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord are involved in the relay and modulation of sensations of pain to various regions of the brain, including the periaqueductal grey region. Analgesia, or the reduction of pain perception, can be effected directly by decreasing transmission along such nociceptive pathways. Analgesic opiates are thought to act by mimicking the effects of endorphin or enkephalin peptide-containing neurons, which synapse presynaptically at the C- or A-fiber terminals and which, when they fire, inhibit release of neurotransmitters, including substance P. Descending pathways from the brain are also inhibitory on C- and A-fiber firing.
Mammalian dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contain several subtypes of primary afferent neurons. Afferent neurons in dorsal root ganglia receive input from axons that originate in the periphery and terminate in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. These signals are carried by action potentials and are coded by the rate that action potentials invade synaptic termini in the dorsal horn. DRG neurons transmit information concerning muscle length and tension, touch, joint movement, temperature, as well as, fast and slow pain. DRG neurons that subserve the perception of pain are termed nociceptors or primary afferent nociceptors (PANs; Treede, 1995). PANs are distinguishable from other DRG neuron-subtypes by their small diameter axons (both myelinated and unmyelinated), a small diameter cell body (Lawson, et al., 1993) and by the presence of capsaicin-sensitive receptors that are coupled to non-selective cation channels (Marsh, et al., 1987; Martin, et al., 1987; Oh, et al., 1996). PANs become sensitized by sustained noxious stimuli and inflammatory mediators. Sensitization is manifested by a reduction in threshold and by a response increase (i.e. the firing rate of action potentials; Treede, 1992). The sensitization of PANs is thought to underlie hyperalgesia and may also contribute to some neuropathic pain states (Treede, 1995).
Blocking the signals carried by PANs leads to analgesia. Analgesia may be achieved by preventing the initiation of the signal, by blocking signal transmission along the PANs between the sensory ending and pre-synaptic terminal, or by blocking synaptic signal transmission in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. For example, the local anesthetics are believed to block pain signals by blocking voltage-gated sodium (Na) channels in PANs and thus preventing the signal from reaching the presynaptic terminal.
DRG neurons that carry different types of sensory information transmit their signals using a number of voltage- and ligand-dependent ion channels. Of particular interest in the context of analgesia are the Na channel subtypes expressed in DRG and other neuron types. Na channels in PANs are dominated by a subtype that is insensitive to the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (tetrodotoxin-insensitive (TTXi) Na channel; Akopian, et al., 1996; Arbuckle, et al., 1995; Gold, et al., 1996; Jeftinija, 1994). However, most neurons, such as motor neurons, also express significant levels of TTX-sensitive Na channels (TTXs Na channel; Elliot; Roy).
It would be desirable to selectively block Na channels enriched in PANs while avoiding the inhibition of Na channels expressed in other neuron subtypes, to reduce adverse side effects, while still effecting analgesia. For example, while lidocaine and other local anesthetics can act as potent analgesics, because they block TTXs Na channels, they can produce serious side effects, including spinal block, respiratory blockade and cardiac arrest. These compounds must be administered with great caution.
It is the discovery of the present invention that agents that preferentially block TTXi Na channels over TTXs Na channels are particularly useful as analgesic agents and represent a significant improvement over existing local anesthetics. We describe herein, a new class of agents, exemplified by SNX-483 (3-hydroxy monoethylglycinexylidide, 3-OH MEG-X), that selectively block TTXi Na channels in mammalian PANs, as well as a screening assay for identifying these and similar compounds.
In one aspect, the invention includes a method of selecting compounds for use in producing analgesia. The general method includes measuring the ability of test compounds to block tetrodotoxin-insensitive (TTXi) sodium channels. A compound is selected as an analgesic agent if it is at least{fraction (1/10)} as potent as 3-hydroxy monoethylglycinexylidide (3-OH-MEGX) in locking such channels. In another embodiment, the compound will be equipotent to 3-OH-MEGX in this locking activity.
The method includes further measuring the ability of the test compound to block tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTXs) sodium channels. Desirable compounds selected by this embodiment of the method will be selected if they exhibit potency ratios of at least 2 in blocking TTXI sodium channels as compared to blocking TTXs sodium channels. In a preferred embodiment, the potency ratio for comparing blockade of TTXi and TTXs is calculated according to the formula:
Potency ratio=1(IC50, TTXi/IC50, TTXs),
where IC50, TTXi is the concentration of compound effective to inhibit current through the TTXi sodium channel by 50%, and IC50, TTXs is the concentration of compound effective to inhibit current through the TTXs sodium channel by 50%.
In another embodiment, the compound selection includes monitoring the compound for its ability to reversibly block said TTXi sodium channel in a cell bathing solution in an electrophysiological assay of TTXI sodium channels. A compound is selected if not more than 5-15% of a sodium current that passes through the TTXi sodium channel recovers after said compound is removed from the cell bathing solution. Such recovery is preferably measured over a time frame of 5-30 minutes of continuous perfusion of the cell preparation following removal of compound from the cell bathing solution.
In alternate embodiments, blockade of TTX-insensitive channels can be measured either by electrophysiological means, such as in the electrophysiological assays described herein, or by ligand binding displacement assays, also described herein. In such a ligand displacement, a preferred ligand is 3-hydroxy monoethylglycinexylidide (3-OH-MEGX).
In a related aspect, the invention includes a composition comprising a 3-hydroxy monoethylglycinexylidide analog that is effective to block TTXi sodium channels with a potency that is at least about one-tenth as great as the potency exhibited by 3-hydroxy monoethylglycinexylidide in blocking such TTXi sodium channels. More preferably, the composition will exhibit a potency that is at least as great as the potency exhibited by 3-hydroxy monoethylglycinexylidide in blocking TTX-insensitive channels. The compound is also characterized by a potency ratio in blocking TTXi sodium channels, as compared to blocking TTXs sodium channels, of at least 2, as described above.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more fully apparent when the following detailed description of the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Analgesic screening method and composition


An integrated circuit (IC) includes a via stack, and the via stack includes via arrays including a plurality of vias at the same level. A plurality of vias of a via array are arranged at intersections between tracks of adjacent conductive layers and arranged along a central line between the tracks. Also, a via overlap extends parallel to tracks of a conductive layer. Thus, the number of tracks sacrificed by the via array may be reduced, and the IC may have enhanced performance and a reduced area due to improved routability.

The inventive concepts relate to an integrated circuit (IC), and more particularly, to an IC including a via array and a method of manufacturing the same.
With the miniaturization of semiconductor processes, a pattern included in an IC may have a reduced width and/or thickness. Thus, the influence of a voltage (IR) drop caused by the pattern may increase. To reduce an IR drop between conductive patterns formed in different conductive layers, a via array including a plurality of vias may be used. The vias included in the via array may be spaced apart from each other to comply with design rules, and a conductive pattern connected to the via may include an additional area, which may be referred to as a via overlap. Thus, vias and via overlaps, which result from a via array, may degrade routability in a layout of the IC and bring about routing congestion.

Integrated circuits including via array and methods of manufacturing the same


A system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for notifying at least one entity upon receipt of an item is provided. According to embodiments of the present invention, a determination is made whether an item has been placed in a repository. This determination may be made using any of a number of different types and combinations of sensors. An identification of at least one entity to be notified is then made, and the entity is notified if a determination is made that an item has been placed in the repository.

The present invention relates to a notification system. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, apparatus, and computer program code for detecting the presence of items dropped off in repositories such as mail boxes and notifying entities of the presence.
Modern life is hectic. People are working longer hours, spending more time in traffic, and generally have a desire to simplify their lives by minimizing the amount of time wasted on errands. One common errand is picking up mail and other delivery items. For many-people, this is a minor, and even enjoyable activity. For others, however, it is a distraction and a drain on time, especially where the person is located a distance away from his or her mailbox or delivery location. For example, many people use mailboxes which are located a long distance from their home or office. A small business, for example, may use a Post Office box located miles away from the small business. Individuals in rural areas may have a mailbox that is located hundreds of yards, if not miles, from their home. It can be frustrating and a waste of time for these individuals to make a trip to the mailbox only to find that the mail has not yet arrived or that they received no mail.
People often receive valuable deliveries, including package deliveries, at home during the daytime when they are far away in their office and unable to confirm receipt of the delivery. Frequently, packages are simply left on the doorstep or with a neighbor. The zBox Company of San Francisco, Calif., has developed a secure delivery box (the xe2x80x9czBoxxe2x80x9d) which allows secure delivery of packages and other items when the recipient is not available to accept the package. The zBox does not, however, provide any ability to notify an individual that a package has arrived.
It would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus that overcame the drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, it would be desirable to provide an ability to notify people when they have received a delivery, thereby eliminating unnecessary trips to the mailbox or other delivery locations. It would also be desirable to provide an ability to confirm delivery of items, even when the recipient does not directly receive and sign for the package. It would also be desirable to provide a mechanism to confirm the identity of an individual or entity making a delivery.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for notifying at least one entity upon receipt of an item. According to embodiments of the present invention, a determination is made whether an item has been placed in a repository. This determination may be made using any of a number of different types and combinations of sensors. An identification of at least one entity to be notified is made, and the entity is notified if a determination is made that an item has been placed in the repository.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a determination of whether to grant access to the repository is made before the item is placed within the repository.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one characteristic of the item is identified. For example, a sensor may be used to detect a characteristic of the item (e.g., the item""s weight, shape, identity, etc.).
With these and other advantages and features of the invention that will become hereinafter apparent, the nature of the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims and to the several drawings attached herein.

Method and apparatus for notifying of receipt

International Business Machines Corporation


The rice plant according to the present invention is a rice plant obtained by crossing the rice plant varieties “Koshihikari” with “Kasalath” and having improvement in both lodging resistance and decorticated grain size, wherein said rice plant has on the chromosome any one of base sequences selected from the groups consisting of: (i) a base sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, (ii) a base sequence having at least 80% identity with the base sequence of (i) above, and (iii) the base sequence of (i) above, in which one or several bases have been deleted, substituted, inserted or added, and wherein the remaining region of the chromosome is composed of chromosomes derived from Koshihikari. According to the present invention is to provide a new rice plant which maintains the good eating quality as a characteristic of Koshihikari and has excellent lodging resistance and large grains is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to of a rice plant as a new variety which is obtained by crossing the rice plant varieties "Koshihikari" with "Kasalath" and has improvements in both lodging resistance and grain size, and a method for producing it.
2. Related Art
Koshihikari is a representative rice plant variety of the Japonica type rice developed in Japan which has been supported by many consumers as a good taste variety over a half century. Koshihikari, of which the cropping acreage has been increased along with the improvement of cultivation techniques and the intention for better taste of consumers every year, is the variety cultivated most abundantly in Japan. Also, Koshihikari has been progressively cultivated in more northern regions, and thus the area of its cultivation can be expected to be further increased in future.
On the other hand, since Koshihikari is a long culmed variety, it is susceptible to lodging by storm such as typhoon and the early maturing variety is apt to have smaller grains. Therefore, there is a need for an improved variety of Koshihikari which maintains good taste as the characteristic of Koshihikari and has an excellent lodging resistance.
It has hitherto been tried to produce short-culmed varieties, i.e. to dwarf the culm, of rice plants including Koshihikari. As a technique for such attempts, back cross or backcrossing has been conventionally used in which one of parents is crossed again with the F1 hybrid (first filial generation). Particularly, according to continuous backcross in which backcross is carried out continuously, it is possible to produce a congenic line by incorporating a specific gene (a parent carrying the gene being referred to as donor parent), into the genetic background of one of the parents (recurrent parent).
However, the backcross technique is based on the conventional breeding techniques and thus requires a lot of time and labor for substituting genes on a chromosome. Furthermore, it is necessary in the course of backcross to conduct selections repeatedly on the basis of phenotypes, while a lot of experience is required for the selection and it may also be that the results of selection wilt depend on persons who conduct selections. On the other hand, it may be also contemplated to take out a specific gene and to introduce it into a target variety on the basis of the technology of genetic engineering, but the other means which is not based on the technologies of genetic engineering and particularly genetic recombination technique should be examined in consideration of the recent trend of consumers for avoiding genetically modified organisms (GMO).
Thus, efficient methods which can shorten breeding time and be of high reproducibility in relation to the production techniques have been searched with using the conventional breeding techniques without depending on genetic recombination technology. Such an enhancement of the efficiency is also believed to be useful for avoiding the contamination or remaining of the genes other than from the donor parent of the target gene in the other regions on the chromosome. Thus, the so-called marker breeding technique has been paid attention as a method for solving such problems. The marker breeding technique is a technique, which is primarily based on the conventional breeding technique, while the selection is carried out on the basis of the genetic information and technology such as DNA marker in its selection process. Particularly, the decoding of the genome of rice has already been accomplished in relation to rice plant, and investigations are now advanced for utilizing the techniques of genome analysis for the breeding or discrimination of varieties.
For example, multiple genes involved in the heading time have been reported as the result of analysis of gene loci relating to quantitative trait locus (QTL), and it has further been reported that a variety of rice plants exhibiting different heading times could have been developed with DNA markers obtained from such genes (Plant Physiol., 127, 1425-, 200 1). The DNA markers of which breeding methods have been examined include, for example, RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism), RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA), AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism), SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat), CAPS (Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences), and the like.
As regards the technique discriminating the rice variety inclusive of Koshihikari, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No, 2004-65251 discloses a microsatellite marker and a method for distinguishing varieties with it.
Also, International Publication WO 2004/066719 discloses that the lodging resistance of a rice plant has been improved with a marker obtained by the research of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, the variety used as the donor parent in this publication, which exhibits semi-dwarfness, does not affect yield trait, and decorticated grain size was not improved in the improved varieties obtained in practice. That is, in the improved variety described in the publication, while the yield appeared to have been increased in the practical breeding due to the culm shortening and increased heads, the decorticated grain had the size similar to that of Koshihikari or the like and thus the grain size or the improved variety was not increased (please see the column (v) on page 25 and Table 8 of this publication).
Generally, the terms "dwarfness" or "semi-dwarfness" as used in the improved variety mean that the culm length is shortened than normal types and the ear length and particle size of seeds are dwarfed, or that the culm length is shortened without affecting the yield trait including the ear length and the particle size of seeds. The increase of the yield is often observed as the result of stable growing of rice by the improvement of the rice variety to shorten the culm length and avoid lodging, but such dwarfness does not always ensure the increase of the grain size. While larger grain size can be said certainly advantageous. In view of processes including the cooking of rice or the other materials, it can be also said improved marketability for rice which is the staple food in many Asian countries including Japan to have good taste and large grain size.
Thus, a further improved variety of rice other than genetically modified organisms which maintains the good taste of Koshihikari and has an excellent lodging resistance as well as a large grain size is still desired.

Rice plant and method for producing the same


A magnetic separation unit can prevent any magnetic flocs deposited on an inner wall of a water passing pipe from closing a water channel for stabilizing a magnetic separation performance and reduce cost by a small-diameter portion of the water passing pipe. The magnetic separation unit has an air-core solenoid type magnet provided around the water passing pipe guiding, from a lower side, treated water including magnetic flocs in which contaminants and magnetic particles are flocculated, a rotating disc type magnetic filter case provided above the air-core solenoid type magnet for attracting the magnetic flocs in the treated water supplied from the water passing pipe and flushing means for flushing the matrixes to which the magnetic flocs are attracted. The water passing pipe has a small-diameter pipe positioned in the air-core solenoid type magnet, and an enlarged pipe enlarged from the small-diameter pipe toward a water passing part of the rotating disc type magnetic filter case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic separation unit and a water purification system. In particular, the present invention is preferable for a magnetic separation unit and a water purification system which purify treated water including magnetic flocs in which contaminants and magnetic particles are flocculated by magnetic separation.
2. Description of Related Art
A prior art magnetic separation unit and water purification system are described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-96188 (Patent Document 1).
The water purification system of Patent Document 1 has a water intake unit taking in raw water including contaminate components, an additive injection unit injecting a coagulant agent and magnetic particles into the raw water taken in by the water intake unit, a floc forming unit forming magnetic flocs in which the contaminants and the magnetic particles are flocculated by the injection of the coagulant agent and the magnetic particles, a magnetic separation unit separating the magnetic flocs from the raw water including the magnetic flocs, and a purified water discharging unit discharging as purified water the raw water from which the magnetic flocs are removed.
The magnetic separation unit has an air-core solenoid type magnet as a superconducting magnet provided around a water passing pipe guiding from the lower side treated water including magnetic flocs in which contaminants and magnetic particles are flocculated, a rotating disc type magnetic filter attracting the magnetic flocs in the treated water fed from the water passing pipe provided above the air-core solenoid type magnet, and flushing means for flushing the magnetic flocs attracted by the rotating disc type magnetic filter. The pipe diameter of the water passing pipe is the same from the portion positioned in the air-core solenoid type magnet to the water passing part of the rotating disc type magnetic filter.
Such magnetic separation unit enables continuous treatment without stopping the treated water since the magnetic flocs are attracted by the rotating disc type magnetic filter arranged on the upper side of the air-core solenoid type magnet. Using the superconducting magnet as a magnet can save energy. The magnetic field gradient around a magnetic wire is increased to realize high-speed purification.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-96188.

Magnetic separation unit and water purification system


Generation of electromagnetic or other waves of any frequency, coherence, modulation, power, etc. and for scaling such waves in frequency by any factor. Generation is achieved by incorporating an available source of desired coherence, modulation and power properties at some band of frequencies and scaling to the desired frequencies. For scaling, a continuously varied frequency selection mechanism, which results in source-distance dependent frequency scaling as described in copending applications titled “Passive distance measurement using spectral phase gradients” and “Distance-dependent spectra with uniform sampling spectrometry”, is combined with a means of determination, or prior knowledge, of the source distance. This distance, from the source to the frequency scaling mechanism, may be shortened with a refractive or dispersive medium, or varied for fine tuning of the frequency scale factor, and this variation may be effected via electrooptic or magnetooptic properties of the medium.

1. Technical Field
This invention pertains to the generation of electromagnetic or other waves of desired frequency bands or the conversion of any such waves to the desired bands. More particularly, it concerns generation of such waves, with desired coherence and modulation and at desired power levels, and conversion to or from radio frequency (RF), terahertz (THz), infrared (IR), visible, ultraviolet (UV), X-rays or even gamma ray bands without the current limitations due to molecular, atomic or subatomic properties of matter.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, there has been no general mechanism for generating electromagnetic waves at arbitrarily chosen frequency, coherence, modulation and power level, nor to transform existing waves to achieve such values. Technology becomes increasingly limited at THz and higher frequencies at which the wavelengths become comparable to those of the molecular, atomic and subatomic resonances—although the latter have been used in numerous ways to generate or modify electromagnetic waves, all such ways are limited to what material properties allow for such purposes.
For example, most of the known electromagnetic spectrum is in theory generated by incandescence, but the emitted power at visible or higher frequencies is generally small. Fluorescent lamps are more efficient, but still much too noisy, weak and bulky for high bandwidth communication purposes. Semiconductor light-emitting diodes and lasers cover much of IR and visible spectrum already, and are compact, rugged and efficient, but their spectra are generally confined to specific operating bands defined by the properties of the lasing media. The emerging method of supercontinuum generation promises better coverage, but again depends on nonlinear material properties, and is inefficient and inherently broadband, which may not be suitable for applications requiring specific frequencies. These constraints are generally more severe at THz frequencies, for which there are as yet few mechanisms known for generation in the first place. In addition, signal processing technology well established for audio and RF are difficult to apply at any of these higher frequencies.
As a result, the electromagnetic spectrum has four major divisions today in terms of current technology: RF, where we can manipulate individual waveforms and obtain coherent imaging like synthetic aperture radar (SAR); IR and visible through UV, where we get good focusing, but imaging is generally incoherent, and low noise sources (lasers) exist only for specific frequencies and bands and have low overall efficiencies; X rays and beyond where all sources are generally noisy and there is little in the way of optics; and THz, for which both sources and control of any kind are still largely experimental.
A broad method or mechanism overcoming these constraints of wave generation, or enabling translation of current technological abilities in each of these divisions to the others, is thus desirable. The difficulty, as mentioned, is that these frequencies closely correspond to molecular, atomic and subatomic resonances or bond energies, which have prevented the generation or manipulation of these waves except as permitted by specific molecular, atomic or subatomic structures, their energy levels, permitted photon transitions between these levels, and on related nonlinear properties of the media.

Universal frequency generation and scaling