Process for polymerizing alpha-olefins, in which at least one alpha-olefin is placed in contact, under polymerizing conditions, with a catalytic system comprising

The present invention relates to a process for polymerizing alpha-olefins.
It is known practice to polymerize alpha-olefins using solid catalysts comprising a transition metal compound containing one or more cyclopentadienyl ligands, an aluminoxane and a support. Patent application EP-A-0 206 794 describes a process for polymerizing ethylene, in which a solid catalyst of this kind is used together with methylaluminoxane or triethylaluminium, which are added to the polymerization medium to capture poisons therein, such as oxygen and water. Such a process leads to the manufacture, in relatively low catalytic yields, of polyethylenes with a low bulk density (BD), which has a negative impact on the production efficiency of the polymerization plants.
Patent application EP-A-314 797 describes a process for polymerizing ethylene using a supported catalyst based on a compound containing cyclopentadiene ligands, an aluminoxane and a dialkylaluminium alkoxide. Such a process leads to the manufacture, in relatively low catalytic yields, of resins containing a large amount of fines.
A polymerization process has now been found which does not have the abovementioned drawbacks and which gives higher catalytic yields of xcex1-olefin polymers with a bulk density which is markedly higher than that obtained in the known processes.
To this end, the present invention relates to a process for polymerizing alpha-olefins, in which at least one alpha-olefin is placed in contact, under polymerizing conditions, with a catalytic system comprising
(a) a solid catalyst comprising (i) a compound of a transition metal from groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table, containing at least one cyclopentadiene ligand which may be substituted, (ii) an activator chosen from aluminoxanes and ionizing agents, and (iii) a porous polymeric support with an intraparticulate pore volume, generated by pores with a radius of from 1000 to 75,000 xc3x85, of at least 0.2 cm3/g, and
(b) at least one organoaluminium compound corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n in which 0.9 less than nxe2x89xa63; Yxe2x80x2 represents a group chosen from xe2x80x94ORxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94SRxe2x80x2 and xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3; R and Rxe2x80x2 independently represent an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl group comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and Rxe2x80x3 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or an aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl group comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms.
According to the present invention, the term xe2x80x9calpha-olefinxe2x80x9d means olefins with terminal unsaturation containing from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, such as, more particularly, ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene and 1-octene.
The solid catalyst (a) used in the process according to the present invention comprises the transition metal compound (i) and the activator (ii) on the support (iii). It goes without saying that compounds other than compounds (i) and (ii) can be supported on the support (iii). Similarly, several compounds (i) and/or (ii) can be supported on the same support.
The transition metal compound (i) which can be used according to the present invention is usually chosen from the compounds of formulae
Qa(C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92bR1b)(C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92cR2c)MeXYxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
and
Qxe2x80x2a(C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92dR3d)ZMeXYxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
in which
Q represents a divalent linking group between the two cyclopentadiene ligands (C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92bR1b) and (C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92cR2c),
Qxe2x80x2 represents a divalent linking group between the cyclopentadiene ligand (C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92dR3d) and the group Z,
a is 0 or 1,
b, c and d are integers which satisfy the conditions 0xe2x89xa6bxe2x89xa65, 0xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa65 and 0xe2x89xa6dxe2x89xa65 when a is 0 and 0xe2x89xa6bxe2x89xa64, 0xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa64 and 0xe2x89xa6dxe2x89xa64 when a is 1,
R1, R2 and R3 each represent hydrocarbon-based groups containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which can be linked to the cyclopentadiene ring in the form of a monovalent group, or which can be linked to each other so as to form a ring adjacent to the cyclopentadiene ring, halogen atoms, alkoxy groups containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, hydrocarbon-based groups containing silicon, of formula
xe2x80x94Si(R4)(R5)(R6), phosphorus-containing hydrocarbon-based groups of formula xe2x80x94P(R4)(R5), nitrogen-containing hydrocarbon-based groups of formula xe2x80x94N(R4)(R5) or boron-containing hydrocarbon-based groups of formula xe2x80x94B(4)(R5) in which R4, R5 and R6 represent hydrocarbon-based groups containing from I to 24 carbon atoms, provided that when b, c or d is 2 or more and/or when there is a plurality of groups R1, R2 or R3, these groups may be identical or different,
Me represents a transition metal from groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table,
Z represents an oxygen atom, a sulphur atom, an alkoxy group or thioalkoxy group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a nitrogen-containing or phosphorus-containing hydrocarbon-based group containing from 1 to 40 carbon atoms or a hydrocarbon-based group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, provided that one bond of the group Z is linked to the group Qxe2x80x2 when a is 1, and
X and Y, which may be identical or different, each represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydrocarbon-based group, an alkoxy group, an amino group, a phosphorus-containing hydrocarbon-based group or a silicon-containing hydrocarbon-based group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
The preferred compounds (i) of fon-nula (1) are generally such that
Q represents an alkylene group containing 1 or 2 carbon atoms which can be substituted with alkyl or aryl groups containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a dialkylgermnanium or dialkylsilicon group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms,
a is 0 or 1,
b, c and d are integers which satisfyr the conditions 0xe2x89xa6bxe2x89xa65, 0xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa65 and 0xe2x89xa6dxe2x89xa65 when a is 0 and 0xe2x89xa6bxe2x89xa64, 0xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa64 and 0xe2x89xa6dxe2x89xa64 when a is 1,
R1 and R2 represent alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, alkenylaryl or arylalkyl groups containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, several groups R1 and/or several groups R2 possibly being linked to each other so as to form a ring containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms,
Me is zirconium, hafiiium or titanium,
X and Y represent halogen atoms or hydrocarbon-based groups chosen from alkyls, aryls and alkenyls containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.
The compounds which are particularly preferred are those of formula (1) in which Q is a linking group chosen from dimethylsilyl and diphenylsilyl, ethylene and methylenes and ethylenes substituted with alkyl or aryl groups containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms. Compounds of formula (1) which are particularly suitable are the compounds in which the ligands (C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92bR1b) and (C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92cR2c) are chosen from cyclopentadienyls, indenyls and fluorenyls which may be substituted.
The preferred compounds (i) of formula (2) are usually such that
a is 1,
Qxe2x80x2 represents an alkylene linking group containing 1 or 2 carbon atoms which may be substituted with alkyl or aryl groups containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a dialkylgermanium or dialkylsilicon group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms,
R3 represents an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, alkenylaryl or arylalkyl group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, two groups R3 possibly being linked to each other to form a ring containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms,
Me is zirconium, hafriium or titanium,
X and Y represent halogen atoms or hydrocarbon-based groups chosen from alkyls, aryls, and alkenyls.
Compounds (i) of formula (2) which give good results are the compounds in which the ligand (C5H5xe2x88x92axe2x88x92dR3d) is a cyclopentadienyl, indenyl or fluorenyl which may be substituted and Z is an amino group.
Preferred compounds (i) according to the present invention are the compounds of formula (1).
The activator (ii) is chosen from aluminoxanes and ionizing agents. The term xe2x80x9caluminoxanesxe2x80x9d means compounds corresponding to the formulae R7xe2x80x94(AlR7xe2x80x94O)mxe2x80x94AlR72 and (xe2x80x94AlR7xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)m+2 in which m is a number from 1 to 40 and R7 is an alkyl or aryl group containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms. The preferred compounds are chosen from methyl-, ethyl- and isobutylaluminoxanes and mixtures thereof, and more particularly those in which m is a number from 2 to 20. The compound most particularly preferred is the methylaluminoxane in which m is a number from 10 to 18.
The expression xe2x80x9cionizing agentsxe2x80x9d is intended to denote compounds comprising a first portion which has the properties of a Lewis acid and which is capable of ionizing a transition metal compound (i), and a second portion which is inert with respect to the ionized transition metal compound (i) and which is capable of stabilizing it. Such compounds which may be mentioned are triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, tri(n-butyl)ammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, tris(pentafluorophenyl)boron, triphenylboron, rimethylboron, tris(trimethylsilyl)boron and organoboroxines.
The preferred activators (ii) according to the present invention are aluminoxanes.
The porous polymeric support (iii) can consist of any known polymer which can support the compound (i) and the activator (ii). Non-limiting examples of such polymers which may be mentioned are homo- and copolymers of olefins, of styrenes, of divinylbenzenes and of vinyl chlorides. The support (iii) is preferably a polyolefin support. The term xe2x80x9cpolyolefinsxe2x80x9d means polymers derived from the alpha-olefins defined above or copolymers of these alpha-olefins with each other or with diolefins comprising from 4 to 18 carbon atoms. Preferred supports according to the present invention are homo- or copolymers of ethylene and of propylene.
The polymer particles which can be used as porous polymeric supports (iii) usually have a mean diameter (Ds) of from 5 to 500 xcexcm. Preferably, the mean diameter is greater than or equal to 15 xcexcm and more particularly greater than or equal to 40 xcexcm. Particles with a mean diameter of less than or equal to 200 xcexcm and more particulary less than or equal to 150 xcexcm give good results.
The polymer particles used as porous polymeric support (iii) have an intraparticulate pore volume, generated by pores with a radius of from 1000 to 75,000 xc3x85 (10xe2x88x9210 m) of at least 0.2 cm3/g. In the context of the present invention, the expression xe2x80x9cintraparticulate pore volumexe2x80x9d is intended to denote the pore volume generated, in the region from 1000 to 75,000 xc3x85, by the internal porosity of the particles, excluding the pore volume generated by the porosity between the particles (the interparticulate pore volume). The intraparticulate pore volume generated by pores with a radius of from 1000 to 75,000 xc3x85 can be determined by measuring the total pore volume of the support in the region 1000 to 75,000 xc3x85, followed by subtracting the interparticulate pore volume therefrom. The interparticulate pore volume depends on the mean diameter Ds of the particles (F. Martens and H. Behrens, Plaste und Kautschuk, vol. 20(4), 1973, pages 278-279). The interparticulate pore volume is defined, in the context of the present invention, as being the pore volume generated in the region between   Ds  13
and 75,000 xc3x85.
The support (iii) preferably has an intraparticulate pore volume of at least 0.3 cm3/g. Supports (iii) which are particularly preferred are those with an intraparticulate volume of at least 0.5 cm3/g. The intraparticulate pore volume generally does not exceed 1.5 cm3/g.
The supports (iii) preferably used according to the present invention are those consisting of porous polyolefin particles, and more particularly those with a mean diameter and a pore volume as described above. Such supports are described in particular in patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,893 (Solvay). These supports have the advantage of having the desired morphology without them needing to undergo subsequent treatment(s). They have both a very high porosity and very high mechanical abrasion strength, allowing them to be used without them losing their morphology. In addition, the use of supports which are compatible with the polymer leads ultimately to polymers with a particularly low ash content.
The solid catalyst (a) used in the process according to the invention can be obtained by various methods. In general, the support particles (iii) are placed in contact with a solution containing the activator (ii) to give a suspension, which is then evaporated. The solution containing the activator (ii) is generally prepared from liquid aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons which are possibly halogenated, or from liquid aromatic hydrocarbons. Preferred examples of these solvents which may be mentioned are benzene, toluene, xylene, hexane, heptane, octane, decalin, dichloromethane, dichloroethane, chloropropane and chlorobenzene. The transition metal compound (i) can be introduced into the suspension described above. It may also have been incorporated into the support (iii) before it is used. Finally, it can be placed in contact with the support particles comprising the activator (ii). The preferred method for preparing the solid catalyst (a) comprises the preparation of a solution containing the transition metal compound (i) and the activator (ii), to which is added the support (iii) so as to form a suspension, which is then evaporated.
The solid catalyst (a) used in the process according to the present invention generally contains from 0.0001 to 0.5 g of transition metal compound (i) per gram of support (iii). Preferably, the concentration of compound (i) is at least 0.0005 g and more particularly at least 0.001 g per gram of support (iii). Amounts of compound (i) of less than or equal to 0.3 g and preferably less than or equal to 0.1 g per gram of support give good results.
The amount of activator (ii) in the solid catalyst depends on the type of activator used. When the activator (ii) is an aluminoxane, the amount of aluminoxane is usually such that the atomic ratio between the aluminium of the aluminoxane and the transition metal of the compound (i) in the solid catalyst is from 20 to 5000. Preferably, this ratio is at least 50, more particularly at least 100. Good results are obtained when this ratio is at least 200. Usually, the aluminoxane is used in amounts such that the aluminium/transition metal atomic ratio is not more than 2000 and more particularly not more than 1500. Ratios of not more than 1000 give good results. When the activator (ii) is an ionizing agent, the amount of ionizing agent is usually such that the molar ratio between the ionizing agent and the transition metal compound (i) is from 0.05 to 50. Preferably, this ratio is at least 0.1 and more particularly not more than 20.
According to one advantageous variant of the process according to the invention, a solid catalyst (a) is used which has been subjected to a preliminary polymerization in the course of which it is placed in contact with an alpha-olefin, under polymerizing conditions so as to form from 0.01 to 50 g of polyolefin per g of solid catalyst containing the compounds (i), (ii) and (iii). The alpha-olefin used during the preliminary polymerization step is advantageously chosen from alpha-olefins containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms. Ethylene and propylene are particularly suitable. The amount of polymer formed during the preliminary polymerization step is usually at least 0.05 and more particularly at least 0.1 g of polyolefin per g of solid catalyst containing the compounds (i), (ii) and (iii). Good results are obtained when this amount is less than or equal to 30 g, preferably not more than 10 g, per g of solid catalyst containing the compounds (i), (ii) and (iii). According to one particularly advantageous embodiment of the A invention, this preliminary polymerization is carried out in a diluent whose kinematic viscosity, measured at 20xc2x0 C., is from 3 to 3000 mm2/s (preferably from 10 to 500 mm2/s), such as a mineral oil.
The solid catalyst (a) used in the process according to the invention is generally in the form of a free-flowing dry powder. The particles of solid catalyst generally have the same morphology as the supports from which they are derived. The solid catalyst (a) can be used without further processing for the polymerization of the alpha-olefins. The solid catalyst (a) can also be used in the process according to the invention in the form of a suspension in a diluent which is suited to its use.
The organoaluminium compound (b) used in the process according to the present invention is chosen from compounds corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n in which 0.9 less than nxe2x89xa63, Yxe2x80x2 represents a group chosen from xe2x80x94ORxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94SRxe2x80x2 and xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3; R and Rxe2x80x2 independently represent an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or an aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl group comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and Rxe2x80x3 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or an aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl group comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms.
The preferred organoaluminium compounds (b) are those in which R and Rxe2x80x2 independently represent an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and Rxe2x80x3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
Preferably, the organoaluminium compound (b) used is chosen from compounds corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(ORxe2x80x2)n in which R and Rxe2x80x2 have the meanings given above. Compounds which are particularly preferred are those corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(ORxe2x80x2)n in which R and Rxe2x80x2 are alkyl groups comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and more especially those in which R and Rxe2x80x2 are alkyl groups comprising from 2 to 4 carbon atoms.
The preferred organoaluminium compounds (b) are those in which 1.0 less than nxe2x89xa62.9, and more particularly those in which 1.05 less than nxe2x89xa62.5.
The organoaluminium compounds (b) which are particularly preferred in the process according to the invention are compounds corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(ORxe2x80x2)n in which 1.05 less than nxe2x89xa62.5 and R and Rxe2x80x2, independently, are chosen from ethyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, n-butyl and t-butyl groups.
The organoaluminium compounds (b) used in the process according to the invention can be obtained by various known methods. They can be obtained, for example, by reacting, in suitable amounts, an organoaluminium derivative of formula R3Al with an alcohol of formula Hxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94Rxe2x80x2, an amine of formula Hxe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3 and/or a thioalcohol of formula Hxe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94Rxe2x80x2. The organoaluminium compounds (b) used in the process according to the invention, in which n greater than 1, are advantageously obtained by reacting a compound of formula R2Al(Yxe2x80x2) with an alcohol of formula Hxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94Rxe2x80x2, an amine of formula Hxe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3 and/or a thioalcohol of formula Hxe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94Rxe2x80x2; in these formulae, Rxe2x80x2 and Rxe2x80x3 have the meanings given above in relation to the organoaluminium compound (b). In this case, the amount of alcohol, amine or thioalcohol used is generally less than 2.5 mol per mole of compound of formula R2Al(Yxe2x80x2). Preferably, the amount of alcohol, amine or thioalcohol used is less than or equal to 2 mol per mole of compound of formula R2Al(Yxe2x80x2). An amount which is particularly preferred is one which does not exceed 1.5 mol per mole of compound of formula R2Al(Yxe2x80x2). The amount of alcohol, amine or thioalcohol used is preferably at least equal to 0.05 mol per mole of compound of formula R2Al(Yxe2x80x2).
The organoaluminium compound (b) corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n in which 0.9 less than nxe2x89xa63 can also be obtained by mixing together several organoaluminium compounds, this mixture having a composition such that it corresponds to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n in which 0.9 less than nxe2x89xa63. For example, mixing one equivalent of an organoaluminium compound R3Al with one equivalent of a compound R3xe2x88x92xAl(Yxe2x80x2)x in which x greater than 1.8 produces an organoaluminium compound corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n in which 0.9 less than n less than 3.
The organoaluminium compound (b) corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n in which 0.9 less than nxe2x89xa63 can be in various forms, in particular in monomeric, dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric or oligomeric form.
The amount of organoaluminium compound (b) corresponding to the general formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n in which 0.9 less than nxe2x89xa63 used in the process according to the invention is generally such that the atomic ratio between the aluminium from the organoaluminium compound (b) and the transition metal of the compound (i) is from 10 to 50,000. Preferably, this ratio is at least 50, more particularly at least 100. Good results are obtained when this ratio is at least 200. Usually, the organoaluminium compound (b) is used in amounts such that the atomic ratio:aluminium from the organoaluminium compound/transition metal of compound (i) is not more than 20,000 and more particularly not more than 17,000. Ratios of not more than 15,000 give good results.
The polymerization process according to the invention can be carried out in continuous or batchwise mode, according to any known process, in solution or in suspension in a hydrocarbon-based diluent, in suspension in the monomer, or one of the monomers, maintained in the liquid state or in the gas phase.
The temperature at which the polymerization process according to the invention is carried out is generally from xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. to +150xc2x0 C., usually from 20 to 130xc2x0 C. The polymerization temperature is preferably at least 60xc2x0 C. Preferably, it does not exceed 115xc2x0 C.
The total pressure at which the process according to the invention is carried out is generally chosen between atmospheric pressure and 100xc3x97105 Pa, more particularly between 10xc3x97105 and 55xc3x97105 Pa.
The molecular mass of the polymers manufactured according to the process of the invention can be adjusted by adding one or more agents for adjusting the molecular mass of the polyolefins, such as, more particularly, hydrogen.
According to one advantageous variant of the process according to the invention, the process comprises a first polymerization step, which is separate from the preliminary polymerization step (described above in relation to the solid catalyst) and referred to as the prepolymerization step, during which from 1 to 1000 g of polymer is formed per g of solid catalyst containing the compounds (i), (ii) and (iii). The amount of prepolymer formed in this prepolymerization step is advantageously at least 3 g, more particularly at least 5 g, per g of solid catalyst containing the compounds (i), (ii) and (iii). Good results are obtained when the amount of prepolymer is not more than 700 g, more particularly not more than 400 g, per g of solid catalyst containing the compounds (i), (ii) and (iii). In general, the prepolymerization step is carried out at a temperature of from 0 to 60xc2x0 C., preferably at a temperature of from 20 to 50xc2x0 C.
When the polymerization process is applied to the polymerization of propylene, this prepolymerization step is advantageously carried out in suspension in the liquid monomer. When the process is applied to the polymerization of ethylene, the prepolymerization is advantageously carried out in a diluent chosen from aliphatic hydrocarbons containing from 3 to 10 carbon atoms.
One advantage of processes comprising such a prepolymerization step is that the morphology of the polymer is conserved even when the subsequent polymerization step is carried out at high temperature.
The polymerization process according to the invention is advantageously applied to the manufacture of ethylene polymers, and more particularly to the manufacture of ethylene homopolymers and copolymers comprising at least 90mol% of units derived from ethylene. The preferred copolymers are those of ethylene and of another alpha-olefin comprising from 3 to 8 carbon atoms. Copolymers of ethylene and of 1-butene and/or of 1-hexene are particularly preferred. In this case, the polymerization process is preferably carried out in suspension in a hydrocarbon-based diluent. The hydrocarbon-based diluent is generally chosen from aliphatic hydrocarbons containing from 3 to 10 carbon atoms. Preferably, the diluent is chosen from propane, isobutane and hexane or mixtures thereof.
The process according to the invention is also advantageously applied to the manufacture of copolymers of ethylene and of another alpha-olefin comprising from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, with a bimodal molecular weight distribution. According to a first variant of the process according to the invention, these copolymers are manufactured in a single polymerization reactor using a catalytic system comprising at least two different transition metal compounds (i), each giving a polymer whose molecular mass is different from that of the other. According to a second variant of the process according to the invention, these polymers are manufactured by carrying out the process according to the invention in at least two polymerization reactors connected in series, the polymerization conditions being different in the two reactors. In this second variant, the polymerization process is preferably carried out so as to obtain an ethylene copolymer of high molecular mass in one of the reactors, and an ethylene homopolymer whose molecular mass is lower than that of the copolymer, in the other reactor.
The process according to the invention produces alpha-olefm polymers with a high bulk density (BD), in particular markedly higher than the polymers obtained in processes using a catalytic system not comprising an organoaluminium compound (b) according to the invention. The reason for this is that it has been observed, surprisingly, that the use of an organoaluminium compound (b) corresponding to the formula R3xe2x88x92nAl(Yxe2x80x2)n gives polymers whose bulk densities are higher than those obtained with the same solid catalyst but in the absence of an organoaluminium compound or in the presence of a conventional alkylaluminium such as trimethylaluminium, triethylaluminium or triisobutylaluminium. The advantage of obtaining polymers with high bulk densities is that it increases the production capacities of the polymerization plants, and the storage and transportation capacities.
In addition, it has also been demonstrated, surprisingly, that the process according to the invention gives very high catalytic activity, much higher than that obtained when a non-porous support or an inorganic support such as silica is used as support (iii) and/or when the catalytic system is used without an organoaluminium compound (b) or in the presence of a conventional alkylaluminium such as trimethylaluminium, triethylaluminium or triisobutylaluminium.
Another advantage of the process according to the invention is that there is virtually no formation of crust in the polymerization reactor.
Moreover, the use of the process according to the invention produces polymers with very good morphology and whose content of fine particles (particles with a diameter of less than or equal to 125 xcexcm) is very low, usually less than 0.5% by weight and more particularly less than 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of polymer. Such low fines contents are obtained even for high catalytic activities (less than 0.5 ppm of transition metal in the final polymer).
The examples which follow serve to illustrate the invention. The meaning of the symbols used in these examples, the units expresssing the magnitudes mentioned and the methods for measuring these magnitudes are explained below.
Ds=mean diameter of the support particles, in Itm. The mean diameter of the support particles is the median diameter of the particles measured, using a suspension in 2-propanol, according to standard NFX11-666 (1984) on a Malvem(copyright) Mastersizer MS1000 machine.
PVi=intraparticulate pore volume of the support, generated by pores with a radius of from 1000 to 75,000 xc3x85 (10xe2x88x9210 m), expressed in cm3/g. The porosity of the supports (iii) is determined by the mercury penetration method using porosimeters sold by Carlo Erba Co. in the pore radius region 75 to 75,000 xc3x85 (10xe2x88x9210 m). This gives the curve of the total pore volume expressed in cm3/g as a function of the pore diameter, from which the total pore volume generated by pores with radii of from 1000 to 75,000 xc3x85 (10xe2x88x9210 m) is determined. The intraparticulate pore volume is obtained by subtracting the interparticulate pore volume (which is the pore volume generated by pores with a radii of between   Ds  13
(value expressed in xc3x85) and 75,000 xc3x85) from this total pore volume.
xcex1=catalytic activity, expressed in kg of polymer obtained per millimole of transition metal from the compound (i). This catalytic activity is assessed indirectly from the determination of the residual content of transition metal in the polyethylene by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) on a Micromass(copyright) Plasma Trace 1 machine.
BD=bulk density of the polymer obtained, expressed in kg/m3. The bulk density (BD) of the alpha-olefin polymer is measured by freeflow according to the following procedure: the polymer from the polymerization process is poured into a cylindrical 50 cm3 container, taking care not to pack it down, from a hopper whose bottom edge is 20 mm above the top edge of the container. The container filled with the powder is then weighed, the tare is deducted from the weight recorded and the result obtained, expressed in kg, is multiplied by 20,000, so as to express the BD in kg/m3.

Abstract: (a) a solid catalyst comprising (i) a compound of a transition metal from groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table, containing at least one cyclopentadiene ligand which may be substituted, (ii) an activator chosen from aluminoxanes and ionizing agents, and (iii) a porous polymeric support, and

Solvay Polyolefins Europe-Belgium(Societe Anonyme)


A seal for a rotor stack includes a first portion that includes a shaft contact surface. A second portion includes a rotor disk contact surface. A transition portion connects the first portion and the second portion. The transition portion extends radially outward from the first portion.

A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section.
As the air travels through the compressor section, a temperature of the air in the core flow path C increases in response to the work performed to elevate the pressure of that air. The increasing temperature of the air in the core flow path C warms the surrounding components in the compressor section causing those components to expand. This expansion can cause thermal mechanical fatigue in the components. Therefore, there is a need to improve thermal management in the compressor section to reduce thermal mechanical fatigue.


A tunnel for a communication system includes first and second bridges. The first bridge has a first port adapted to couple to a first link and a second port, and has a first programmable bus number and a first programmable function number. The second bridge has a first port coupled to the second port of the first bridge, and a second port, and has a second programmable bus number and a second programmable function number. In a hoist enabled mode, the first bridge forwards a packet on the first link to the second bridge if the second programmable bus number is equal to the first programmable bus number, a bus number of the packet is equal to the first programmable bus number, and a function number of the packet is equal to the second programmable function number.

Many modern computing devices make use of input/output (I/O) adapters and buses that utilize some version or implementation of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) or PCI Express (PCIe) interconnect standards. The PCIe standard specifies a computer communication interconnect for attaching peripheral devices to a host computer. PCIe is an extension of the earlier PCI standard that uses existing PCI programming concepts, but bases the computer interconnect on a faster physical-layer communications protocol. The PCIe physical layer consists of dual uni-directional links between upstream and downstream devices.
Recently many devices connected using the PCIe standard now have a non-PCIe link in the communication path, which creates compatibility problems. For example, a PCIe compatible peripheral, such as a printer, may communicate with a host computer using PCIe over an intervening 802.11 wireless local area network. The PCIe standard addresses this possibility by defining PCIe switches (more generally referred to as tunnels) that are capable of isolating non-PCIe segments. Each of these tunnels has a PCIe port and a non-PCIe port, such that each tunnel can convert a PCIe packet into a non-PCIe packet or vice versa. Typically, two tunnels are utilized on a communication link that has a non-PCIe link. For packets originated by the host, the upstream tunnel converts PCIe packets to non-PCIe packets and the downstream tunnel receives the non-PCIe packets and converts them back to PCIe packets. For packets originated by the device, the tunnels reverse the flow. Unfortunately, during system configuration the root complex treats each tunnel port as a separate downstream device and assigns a unique identifier to each port.
The PCIe standard defines the identifiers as a combination of so-called "bus numbers" (to identify the point-to-point link segment since PCIe uses point-to-point links rather than buses), device Numbers, and function numbers. Because the PCIe standard requires downstream devices to have consecutively numbered bus numbers, the root complex typically assigns a range of bus numbers to the link to accommodate additional downstream PCIe devices which may be added after configuration. However, in today's world, many PCIe standard devices are connected to the root complex via downstream hubs such as wireless routers after configuration. Adding too many downstream devices can exhaust the pool of reserved bus numbers available for assignment, causing the system either to ignore the downstream devices added after all bus numbers are assigned, or to halt all operations and re-run the configuration process to reassign bus numbers before continuing operations.
In the following description, the use of the same reference numerals in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

Tunnel suitable for multi-segment communication links and method therefor


A system and a method for joining non-transparent parts (1, 2) by means of an electromagnetic radiation curable adhesive comprises at least one at least partly transparent element (3) inserted between the parts (1, 2) to be joined together such that electromagnetic radiation beamed into the element (3) initiates curing of a film of adhesive applied to the element (3) and/or to a non-transparent part (1, 2).

The invention relates to a system and method for joining non-transparent parts by means of a radiation curable adhesive.
When parts are to be joined by means of a face coating of an electromagnetic radiation curable adhesive, at least one of the two parts needs to be transparent for the radiation initiating curing so that the adhesive can be activated and cured by the radiation.
Known from DE 10 2005 002 076 A1 is a method for producing a metal-framed glass pane component in which a pane of glass is cemented to a frame element by means of a UV curable adhesive. Disposed between the glass pane and the frame element is a bevelled gap which is filled with the adhesive utilizing the capillary effect. Once the gap is filled the adhesive is cured by means of UV irradiation.

System and method for joining non-transparent parts by means of a radiation curable adhesive


A system for transplanting hair grafts from a donor region of a patient's scalp to a recipient region of the patient's scalp. The system includes harvesting N (N.gtoreq.21) strips of skin containing living hair follicles from the donor region of the patient's scalp, the N strips of skin being harvested simultaneously, and cutting the N strips of skin into hair grafts, the N strips of skin being cut simultaneously. The system also includes loading the hair grafts sequentially, bottom down, into a removable cartridge connected to an instrument for implanting the hair grafts into the recipient region of the patient's scalp, the hair grafts being loaded so as to create an air seal between the hair grafts and the cartridge, and implanting the hair grafts. The implanting includes implanting the hair grafts into the recipient region of the patient's scalp, one at a time, using the instrument, by (1) feeding a hair graft to a predetermined feed position in the instrument via air suction created by an air seal between the hair graft and the cartridge, (2) making an incision at a point in the recipient region of the patient's scalp at which the hair graft is to be implanted using a cutting device on the instrument, and (3) sliding the hair graft into the incision using an implanting member in the instrument.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair transplantation system in which a multi-bladed knife harvests strips of skin containing living hair follicles from a donor region of a patient's scalp, a cutting device cuts the strips of skin into very small hair follicle grafts, a cartridge stores the grafts, and an instrument implants grafts fed from the cartridge into a recipient region of the patient's scalp.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is generally known, hair transplantation procedures involve removing hair grafts from a region of a patient's scalp which contains permanently-growing hair, and implanting those hair grafts into a balding region of the patient's scalp.
Traditional hair transplantation procedures, however, often produced undesirable results. For example, as described in Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/444,923, entitled "Hair Implantation Device", the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into the subject application, traditional hair transplants often produce a "corn row" appearance. Such an effect generally results from transplanting large hair grafts, of roughly 5 to 25 hairs each, as is commonly done in traditional hair transplantation procedures.
New concepts of hair transplantation are based upon the observation that, in general, hair does not grow singly, but emerges from the scalp in small anatomic units called follicular units. Recently, a hair transplantation procedure called follicular transplantation has been developed which takes advantage of these natural hair groupings. This procedure produces results that are virtually undetectable. That is, it is difficult to distinguish hair grown from a follicular transplant from one's own non-transplanted hair.
In a typical follicular transplant, grafts of 1 to 4 hair follicles per graft, i.e., one follicular unit, are harvested from a donor region of a patient's scalp which contains permanently growing hair. In men, this region, known as the Hippocratic wreath, includes the back and sides of the scalp. Thereafter, the harvested grafts are implanted in balding areas of the patient's scalp. Because very small hair grafts are transplanted in their natural groupings, follicular transplants can produce a head of hair which appears to be to totally natural to the naked eye.
However, because follicular transplant procedures use such small hair grafts, the time it takes to perform such procedures is greatly increased over that of its traditional counterpart, particularly in cases where many grafts (e.g., thousands of grafts) are transplanted. As a result, conventional follicular transplant procedures often may not be completed in just one session.
The large megasession, as defined by the present Applicant, is a large-scale follicular transplant procedure which provides patients with a faster alternative to conventional transplant procedures. In the large megasession, as many as 12 to 16 people at a time work on a single patient. As a result, large numbers of hair grafts, e.g., 3500 or more hair grafts, can be transplanted in a single session. However, even with a large staff, the large megasession can still take over 8 hours.
Using conventional manual techniques, it is not possible to increase the speed of performing transplant procedures without sacrificing the quality of the result and the safety of both the patient and those performing the procedure.
Thus, there exists a need to lessen the amount of time it takes to perform large-scale follicular hair transplants, such as the large megasession, without sacrificing safety and quality.


The present invention concerns the use of the protein S-100b in medicines for the stimulation of growth and survival of damaged neurons. The invention includes as well a medicine containing the S-100b protein in an aqueous solution which may contain also other biocompatible substances.

Structure of Normal Peripheral Nerves. Kranial Nerves, Spinal Cord and Rhombencephalon
Peripheral nerves and cranial nerves as well as the spinal cord constitute a functional unit which is responsible for the movements of the body. The unit includes also sensory impulses to the cerebrum and the cerebellum. When undamaged, the unit provides information directed inwards and outwards which is a prerequisite for our daily life.
Each neuron consists of a cell body (perikaryon or soma) as well as two types of processes, one which receives information (dendrites) and one which delivers information (axon) as electrical impulses. The axons of peripheral nerves and cranial nerves are contained within Schwann cells which produce myelin, an insulating lipid-rich material which isolates each axon from the others. In the spinal cord and the rhombencephalon, oligodendroglial cells surround the axons and form the myelin sheaths. In addition, other cell types, such as astrocytes and microglial cells, are present in the spinal cord.
Astrocytes make up 50-70% of the volume occupied by glial cells in the brain. They maintain the microenvironment of the neurons. The microglial cells are much fewer. They are activated during damage to the brain and phagocytize dead material. Furthermore, they play a key role in the immune system of the brain.
Organization of the Peripheral Nerves and the Spinal Cord
The peripheral nerves are made up of axons which mediate impulses to the muscles which in turn cause contractions (motor axons) and axons which mediate information from muscle spindles, tendons joint capsules and the skin (sensory axons). The motor axons are the processes from large perikarya localized in the anterior horns of the spinal cord. The sensory axons have their perikarya in the dorsal root ganglia where they are surrounded by satellite glial cells. The sensory neurons in the spinal cord transfer the information further to the cerebellum and cerebrum.
Structure of the Spinal Cord
The neuronal perikarya of the spinal cord are organized as grey matter which, in the cross section, is shaped like an H. This is surrounded by white matter which contains axons travelling up or down.
Structure of Rhombencephalon and the Cranial Nerves
Ten out of the twelve cranial nerves have their perikarya located in groups (nuclei) within the rhombencephalon. The cranial nerves have either a motor or a sensory function.

Use of protein S-100-b in medicines containing the protein S-100b


Method for correction of the temperature dependency of a light quantity L emitted by a light emitting diode (LED), being operated in pulsed mode with substantially constant pulse duration tP, and measured in a light detector, using a predetermined parameter X, correlated to the temperature T of the LED in a predetermined ratio, whereby a correction factor K is determined from the parameter X, preferably using a calibration table, especially preferred using an analytic predetermined function, whereby the measured emitted light quantity L is corrected for the temperature contingent fluctuations of the emitted light quantity, whereby the parameter X is determined from at least two output signals of the LED, which are related to each other in a predetermined manner.

The emitted light quantity of an LED depends on its temperature. In laboratory applications according to prior art, according to which an LED is employed as reference light source, the LED and possibly the measuring apparatus associated therewith are tempered, resulting in the temperature and, thus, the emitted light quantity of the LED remaining constant.
In applications outside the laboratory, in which such a climatisation is not possible at all or only at increased expenditure, it is therefore necessary to correct the measured values of the light quantity with respect to the temperature contingent influences, to thereby reduce the errors of the measured result. In case such an LED is used for example as light source for stabilization of a photo multiplier, which for example is employed as light detector in a scintillation detector, for example a mobile detector for identification of radio isotopes (hand held radio isotope identification device—RID), the LED is exposed to thermal fluctuations in the range of −20° C. to +50° C. Thereby, the system amplification of the light detector can fluctuate offhand for about 20% and more, such that a stabilization of the amplification of the light detector is necessary, to maintain the energy amplification and the energy resolution of the RID sufficiently good. For stabilization of such a light detector with an LED, it is therefore necessary, to know the temperature dependency of the light quantity emitted by the LED.
Methods for stabilization are known, according to which the temperature is measured at or in the detector and the temperature caused effects are adjusted by means of previously measured calibration tables. These methods, however, have the drawback that a temperature measurement with fast temperature changes is only hardly realizable, particularly for the reason that often no uniform temperature distribution can be expected in the detector. Besides, the amplification of, for example, a photo multiplier does not only depend on its temperature, but rather also on the effective counting rate and its previous history, i.e. its hysteresis and age. It has been found that sufficiently exact prediction of the amplification under consideration of all parameters is not possible.
For stabilization, therefore, often active methods are employed during the actual measurement. Mostly, radio active calibration sources or natural background radiation are used, to achieve such an active stabilization. This, however, leads to optimization problems, because a compromise of sufficiently short but nevertheless sufficiently exact calibration measurements has to be found. Additionally, each additional radio active radiation leads to a reduction of the total sensitivity of the system.
An alternative is the separated stabilization of light detector and scintillator—the latter is for example disclosed in PCT/EP2004/050754. It is known to use a pulsed light source, for example an LED, as measured standard for the stabilization of the light detector. It is also known to stabilize and to monitor the amplification of light detectors in this manner in laboratory applications. Disadvantageous with respect to this prior art is that the light emission of an LED depends on its temperature, more particular, on its junction temperature TLED. Thus, according to known methods, it is either necessary, to keep the temperature constant or to monitor it at least, or to monitor the light quantity emitted respectively by the LED with a separate measurement apparatus precisely. Such an assembly is not only technically complex and cost intensive, but rather requires also additional energy and additional space, complicating the use in battery operated mobile RIDs.
From sensor techniques, a method is known, to measure the temperature of semiconductor elements by means of a current measurement at constant operating voltage or by means of a measurement of the flux voltage at constant current.
EP 1,283,569 A2 discloses the correction of the light emission of an LED as a function of the temperature and by using a characteristic parameter curve. The disadvantage of this method is, that an additional element, namely a temperature sensor is necessary.
EP 1,039,597 A2 describes the stabilization of the light emission of an LED on the basis of the measured current and voltage at the LED itself. A stabilization of the effective light emission does not take place so that substantial uncertainties remain. In addition, only certain LED's may be used at all.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,165 is discussing the problem of stabilization of a x-ray detector, being operated in a pulsed mode, so that the output current of the photomultiplier is kept constant during the pulsed operation. This invention is designed to correct for background noise during the x-ray measurement. Corrections of temperature dependencies or even an energy stabilization are not an object oft this disclosure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for stabilizing the temperature dependency of light emission of an LED


An emitter includes a light source and a separately formed conversion material region with conversion particles. The light source is capable of emitting light along a plurality of light paths extending through the conversion material region where at least some of the light can be absorbed by the conversion particles. The light from the light source and the light re-emitted from the conversion particles combine to provide a desired color of light. Each light path extends through a substantially similar amount of conversion particles so that the desired color of light has a substantially uniform color and intensity along each light path.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to light emitters and, more particularly, to light emitters where the wavelength of at least some of the emitted light is converted to another wavelength by a conversion material region.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are an important class of solid-state devices that convert electric energy to light energy and generally comprise an active layer of semiconductor material sandwiched between two oppositely doped layers. When a bias is applied across the doped layers, holes and electrons are injected into the active layer where they recombine to generate light. Light is typically emitted omnidirectionally from the active layer and from the surfaces of the LED.
One disadvantage of conventional LEDs used for lighting applications is that they cannot generate white light from their active layers. One way to cause a single blue emitting LED to emit white light is to surround it with a yellow phosphor, polymer or dye. [See Nichia Corp. white LED, Part No. NSPW300BS, NSPW312BS, etc.; See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,316 to Hayden, "Multiple Encapsulation of Phosphor-LED Devices"]. The surrounding material "downconverts" the wavelength of at least some of the light, changing its color. For example, if a blue emitting LED is surrounded by a yellow phosphor, then some of the blue light passes through the phosphor without being changed while the remaining light is downconverted to yellow. Hence, the LED emits both blue and yellow light, which combines to form a white light.
One conventional method for manufacturing an LED surrounded by a conversion material region is to mount the LED in a cup shaped submount with the necessary electrical connections to apply a bias to the LED. A syringe mechanism is filled with an optically clear and curable material (e.g. epoxy, silicone, sol gel, etc.) with the conversion material mixed in the material, where the conversion material typically includes phosphor particles. The syringe mixture is then injected into the submount, covering the LED and partially filling the submount. When the clear material is first injected into the cup, the conversion particles are generally uniformly mixed/suspended throughout the material. The clear material is then cured to form the conversion material region and the entire assembly is encased in a clear epoxy.
One disadvantage of this manufacturing method is that under certain circumstances the conversion particles can be non-uniformly distributed in the cured state. After the clear material mixture is injected into a cup, there can be a time delay before it is cured. During this delay, the conversion particles can settle toward the base of the cup and over the LED such that there are different concentrations of particles throughout the conversion material region. This settling problem can be compounded in clear materials that become less viscous during the curing process, which allows the conversion particles to settle more quickly. The settled conversion material region can result in light from the emitter appearing as different colors when viewed from different angles because the emitted light encounters different amounts of conversion material.
Another disadvantage of this method is that the injection of the optically clear material from a syringe can introduce variations in the concentration of conversion particles from emitter to emitter, which can reduce the consistent reproducibility of the emitters. The conversion particles can settle in the syringe such that emitters injected with the clear material mixture when the syringe is full can have a greater concentration of conversion particles than emitters formed later. The amount of clear material injected from the syringe into the cup can also be difficult to control and different amounts of clear material mixture can be deposited in different emitters. This can also result in different amounts of conversion particles in different emitters. The end surface shape of the cured material can also vary such that light from different LEDs pass through different amounts of clear material and particles. These problems reduce the ability to manufacture emitters with consistent light emission characteristics.
Another disadvantage of the conventional emitter manufacturing method is the waste of material when the emitter does not meet the necessary emission standards. There is no practical method for separating the two so the entire emitter must be discarded if the emitter or the conversion material region is defective. Hence, if the LED is good but the conversion material region is defective, then both will be unusable. Discarding the entire emitter results in the excessive wasting of otherwise good LEDs, which can add to the overall cost of manufacturing.

Composite white light source and method for fabricating


The invention relates to a method of addressing a management object in a device management system, wherein at least one management object is added to a manageable client device. The method comprises retrieving a content of a predetermined data element from information in the management object. At least part of the content of said data element is coded using a predetermined coding algorithm. At least part of the content of said data element, in coded form, is assigned as an identifier for the management object. The identifier is used to address the management object.

The invention relates to addressing a management object of a device in a device management system of the device.
The significance of device management is emphasized as the different data processing devices, such as mobile stations, become more complex. Various settings are required in the devices, such as settings associated with Internet access points, which are laborious and difficult to set manually by the user. Device management solutions have been developed for instance to solve this problem, by means of which for instance an administrator of a company's data system or a teleoperator is able to configure a device suitably. Usually device management refers to measures by which parties external to the device are able to change the configuration of the device, for instance change the settings or even some protocol used by the device. Not only setting associated with the device, but also user-specific data, such as user profiles, logos, ringing tunes and menus can be sent, allowing the user to modify the settings of the device into personal or the modification to take place automatically in association with device management.
One device management standard is SyncML device management (Synchronization Markup Language) based partly on the SyncML data synchronization standard enabling data synchronization. A synchronization server may serve as a device management server and a client device as the device management client. The client device acting as client from the point of view of device management sends information about itself (similarly to synchronization) to a management server performing device management in a session initiation message to the server, to which the management server responds by sending server management commands. The client device responds to these by status information, after which the server can end the session or send more server management commands. If the server sends more management commands, the client device should respond to these by status information. Having received status information, the server is always able to end the session or continue it by sending more device management commands. The device management protocol may also operate such that inquiries are first sent to the user about what he wants to update, and information about the user's selections is sent to the server. The server can then send the updates/operations requested by the user in the next packet.
In the client device, the matters to be managed are arranged as management objects. Management objects are entities in the client device and are manageable by the management server's management commands. The management object may be for instance an integer or a large entity, such as a background picture or a screensaver. In SyncML device management, the management objects are arranged in the form of a tree as a management tree, illustrated in FIG. 1. The management object may be a single parameter, a subtree or a data collection. For example, the management object 'Vendor' is a node, i.e. an interior object, since it has child objects 'Screen Saver' and 'Ringing Tones'. The management object 'Screen Saver' is a leaf object, since it has no child objects. The management object 'Ringing Tones' is also a node or an interior node, since it has child objects. The content of the management object may also be a link addressing another management object. Each object can be addressed using a URI identifier (Uniform Resource Identifier). The URI of a management object is created by starting at the root '/' and, traversing down the tree, each management object has a name, which is appended to the previous ones using '/' as the delimiting character. For example, the management object 'Ringing Tones' can be addressed using the URI identifier '/Vendor/Ringing Tones/'. At least some management objects are preferably standardized (the SyncML device management standards presently include three standardized management objects). The management objects may be permanent or dynamic. Dynamic management objects can be added to the management tree from the client device or the management server.
New dynamic management objects have to be assigned a name in the management tree (the name acting as the address) such that the management tree is the same both in the management server and in the client device. If the client device is allowed to freely decide the name to be added to the management tree, the management server does not have the same tree, and the management commands given by the management server cannot be implemented. When a unidirectional message (unacknowledged) is used, the name could in no way be updated in the server. An example of a new management node is a document including WAP provisioning settings. A new management object (having different settings as child objects) can be created from the document and the settings comprised by it. A WAP provisioning document may include parameters that appear several times (e.g. several alternative proxy servers), and these parameters cannot be arranged in a management tree. A solution has been suggested for selecting the name, wherein a new identifier field for distinguishing the different properties from each other in the management tree is added to the management information, e.g. the WAP provisioning document. In this case, the address of the management object would have at least one more identifier, which would make the address still longer. For instance, in the case of the WAP protocol, changes would also have to be made to the WAP standard.


Systems and methods for automatic evaluation of the quality of NLG outputs. In some aspects of the technology, a learned evaluation model may be pretrained first using NLG model pretraining tasks, and then with further pretraining tasks using automatically generated synthetic sentence pairs. In some cases, following pretraining, the evaluation model may be further fine-tuned using a set of human-graded sentence pairs, so that it learns to approximate the grades allocated by the human evaluators.

In recent years, research in natural language generation ("NLG") has made tremendous progress, with models now able to translate text, summarize articles, engage in conversation, and comment on pictures with unprecedented accuracy, using approaches with increasingly high levels of sophistication. The pace of development in this area has created a need for an efficient way of evaluating the quality (e.g., accuracy and fluency) of an NLG model's output. Currently, there are two general approaches to evaluating the performance of NLG systems: human evaluation and automatic metrics. Human evaluation typically involves a large-scale quality survey for each new version of an NLG model in which human evaluators grade the NLG model's outputs, e.g., by comparing how well a sentence created by an NLG model matches the meaning and fluency of a reference sentence created by a human. While humans are unrivaled in their ability to flexibly interpret and compare language samples, using human evaluators for large-scale tests can be prohibitively time- and labor-intensive. On the other hand, existing automatic metrics are efficient and can be run on demand, but can be overly literal and provide inconsistent results compared to human evaluators.

Learned evaluation model for grading quality of natural language generation outputs


A transducer having compensation for a deflection due to an applied stress. The transducer includes a support ring (32) having a proof mass (34) cantilevered on a pair of flexures (38) between the magnets (26,28) of a stator in which the transducer is mounted. Deflection of the support ring due to an imbalanced applied force is compensated by either moving the pads (30) used to mount the support ring, moving the centroid of capacitance (42) of the proof mass, or by modifying the support ring to provide a pair of moment arms (152), each approach insuring that an axis of deflection (102,130) of the support ring is coaligned with the centroid of capacitance, thereby minimizing a bias error in the transducer output.

In certain transducers of the prior art, one side of a supporting annular ring is clamped in cantilever fashion between two opposed stators. A pair of flexures extend inwardly from the opposite side of the ring to support a .[.disklike.]. .Iadd.disk-like .Iaddend.proof mass. The proof mass includes a torque coil mounted on each face, which upon displacement of the proof mass, operates to restore the mass to a centered position relative to the stators. Surrounding the coil is a plated pick-off capacitance area. Electrical paths on the flexures connect the torque coil and pick-off capacitance area to leads on the support. A representative example of such a transducer is described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,757, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
A problem related to such transducers arises when a force is applied to the supporting ring in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the ring, causing the ring to deflect. The linear and angular deflection of the supporting ring is translated through the flexures to the proof mass, causing a centroid of capacitance, i.e. the effective center of the pick-off capacitance area for small displacements, to be displaced from its normal position wherein it is approximately centered between the top and bottom stators. The torque coil reacts to the displacement of the centroid of capacitance by restoring the proof mass to its prior position. However, because there has been a repositioning of the proof mass resulting in bending of the flexures, a continuous restoring torque is required to balance the moment applied by the flexures. Consequently, the output signal from the transducer includes a bias shift component.
External imbalanced forces applied to the proof mass supporting structure can result from a variety of causes. For example: (a) the gold fly wires that connect to the support may exert a residual force which relaxes over time due to the creep characteristics of gold; (b) an elastic damping material applied to the support may produce an imbalanced force on the structure, due to thermal variations in the environment; (c) static charge buildup can produce either an attractive or repulsive force between the support and an adjacent surface; and, (d) preload variations and thermally variable distortion may result should the cantilevered portion of the support contact an adjacent part of the stator through a contaminating particle or due to assembly error.
A dynamic source of force imbalance applied to the proof mass support may result from loading the support with a "g" force (force of acceleration). In this instance, the bias shift is a linear function of the acceleration, and thus appears as a shift in the transducer scale factor. Such an apparent shift in the scale factor occurring over time can create a significant problem when the transducer is exposed to vibration at a frequency near the resonant frequency of the support. The overall effect of such a dynamically induced loading on the support manifests itself as a vibration rectification error at certain frequency ranges.
Whether resulting from static or dynamically induced imbalanced loading, deflection of the supporting element can cause an undesirable bias shift or error signal in the output of transducers of the prior art type described above. The present invention seeks to compensate for deflection of the support due to such force, whatever its cause, and thereby to minimize bias shift and dynamic signal error in the transducer output that might otherwise result.


A memory cell including a floating gate transistor including a floating gate, and an analog sensor element adjacent to the floating gate, where an electrical characteristic of the analog sensor element is affected by an amount of charge on the floating gate.

Memory devices may include internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronics devices. There are many different types of memory including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), and synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM). Memory may be non-volatile memory or volatile memory.
One type of non-volatile memory includes flash memory. Flash memory devices typically use a one-transistor memory cell that allows for high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption. Common uses for flash memory include personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, and cellular telephones. Program code and system data such as a basic input/output system (BIOS) may be stored in flash memory devices for personal use in personal computer systems.
Non-volatile memory devices, including flash memory devices, are also incorporated into solid-state storage devices, such as solid-state drives (SSDs).


A training aid for the game of golf capable of indicating golf club path through a swing and the club's point of contact at impact to a user. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a golf swing practice apparatus comprising a plurality of ball pins defining a movable golf ball hitting surface, each ball pin of the plurality of ball pins being comprised of a spherical ball joint, a ball tee portion running through a center portion of the spherical ball joint, and an artificial turf portion extending from an upper surface of the ball tee; a ball pin plate having a planar surface and a plurality of apertures disposed upon the planar surface in horizontal rows, the plurality of ball pins being movably coupled to the ball pin plate; and, a ball pin reset plate, the ball pin reset plate having a plurality of apertures being rectangular in shape and being slidably coupled to the ball pin plate.

Regular practice is essential to achieving competency in the game of golf. Golfing centers offering the golfer hitting areas to practice and improve are highly popular. Such practice areas, often called driving ranges, employ artificial mats off of which a ball may be hit with a club. Unfortunately, many artificial golf hitting areas do not give the golfer a realistic feel to compare with hitting from turf or grass, and may even promote unsound techniques among certain golfers. Artificial surfaces may also increase the chance of injury to the golfer since they do not compress at the same rate as turf or grass.
In addition, golf ground shots require the golf club to be swung so that the head passes through the portion of the ball and ground surfaces so as to displace a portion of the turf similarly known as a "divot." Therefore, to approximate the feel of a natural fairway, artificial practice surfaces for ground shots should deform to allow the passage of the club head through the turf, and yet provide sufficient resistance to give the golfer the feel of taking a divot. A crucial component of mastering the game of golf is the ability to understand and correct flaws in a golfer's swing. One such flaw is an incorrect path of the golf club into impact. Another such flaw is hitting behind the ball, or hitting "fat", at the golfer's point of impact with the ball.
Previous artificial mats disclose solutions for suspendable portions that can move in response to a blow from a swing of the golf club. Such mats use springs, elastic, rubber bands or the like to provide a movable surface. Other golf mats have artificial turf surfaces made of belts that move along the same path along which the club head travels. These surfaces, however, have not solved the problem of simulating a realistic hitting surface and providing a visual indicator of club path and the club's point of contact at impact.
Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, Applicant has identified a number of deficiencies and problems with artificial golf surfaces and training aids. Applicant has developed a solution that is embodied by the present invention, which is described in detail below.


A system for determining the angular position of a rotating element such as an engine crankshaft. An encoder wheel is divided into a plurality of equal-angle segments, each comprising a peripheral tooth extending radially over a central angle representing an angular percentage of each segment. The total angle in each segment is a tooth dwell angle and a gap dwell angle. The ratio of the tooth dwell angle to the total segment angle is the duty cycle. A prime segment is given a first tooth dwell angle. Each segment has a unique tooth dwell angle. As the wheel rotates, a sensor begins timing at a first tooth rise and determines the time to the first tooth fall and the time to the second tooth rise. Since each duty cycle is unique, for a wheel having 45 degree segments the system can determine the segment being interrogated within 90 rotational degrees.

Position sensors are required for modern automobile engine control systems to detect the angular position of the crankshaft. A vehicle's engine controller uses this information to calculate the optimal times to fire fuel injectors and, for spark ignited engines, ignition discharge. The information is also useful for diagnosing malfunctions such as misfire, which typically is done by detecting a rapid change in angular velocity.
Prior art sensors for measuring rotary position typically incorporate encoders, resolvers, or potentiometers. In the hostile environment of automotive engines, incremental encoders of some form are typically used. Other types of position sensors are typically analog in nature and have poor noise immunity and/or drift with temperature changes, and sometimes have wear-prone brushes. Encoders have the advantage of being simple and reliable even when subjected to temperature extremes.
They require only a single timer/counter channel of a vehicle's controller to function and therefore are also inexpensive.
An incremental encoder is typically constructed as a series of spaced-apart features such as alternating teeth and notches around the circumference of a wheel connected to a rotating device such as a crankshaft. The wheel may be formed as a part of the apparatus, for example, an engine flywheel may be formed as an encoder wheel. As the wheel spins, a pickup sensor mounted in close proximity to the wheel detects each feature as it passes by the pickup, for example, by chopping of an optical beam or variation in magnetic field, and generates a square wave response. An index pulse function is typically present to identify an absolute or reference position of the wheel, such as top dead center of the No. 1 engine piston. This sometimes consists of two features more closely spaced than the other features. The reference position also may be established externally by a feature on an engine camshaft which is synchronized to the crankshaft at one-half its angular velocity.
A known problem exists in using prior art systems when starting an engine. The index feature must be found in order to synchronize the engine control system, which can require up to one full revolution of the engine to locate the index feature on the crankshaft or two full engine revolutions to locate the index feature on the camshaft. This represents time delay in starting the engine.
Although prior art absolute encoder technology is well known, such an encoder system requires multiple inputs in a controller for each bit of resolution desired. For example, an encoder with three bits requires a more complex wheel, three wires, connections, and inputs, adding to the cost while decreasing the reliability. An encoder with three bits of resolution provides an angular resolution of 360/23 degrees, equals 45 degrees.
Another prior art technology uses a series of unevenly spaced features and pulses. By searching for a pattern of spacing, the position can be established in this fashion. Such a system typically requires a plurality of pulses before the position can be identified. Although this may be an improvement over waiting for an index pulse, this system typically requires up to one-half an engine revolution (180 degrees) before the position can be established.
What is needed in the art is a method and apparatus for determining rotary position of a rotatable element in a small fraction of a single revolution, preferably within 45 degrees or less.
It is a principal object of the present invention to determine the rotary position of a rotatable element within a small fraction of a single revolution of the element.
It is a further object of the invention to minimize the time required for an internal combustion engine control system to determine the angular position of the engine at start-up.

Method and apparatus for determining rotary position


A method for presenting help messages to a user in an interactive computer environment in which a help mode operates concurrently with other programs operating in the computer system. The user receives information about an icon by positioning a pointer on the computer's video display over the icon about which more information is desired. The computer then retrieves an appropriate help message based upon user sophistication from a database of help messages stored in its memory and displays it in a graphic bubble on the video display. The graphic bubble is placed so as to not overlap the object about which more help is requested. The graphic bubble is removed as soon as the pointer is moved away from the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer on-line help systems and, more specifically, to graphic based help methods in an interactive computer environment.
2. Prior Art
At times, a computer user may discover that he requires additional information about the computer or a particular computer program while the computer is in operation. This additional information is commonly known in the art as "help" information. If the help information is provided while a computer program is running, it is known as "on-line help." To provide on-line help, the user must have a way of accessing help information from either the computer's operating system or the program which is running. Typically, a computer program will incorporate a help sub-program to access the information. The help sub-program only displays the help information when requested by a user.
One common method of providing on-line help involves using the entire video display screen of the computer to display help messages. The help messages temporarily displace the program's normal display. When the user signals the computer that the help messages are no longer needed, the computer erases them from the display and reestablishes the normal display. Alternately, some programs have a separate area on the screen for help messages.
Having a help sub-program which displaces the program's normal display in order to present help messages is known in the art as "on-line documentation." The help messages typically concern a particular detail about the program and will often also have statements about peripheral, although related, subjects. These messages are usually indexed and associated with key words or phrases. On-line documentation is generally structured like a manual, and users can flip through its electronic "pages." However, the context that created the user's query does not influence determining what help information is provided. Thus, on-line documentation is not able to decide which of its many messages is most appropriate when the user requests help. Another problem with on-line documentation is that, since the help messages displace the entire screen display when called up, the user is not able to see the program's display which led to his requesting help.
Providing a separate section of the video display for user messages avoids some of on-line documentation's problems. The screen display is not entirely displaced. Thus, the user is able to see the output of the program which led to his request for help. However, reserving a portion of the display for user messages restricts both the program's display area and the help messages' size and shape.
Another drawback of prior art systems is that the information available is typically limited to a single level of sophistication. The user is not able to obtain more detailed information about a particular topic if desired. Although hierarchically organized help systems are known in the art, the hierarchy represents categorization levels rather than sophistication levels. Categorization levels refer to a help program whose help messages are arranged in an outline form of main topics, sub-topics, sub-sub-topics, etc. Employing a hierarchial help system facilitates a user in discovering a desired topic's help message. But that message may present information which is either too simple or too sophisticated for the user's needs. Providing different levels of sophistication in a help system improves the user's ability to understand the computer program.

Method and apparatus for providing help information to users of computers


An apparatus comprising a housing having an opening, a connector unit, a moveable door, and a biasing system. The connector unit is located inside the housing. The connector unit is capable of providing an electrical connection to a complementary connector unit. The moveable door is capable of being moved into an open position and a closed position, wherein the closed position covers the opening. The biasing system is capable of aligning the connector unit with the complementary connector unit and causing the connector unit to engage the complimentary connector unit.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to connecting objects to each other and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for automatically connecting one object to another object. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for physically and electrically connecting one object to another object using an automatic connection system.
2. Background
A launch vehicle may be a missile, an aircraft, or other vehicle that obtains thrust by the reaction of a rocket engine. The launch vehicle may sit atop a launch platform at the launch pad which may be capable of withstanding the heat and/or load generated by rocket engines during liftoff. A launch pad may provide a structure that provides service and umbilical structures.
A service structure may provide access to inspect a launch vehicle prior to a launch. Many service structures may be moved and/or rotated to a safe distance. An umbilical structure may be connected to a launch vehicle when the launch vehicle is placed onto a launch pad. The umbilical structure may provide propellant loading, gas, power, and/or communications links to a launching vehicle. One of the umbilical structures may include a cable that may provide communications, links, and/or power to the launch vehicle.
Currently, connecting a launch vehicle to an umbilical cable may involve an operator opening a door to a connector on the launch vehicle and a door to a connector for the launch pad. The operator may perform a visual inspection to ensure that no debris is present and that the connectors are in a condition for engagement.
If the umbilical cable can be connected to the launch vehicle, the launch vehicle may then be placed onto the launch pad in which the placement of the launch vehicle connects the umbilical cable to the launch vehicle. Alternatively, an operator may then manually connect the connectors to each other to connect the umbilical cable to the launch vehicle.
This type of process may be time consuming. Further, the process may include safety concerns with respect to having an operator performing inspections and/or engaging connectors at a launch pad with a launch vehicle.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that overcomes these and possibly other problems.