A mold for gravity casting vehicle wheels having reusable thermally insulative linings attached to the interior of the gate and ball riser cavities. After filling the mold with molten metal, the gate cavity can be pressurized to assure that the mold cavity is completely filled. The ball riser cavity also can be pressurized subsequent to the gate cavity pressurization. The pressure on the gate and ball riser cavities forces molten metal from the cavities into the mold cavity as the metal cools and solidifies.

The invention relates in general to gravity casting of metal components and in particular to gravity casting of vehicle wheels.
Vehicle wheels have a circular wheel disc attached to an annular wheel rim. The wheel disc includes a central wheel hub having a pilot hole and plurality of wheel mounting holes formed therethrough. A plurality of equally circumferentially spaced spokes typically support the wheel hub within the wheel rim. The wheel rim is adapted to support a pneumatic tire.
In the past, vehicle wheels typically have been formed entirely from steel. However, wheels formed from light weight metals, such as aluminum, magnesium and titanium or alloys thereof, are becoming increasingly popular. In addition to weighing less than conventional all-steel wheels, such light weight wheels can be manufactured having a pleasing esthetic shape. Weight savings also can be achieved by attaching a wheel disc formed from a light weight metal alloy to a steel wheel rim.
Light weight wheels are typically formed by forging or casting operations. During a forging operation, a heated billet of the light weight metal alloy is squeezed by very high pressure between successive sets of dies until the final shape of the wheel is formed. During a casting operation, molten metal is poured into a cavity formed in a multi-piece wheel mold. After the metal cools sufficiently to solidify, the mold is opened and a rough wheel casting is removed. The wheel casting is then machined to a final shape. machining can including the outside and inside surfaces of the wheel rim, facing the inboard and outboard wheel disc surfaces and drilling the center pilot hole and the mounting holes through the wheel hub.
Conventional casting operations include numerous processes, such as die casting, low pressure injection casting and gravity casting. All the conventional casting operations typically utilize a wheel mold formed from a number of segments. The wheel mold defines a mold cavity which includes a rim cavity for casting the wheel rim and a disc cavity for casting the wheel disc.
For high volume production of castings, such as vehicle wheels, a highly automated gravity casting process is frequently used. Such automated gravity casting processes typically use a casting machine having a plurality of molds mounted upon a moving structure, such as a rotatable carousel. Each mold is indexed past a refractory furnace containing a pool of molten metal. A charge of molten metal is poured into a gate formed in the mold which communicates with the mold cavity. Gravity causes the metal to flow from the gate into the mold cavity, filling the rim and disc cavities. The mold and the molten metal cool as the casting machine indexes the other molds to the refractory furnace for charging with molten metal. After a sufficient cooling time has elapsed, the mold is opened and the wheel casting removed. The mold is then closed and again indexed to the refractory furnace to be refilled with molten metal.
As the molten metal in the mold cavity cools, it also contracts, or shrinks in volume. Such shrinkage can mar the appearance of the wheel and form voids within the wheel. If a void extends through the wheel, the inflation air of a tire mounted upon the wheel will leak through the void, causing the tire to deflate. Accordingly, cast wheels are carefully checked and wheels which have surface imperfections or which are "leakers" are rejected. In an effort to reduce the number of wheels rejected, wheel molds are usually designed having a relatively large radial spacing between the surfaces of the rim cavity and a relatively large axial spacing between the surfaces of the disc cavity. These spacings produce a wheel casting having an additional volume of metal in the wheel rim and disc. The additional volume of metal allows deeper machining of the wheel casting to remove surface imperfections. The additional volume of metal also results in a wheel rim having a relatively large radial dimension and a wheel disc having a relatively large axial dimension, which reduces the possibility of an internal void extending through the wheel.
To further reduce the number of wheels rejected, a ball riser cavity and a rim riser cavity are typically formed above the center of the disc cavity and at the inboard end of the rim cavity, respectively. These riser cavities receive and store additional molten metal during the pouring operation. As the molten metal within the rim and disc cavities cools and shrinks, gravity draws additional molten metal from the riser cavities into the rim and disc cavities. This additional metal fills any voids that are formed by the shrinkage. The metal remaining in the riser cavities cools to form a center ball riser and an annular rim riser on the casting. Similarly, any metal remaining in the mold gate forms a sprue on the casting. The casting risers and sprue are typically sawed from the casting during the first machining operation.

Method and apparatus for casting a vehicle wheel in a pressurized mold


A synchronous condenser has a rotor, a rotor shaft on which the rotor is mounted, and collector rings electrically connected to a source of D.C. voltage. A fluid drive has an output shaft connected to the synchronous condenser rotor shaft through a quick disconnect mechanism, an input shaft, and a motor connected to drive the input shaft. In bringing the synchronous condenser onto line, the speed of rotation of the output shaft of the fluid drive is brought to a speed slightly greater than the synchronous speed, a D.C. voltage is applied to the collector rings of the rotating field to generate a polyphase A.C. voltage in the windings in the stator core, and the polyphase breaker is closed just as the phases are brought into synchronization with the corresponding phases of the power grid. After the synchronization is complete, the disconnect coupling is operated to separate the starting mechanism and the starting mechanism is shut down. The entire process can be accomplished by remote control.

One class of synchronous condensers is, as described in Ser. No. 08/242,890, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,500, essentially a large generator made for use as a turbine-generator, acting to improve the power factor of the power line or grid. As such, it serves a useful function, but it is not always needed, depending upon the power factor of the instantaneous load. Because the operation of the synchronous condenser consumes a certain amount of energy, approximately one percent of the rated MVA, it is desirable to be able to take it off line when it is not needed. Some synchronous condensers are designed with end windings of sufficient strength to be able to be started under the condition known as "across the line" start; wherein with the rotor not rotating, the contactor which connects the three phases of the motor or synchronous condenser is closed. At closure of the contactor, the connection out of phase, causes a corresponding large electro-magnetic force, which--produces a heavy torsional shock to the windings of the apparatus. These are not the synchronous condensers to which this invention is directed. The present invention has to do with turbine generators converted to synchronous condensers, or potentially, large synchronous condensers of a similar nature, that require an external starting mechanism. The end windings of the stator of such synchronous generators suffer most from the large electro-magnetic forces because the end windings are not supported as well as are the windings located in the axial slots in the stator core. Once up to operating speed, these electromotive forces are reduced.
In the case of the large generators made for service as a turbine driven generator, when used normally, the turbine is used to increase the speed to normal operating speed, and the rate of increase is very slow, from fifteen minutes to several hours. On the other hand, in an "across the line" start, it takes only 11 to 30 seconds to increase the speed from zero to full operating speed. Another reason, besides the torsional shock, for using a slow start for these large generators/synchronous condensers is related to the metallurgical properties of the rotor forgings. Many of them now in service and those that could be made in the future have alloy steel forgings with an alloy that acts more in a brittle manner at ambient or colder conditions, i.e. less than 70 degrees F., while at the normal operating conditions, i.e. above 120.degree. F., the alloy behaves in a more ductile manner. This property is described as the "Fracture Appearance Transition Temperature, abbreviated "FATT". The temperature at which the alloy acts 50% brittle and 50% ductile is referred to as the FATT, also known to some metallurgists as the Ductile-Brittle Transition (DBT). An explanation can be found in Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers, eighth edition, Mc Graw Hill, publisher, pages 5-6 through 5-9. Thus it is important to assure that the operating temperature of a generator/synchronous condenser is above the FATT before the rotor is operated at high speed, in order to assure that the material is acting in the ductile range before being subjected to high tensile stress from either (a) centrifugal forces or (b) high bending stresses associated with large amplitudes which can be encountered during high amplitude lateral vibratory conditions which occur when the rotor speed passes through the critical speed of the rotor bearing system.
Failures of generators in the past have been related to both of these factors. Large generator rotors have failed when started under cold conditions directly. Metallurgical examination identified operation at a temperature below the FATT to be the source of the later failure. Further, large generators with the rotor assembly at rest have inadvertently been connected electrically to the grid, causing damage to the generator windings, particularly the end windings.
In addition to the desirability of being able to bring up the speed of rotation of the synchronous condenser at a controlled rate, slowly relative to the rate at which an "across the line" start would be, it is desirable to be able to locate the synchronous condenser in any portion of the electrical distribution system where the benefits of a synchronous condenser are desired, to make the system self-starting, with an unmanned start and a remote start from a system operator's control board. These latter characteristics are similar to those of existing systems for gas turbine generators, and the application to the system of this invention of the electronic control technology for remote starting and synchronization of gas turbine generators to the power grid, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive apparatus and method for bringing a large rotating synchronous condenser onto line.
Another object is to accomplish the task of bringing the synchronous condenser up to speed at a controlled rate.
Still another object is to permit starting of the synchronous condenser from a control station completely remote from the site of the synchronous condenser.
Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the following description and accompanying drawings.

Apparatus and method for bringing on line a large synchronous condenser that cannot be started by an across the line start


A light fixture and method for producing downward-propagating illumination that includes an edge-lit lightguide illuminated from its perimeter. The lightguide has a light extractor, such as a dot pattern on its bottom surface, which extracts a portion of the light from inside the lightguide and directs it to a diffuser. The fixture also includes a downlight, arranged above the lightguide and producing a downlight beam downward. The downlight beam transmits from the top face through the bottom face of the lightguide and emerges from the bottom face of the lightguide as a directional beam. The downlight beam has a downlight beam footprint. The light extractor has a light extractor area that excludes the downlight beam footprint, and the diffuser has a diffuser area that also excludes the downlight beam footprint.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are become more commonplace in general illumination applications, such as office spaces and conference rooms. For example, an edge-lit panel uses LEDs at its light source, and is become increasingly common for ceiling-based applications, such as incorporation into ceiling tiles. While edge-lit panels tend to have a pleasing, uniform external appearance, such edge-lit panels tend to produce only diffuse light.
There are some instances where a user may want to use an additional directional beam, such as a spotlight or accent light, for illuminating a particular task or space. Typically, the user has to install a separate fixture that provides such a directional beam, often referred to as a downlight. Use of a separate fixture is unwieldy, and may not be aesthetically pleasing.
Early attempts to incorporate a downlight source into an edge-lit fixture involved cutting a hole directly through the fixture, placing the downlight in the hole, and using a bezel or mask to hide the edge where the hole is cut. These attempts may have produced both the diffuse light and the directional beam, but they lacked the pleasing, uniform external appearance of the uncut edge-lit panel.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a single light fixture that can produce both diffuse light and a directional beam, while maintaining a uniform external appearance.

Edge-lit light fixture incorporating a downlight and having a uniform external appearance


An electrostatic chuck includes a base. The base has a support portion made of alumina ceramics, and a surface portion made of yttria ceramics. The surface portion forms at least a substrate mounting surface and side surface of the base on a surface of the support portion. Carbon contents in alumina ceramics of the support portion and yttria ceramics of the surface portion are 0.05 wt % or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrostatic chuck and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, in a manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor device and a manufacturing apparatus of a liquid crystal device, an electrostatic chuck has been used in order to hold a substrate during a manufacturing process, for example, a deposition process and an etching process, and in order to convey the substrate. In general, the electrostatic chuck has a structure in which a dielectric electrode for generating electrostatic force is embedded in a base made of ceramics. Moreover, there is also an electrostatic chuck in which a resistance heating body is further embedded in the ceramics. A material of the base of the electrostatic chuck as described above is, for example, alumina having excellent heat resistance and corrosion resistance and high volume resistivity.
In recent years, for the electrostatic chuck, higher corrosion resistance than heretofore has been being required. For example, corrosion resistance sufficient for in-situ cleaning in the etching process of the semiconductor device is required. The in-situ cleaning is not a method, like conventional wet etching, of etching a semiconductor wafer after taking out the semiconductor wafer to the outside from a chamber where heating treatment and deposition treatment are performed therefore, but is a method of etching the semiconductor wafer by a plasma environment of halogen-series corrosive gas in the chamber. The electrostatic chuck will be exposed to such a severe plasma environment of the halogen-series corrosive gas.
In order to enhance corrosion resistance of a ceramic member applicable to the electrostatic chuck, a ceramic member has been proposed, in which an yttria sintered body having higher corrosion resistance than alumina is bonded to an upper surface of an alumina sintered body (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-128603).
The ceramic member described in Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication No. 2006-128603 contains a large amount of carbon in the alumina sintered body in order to enhance mechanical strength of the alumina sintered body. With regard to the ceramic member including such an alumina sintered body containing the large amount of carbon, the high mechanical strength thereof becomes advantageous, for example, when the ceramic member is applied to a heater. However, since carbon has conductivity, when the ceramic member is applied to the electrostatic chuck, there has been a case where the volume resistivity of alumina is decreased by a high temperature in an environment where the electrostatic chuck is used. In this case, there has been an apprehension that a current supplied to a dielectric electrode may be transmitted to alumina on the periphery of the dielectric electrode and flown to other portions, that is, that a so called leak current may be increased. There has been an apprehension that the increase of the leak current may cause a malfunction particularly in the case of an electrostatic chuck in which the dielectric electrode is disposed in a bonded portion between the alumina sintered body and the yttria sintered body. This is because there is a possibility that the leak current may be transmitted along the bonded portion to a surface of the base.
Moreover, in the ceramic member described above in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-128603, the yttria sintered body having high corrosion resistance will be formed only on an upper surface of the base when the ceramic member is applied to the electrostatic chuck. Here, with regard to the electrostatic chuck, not only an upper surface thereof but also a side surface thereof is exposed to the severe corrosive environment in the chamber where the electrostatic chuck is subjected to the treatment such as etching. Accordingly, in the electrostatic chuck in which the above-described yttria sintered body is formed only on the upper surface of the base, corrosion resistance of a side surface portion thereof is not always sufficient depending on etching conditions, and there has been a case where the insufficient corrosion resistance causes contaminations and particles.
The present invention advantageously solves the above-described problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrostatic chuck, in which the leak current is suppressed, and the corrosion resistance is further excellent, and also to provide an advantageous manufacturing method of the electrostatic chuck.

Electrostatic chuck with heater and manufacturing method thereof


A planetary gear device having two sun gears with different diameters that engage with double planet gears having a first gear teeth area, which interacts with the fist sun gear, and a second gear teeth area, which interacts with the second sun gear. The double planet gears are continuous helical gear wheels. The crown circle diameters of the gear teeth areas of the double planet gears and the crown circle diameters of the sun gears are adapted such that the pitch circle diameters between the double planet gears and the sun gears are arranged in the center between the crown circle diameters and the effective root diameters of the gear teeth areas of the double planet gears and the sun gears.

A differential gear unit is known from EP 0 844 416 A2, which has a bevel gear differential with an input shaft and two output shafts. The input shaft is positively connected with a carrier bearing of a bevel gear differential via a bevel gearing, to be able to transmit torque from the input shaft, via the carrier bearing, to the output shafts connected with the bevel gear wheels of further bevel gear wheel pairs. In this case, an outgoing supply of driving torque is distributed equally to both output shafts.
In addition, a power path is provided between the carrier bearing and both output shafts, each of which features a planetary gear device with two sun gears, which have different diameters. The sun gears mesh with the double planet gears that are constructed with a first gear teeth area that interacts with a first sun gear and a gear teeth area into which the second sun gear meshes. The planet carrier of the double planet gears are positively connected with frictionally engaged shifting elements, the rotational speed of the planet carriers being variable depending on the transmission capacity of the shifting elements.
In the present description, the double planet gears of the planetary gear devices are each constructed with two gear wheels which are spaced apart from one another, a shaft area designed with a reduced diameter being provided between both gear wheels of a double planet gear.
The disadvantage of this type of double planetary gear design is the technical complexity that results in high manufacturing costs.
Therefore, the task of the present invention is based on providing a planetary gear device that can be manufactured in a simple and cost-effective manner.

Planetary gear device with two sun gears having different diameters


A power module includes: a base plate having a front surface provided with positioning wire bonding portions; an insulating substrate provided with hole portions accommodating the positioning wire bonding portions on a side of a back surface facing the base plate, and fixed to the base plate with being positioned with respect to the base plate by the hole portions accommodating the positioning wire bonding portions; and a semiconductor chip arranged on a side of a front surface of the insulating substrate opposite to the back surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor module.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a power semiconductor module, an insulating substrate, a semiconductor chip, and the like are mounted on a metal base plate by solder joint. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-031358 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 01-281760 propose techniques of providing, in a semiconductor module in which an insulating substrate having a circuit layout formed using copper foil is mounted on a metal base plate, convex and concave portions at predetermined positions on the metal base plate for positioning of the insulating substrate.
In the semiconductor modules proposed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-031358 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 01-281760, it is necessary to perform additional processing on the base plate to provide the convex and concave portions in the base plate, which increases man-hours and reduces manufacturing efficiency. Further, in a case where the convex and concave portions are provided using a mold or the like, it is also necessary to change the design of the mold itself when the locations for forming the convex and concave portions and the number of the convex and concave portions are changed, and thus it is difficult to use the mold for the production of a wide variety of products in small quantities.


In one embodiment, a method generally includes identifying at a local Virtual Private LAN Service Provider Edge (VPLS PE) device whether remote VPLS PE devices are configured for operation as a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB), negotiating pseudowire connections with the remote VPLS PE devices based on identification of the remote VPLS PE device configuration, receiving a frame destined for one of the remote VPLS PE devices, and transmitting the frame in a format compatible with the remote VPLS PE device. The local VPLS PE is configured for operation as a PBB and at least one of the remote VPLS PE devices is not configured for operation as a PBB. An apparatus for use in mixed mode VPLS network is also disclosed.

The present disclosure relates generally to communication networks, and more particularly to Virtual Private LAN (Local Area Network) Service (VPLS) networks.
Many service providers are seeking to incorporate transport technologies which enable them to reduce capital expenses and operation expenses in their next generation networks. Ethernet transport can reduce expenses since it is already used in many networking products. Draft standard IEEE 802.1 ah, entitled "Provider Backbone Bridges", has been developed to address some of the internetworking issues with conventional Ethernet networking.
Currently, VPLS core networks with Ethernet aggregation networks using IEEE 802.1Q ("Local and Metropolitan Area Networks—Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks", 2005) or IEEE 802.1 ad ("Local and metropolitan area networks—Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks—Amendment 4: Provider Bridges", 2005) are commonly used. With conventional systems, if there is a combination of IEEE 802.1 ad and IEEE 802.1 ah aggregation networks connected via the VPLS core, all of the provider edge (PE) devices need to be upgraded to be compatible with the IEEE 802.1 ah standard.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Virtual private LAN service networks with mixed mode network devices


A fixture for an induction brazing station includes a removable front plate on which is mounted a work piece holder. The base of the induction unit mounts to a back plate lying coplanar with the front plate on the work surface. The coil of the induction unit is uniquely matched to the front plate and the work piece holder. The induction coil removably mounts to the front plate when not in use such that the front plate may be removed from the work surface with the work piece holder and coil mounted thereon. A different front plate may then be mounted upon the work surface having a different coil configuration and work piece holder. The coil(s) are removed from the front plate and attached to the induction base on the back plate. The coil extends to the work piece holder on the front plate in the correct position. The invention provides for quick changeover between different induction units at a single work station.

The present invention relates to manufacturing of metal eyewear frames. The invention more particularly relates to a fixture which allows for rapid changeovers between different induction brazing units at a single work station.
Metal eyewear frames are manufactured in an ever-changing variety of styles. A common metal eyewear frame includes right and left eyewires wherein right and left lenses are secured. A separate bridge element and/or brace interconnects the eyewires, and a pair of nose pads are typically attached to the front frame adjacent the bridge. A pair of temples are pivotally secured to opposite sides of the front frame to complete the eyewear frame assembly. Common methods employed to join the various metal components of an eyewear frame together include resistance brazing and induction brazing. Induction brazing is more difficult and expensive to carry out than resistance brazing but provides a superior connection between the metal parts.
In induction brazing, the eyewear frame components to be joined are positioned in a work piece holder mounted to a work surface. An induction unit having a base is mounted to the work surface adjacent to the work piece holder (typically behind the work piece holder). Induction units are commercially available through HAUG of Switzerland. The induction unit carries an induction coil which has a configuration matched to the particular eyewear components being joined. The induction unit base is mounted to the work surface with the induction coil extending to the work piece in a very precise positional relationship. A worker places the metal frame parts into the work piece holder and activates the induction coil to join the parts.
As stated, the configuration and placement of the induction coil must be precisely matched to the configuration of the work piece. A single eyewear frame may require induction brazing of many parts, e.g., the nose pad arms to the eyewires, the eyewires to the bridge and/or brace, and end pieces to the opposite side of the eyewires. Prior to the present invention, either multiple induction brazing work stations were required to join these different joints, each with its own specially configured and positioned induction coil, or the induction units themselves would need to be changed at a particular work station. Both of these options have proven expensive. Each induction work station costs upwards of $40,000.00USD and it is therefore an expensive proposition to have a separate work station for each joint being brazed for every style of eyewear frame being produced. Furthermore, to change induction units at a single work station is also very expensive in that it typically requires two to three days to complete a changeover of induction units due to the exacting configuration and positioning requirements of the induction coils with regard to the particular work piece. Quickly identifying the proper coil configuration for a particular frame style and joint is also a problem. Thus, while induction brazing of metal eyewear frames is very desirable from the standpoint of quality, it is also very expensive and problematic for the reasons discussed above.

Changeover fixture for induction brazing work station


A low noise amplifier and a chip. The amplifier includes a biasing circuit unit, a first amplifying circuit unit, a first adjusting unit, a first signal input, a second signal input and a first signal output; the biasing circuit unit includes a first voltage output and a second voltage output; the first amplifying circuit unit includes a first N-type transistor, a first P-type transistor, a first output capacitor, a second output capacitor, a first impedance and a second impedance; gates of first N-type and P-type transistors are connected to first voltage output and first signal input, and second voltage output and first signal input, respectively, via adjusting unit; source of first N-type transistor is connected to source of first P-type transistor and second signal input; drains of first N-type and P-type transistors are connected respectively to impedance, and to first signal output and second signal output via output capacitor.

With the widespread use of electronic devices, higher and higher requirements for power consumption are imposed on electronic devices (especially handheld devices) in the industry, it is because that higher power consumption means shorter service time of the electronic device, and therefore, requirements for low power consumption of electronic devices are becoming more and more urgent.
The low noise amplifier is an important component of an electronic device, and generally has a lower current using efficiency. In order to obtain a higher gain and a higher signal power to noise power ratio, more current needs to be consumed, which results in higher power consumption of the low noise amplifier and then results in higher power consumption of the electronic device containing the low noise amplifier.

SHANGHAI EASTSOFT MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


A security encoding unit performs security encoding processing on a plurality of images simultaneously, for example, an image on a front side of the document and an image on a back side of the document. The security encoding unit includes at least a first detector for detecting first security information of a first image based on a first original image data, a second detector for detecting second security information of a second image based on a second original image data, a first security encoding device for performing security encoding processing on the first original image data to generate the first image data, and a second security encoding device for performing security encoding processing on the first original image data to generate the second image data. The first original image data of the first image and the second original image data of the second image are input simultaneously.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary aspects of the present invention generally relate to a security encoding unit and an image reading unit using the same, and an image forming apparatus including the image reading unit.
2. Description of the Background Art
To protect the confidentiality of certain types of information, particularly documents, methods are known of prohibiting unauthorized copying of such documents by inserting various types of encoded security information in the document. Subsequently, when such encoded security information is detected in an attempt to copy the document, copying is either prevented from starting or discontinued if already started.
In particular, Japanese Patent Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-274092 discloses a method and an apparatus for protecting the security of a document by prohibiting output of an image when a background pattern of a document image is detected.
A background pattern is detected so as to create security encoding instruction information, and a determination as to whether or not a document image is a copy prohibited image is made based on the security encoding instruction information thus created. When a problem is detected by a background pattern recognition unit, an image forming apparatus stops reading the document and also stops forming an image of the document.
Similarly, Japanese Patent Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-287902 discloses an image processor that prevents unauthorized copying of a document by displaying document property information through not only a background pattern shape embedded in the document but also by a color of the background pattern.
Various refinements of the basic method described above are also known. Thus, for example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-13882 discloses an image reading apparatus which simultaneously reads images formed on both a front side and a back side of a document, and stores the image data in a memory. Japanese Patent Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-109527 discloses a multifunction copier in which images formed on both a front side and a back side of a document are simultaneously read, and digitized image data is stored in a memory in a time-division writing scheme using a single channel. Japanese Patent No. 3278471 discloses an area discriminating method (that is, extraction of an image region) which distinguishes between a text region in an image and a non-text region which is not the text region, but may include an image, for example, a picture.
However, the foregoing examples may leave unaddressed certain desired requirements relating to reliable security encoding.
For example, when a plurality of images is simultaneously input, it is desirable that security encoding processing is securely performed on each image. In such a case, when the security information of the plurality of images is detected using the same parameter, there is a possibility that even though the security information of one image is accurately detected, the security information of the other image may not be accurately detected because the input processing characteristics of the plurality of images are different.
Furthermore, it is desirable that the security information of the plurality of images is accurately detected using fewer security information detectors than the number of images to be detected.
Still further, in a case in which one image includes the security information and the other image does not include such security information, it is desirable that the security encoding processing still be performed on the image including no security information as is performed on the image including the security information to provide enhanced security for the information contained in the document.

Security encoding unit and image forming apparatus including same


A method of forming a physical model of a geographic area. The method includes the steps of generating a digital elevation model of a topography of a defined geographic area, scaling the digital elevation model to a predetermined size, determining a parametric function from the scaled digital elevation model according to a predetermined shape, determining a linear function from the parametric function, determining a machine path from the linear function, and forming one or more material portions according to the machine path, thereby forming one or more portions representative of the defined geographic area.

Any references to methods, apparatus or documents of the prior are not to be taken as constituting any evidence or admission that they formed, or form, part of the common general knowledge.
Maps, paintings and photographs of geographic locations are a popular fixture in homes and offices. However, these 2D images can often fail to capture the unique beauty and topography of the locations they attempt to depict.
Thus, there is a need for an improved way to depict geographic locations and areas.

Method of forming a physical model of a geographic area


The present invention relates to a liquid chromatography system for the separation of bio-molecules in a fluid including at least two unit operations, wherein the first unit operation is a step of multi-column chromatography and the second unit operation is a step modifying said bio-molecules and/or the fluid, wherein the modification comprises feeding the fluid resulting from the last chromatography column of the first unit operation into a system comprising at least two containers, wherein each container has a volume and a moveable sidewall arranged to divide the volume into a first sub-volume and a second sub-volume, and each container comprises a first port connected to the first volume and a second port connected to the second sub-volume. The invention also relates to a virus inactivation device for a chromatography system according to the invention, which enables continuous or semi-continuous processing of biomolecules, as well as a method of using such a device.

Liquid chromatography is one of the most commonly used separation principles in the analysis and manufacture of biomolecules, such as proteins and peptides. There are numerous commercial instruments available for the processing of biomolecules by chromatography today, most of which enable automated processing. However, most liquid chromatography systems require some manual intervention, such as sample application, change of operating parameters etc. which may make their use time-consuming and more labour-intensive than desired.
In order to speed up the processing of biomolecules, development is also moving towards continuous processing when possible. One method which is increasingly used for rapid separation of biomolecules from complex fluids such as fermentation liquids is multiple column chromatography, such as periodic counter current chromatography (pcc). As is well known to the skilled person in this field, multi-column chromatography consists of several chromatographic columns which may be switched in position opposite to the flow direction. Columns may be equipped with pumps, and fluid streams are internally recycled to optimise the performance. Systems may be split into several sections, from which every section performs a task analog to the tasks of a batch purification.
As is also well known to the skilled person, in addition to the separation of biomolecules, the processing thereof will normally include further steps upstream and downstream of the chromatography column. Examples of upstream processing are for example the lysis of cells originating from a culturing process and filtration to remove cell debris and the like. Other processing that may take place upstream or downstream may include either modification of the actual biomolecule, such as modification of the glycosylation of a protein and polymer modification, such as PEGylation; or modification of the fluid wherein the biomolecule is present. The simpler modification of the fluid would include pH change and/or salt additions, while a more complex and currently more time-consuming process is virus-inactivation.
Virus-inactivation of a fluid comprising biomolecules is most commonly performed by addition of the appropriate chemicals, which requires a certain period of time for sufficient inactivation to take place. Including virus-inactivation, as well as other modifications of biomolecules and/or fluid in a continuous process presents a challenge in terms of suitable equipment as well as methodology. There is still a need in analytical as well as preparative scale chromatography for improved systems which enable automated and continuous processing of biomolecules.

Liquid chromatography system, a device, and a method


A cationic polymerizable composition comprising a cationic polymerizable mixture, a cationic polymerization initiator and an amino alcohol, wherein the amino alcohol contains two hydroxyl groups and one carbon chain containing a carbon atom having one or no hydrogen atom bonded to the carbon atom, an actinic ray curable ink-jet ink using the same, and a method of stabilizing the cationic polymerizable composition.

As quick drying printing ink, known are the ink compositions cured via radical polymerization due to irradiation with actinic rays. However, these ink compositions tend to suffer from curing inhibition in the presence of oxygen.
Recently, an ink composition cured via cationic polymerization with irradiation of actinic rays has been proposed. Proposed ink compositions contain an oxetane compound, an optical cationic polymerization initiator and a pigment, and may include an epoxy compound if needed. Since cationic polymerization is initiated by existence of cations generated from a cationic polymerization initiator by irradiation of, for example, UV rays, polymerization is not inhibited by oxygen. Accordingly, the polymerization is not necessary to be carried out under an inert atmosphere, and has the advantage that prompt and complete polymerization can be performed in air.
However, when a cationic polymerization initiator is added to a cationic polymerizable compound, for example, an oxetane compound or an epoxy compound, and the composition is stored over a long period, cations may spontaneously be generated from the cationic initiator even when no UV rays are intercepted, resulting in a viscosity increase and a gelling of the composition due to initiation of polymerization of the cationic polymerizable compound.
In order to resolve this problem, addition of various amine compounds to improve storage stability has been proposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1-5.).
However, prevention effect of polymerization of the cationic polymerizable compounds has not been fully acquired by the use of amines disclosed so far. In a case of an ink which contains a colorant, condense of the colorant tends to occur and the dispersion stability has not been fully enough. By addition of an amine, the energy required for curing the ink increases, and, when the amines disclosed so far are added to the ink composition, the curability of the ink tends to become relatively lower. Further, the ink composition added with the amines disclosed so far may have safety problems, namely, the ink composition relatively easily causes a rash, when in contact with bare skin.
(Patent document 1) Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereafter referred to as JP-A) No. 5-132505
(Patent document 2) JP-A No. 6-184093
(Patent document 3) JP-A No. 2000-186079
(Patent document 4) JP-A No. 2001-200049
(Patent document 5) JP-A No. 2003-292606

Cationic polymerizable composition, actinic ray curable ink-jet ink and stabilization method of the cationic polymerizable composition


In order to obtain information related to operating channels of access points, the method receives lightweight beacons on a common channel. The method generates a channel scanning list in accordance with the content of the lightweight beacons and sequentially scans all the channels on the list. The method is capable of reducing the scanning time and the data loss rate during the scanning operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for scanning wireless channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless local area network (WLAN) technology is now widely used in various applications. Numerous organizations devote extensive resources to research seeking improvements in WLAN data communication quality. In a WLAN, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be located within communication range of several access points (APs). However, the AP associated with the WTRU and the channel the WTRU operates on may change over time due to signal strength variations. On the other hand, when is the WTRU roams among various APs, the channel utilized may be adjusted in accordance with a location of the WTRU and the signal quality. Before the WTRU can be associated with an AP, a handoff procedure has to be performed. The handoff procedure includes a scanning phase, an authentication phase and a re-association phase, and the scanning phase incurs significant delay.
FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram for a wireless network. The network comprises a station 11, and AP 12, 13. The operating channel of the AP 12 is channel 1, and the operating channel of the AP 13 is channel 2. A channel scanning procedure has to be performed for the station 11 to obtain the related information of all APs within the signal communication range of the station 11. The related information includes service set identifiers (SSIDs), the signal strength of every detected AP, encryption modes, etc. The two currently available modes for scanning are active scanning and passive scanning. However, both active scanning and passive scanning interrupt the operations to transmit or receive packets. If the station 11 is a dual-band station that can be operated on 38 operating channels, and 140 ms is required to scan each channel, then the station 11 needs 5320 ms to scan all channels. That is, the station 11 would need to stop communicating with an associated AP for 5320 ms in order to complete the operation of scanning all channels. Because the data forwarding and data receiving operations are interrupted during this period, important packets could be lost. Therefore, finding ways to reduce the scanning time and the data loss rate during the scanning operation is an important issue for the market.

Method for scanning wireless channels, apparatus and system for using the same


An electrical wire has a central electrically conductive member such as copper, aluminum, gold or silver or admixtures or alloys thereof, coated by a photoresistive insulator, preferably of a negative photoresistive material such as polyimide. A non-mechanical method of stripping a desired portion of the length of the insulator from the electrical wire comprises exposing the desired length of the electrical wire to a source of UV light. The UV light then “softens” the insulator which either evaporates or can be dissolved by immersing it in a solvent.

An electrical wire comprising an electrically conductive member with an insulator surrounding the member is well known in the art. Typically, in the prior art, electrical wires are used to electrically connect different electrical or electronic components. In so doing, the insulator surrounding the electrically conductive member must be removed so that the electrically conductive member, typically a metal such as gold, silver, or more commonly copper or aluminum, can then be electrically connected to the electrical or electronic components by solder or the like. In order to remove the insulator which surrounds the electrically conductive member, wire strippers or other mechanical devices have been used. In a wire stripper, a plier like device having a hole with a sharp edge is used. The hole is approximately the size of the electrically conductive member. As the stripper is squeezed or engages the outer insulator, it cuts the outer insulator. However, since there is a hole that is approximately the size of the electrically conductive member, the stripper stops and does not cut into the electrically conductive member. The user then exerts a force by pulling the insulator away. Sometimes, in the process of so doing, the stripper may hit or nick the electrically conductive member. In other cases, the pulling may cause a tear in the insulator coating, thereby stripping more or less than the desired amount. Other mechanical methods for stripping the insulation include the use of a knife to cut the insulation and then pull the cut insulation. However, the problems of potentially nicking the electrically conductive member and the inaccuracy of the amount of insulation stripped remains. Still other methods have included the use of sand paper or other abrasive techniques to remove the insulation.
The aforementioned problems of stripping an electrical wire are exacerbated as the size of the wire decreases. As the wires become smaller and smaller to connect smaller components, or are used in confined spaces, the electrically conductive member becomes extremely small and the insulator surrounding it is also very small. Thus, the tolerance between the outer diameter of the electrical wire and the outer diameter of the electrically conductive member is very small. This increases the risk that using a stripper or other mechanical means can nick or cut the electrically conductive member and/or the mechanical device can remove more or less of the insulator than is desired.

Electrical wire and a method of stripping the insulation thereof


The present invention provides a kind of rice endogenous bentazon and sulfonylurea herbicide resistant gene (Cyp81A6 gene), and its functional conservative variants, the biological activity subfragments or derivatives with the same function. It also provides a kind of method to prevent the selling mixtures during hybrid seed production. It also provides the novel means of the directional genetic manipulation and the improvement of biological traits.

By utilization of heterosis of rice, China succeeded in developing of hybrid rice and this made the rice production increased substantially in total. Currently, China is large scaly exploring two-line system hybrid rice after success in utilization of the three-line heterosis based on nucleo-cytoplasmic interaction male sterility. The hybrid seeds of the two-line system are produced by photo- and thermo-sensitive genic male sterile line. But the sterility of this male sterile line is easily affected by environmental temperature, especially the midsummer low temperature that may cause its fertility restored. This thus results in a potential risk: when seed production of two-line system meets low temperature, the harvest seeds may comprise of false hybrid seeds (selfing seeds from male sterile line) mixed in the real hybrid seeds. Once presence of this mixture of the hybrid seeds with selfings from female parent and fail to eliminate them, it will causes a great loss to seed or field production. Guangxi in 1989 and Hunan in 1999 suffered such big loss right because of these.
The existing data proved that the seed purity declined 1 percent and yield of hybrid rice would reduce 75 kg per hectare. This is why the seed standard published by Chinese Ministry of Agriculture stipulates that the purity of hybrid seeds has to stand over 98%. Not only the photo- and thermo-sensitive male sterile line produced the two-line hybrid seeds have the selfing contamination problems, but so do the hybrid seeds when produced by incomplete male sterile lines, such as their sterility governed by nucleic major gene/s that have modifier gene/s participated in, or resulted from artificial chemical emasculation, or from environment sensitive nucleo-cytoplasmic interaction, or from artificially developed aneuploid. Many attempts have been made to eliminate such selfing mixture problems and thus to have the crop heterosis utilization establish on a more reliable foundation. However, in view of the characteristic of herbicide tolerant/resistant being widely used in the modern crop breeding program, not a few of scientists also attempt to utilize the wild-type rice that have the resistance to both bentazon and sulfonylurea to solve the above mentioned selfing mixture problems during the hybrid seed production.
There are two main categories of selective herbicides applied to rice. The former one is a benzothiadiazinone contact herbicide, such as bentazon, and its effective component can be absorbed through roots and leaves of crop. It kills the overwhelming dicot plants and sedges in most gramineous species excluding leguminous while it is harmless to rice. The herbicide mechanism of this herbicide is to inhibit Hill reaction in Photosynthesis. But the endogenous gene that is resistant to such herbicide of bentazon has not yet been cloned from plants so far. The later one is sulfonylurea-like herbicides explored by DuPont Company, which represent a new category of super effective herbicides characterized in high selectivity, broad spectrum, low poisons, and interior absorption. Among which, the tribenuron-ethyl, and bensulfuron-methyl and their complex formula are the most widely used herbicides in paddy field in China at present. The most notable characteristic of the sulfonylurea herbicides is the high activity, which makes their on-use dosage usually within 5-100 gram per hectare. The sulfonylurea-like herbicides are the acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors, which have special effect to many annul or perennial weeds, especially the broadleaf weeds and are already widely used to eliminate the weeds growing in the field of rice, wheat, soybean, corn, canola, and lawn and other non-cultivated land. The DuPont Company has explored several sulfonylurea-resistant genes. One of these genes is SURB-Hra cloned from a tobacco ALS mutant. The SURB-Hra expresses resistance is because the mutated ALS is insensitive to the sulfonylurea. This gene has been applied to various crops including cotton and soybean (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,013,659, 5,084,086, 5,141,870, 5,378,824, 5,605,011); Another sulfonylurea resistant gene developed by DuPont Company is the P450 su1 gene isolated from soil bacteria. The mode of action of this gene is to accelerate the metabolism of sulfonylurea to non-toxic. DuPont has made great efforts on the studies of this P450 gene and its application (see patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,127 for relevant information). In a patent (WO9708327) document, Japanese Nissan Chemical Corporation also publicized an ALS gene that was isolated from the cDNA of Kochia coparia, a kind of dicotyledonous broadleaf plant, having the function to make the transgenic plant resistant to sulfonylurea.
At present, two major approaches are applied to develop herbicide tolerant or resistant crops: the first one is by use of traditional physical/chemical mutagenesis to obtain the crop mutant capable to resistant or tolerant to herbicides; the second one is through recombinant DNA technology to introduce herbicide tolerant or resistant gene/s into the existing species to create the new materials tolerant or resistant to herbicides. Among which, the latter approach is the most widely used method. Currently, to enhance the crop herbicide tolerance or resistant, there are also two strategies involving in use of this recombinant DNA technology: first is to modify the herbicide target protein and make it insensitive to herbicide or over expressed to let plant still capable to normally metabolize the herbicide after absorption; second is to introduce in an new enzyme or enzyme system, such as P450 monooxygenase (Wang Guanlin and Fang Hongjun, 1998), to degrade or detoxify the absorbed herbicide before it functions.
Wild-type rice is naturally resistant to bentazon and sulfonylurea herbicides. Mori, a Japanese scholar and Zhang Jiwen et al from Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences made two recessive bentazon-sensitive-lethal mutants Norin 8m (Mori, 1984) and 8077S (Zhang Jiwen and Wu Xiaozhi, 1999) using X-ray radiation to treat Norin 8 and W6154, respectively. Based on these, Zhang et al (2001) further developed a selfing seed removal technology system to ensure the hybrid seed purity by use of the recessive mutant locus to tag the thermo-sensitive male sterile line. Since such a germplasm source plays an important role in the seed purity security and ensuring system of the two-line hybrid rice, e.g. use of on-8077S mutant locus tagged two-line's male sterile line could largely reduces the risk of seed production of the two-line hybrid rice, it is thus highly recognized by rice breeders and seed enterprises. However, since this hybrid seed purity-ensuring system functions only after seed-harvesting, even though its effect is not bad, it is hardly approved by seed administration department because what the technology ensured is the non-purified seeds and these are not according with the government-published seed purity standard before sale. Therefore, there is a need for creating a new mechanism to remove mixtures and to ensure the purity. However, the problem is that the gene controlling this trait has not yet been cloned for many years. It thus makes people have no way to conduct manipulation and further utilization of this trait, which has already become a major technical obstacle in this field.
Based on above situations, the present inventor used two existing bentazon sensitive lethal mutants as materials to conduct fine mapping of their mutant loci and finally cloned their common wild-type alleles through deepgoing investigation. Further on the base of this, the inventors developed several useful methods and techniques. These include a method for development of chemically supplemented emasculation and thermo-sensitive male sterile line, a genetic manipulation technique of double- or multi-sites targeted co-modification, a new approach for investigating biological function of plant genes, and a new technology for genetic improvement of plant traits. Therefore, this invention not only solves the selfing mixture problems during the hybrid seed production, but also provides the useful means with broad application perspective for investigating biological functions of genes and improving the biological traits genetically.

Rice bentazon and sulfonylurea herbicide resistant gene Cyp81a6

Wuhan Fortune Science and Technology Co., Ltd.


A power supply. The power supply provides power to a real-time clock generator when system power is not available and comprises first and second regulators, an energy storage device, and a switch. The first regulator receives a system power and generates a first regulated voltage when the system power is available. The energy storage device is coupled to a node. The second regulator comprises an input coupled to the node and provides a second regulated voltage to a real-time clock generator. The switch is coupled between the first regulator and the node. The switch is turned on when the system power is available and turned off when the system power is not available.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to power supply and, in particular, to power supply for real-time clock generation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most modern electronic systems are provided with real-time clocks that keep track of time even when an electronic system is turned off. Typically, real-time clocks run on a special battery not connected to a normal power supply.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a conventional power supply for real-time clock generation disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,019. In FIG. 1A, there are two power sources, a system power VSYS and a battery power VBATT, for real-time clock generation. A regulator 102 receives the battery power VBATT and generates a reference voltage VREF. A power selection circuit PS comprises an amplifier 26, an inverter 28, and transistors 30 and 32. When the system power VSYS exceeds the reference voltage VREF, the power selection circuit PS selects VSYS as a power supply VPP for real-time clock (RTC) circuits. When the system power VSYS is lower than the reference voltage VREF, the power selection circuit 102 selects VREF as the power supply VPP for real-time clock (RTC) circuits. As a result, power remains to keep time information of a system even when the system power VSYS is lost.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another conventional power supply for real-time clock generation disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,365. Operating principles thereof are similar to U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,019 and only differ in that the power selection circuit in the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,365 is a diode. The voltage supplied to the RTC circuit is lower than a system power VCC or a battery power BATT by voltage drop of the diode. When the system power VCC is lower than the battery power BATT, the diode D1 is reverse-biased and the diode D2 forward-biased. Thus, the battery power BATT supplies power to the RTC circuit RTC when the system power can not supply enough power to the RTC circuit RTC.
In the conventional power supplies for real-time clock generation, voltage of the system power VSYS or VCC is typically higher or even the highest in the system. In advanced semiconductor process technology, RTC circuits, however, are typically implemented with core devices having lower voltage endurance. Therefore, there is a need to have a new power supply which can provide sufficient power to an RTC circuit without exceeding the low voltage endurance.

Power supply for real-time clock generation


A personal digital assistant protection system for protecting a PDA along with receiving various PDA accessories. The personal digital assistant protection system includes a housing with an upper opening within an upper surface, and a tray removably positionable within the housing. The tray includes a support member that supports a PDA in a manner aligned with the upper opening when the tray is positioned within the housing. An auxiliary power source and other items may positioned within the tray.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to personal digital assistant cases and more specifically it relates to a personal digital assistant protection system for protecting a PDA along with receiving various PDA accessories.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal digital assistant (PDA) cases have been in use for years. Conventional PDA cases are comprised of either a soft pocket structure or a rigid pivoting structure. However, conventional PDA cases do not provide enough room to include larger accessories such as a battery, antenna and other accessories. Since a conventional battery for a PDA using wireless communications has a relatively short operating time, the users of wireless PDAs must frequently replace and recharge their batteries. Also, conventional PDA cases do not provide a writing surface for a user to write upon.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for protecting a PDA along with receiving various PDA accessories. Conventional PDA cases are comprised of small and compact structures that are not suitable for receiving larger accessories.
In these respects, the personal digital assistant protection system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of protecting a PDA along with receiving various PDA accessories.

Personal digital assistant protection system


A cryogenic cooling system for an aircraft includes a first air cycle machine, a second air cycle machine, and a means for collecting liquid air. The first air cycle machine is operable to output a cooling air stream based on a first air source. The second air cycle machine is operable to output a chilled air stream at a cryogenic temperature based on a second air source cooled by the cooling air stream of the first air cycle machine. An output of the second air cycle machine is provided to the means for collecting liquid air.

Exemplary embodiments pertain to aircraft systems, and more particularly to systems and methods of cryogenic cooling on an aircraft.
Gas turbine engines can provide propulsion and power on an aircraft. Aircraft can include separate systems that control propulsion, thermal management, and other functions. Aircraft environmental control systems can be used to remove heat from various aircraft lubrication and electrical systems and/or used to condition aircraft cabin air. Air cycle packs of an aircraft environmental control system can condition outside (fresh) air for cabin heating and cooling. The air temperatures and pressures from air cycle packs can be conditioned to match typical indoor environments deemed comfortable for occupants.
Gas turbine engines can be implemented as Brayton cycle machines with balanced thermodynamic cycles, where work is a function of pressure and volume, and heat transfer is balanced. The net work for a thermodynamic exchange in a gas turbine engine may be expressed as work done on a substance due to expansion minus work done on recompression. Work can be lost at thermodynamic exchanges where a cooling air branch occurs without imparting a motive force to turbomachinery within a gas turbine engine. In some instances, pressures and temperatures within a gas turbine engine are constrained due to material properties, which can result in designs that are less efficient through losses than may otherwise be needed.
Placement and use of gas turbine engines may be limited on or within an aircraft due to constraints on air intake, exhaust, fuel supply, and other factors. Electric propulsion motors can be effective at driving rotating elements but may be limited in use for providing aircraft thrust due to constraints on power density, electric power demand, heating effects, and weight.

Cryogenic cooling system for an aircraft


A weld joint having a base material and a weld metal both of an austenitic steel, wherein the weld metal has a chemical composition, in mass %, that C: 0.04% or less, Si: 1.0% or less, Mn: 3% or less, P: 0.02% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Cr: 15 to 25%, Ni: 30% or more, Mo: 10% or less, Nb: 2.5 to 5%, Al: 3.0% or less, Ti: 0.5% or less, and the balance: Fe and inevitable impurities, the contents of Al and Ti satisfying the following: (Ti+Al)>Nb/8. The weld joint is a high strength austenitic steel weld joint which exhibits excellent toughness at a low temperature and excellent resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, which are required for a piping and a vessel for high pressure hydrogen, particularly also in a welded zone.

Today, there is increasing hope for the practical application of fuel cell automobiles. Development of materials is being actively carried out in order to provide materials for use not only in fuel cell automobiles but in high pressure storage vessels, piping, valves, and the like to be used in hydrogen gas stations and the like which are necessary to establish an environment of use for fuel cell automobiles. Such a high pressure environment is said to be 50 MPa or above.
An austenitic stainless steel which has excellent resistance to hydrogen embrittlement is considered suitable for use in a usual hydrogen environment. Accordingly, various attempts are being made at increasing its strength to enable such an austenitic stainless steel to withstand a higher pressure hydrogen environment of 50 MPa or above. For example, it has been proposed to obtain a high strength by increasing the Mn content of the base metal, increasing the solubility of N, adding a relatively large amount of N and V, and carrying out suitable heat treatment.
However, even if it is possible to obtain a high strength base metal, it is difficult to obtain a high strength even with an austenitic weld metal. Since the weld metal undergoes melting and solidification and the weld heat affected zone undergoes heating and cooling at the time of welding, a decrease in strength occurs in welds. Therefore, in the past, strengthening methods were employed to precipitate fine grains by heat treatment after welding.
For example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Applications Hei 5-192785 and Hei 10-146692 disclose forming a weld metal from an Ni-base alloy to which Ti and Al have been added and heating it in a prescribed temperature range to precipitate fine intermetallic compounds (Ni3Al, Ni3Ti) referred to as gamma′ prime (γ′) phase, whereby the weld metal can be strengthened. However, these weld metals have the problem that they have a high susceptibility to weld hot cracking and that it is easy for a decrease in toughness to occur due to hardening caused by precipitation of the above-described intermetallic compounds.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 9-271982 discloses that improving the composition of the coating in a coated electrode for arc welding is effective at preventing weld hot cracking in high-Ni weld metal containing Ti and Nb, but such a method is intended for buildup welding.

Welded joint made of an austenitic steel


A method and system in which a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of dies is inspected through a visual inspection and/or an electrical test. If certain of the dies on the wafer pass the inspection, then windows are mounted or affixed above those certain dies while they are still a part of the wafer.

Typically, a semiconductor wafer is patterned and processed to create a plurality of integrated circuits. The individual dies are separated from one another by scribe lines that encompass each die and are formed during the patterning process. At the end of the wafer-level processing, each die includes a complete set of circuitry, and typically includes a set of test pads and/or bond pads that a bed-of-nails semiconductor test set-up can use to electrically communicate with the circuitry of each die. In this way, it is possible to perform wafer-level electrical test of the circuitry to eliminate from further processing at least some of the die failures before packaging the individual dies.
The conventional wafer is then shipped, to a "back end" manufacturing facility, whereupon the wafer is sawed or cut along the scribe lines to produce singulated dies. The singulated dies, or "chips," are then mounted in lead frames and connected to the leads of the lead frame by bond wires. Finally, the assemblies are encapsulated in packages, typically within plastic or ceramic chip packages to form a packaged semiconductor.
In conventional semiconductor processing, a fully processed semiconductor wafer is coated with a protective layer of oxide prior to the wafer being sawed into individual dies. Thus, each individual die is protected from damage that may otherwise be caused by the debris particles generated during the sawing. The scribe lines also serve to seal each integrated circuit from the next so that there is no ion contamination of each circuit form the wafer saw break. The scribe lines are also used to provide alignment of reticles used during the repeated integrated circuit patterning process.
Electromechanical devices, including MEMS devices and in specific embodiments, optical devices such as Digital Micromirror Devices ("DMDs"), however, generally are not protected with an oxide layer at the wafer level, and in such instances will not be similarly protected from sawing debris and other contamination. The individual mirrors of the DMD mirror array are susceptible to damage from debris, including particles generated during the wafer saw-and-break or full-saw process. Because the DMD is a micromechanical device with movable pixel mirrors, the DMDs fabricated upon a wafer may not be conveniently covered with a protective oxide coating prior to a saw process as is conventional for to other semiconductor processing techniques. Moreover, due to the conductive address electrodes which are positioned below the conductive mirrors, a conductive particle entrapped between the mirror and address electrode could short the micromirror to the address electrode.
Certain techniques for minimizing particulate damage to DMD mirrors or other MEMS structures were disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,876 entitled Grid Array Masking Tape Process. Technique disclosed therein included using a grid array masking tape over the active surface of the processed wafer. The tape would adhere to the wafer along a grid extending between the formed integrated circuits to prevent debris from damaging the active surface of the devices during the sawing process. The tape was removed after the saw process and then a photoresist, which had also remained under the mirror layer during the sawing was removed by a plasma etch.
Another prior-art method of dealing with contamination issues includes the application of temporary resist layers over the MEMS-type structures or DMD micromirrors to protect them from damage from debris or other environmental factors. Examples of this approach are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,083,857 and 6,063,696. Another method is to cover the all the dies on a wafer with a lid wafer or with another cover. Examples of this approach are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,498,557 and 5,915,168.


Methods are disclosed for independently setting the range resolution, Doppler resolution, and pulse compression processing gain of a Doppler radar system. Higher Doppler resolution is achieved by segmenting and spreading apart a pseudo-random code (PRC) to increase the processing dwell time on a target. Simultaneous high and low range resolution is obtained by interleaving a second segmented low resolution PRC into the time gaps between a first segmented high resolution PRC.

Doppler processing is used in many radar applications to detect the presence of moving targets. Specifically, a signal is transmitted by the radar transmitter, the transmitted signal is reflected by a moving target, the reflected signal is received by the radar receiver, and the Doppler frequency shift due to the movement of the target is detected by the radar signal processor.
To enhance the performance of a radar, pulse compression signals can be used to increase range resolution. Pulse compression allows a long transmit pulse reflected from a target to be time compressed in the radar signal processor, thus increasing the range resolution of the radar.
A popular pulse compression radar signal is one that uses a pseudo-random noise (PN) code to bi-phase modulate the radio frequency carrier of the transmitter. The radar characteristics of this type of signal are well known to radar engineers skilled in the art.
Although the present invention can be applied to many pulse compression radar applications, this disclosure will describe its application to the radar intrusion detection system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,145 "Intrusion Detection, Tracking, and Identification Method and Apparatus", which is incorporated herein by reference.

Method for independently setting range resolution, Doppler resolution, and processing gain of a pseudo-random coded radar system


The present invention relates to a gaming device and method having a bonus game, where the bonus game displays a target set including a plurality of player selectable symbols. At least one of the symbols is designated as a target symbol in a target set. The gaming device provides a predetermined number of picks to begin a bonus game and enables a player to use the picks to pick symbols from the target set. If the player picks a symbol that is not a target symbol, a relationship indicator indicates the relationship between the target symbol and the picked symbol. The player continues to pick symbols in the target set until the player picks the target symbol. If the player picks a target symbol, the gaming device enables the player to pick symbols from a new target set. The player continues to pick symbols in target sets until the player has no picks remaining. Preferably, the gaming device provides an award for each picked target symbol.

The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device having a related symbol selection game.
Gaming device manufacturers strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Providing a secondary or bonus game in which a player has an opportunity to win potentially large awards or credits in addition to the awards associated with the primary or base game of the gaming device is one way to enhance player enjoyment and excitement.
Gaming devices having a secondary or bonus games generally employ a triggering event that occurs during the base game operation of the gaming device. The triggering event temporarily stalls or halts further base game play and enables a player to enter a second, different game, which is the bonus game. The player plays the bonus game, likely receives a bonus award, and returns to the base game.
Currently, gaming machines or devices such as slot machines provide bonus games wherein a player has one or more opportunities to select one or more symbols from a plurality of possible symbols. If the player selects one of the designated winning symbols or a winning combination of symbols, the game awards the player a bonus value such as credits. The outcome depends upon the particular symbol or symbols obtained by the player. If the player selects a terminating symbol, the game ends.
One known gaming device is the SPELLBINDER™ gaming device. For the bonus game of the SPELLBINDER™ gaming device, the gaming device displays the numbers one to twelve to a player. The gaming device selects one of the numbers from the set of numbers. The gaming device requires the player to input whether the player believes that the next number will be higher or lower than the selected number. If the player picked correctly, the gaming device provides an award to the player and repeats the process. If the player does not pick correctly, the bonus game ends.
Other various bonus games have been associated with gaming machines. Therefore, to increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide new bonus games for gaming machines.

Gaming device having a related symbol selection game


A method and apparatus for high capacity stacking and stitching in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include determining if an image production document is to be stitched, wherein if it is determined that the image production document is to be stitched, sending the image production document along a first paper path to a first stacking tray to be stitched and stacked, and if it is determined that the image production document is not to be stitched, determining if the image production document requires a higher quality registration stacking than the stacking provided at the first stacking tray, wherein if it is determined that the image production document requires a higher quality registration stacking than the stacking provided at the first stacking tray, sending the image production document along a second paper path to a second stacking tray to be stacked in a high quality registration manner, and if the image production document is determined not to require a higher quality registration stacking than the stacking provided at the first stacking tray, sending the image production document along one of the first paper path to the first stacking tray to be stacked and the second paper path to the second stacking tray to be stacked.

Disclosed herein are a method for high capacity stacking and stitching in an image production device, as well as corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium.
In today's marketplace, there is an ever increasing need for high end, high capacity stackers with stitching or stapling capability. Stack quality for unstitched output is typically held to a smaller misregistration specification than stitched output. Typically, finishers capable of stitching output do so by trading off misregistration and/or stack quality of unstitched output. Also, customers have stated the need for finishing devices to provide unstitched and stitched output within a single run or job.

Method and apparatus for high capacity stacking and stitching in an image production device


A hatch generally includes a hatch lid frame having a fixed opening defining a perimeter, a lens having a lens perimeter smaller than the opening perimeter such that the lens is insertable into the opening, and a gasket disposed between the hatch lid frame and the lens. The lens asserts a force upon the gasket to sealably secure the lens within the hatch lid frame. A method of securing a lens within a hatch lid frame generally includes inserting the lens into an opening of the hatch lid frame, asserting a force upon the lens to direct the lens in a direction, inserting a gasket between the lens and a perimeter of opening, and de-asserting the force applied to the lens to sealably secure the lens within the hatch lid frame.

Hatches, particularly hatches for boats, are fairly well known devices that allow ingress and egress into and out of enclosed areas, e.g., boat cabins, and/or allow light to enter an enclosed area. Hatches, thus, generally comprise assemblies that allow the hatch to be open and closed and may also comprise lenses, which are typically translucent or transparent. Generally, the lenses of hatches are secured within the framework of a hatch lid by means of elastomeric adhesives, such as silicone or urethane caulks. Silicone caulks are generally preferred because they tend to be more resistant to the effects of UV light when compared with other adhesives. Silicone caulks also maintain the bond between the lens and lid frame despite the expansion or contraction of the lens or frame when subject to heating and cooling. Consequently, the failure to use an appropriate adhesive can result in failure of the seal between the lens and the lid frame, which can result in leakage.
Since hatches are often mounted horizontally, it is important to ensure that the lens is substantially flush mounted with the lid frame and is not mounted below the lid frame when a hatch is constructed. Flush mounting of the lens prevents pooling of water and avoids presenting safety hazards to crewmembers, e.g., tripping hazards due to uneven hatch surfaces. One method of flush mounting a lens includes placing a gasket about a flange of a lid frame, setting the lens upon the gasket such that the top surface of the lens is even with the lid frame and a channel is formed between the lid frame and the perimeter of the lens, masking off portions of the lens and the frame to prevent adhesive from adhering to surfaces, inserting adhesive into the channel, troweling the adhesive so that it is flush with the lens and lid frame, and then allowing the caulking to cure for a period of time, typically between two and three days. Another method of constructing a hatch having a flush mounted lens includes fastening two ends of a two part lid frame together about the lens wherein the lens has a gasket disposed about its perimeter. While the two part hatch frame method is sufficient to form a hatch, the method requires that the components of the hatch, e.g., frame, lens, and gasket, be manufactured to very precise tolerances for proper mating fit. Thus, such hatches can be difficult to manufacture and assemble and can be expensive. Another method of manufacturing a hatch can include applying a glazing to cover the seal between the lens and lid frame, but such methods can produce uneven surfaces and result in the pooling of water.
What is needed, then, is a more efficient method to manufacture an improved hatch having a flush mounted lens, which overcomes these, and other, disadvantages.


There is disclosed a composition which, when cured, results in a foamed product having a low bulk density, said composition comprising:. (A) 100 parts by weight of a saturated hydrocarbon polymer containing at least 1.5 alkenyl groups per molecule;. (B) 5 to 20 parts by weight of a silicone crosslinker comprising an average of 7 to 50 organohydrogensiloxane units;. (C) 1 to 20 parts by weight of water;. (D) at least one component selected from the group consisting of. (D') 0.1 to 20 parts by weight of an alcohol having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and PA1 (D") 5 to 30 parts by weight of a hydrocarbon liquid having a normal boiling point below 100.degree. C.; and. (E) a sufficient amount of a hydrosilation catalyst to promote crosslinking of said polymer by said crosslinker.

Silicone, polyurethane, and other polymeric foamed products are well known in the art. These expanded systems find application in such diverse areas as thermal insulation, vibration damping, noise control, furniture and automotive cushioning and construction, inter alia.
Ando et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,276, disclose a foaming composition comprising an organic polymer having a carbon-carbon double bond, an SiH-functional compound and an OH-functional compound. The polymer is preferably a polyether and the OH-functional compound can be water, an alcohol or a carboxylic acid. Ando et al. generally appreciate that the key to final foam character is a balance between the crosslinking and gassing reactions during foaming. However, there is no clear teaching as to how one of ordinary skill in the art should manipulate the various components to arrive at a desired expansion ratio or other physical property for any given polymer or class of polymers.