A heat pump system including a first heating/cooling exchange loop including a refrigerant to water heat exchanger to produce a first output. A second heating/cooling exchange loop includes a refrigerant to forced air heat exchanger to produce a second output. A compressor is fluidly coupled to the first heating/cooling exchange loop and the second heating/cooling exchange loop. A controller is connected to control the first output and the second output and to transmit control signals to the at least one compressor, for balancing the first output and the second output responsive to a structural heating/cooling load.

This invention relates to heat pump heating/cooling systems. More particularly, this invention relates to heat pump heating/cooling systems especially suited for use in northern climates.
Heating and air conditioning in northern climates can present a challenge. Northern climates are characterized by cold, dry air in the winter months, and warm, humid air in the summer months. The outdoor temperature in the winter months can be extremely cold. For this reason, the energy required to heat a house in winter is generally much greater than the energy required to cool the same northern climate house in the summer.
Known heat pumps are generally air source heat pumps, water (ground) source heat pumps, water-to-air heat pumps, or water-to-water heat pumps. Generally air source heat pumps employed in northern climates do not meet the desired heating requirements.
During the winter months in the northern climates, known air source heat pumps convert relatively cold outdoor air to heated air for use inside a structure, for example homes and offices. As an example, when the outdoor ambient air temperature is approximately 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, approximately 60,000 BTU/hr of heating capacity is required to heat a typical home. Known air source heat pumps capable of producing 60,000 BTU/hr of heating during the winter months will inherently provide about four times the energy capacity required for cooling during the summer months. That is to say, the capacity to heat in the winter greatly exceeds the cooling capacity required during the summer, such that an imbalanced and inefficient cooling capacity ratio is provided by known heat pumps.
In addition, known air source heat pumps common in the northern climates experience a drastic drop-off in heating efficiency in the winter months. Specifically, the cold winter air is dense, and pulling heat energy from the dense air is challenging. That is to say, auxiliary energy (i.e., additional energy) is required to proportionally heat the colder outdoor air common in the northern climates for heating use inside structures. The auxiliary energy is supplied at an efficiency of 100% or less, such that the use of auxiliary heating results in a drop-off in the system heating efficiency in the winter months.
Moreover, in many instances coils employed with known cooling units will not function properly for most northern climate heat pump installations. This is because the coils experience increased frost build up that forms icing on the coils, thus reducing air flow heat exchange across the coils.
For these reasons, known heat pumps commonly employed in heating and cooling northern climate structures have at least two disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that traditional heat pumps provide much greater cooling capacity than is required in the summer months because the heating capacity needed to meet the heating needs of the winter months is so much larger than that needed for cooling. Secondly, the heating efficiency derived from known heat pumps drastically drops off for cold outdoor ambient air temperatures. Therefore, a need exists for a heating/cooling system capable of efficiently and quickly heating an indoor northern climate structure and cooling via air conditioning the same structure in the summer months.


The present invention provides a protease biosensor that can be used to detect the presence of the lethal factor protease from Bacillus anthracis, as well as methods for using the protease biosensor.

Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, which is characterized by the hyperstimulation of host macrophage inflammatory pathways, leading to dramatic hypotension, shock, and death of the host. One of the toxins produced by this organism is lethal factor (LF), which is a zinc metalloprotease (Klimpel et al., (1994) Mol Microbiol 13, 1093-100). This protease has been found to cleave MEK1 and MEK2, members of the group of MAP-kinase-kinases (Duesbery, et al., (1998) Science 280, 734-737: Vitale et al., (1998) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 248, 706-11). It is believed that cleavage of these signaling kinases by LF leads to inhibition of growth-factor response pathways, further leading to macrophage death. It has been determined that the site of action of LF protease is within the first 12 amino acid residues of MEK1 (Vitale et al., (1998)), between the proline and isoleucine residues.
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) can occur between a donor and acceptor fluorophores if the emission spectrum of the donor overlaps the absorption spectrum of the acceptor. The acceptor need not be fluorescent. In addition to this spectral overlap, the two fluorophores must be within a certain distance of each other and must be aligned properly. Because there is a close relationship between donor-acceptor distance and efficiency of energy transfer, measurement of this efficiency can be used to determine distance. FRET has been extensively used to measure donor-acceptor distances both within a single macromolecule and among freely diffusing molecules (of which a high concentration is required). At low concentrations in solution, FRET will only occur if the donor and acceptor are physically constrained, for example attached to the same peptide. Upon physical separation of the donor and acceptor, which might occur if the peptide were to be cleaved by a protease, the donor and acceptor would diffuse away from one another and FRET would not occur. This principle has been used to design FRET-based biosensors and assays for detecting proteolytic enzymes (Knight, C. G. (1995) Methods Enzymol 248, 18-34).
FRET-based biosensors can be measured in the presence of the products and reactants, and thus no separation steps are necessary, as is sometimes the case with fluorescent substrates. In addition, the FRET measurement is a ratio-based measurement, so the result is intensity independent (as long as it is within the range of detectability).
We have previously described the production of a class of fluorescent protease biosensors (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/430,656 filed Oct. 29, 1999, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety), as has another group (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,605,809 and 6,037,137). A fluorescence-based tetanus toxin assay has been described (Soleilhac et al., (1996) Anal Biochem 241, 120-7), but it requires separation of the products from the reactants and is not FRET based. An international patent application by Duesbery et al. (WO 99/50439) lists methods for screening modulators, homologues and mimetics of LF protease activity but they either require laborious analysis methods or are extremely general. The use of peptides as substrates for LF protease activity was described by Hammond and Hanna ((1998) Infection & Immunity 66, 2374-8); however the peptides were not fluorescently labeled and were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, which is a tedious and costly procedure.


An electric power tool according to the present invention is provided with a tool main body, an induction motor, a power supply unit, and an inverter. The power supply unit and the inverter are integrally incorporated in the tool main body together with the induction motor.

The present invention relates to an electric power tool provided with an induction motor.
The electric power tool of this type is generally provided with: a power supply unit for generating a direct current voltage by rectifying an alternating current voltage supplied from an external alternating-current power source; and an inverter that controls an electric current flowing through each of phase windings of the induction motor due to the direct current voltage generated in the power supply unit.
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H7-308871 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,305, the power supply unit and the inverter are, as a drive device for the electric power tool, generally constituted separately from a tool main body provided with the induction motor.


This disclosure relates to amorphous ferroelectric memory devices and methods for forming them.

Ferroelectric memory devices use ferroelectric materials to store information. These materials can store information by retaining a polarization state after exposure to an electric field.
Some of these devices have a sheet of ferroelectric material layered over a conductive layer. A writing device, such as a plate or point, can be used to expose regions of the ferroelectric sheet to an electric field. The plate or point acts to create an electric field in the region by placing a charge over the region opposite the conductive layer. This region is polarized, the polarization state is then retained after the electric field dissipates.
The surface charge of the region can later be read by a reading device. The reading device moves another plate or point over the ferroelectric sheet, thereby reading the polarization state of the regions.
Many of these ferroelectric memory devices use polycrystalline ferroelectric materials to store information. These polycrystalline materials have a grain structure that can make reading their polarization state difficult. This is especially true when reading small regions of the polycrystalline materials because each small region often has a small number of grains. For a region having few grains, the noise from the grain structure interferes with accurate measurement of the region's polarization state.
Also, many ferroelectric memory devices are physically integrated with integrated circuits (ICs). Polycrystalline ferroelectric materials are often fabricated at fairly high temperatures, which can cause problems with neighboring ICs.
Others of these ferroelectric memory devices have single-crystal ferroelectric materials. These single-crystal materials are less likely to have problems associated with noise, but have other significant problems. First, fabricating single-crystal ferroelectric materials is relatively expensive. Second, fabricating them is often performed at high temperatures. These high temperatures can cause significant problems with neighboring ICs. If formed first and then added to an IC, the single crystals may be placed into the IC but this is difficult and expensive, especially if they are small.
The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and figures to reference like components and features.

Method of forming an amorphous ferroelectric memory device

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Ultrasonic apparatus for visualizing the internal organs of the human body using an ultrasonic array probe is characterized by means for digitising the ultrasonic echo signals and means for processing the digitised signals. Data may be sampled from each array element excited separately, or on a group of elements sequentially with a very small time increment between samples. Processing of data can include switching the transmit carrier frequency between scans, compensation for ringing effects in the transducers, synthetic aperture focussing techniques, software envelope or transform demodulation, attenuation or time gain correction and data compression.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for the examination and treatment of internal organs of the human body.
It is already known to make an internal examination of an internal human organ, without recourse to surgery, by means of equipment which makes use of the transmission and receipt of ultrasonic signals.
International application nos. WO89/04142 and WO90/14601 disclose two such systems.
In these systems a catheter is provided at its distal end with a piezo-electric crystal transducer array made up of a plurality of transducer segments arranged in an annular or cylindrical configuration around the end of the catheter or an extension of it.
In these disclosed systems the array typically consists of twelve transducer elements although it can be a larger number, e.g thirty-two or sixty-four. The method of energising the transducer array disclosed in these applications consists of (in the case of the twelve element array) energising four transducers at a time, each of the four transducers being distributed 90.degree. apart around the periphery of the annulus or cylinder. There are thus three sets of four transducer elements each arranged in a cruciform configuration so that as each cruciform is successively energised there is provided, as it were, a rotating cruciform ultrasonic beam.
The present invention is concerned with providing an improved energisation arrangement for generating so-called two-dimensional B-mode images in real time. Our earlier application WO90/14601 was also concerned with the provision of such images.
Ultrasound beam-forming from a transducer array of the kind referred to above relies on the received echo signals generated by the discrete transducer elements making up the array being delayed by differing amounts in order to get the individual echo signals into phase with another and then summing the echo signals in order to provide the signal from which an image can then be produced. The delays that are required will depend upon the varying distances of the individual transducers from the reflecting surface and will be selected to electronically focus the reflected echo signals.
In known ultrasonic systems having an array of transducers it is common to have several transducers energised at once and for the resultant echo signals to be handled by a plurality of parallel processing channels. The advantage of this arrangement is that the processing can be done in real time using analog hardware.
FIG. 1A illustrates the essence of this kind of prior art arrangement in which a plurality of discrete transducer elements 1 (typically 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, and 1e) are individually connected to a summing circuit 2 through associated individual delay lines 3, these delay lines introducing delays which ensure that all the signals from a designated point (focus) are in phase on arrival at the summing circuit 2. The element group is scanned along line 1 which equals the result of signals from 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d and 1e, and defines a scan line 1. Another group 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e and 1f would then define an adjacent scan line 2.
Stepping through element groups in this way will define a raster of scan lines to give a 2-D image.
FIG. 1B illustrates the position where analog delay lines are used. In this arrangement the signals are not sampled and the signals remain in an analog and unsampled form until after the generation of scan lines.
FIG. 1C illustrates the position if one wishes to take advantage of digital processing. In this arrangement digital delay lines are used and the data is sampled. The sampling intervals must be the minimum delay increment (or accuracy). In practice this means that the sampling frequency needs to be at least 20 times the ultrasonic frequency. If this arrangement were used in connection with the field of the present invention this would means having a sampling frequency of 400 MHz. This in turn would put great demands on the hardware that would be necessary and is the approach which is adopted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,097 (Endosonics) where there is sampling at 400 MHz. In this prior art arrangement the delays are then achieved by simple clock delays.
The present invention is concerned with providing an arrangement which will overcome the disadvantages of the kind of system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,097.

Methods and apparatus for the examination and treatment of internal organs


Provided is a facsimile apparatus that prevents a transmission forgetfulness of a regular transmission. Every time a FAX is transmitted, a transmission history is accumulated in a transmission history table. A regular transmission detecting part refers to the transmission history table for every time zone corresponding to the check interval memorized in a setting table. Thereby, the regular transmission detecting part detects whether or not the regular transmission was carried out in the past. If the regular transmission is carried out, the transmission judging part refers to the transmission history table. The transmission judging part judges whether or not the regular transmission was carried out in the time zone for today. If judged the transmission being not carried out, an informing part reports that the regular transmission is not carried out to the mail address corresponding to the report destination memorized in the setting table.

The present disclosure relates a facsimile apparatus and a facsimile system that FAX transmission is periodically performed to a specific transmission destination and FAX reception is periodically performed from a specific sender.
In a typical case, a facsimile machine (FAX) is used for a means to send an order of goods, a documents of a business negotiation, or the like, to a specific destination periodically, as regular business. As such typical FAX equipment, specifying a transmission destination and transmission time previously at the transmitting side is proposed for regular business. In such technology, a manuscript image memorized in the FAX previously is automatically transmitted to the specified transmission destination at the instructed time.

Facsimile machine and facsimile system that performs fax transmission to specific transmission destination and perform fax reception from specific sender periodically


A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode (11a), a gate insulating film (12a) covering the gate electrode (11a), a semiconductor layer (13a) made of an oxide semiconductor and provided on the gate insulating film (12a), a source electrode (16aa) and a drain electrode (16ab) provided on the semiconductor layer (13a) via easily reducible metal layers (15aa, 15ab) and spaced apart from each other, with a channel region (C) interposed therebetween, a conductive region (E) provided in the semiconductor layer (13a), and a diffusion reducing portion (13ca, 13cb) provided in the semiconductor layer (13a), for reducing diffusion of the conductive region (E) into the channel region (C).

In recent thin film transistor substrates which comprise liquid crystal display panels, as a switching element for each sub-pixel, which is a minimum unit of an image, a thin film transistor (hereinafter also referred to as a "TFT") using a semiconductor layer made of an oxide semiconductor (hereinafter also referred to as an "oxide semiconductor layer") and having favorable characteristics of high mobility, high reliability, and low off-state current have been proposed as a replacement of a conventional TFT using a semiconductor layer made of amorphous silicon.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a TFT which includes a gate electrode provided on a substrate, a gate insulating film provided to cover the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the gate insulating film so as to overlap the gate electrode, and having a channel region, a source region, and a drain region, a titanium layer provided on the source region and the drain region of the oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode which are made of copper and respectively connected to the source region and the drain region of the oxide semiconductor layer, with the titanium layer interposed therebetween, wherein a contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer, and the source electrode and the drain electrode, is reduced by the titanium layer disposed between the oxide semiconductor layer, and the source electrode and the drain electrode.

Thin film transistor, display panel, and method for fabricating thin film transistor


An improved displacement pump is provided with flow path means preventing hysteresis-causing bubbles from accumulating in piston clearances.

This invention relates to the field of fluid pumps and particularly to pumps providing precise metering of relatively small volumes.
The technology of fluid pumping has its roots in antiquity. The piston pump, in which a piston of limited depth closely fits within a cylinder, with or without adapting packing, is an extremely old structure. Linear extension of a pump shaft translates the piston to displace a volume of fluid equal to the cross-sectional area moved and the length of the stroke. Displacement pumps, with which the instant invention is concerned, are a variant of the piston pump in which a piston of extended depth, and which does not closely fit the bore of the cylinder, moves into the cylinder and displaces a volume equal to the volume of the piston moved into the cylinder. Displacement pumps have the inherent advantage of having the packing placed at the end of the cylinder where it can be more effective and adjustable. Metering precision in both of the types of pumps described depends on precision of the stroke length.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,808 describe a multi-mode, differential fluid displacement pump which can provide at least two different measured doses. The pump has a chamber in which are mounted first and second diameter pistons which define first and second volumes for reciprocation within the chamber. Reciprocation means are provided to deliver predetermined volumes by movement of either or both of the two pistons. By using two fluid displacement pistons, accurate metering of a small quantity of sample and a larger quantity of reagent can be done in one unit. The elongated pistons of such a pump are aligned axially and move separately or together.
A problem known as flow hysteresis is known to occur when the multimode pumps are used to meter quite small and precise volumes. Flow hysteresis is evidenced when the pump shaft is extended a limited amount and the responsive volume delivered is less than predicted by simple calculation. This anomaly is due to the introduction of compressibility into a fluid system assumed to be non-compressible by the presence of one or more bubbles of gas (usually air) trapped at a dead space in the flow system.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved displacement pump which provides more precise and predictable metered volumes by eliminating hysteresis caused by trapped gas bubbles.


A theme provides a group of multi-media resources for enhancing displays in a graphical user interface to an operating system of a computer according to a topic of the theme. The theme's resources are periodically updated by retrieving updating resources from a remote computer at which the updating resources are stored by a theme provider, so as to provide continually updating enhancements to the graphical user interface display consistent with the theme's topic. The theme's resources can include hypertext templates which define the graphical user interface displays as hypertext pages, allowing the theme to provide a wide variety of enhancements to the displays including text, graphics, hyperlinks, and software components, among others. The theme also enhances a graphical user interface with a view port that plays live or locally cached information from the Internet in each of a plurality of categories, by adding a category for the theme so as to play information from the theme's provider in the view port.

It is now common for operating systems to have a shell which provides a graphical user interface (GUI). The shell is a piece of software (either a separate program or component part of the operating system) that provides direct communication between the user and the operating system. The graphical user interface typically provides a graphical icon-oriented and/or menu driven environment for the user to interact with the operating system.
The graphical user interface of many operating system shells is based on a desktop metaphor. More specifically, the graphical user interface is intended to create a graphical environment which simulates working at a desk. These graphical user interfaces typically employ a windowing environment with a desktop.
The windowing environment presents the user with specially delineated areas of the screen called windows, each of which is dedicated to a particular application program, file or document. Each window can act independently, as if it were a virtual display device under control of its particular application program. Windows can typically be resized, moved around the display, and stacked so as to overlay another. In some windowing environments, windows can be minimized to an icon or increased to a full-screen display. Usually, the windows have a top to bottom order in which they are displayed, with top windows at a particular location on the screen overlaying any other window at that same location according to a z-order (an order of the windows along a conceptual z-axis normal to the desktop or display screen). The top-most window has the "focus" and accepts the user's input. The user can switch other windows to the top (and thereby change the z-order) by clicking on the window with a mouse or other pointer device, or by inputting certain key combinations (e.g., the "alt+esc" or "alt+tab" keystrokes on a Microsoft Windows-equipped computer). This allows the user to work with multiple application programs, files and documents in a similar manner as physically working with multiple paper documents and items which can be arbitrarily stacked or arranged on an actual desk.
The desktop of the graphical user interface is a screen display containing icons representing programs, files and resources available to the user. As such, the desktop acts as a launching point for running application programs, opening documents or files, and initiating operating system services. In accordance with the desktop metaphor, the desktop simulates the top of an actual desk on which various work items are made available to the office worker. The desktop in some graphical user interfaces thus includes icons representing work resources found on a real desk, such as a file cabinet, telephone, wastebasket, and scratchpad. The icons can be activated by the user to launch application programs that act as computer equivalents of the actual work resource. In typical graphical user interfaces, the desktop always remains as a full-screen background display relative to the windowing environment. In other words, the desktop cannot be moved or resized, and all visible windows of the windowing environment overlay the desktop as would paper documents, files, and other items on top of an actual desk. The desktop thus effectively provides a graphical work surface underlying the windowing environment.
One example of a graphical user interface having a desktop and a windowing environment is that provided by the shell of the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system. As a default, the desktop in this graphical user interface includes a "my computer" icon, a "network neighborhood" icon, and a "recycle bin" icon against a solid color background, and also includes a task bar along a bottom edge of the screen with a "start" button for menu-driven interaction. Application programs are launched from the desktop by clicking on an icon or selecting from a menu, and presented in a re-sizeable and moveable window among other application windows overlaying the desktop in a z-order.
The Windows 95 graphical user interface provides many opportunities to enhance or customize its appearance and operation according to a user's preferences. For example, it is possible to add additional icons onto the desktop to represent other application programs, documents, files, and resources. The start menu also can be customized to include additional items, such as for launching particular applications, and opening documents or files. A graphic image can be selected as a background of the desktop (called "wallpaper") in place of the default solid color background. Sounds can be associated with various activities such as mouse operations (e.g., single click and double click activations), and window operations (e.g., opening and closing an application window). The mouse pointer and other icons can be animated.
In addition to these numerous individual customizations, the Windows 95 graphical user interface also can be customized with themed enhancements. More specifically, Microsoft distributes an add-on product for the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system, called the Microsoft Windows 95 Plus Pack, which includes packaged groups of theme-related multi-media enhancements (called "themes") for the Windows 95 graphical user interface. Each theme includes a group of resources which alter the appearance and feel of the Windows 95 graphical user interface. These resources include substitute icons, mouse pointer graphics and animations, sounds, a wallpaper, and a screen saver which all relate to a title of the theme. The plus pack, for example, includes themes entitled, "Nature," "Leonardo Da Vinci," "Mystery," "Science," and "Sports," among others.
A particular theme is selected and applied by the user to the graphical user interface using a themes applet which the plus pack installs into the Windows 95 control panel (an application program group which includes small application programs or applets that control various aspects of the operating system). The themes applet provides a dialog window which presents a list of available themes and has controls which a user can activate to select a theme, preview a selected theme and apply the selected theme to the graphical user interface. When applied to the graphical user interface, the applied theme changes the desktop's wallpaper, the graphics of the "my computer," "network neighborhood" and "recycle bin" icons, the screen saver, the graphic and animation of the mouse pointer and other user interface elements using the resources packaged within the theme. As a result, the Windows 95 graphical user interface has an appearance and feel which is consistent with the theme's title or topic. When the Leonardo Da Vinci theme is applied to the Windows 95 graphical user interface for example, the theme changes the wallpaper to a graphic which includes the artist's drawings, changes the mouse pointer to an animated paint brush and palette, and changes other elements to like enhancements related to and consistent with a Leonardo Da Vinci motif.
A limitation of these Windows 95 themes is that they package a static set of enhancements to the graphical user interface. Once a theme is applied to the graphical user interface, the enhancements added by the theme to the graphical user interface remain the same. More specifically, the wallpaper, the icons, the mouse pointer graphic and animations, the screen saver and other enhancements added by the theme to the graphical user interface remain unchanged, at least until the user chooses to apply a new individual customization or another theme. As a result, the theme only provides a novel appearance to the graphical user interface when it is first applied, and consequently often is not a source of continuing interest to the user.
Another limitation to Windows 95 themes is that they have little capacity to convey related factual information. The themes can provide only specific types of enhancements which suggest the topic of the themes, such as wallpaper, icons, animations, screen savers, and the like, but do not convey much factual information. The Leonardo Da Vinci theme, for example, adds many multi-media enhancements to the graphical user interface which suggest associations with Leonardo Da Vinci, such as the artist's drawings depicted in that theme's wallpaper and the animated mouse pointer depicting a paint brush and artist palette. However, the enhancements provided by the Leonardo Da Vinci theme are not able to convey much factual information about the man or his achievements. Also, since the theme's resources are static and committed at the time the resources are packaged into the theme, any information conveyed may lose timeliness. Thus, this static nature of the theme's resources is not conducive to conveying time sensitive information about the theme's topic.
The present invention embodies methods and apparatus to provide themed multi-media enhancements to the graphical user interface of a computer's operating system which overcomes these and other limitations of the prior art. According to a first aspect, the invention provides themed enhancements to the graphical user interface of a computer (the "theme-enhanced computer") which are repeatedly updated. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an update service performs recurring updates to the themed enhancements by downloading updating resources from a server computer on a network, such as the Internet, connected to the theme-enhanced computer. The update service automatically performs the updating at scheduled intervals, at times that the user is otherwise connected to the network, or on other bases. A provider of the themed enhancements may continually change the updating resources residing on the server so as to make new enhancements which are consistent with the theme continually available to the theme-enhanced computer. For example, enhancements based on a Leonardo Da Vinci theme can provide wallpaper which one week is an image from Da Vinci's engineering drawings, and a next week is updated to one of Da Vinci's art images. Because the themed enhancements are recurringly updated, the themed enhancements are more likely to retain the user's interest, as well as the timeliness of their information content.
According to another aspect of the invention, the themed enhancements are applied to an operating system graphical user interface in which various displays in the graphical user interface, such as the desktop and views of file system folders, are generated as hypertext pages. The themed enhancements can include templates and style sheets used in generating the hypertext pages of the graphical user interface. With the templates, the themed enhancements can add text, hyperlinks, images, and other multimedia resources consistent with the theme that can better convey factual information relating to the theme's topic. For example, the text of a hypertext page used for a display in the graphical user interface can state factual information relating to the theme, while hypertext links on the page provide access to additional supplemental pages of information on the theme. The style sheets can better control formatting of multi-media resources in a display.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the themed enhancements add a theme channel to a graphical user interface which includes a display pane or window for playing multi-media resources retrieved from servers on a computer network, such as from sites on the Internet. The graphical user interface may, for example, play the multi-media resources in a scrolling ticker display, a sequential or slide show style display, or other display. The theme channel is associated with a theme provider server on the computer network. When the theme channel is selected, the graphical user interface retrieves and plays multi-media resources from the theme provider server. The themed enhancements are thus able to enhance the graphical user interface of a computer with theme-consistent, dynamically playing multi-media resources which, in effect, constitutes a new form of broadcast media.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the themed enhancements add access to supplemental multi-media resources to the graphical user interface. In one embodiment of the invention, a drop down list control is added to a display in the graphical user interface, such as a view of a file system folder, for providing access to the supplemental multi-media resources.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrated embodiment which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Dynamically updating themes for an operating system shell


Provided are an abrasion-detection type conveyor belt and a manufacturing method thereof. A polymer composition ratio of is set to 40-60% of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and 60-40% of natural rubber (NR), and an adhesive strength between a cover rubber layer and an abrasion-detection color layer is set to 13 kN/m (33 kgf/inch). As compared to the existing product, material properties of the abrasion-detection color layer are improved to extend the available life of the abrasion detection type conveyor belt. The abrasion-detection type conveyor belt is cost-effective, simplifies a belt line, and reduces an inspection time.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveyor belt with an abrasion-detection color layer, and more particularly, to an abrasion-detection type conveyor belt and a manufacturing method thereof, in which a polymer composition ratio of an abrasion-detection color layer is set to 40-60% of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and 60-40% of natural rubber (NR), an adhesive strength between a cover rubber layer and the abrasion-detection color layer is set to 13 kN/m (33 kgf/inch), and material properties of the abrasion-detection color layer (color topping layer) are improved to specific values, thereby extending the available life of the conveyor belt.
Description of the Related Art
In general, a belt conveyor is an apparatus that continuously conveys various conveyance target objects put on a belt by circulating the belt made of a rubber, a fabric, a wire mesh, or a steel plate. A side of the belt has a closed curve, is hung on a pulley, and is driven by rotating the pulley by a motor.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional conveyor belt.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional conveyor belt 10 inevitably generates abrasion due to a friction with a conveyance target object. In particular, the conventional conveyor belt 10 generates friction relatively seriously in a steel factory where a conveyance target object such as iron ore is conveyed.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional conveyor belt.
As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional conveyor belt 10 includes a cover rubber layer 11 made of a rubber material, and a carcass 12 inserted into the cover rubber layer 11.
Since the carcass 12 is inserted into an inner lower portion of the cover rubber layer 11, a thickness between the carcass 12 and an upper surface of the belt contacting the conveyance target object becomes an actually available thickness T.
In the conventional conveyor belt 10, as the belt use time increases, the actually available thickness T between the upper surface of the belt and the carcass 12 is reduced by friction in the process of carrying the conveyance target object such as iron ore. In order to prevent an accident caused by the breaking of the belt, it is necessary to detect the reduction in the actually available thickness T and replace the belt.
As for a method of determining a replacement time of the conveyor belt 10, an upper surface of the belt is cut using a tool such as a knife by an operator's experience, and a remaining thickness T between the upper surface of the belt and the carcass 12 is measured using a measurement tool.
However, it is very unreasonable because the operator partially damages the upper surface of the belt so as to measure the abrasion thickness of the belt. In addition, the damaged portion may be expanded during the operation of the conveyor belt, and oil or the like may be introduced into the damaged portion, thus rapidly shortening the available life of the conveyor belt.
Furthermore, in the past, since the abrasion state of the belt cannot be detected with the naked eye, the replacement and repair time of the conveyor belt may not correctly checked. Consequently, the conveyor belt facility may not be managed properly.
In order to solve such problems, Korean Patent Registration No. 20-0434265 discloses a technology that can detect the abrasion of the belt.
However, the technology disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 20-0434265 has practical limitations to actual application.
When the technology disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 20-0434265 is actually applied, the life of the belt may be shortened because a color rubber has lower material properties than a general black rubber. In addition, since the unit price of the color rubber is higher than the general black rubber, cost effectiveness may be lowered.

Abrasion-detection type conveyor belt and manufacturing method thereof


Addition of non-nitrogen containing weak acids to amine-containing alkaline strippers for photoresists produce stripper compositions able to strip highly cross-linked or hardened photoresist films without producing any substantial metal corrosion. Weak acids useful in the stripping compositions include those having a pK in aqueous solution of 2.0 or higher and an equivalent weight of less than about 140 and are employed in an amount to neutralize from about 19% to about 75% of the amine present in the stripper composition.

An integral part of microelectronic fabrication is the use of photoresists to transfer an image from a mask or reticle to the desired circuit layer. After the desired image transfer has been achieved, the photoresist is removed by stripping before proceeding to some subsequent process step. Since about 1980, amides and mixtures of amides with various co-solvents have routinely been used for this stripping step, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,395,479; 4,428,871 and 4,401,748, issued to Ward et al.
Depending upon the type of pre-stripping processing that is performed while the photoresist is in place, the photoresist polymer may be cross-linked or hardened to the extent that amide-based solvents will no longer effectively strip the photoresist. Since about 1985, the use of amide mixtures containing additional alkaline components, such as organic amines (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,592,787 Johnson; 4,765,844 Merrem; 4,617,251 Sizensky; WO 87/05314 Turner; U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,043 Thomas et al.) or quaternary ammonium hydroxides (U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,892 Steppan et al; 4,744,834 Haq; WO 88/05813 Martin) were introduced to facilitate the removal of such hardened photoresists.
The use of these alkaline strippers on microcircuit substrates containing metal films, particularly aluminum or various combinations or alloys of active metals such as aluminum or titanium with more electropositive metals such as copper or tungsten, has proven problematic. Various types of metal corrosion, such as corrosion whiskers, pitting, notching of metal lines, have been observed due, at least in part, to reaction of the metals with alkaline strippers. Further it has been shown, by Lee et al., Proc. Interface '89, pp. 137-148, that very little corrosive action takes place until the water rinsing step that is required to remove the organic stripper from the wafer. The corrosion is evidently a result of contacting the metals with the strongly alkaline aqueous solution that is present during rinsing. Aluminum metal is known to corrode rapidly under such conditions--Ambat et al., Corrosion Science, Vol. 33 (5), p. 684, 1992.
In the past it has been proposed to circumvent this problem by employing intermediate rinses with non-alkaline organic solvents such as isopropyl alcohol. It would be desirable to avoid the expense and possible safety, chemical hygiene, and environmental consequences of such an intermediate rinse by eliminating this additional rinse by providing an effective stripper that does not require it.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,777, issued on Apr. 27, 1992 to Lin et al., it is proposed to combat such corrosion by employing a positive photoresist stripper composition which includes a solvent system having solubility parameters which fall within a range of from about 8.5 to about 15 in an amount which falls within a range of about 65% to about 98%. In addition, an amine is present in an amount of from about 2% to about 25% and also a fatty acid having 8 to 20, preferably 10 to 16, carbon atoms in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 10% such that the amount of amine and fatty acid is selected to provide a pH of from about 6 to 9.5, preferably 7 to 8.5. However, while the positive photoresist stripping compositions disclosed in said patent were found to provide some beneficial effect vis-a-vis metal corrosion, these disclosed stripping compositions were not able to be used to satisfactorily strip hard-to-strip cross-linked or hardened photoresist resins. Moreover, in the one stripping formulation of the patent which is capable of stripping cross-linked photoresist resins, one is not able to prevent or avoid metal corrosion. These deficiencies and drawbacks of the stripping compositions of the Lin et al. patent are demonstrated in the Comparative Example set forth hereinafter in this specification.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide alkaline-containing photoresist strippers which do not require intermediate rinses to avoid metal corrosion and yet the photoresist strippers are still highly effective in stripping cross-linked or hardened photoresists. A further object of this invention is to provide such improved non metal corroding, alkaline-containing photoresist compositions without any undue adverse effect on strip rate of the photoresist for cross-linked or hardened photoresists.

Alkaline-containing photoresist stripping compositions producing reduced metal corrosion with cross-linked or hardened resist resins


A light emitting diode (LED) luminaire that produces a uniform light pattern at close distances is provided. The LED luminaire includes a housing, a printed circuit board assembly thermally coupled to the housing, a plurality of high brightness (HB) LED emitters, thermally coupled to the printed circuit board assembly to form a linear array, and a linear reflector assembly, attached to the housing, to concentrate the light generated by the LED emitters over a beam angle formed by the upper surface of the housing and the linear reflector assembly.

Conventional linear shaped LED luminaires used for lighting applications typically make use of a tightly spaced array of low to medium power LED emitters. The use of a tightly spaced LED array makes the luminaire capable of casting a uniform light pattern at short distances.
Due to the somewhat inefficient power conversion characteristics of LED emitters however, a tightly spaced LED array with a large number of LED emitters also results in increased power dissipation for the luminaire in relation to light output. Thus, as the number of LED emitters is increased, more of the available energy is dissipated in the form of heat as opposed to generating usable light output. In addition, the low to medium power LED emitters employed in tightly spaced LED arrays tend to have poor thermal transfer characteristics. These two factors combine to either limit the maximum power dissipation for the luminaire or to increase the size and weight of the heat sink surface required to prevent irreparable LED junction damage.
Conventional LED luminaires used for lighting applications typically make use of a diffused lens or some other form of secondary optics in order to blend the produced light pattern into a uniform presentation at close distances. Any such diffusion or optics however, results in a substantial reduction in light output due to transmission losses in the diffuser or optics material. As a result, the LED array must be driven at a higher level in order to offset these light losses, resulting in higher luminaire power consumption.
Another disadvantage of conventional LED luminaire designs relates to when they are employed in wall and/or ceiling applications where the luminaire is visible to the observer, such as, for example, within an aircraft. In such an application, the LED presentation must be heavily diffused otherwise the observer will be able to view the LED point sources in the luminaire directly. Direct viewing of the LED point sources is not only unsightly, but in addition, it is very unpleasant for the observer.

High brightness light emitting diode luminaire


For providing a base for a liquid discharge head having an internal surface of a liquid flow path and a discharge port, suppressed in swelling by liquid and having high precision and high reliability, the base including a base member, an energy generating element for discharging a liquid, formed on the base member, and a resin structure having a liquid discharge port for discharging the liquid and disposed on the base member so as to cover the energy generating element, is provided with a protective layer. The protective layer is formed by a catalytic chemical vapor deposition on a surface of the resin structure in which the liquid discharge port is opened.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a base member for a liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid, a liquid discharge head utilizing the base member, and producing method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid from a liquid discharge port is used popularly, particularly as an ink jet head for use in an ink jet recording apparatus (ink jet printer). A producing method for such ink jet head is disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H06-286149.
In the ink jet head as an example of the liquid discharge head, a higher resolution of recording, a higher image quality and a higher speed are being recently requested. Among these requirements, a solving method for the requirements for higher resolution and higher image quality is proposed in making a smaller liquid amount of the discharged ink per dot (in case of discharging the ink as a droplet, making a smaller-sized droplet). In an ink jet head for discharging the ink by thermal energy as disclosed in the aforementioned patent reference, the smaller droplet size of the ink has been accomplished by reducing an area of a heat-generating part and by changing the shape of a nozzle (reducing the area of the ink discharge port).
In order to realize such smaller liquid droplet in the ink discharge amount, the ink discharge port has to be formed precisely. However, when a flow path forming member constituting an ink flow path wall and an ink discharge port is formed by a resinous material, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H06-286149, the resinous material may exhibit a swelling by the ink or the like, thereby causing a deformation of the ink discharge port. In the past, such deformation has been minimal and has not been considered as a problem. However, in order to obtain an image of a higher quality with a higher speed, there is required a substrate for the ink jet head, bearing a plurality of discharge ports without such deformation.
Also the resinous material and the base member may become liable to show a peeling at the surface of the base member, resulting from the aforementioned deformation of the resinous material by the ink or from a deterioration caused by a chemical reaction with the ink component itself.
Also the flow path forming member, being formed by a photosensitive resin material, may cause a deformation by an unevenness in the exposure or by a reflection from an underlying layer, thereby becoming unable to precisely form the discharge port of a small area, corresponding to a small liquid droplet. Therefore, in order to form a discharge port matching a small liquid droplet and capable of reducing an ink mist, it is being investigated to utilize so-called dry etching technology such as reactive etching or plasma etching, instead of the photolithographic technology utilizing exposure and development of a photosensitive resin. More specifically, considered is a dry etching, utilizing an inorganic film such as a SiOC film, having a larger selectivity at etching in comparison with the flow path forming member, as a mask. However, since the conventional film forming method (for example plasma CVD) involves a high substrate temperature of from 200 to 300° C. or even higher at the film formation, the flow path forming member formed with a resinous material becomes deformed. Therefore, for executing an etching for forming the discharge port on the upper surface of the flow path forming member, a mask material has to be a material which can be formed at a low temperature that does not cause the deformation of the flow path forming member.
On the other hand, in order to obtain discharge characteristics capable realizing a further improved recording quality, it is desirable that the internal wall (internal surface) of the ink flow path is substantially hydrophilic, and that an external surface area of the flow path forming member, including the aperture of the ink discharge port, has a water-repellent property. Particularly in order to suppress a deformation in the ink discharge port, it is desirable to avoid a swelling, by the ink, of a surface in which the ink discharge port is opened (a discharge port-containing face of the ink jet head, opposed to a recording medium in the recording operation).

Base member for liquid discharge head, liquid discharge head utilizing the same, and producing method therefor


A hardness tester includes:    an image capture control portion for obtaining an image data of the surface of the sample by controlling and making an image capture portion capture an image of the surface;    an impression region extracting portion that binarizes the image data, applies reduction/expansion processing to the binarized image data, applies a distance conversion processing to the reduction/expansion processed image data, and extracts a closed region corresponding to a contour of the indenter by using the distance-converted image data;    an impression vertex extracting portion that estimates the vertex for measuring the impression based on a profile of the closed region and extracts a point in the binarized image data, as the vertex for measuring the impression, that agrees with a predetermined condition; and    a hardness calculating portion for calculating hardness of the sample based on the vertexes for measuring the impression.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hardness tester and a hardness test method.
2. Description of Related Art
An indentation hardness test method is widely known in which an indenter, whose projected shape onto a plane is a polygon, is indented on a surface of a material to be tested and its hardness is calculated from a diagonal length of the polygon impression formed on the material. Such a test method is frequently used for evaluation of mechanical characteristics of metal materials.
As is generally known, the Vickers hardness test method uses an indenter of regular quadrangular pyramid shape made of diamond. A hardness of a material sample is calculated using a relation between an average length of two diagonal lengths of an impression of the regular quadrangular pyramid formed on a surface of the sample and load for impressing the indenter onto the sample. The Knoop hardness test method uses an indenter of rectangular pyramid shape made of diamond. A hardness of a material sample is calculated using a relation between length of a longer diagonal of an impression of the rectangular pyramid formed on a sample surface and load for impressing the indenter onto the sample.
A hardness tester for such a test method using an image processing technique with a computer is disclosed (JP H7-218410A, for example). The method in Patent Document 1 captures an image of an impression, formed on a surface of a sample by impressing an indenter thereon, using an imaging means such as a CCD camera connected to a computer, extracts a boundary (dot series data) indicating each side of the impression or corner portions of the impression by applying binary processing, etc. to the captured image data, and calculates hardness from values of coordinates of the extracted boundary or corner portion.
A technique is also disclosed in which an initial image data of a surface of a sample is captured before forming an impression by a CCD camera, an impression image data of the surface is captured after forming an impression by the CCD camera, a differential image data between the initial image data and the impression image data is calculated, a diagonal length is calculated by determining coordinates' values of corner portions of the impression and sample hardness is calculated based on the diagonal length and impress load (JP H9-210893A, for example).
JP Patent No. 3071956 discloses following procedure to determine Vickers hardness. An impression formed on a surface of a sample is imaged by a TV camera and the impression image is digitalized in multi-value gradation. A binary (two-value) image is made by detecting an optimum threshold value for the multi-value digital image and two-dimensional noise reduction is performed for the binary image. After that rough positions of four sides of the impression in the image are determined and boundary points of the impression are detected from the rough position. Four multidimensional regression curves of the boundary points are determined and intersection points of the four regression curves are estimated as vertexes of the impression. An impression area is calculated by determining lengths of two crossing diagonals of the four vertexes based on the positions in the coordinates. Vickers hardness can be calculated by the impression area and an indentation load of an indenter.
There is a concern that, however, the above conventional technique may produce a result with low reliability because the four sides of the impression are estimated in four approximated multidimensional curves and the intersection points of the curves are estimated as vertexes of the impression. Therefore, accuracy for determining the vertexes' positions largely depends on quality of the noise reduction. In addition, the conventional technique does not estimate the impression region itself but calculates based on edge (boundary) regions or vertex regions, and thus errors may be included in the results and it may cause less reliable results.
According to the conventional technique above explained, a position and shape of the impression in the image are predicted. Therefore, in the case where there is a scratch parallel to a profile of the impression region, it may cause misrecognition, resulting in an inaccurate test result. In addition, it is assumed in the process of the conventional technique that there is only one impression in the captured image. Therefore, the technique cannot be applied to an image containing a plurality of test samples.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Hardness tester and hardness test method


A cartridge used for image formation is detachably accommodated in a main body of an image forming apparatus. A cartridge determining unit determines a cartridge type, which is a type of the cartridge, and a print-job determining unit determines a print job type, which is a type of a print job received from an external device. If the print job type and the cartridge type do not match, an inhibiting unit inhibits an image formation process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for controlling printing process based on print job type and process cartridge type in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A system that prints checks in a unique font type called a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) font that uses magnetic ink or a magnetic toner, and performs reading and sorting of the checks using an apparatus called an MICR reader-sorter is being widely used in Western and other countries.

Image forming apparatus, computer program product, and printing inhibiting method


Disclosed is a method for checking the operation of an IC mask generation algorithm in which at least a first identifier of the mask generation algorithm is associated with at least a first symbol that is not associated with generating a functional IC feature. The first symbol has a predetermined size and a predetermined shape. A predetermined location on a mask is also associated with the first symbol. A mask diagram on the mask is generated at least partially at the first predetermined location. The size and shape of the mask diagram is then compared with at least a portion of the first predetermined size and the first predetermined shape of the first symbol.

As is well understood in the art, manufacture of IC circuitry involves building up layers of different materials (and sometimes implanting different species) on a wafer to form circuit features. Part of the process of forming each circuit layer involves coating the wafer with a layer of light-sensitive resist material and exposing each chip area with an image of a circuit pattern for the layer. As is well understood, this is process is carried out using a microlithography machine in which a reticle or mask containing a pattern corresponding to a circuit pattern for an IC layer is illuminated, and a projection optical system projects an image of the illuminated mask pattern onto the resist layer of the wafer. A number of masks are necessary for the manufacture of a single IC.
Accurate creation of a mask for the microlithography machine from design drawings of the mask is critical to this process. Typically, in order to create a masks from design drawings, a database that defines layers (different from physical IC layers) and data types on each layer is used. Generally, the database includes a plurality of layers each of which includes at least one, and typically more than one, data type. A single data type of a layer generally indicates one or more shapes and locations of those shapes on a two dimensional grid. In generation of a mask from the database, the location (or locations) of the shape (or shapes) associated with a particular data type are translated to a location of the shape (or shapes) on the mask. Typically, a database is populated with enough layer and data type data to generate all of the masks necessary for the manufacture of a single IC (or a family of ICs sharing similar characteristics). An algorithm is then written that transforms the layers and data types from the database into the masks necessary to create an IC. Typically, a single algorithm is written for each mask that is required for the manufacture of a single IC. The Algorithms typically involve a Boolean function on the multiple drawn layer to create a mask, and can also involve a sizing to either reduce some critical dimension or removing slivers (sub-design rule features).
After a particular mask or set of masks is generated using the database and generation algorithms, the mask or masks must be checked against the original design drawings to insure accuracy of the generated masks. This is typically done by starting with a transformation in one of the algorithms, locating in the original drawing the shape that the particular transformation is to generate in the associated mask, finding the shape in the generated mask, and checking, based on the original drawing, that it is of appropriate size and shape. This checking is not done on all the polygons in the database but just some from each of the layer/data type combinations such that all the algorithms used in the database to mask transformation are verified. This task is typically performed manually. And, as smaller and more numerous electrical devices are placed on ICs, masks for manufacturing the ICs become larger and more complex, increasing the burden of this checking task and in most cases not resulting in 100% verification of the algorithms. Such checking can require days or weeks to complete in a typical manufacturing environment. Accordingly, a more efficient method for checking the accuracy of masks for the manufacture of an IC is needed.

Method and system for checking operation of a mask generation algorithm


A process for producing a fertilizer from an organic waste material is described which comprises treating a waste, having a water content of no more than 90% by weight and which has been alkalinized, with nitrogen dioxide or a precursor thereof in sufficient amount to reduce the pH by at least 2.0 pH units. The process produces an organic fertilizer in which the percentage by weight of nitrogen in the form of oxides of nitrogen is higher than percentage by weight of nitrogen in the form of ammonium ion.

The invention relates to a fertilizer and to a process for production thereof using as a starting material an organic waste such as, for example, sewage sludge or other organic household, industrial or agricultural waste. The process of the invention produces an organic fertilizer which is stable, does not harm the environment and is nitrogen enriched compared to the original waste. Further, the microorganism count in the final product is well below the safe upper limit set by the various regulatory authorities for such materials and is sufficiently low that the nitrogen content of the fertilizer is not reduced by microbial metabolism prior to application to the soil. The fertilizer of the invention has been shown to be as effective in improving crop yields as conventional inorganic fertilizers.
For many years now inorganic chemical fertilizers have dominated the fertilizer market. It has been more recently recognised, however, that exclusive use of inorganic fertilizers is harmful to the soil's natural ability to microbiologically replenish plant nutrients. They do not contain organic materials to replace top-soil lost through erosion and therefore, on application readily leach into reservoirs, rivers and lakes causing pollution.
In view of these drawbacks the use of fertilizers based on organic material is becoming increasingly popular because they can enrich the soil without substantial harm to the environment. Organic waste materials such as sewage sludge and other organic household, industrial and agricultural wastes are good candidates for turning into organic fertilizers because they are available in huge quantities and disposal of these wastes is, in itself, an environmental problem.
A number of methods are known for converting organic waste materials into organic fertilizers. However, a viable commercial process for production has proved elusive. Ideally, the process should fix or enrich the nitrogen content of the organic waste, hydrolyse organic components to increase their suitability to be metabolized by soil microorganisms and plants and reduce the microbial population of the organic waste. Various approaches have been taken to try and achieve those goals. For example, sterilization or disinfection of organic waste has been achieved by exposing the waste to high temperatures (pasteurization, drying) using an external heat source. Such a treatment, however, does not achieve any nutrient enrichment. Alternatively, the waste may be composted but this takes weeks or months and results in a voluminous material with a high water content which is inconvenient for use as a fertilizer.
Processes for enriching the nutrient content of organic wastes and bringing about hydrolysis of the organic components are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,951 describes the conversion of ammonia in sewage sludge to thermally stable compounds such as ammonium nitrate and di-ammonium phosphate by treatment with nitric acid or phosphoric acid respectively. Another known method resulting in hydrolysis of the organic components and some disinfection of the waste is to treat the organic waste material with acid to hydrolyse the organic components and to drive down the pH. Thereafter alkali, usually ammonia, is added to raise the pH to one which would be suitable for application to the soil. The addition of ammonia increases the nitrogen content and the aggressive pH changes reduce the microbial count. Procedures using, for example, phosphoric acid or sulphuric acid to acidify the waste are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,287, EP-A-0428014 and WO 91/16280. A similar process in which the acidifying agent is nitrogen dioxide is described in GB-424260.
A common feature of all these prior art processes is that acidification of the waste is carried out first before the addition of alkali to restore the pH to approximately neutral. The present inventors have now made the unexpected discovery that reaction times can be reduced and process efficiency substantially increased if the pH of the raw waste is first raised by adding alkali, followed by acidification with nitrogen dioxide. These efficiency improvements make production of a fertilizer from waste materials commercially feasible, particularly because some wastes, for example, sewage sludge, are often treated with alkali for stabilization and disinfection before transportation and disposal. Further, such a process achieves the dual goals of nitrogen enrichment and disinfection while producing a stable and environmentally acceptable product which may have greater than 50% of the total nitrogen content in the form of nitrites and nitrates.

Fertilizer and process for production thereof


A meter for reproducibly and accurately measuring the delivery or flow rate of known fluids in chromatography and other pressure driven pumping systems, comprising a sense tube of known effective radius and length, coupled to a temperature measuring device, and enclosed in such a way as to allow the temperature of the tube and fluid to be measured, and optionally regulated. The invention is also useful for determining the viscosity of an unknown fluid or combination of fluids.

The present invention relates generally to the fields of Liquid Chromatography (LC), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and preparative chromatography, and comprises a method and apparatus for the accurate and precise measurement of all parameters which affect the quality of the delivery of pressure-driven liquids in an LC or HPLC system. In particular, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for precisely measuring fluid flow rate in such a way as to provide visibility of both short and long term deviations of the flow rate of liquids in LC or HPLC systems.
Liquid chromatography is a widely used technique for separating complex mixtures of chemicals into their constituent parts. This is accomplished by pumping the mixture (mobile phase) through a separation device referred to as a "column." More specifically, an LC (Liquid Chromatography) column is a cylindrical tube containing a separation media (stationary phase). The separation media is porous so that the mixture will pass through it. As the mixture passes through, the separation media selectively impedes or slows the flow of the various components that make up the mixture. The desired outcome is that those constituents that are less restricted by the separation media exit the column (elute) sooner than more restricted components, which travel at a lower speed through the column.
At its simplest level, an LC system consists of only two components: a pump and an LC column. In practice, however, commercial LC systems often comprise multiple pumps, columns, specialized detectors which are sensitive to the eluents, various fluid handling valves, and sophisticated software for controlling the process and collecting data. It is the mission of many manufacturers to provide sophisticated and consistent LC columns, chemicals, methods, and other necessary equipment in order to achieve consistent separation of the mobile phase into very distinct eluents.
In any LC system, the most fundamental parameter that must be controlled is the flow rate of fluids through the system. The flow rate results from pressure which is applied by the LC pump. It follows in practice that most flow consistency and accuracy issues originate because of the fundamental character of the pump. The majority of LC pumps are cam driven piston pumps, typically having one or two pistons, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet. The fluid inlet is typically at or near atmospheric pressure, and the fluid outlet is typically at a high pressure. Outlet pressures can be as high as 5000 PSI, and recently introduced pumps have pushed this limit to approximately 15,000 PSI.
To achieve these pressures, a rotating cam applies force to a high strength piston. Each piston operates in a reciprocating fashion. As the piston moves forward, fluid is pressurized and exits the pump, to be driven through the rest of the LC system. When the piston reaches the end of its stroke, it is retracted as it follows the profile of the rotating cam, and the cylinder is refilled with fluid to be delivered on the next forward stroke. A check (one way) valve is used to keep fluid which has been pushed out of the pump from reentering the pump on the refill stroke. A second check valve keeps fluid which is pressurized by the piston from flowing back out through the pump inlet.
In practice, all piston driven pumps have two intrinsic characteristics that can cause them to provide anomalous deviations in flow rate. It is the common goal of LC system manufacturers to minimize the deleterious effect caused by these characteristics. The first characteristic is visualized by considering a single piston pump. Flow deviation occurs as the piston is being retracted and the cylinder is refilling. During this time, no fluid is delivered from the pump. The lack of additional fluid to compensate for the normal loss of fluid through the LC column causes a momentary pressure drop. This causes the separation and elution processes to slow down until the pump is again delivering fluid at the correct pressure.
Manufacturers offer dual piston pumps as a solution to the above-mentioned anomaly. Ideally, when one piston is refilling, the second piston is delivering fluid, thus eliminating the momentary pressure drop. In practice, a second less apparent anomaly occurs during the changeover from one piston to the other, and is typically masked by the refill pulse in the case of the single piston pump.
The second anomaly is the result of the relationship between the exact moment the outlet check valve(s) open, the desired working system pressure, and a physical characteristic of all fluids, namely, compressibility. Since a check valve opens when the pressure on the inlet side is greater than the pressure on the outlet side, it is necessary to expend some of the piston's stroke to achieve an internal pump pressure equal to the system pressure. This fraction of a stroke is referred to as "pre-compression." The amount of stroke lost to pre-compression increases as the overall desired system pressure is increased. If the pump or system does not specifically and correctly compensate for the required pre-compression, the flow rate will be incorrect. In other words, a dip or a spike in pressure (and thus flow rate) can result, depending on whether pre-compression compensation is set above or below the required operating pressure to achieve the required flow rate.
With regard to this second anomaly, a very practical consideration is: as an LC column ages, the required pressure to achieve a given flow rate typically increases. Therefore, an LC system that is properly pre-compensated for a new column will suffer degradation in elution consistency if the pre-compensation is not adjusted with regard to the required flow vs. pressure characteristic of the aging column.
A solution to both of these anomalies is available in the form of a pressure reservoir, which is inserted in the hydraulic system at some point between the pump and the LC column. This reservoir stores fluid that is compressed to the operating pressure of the LC column. When a deviation of flow results from the pump, the reservoir absorbs or releases fluid as determined by the size of the reservoir, the actual pressure, and the rate of fluid loss through the column and other hydraulic components. The effect is to lessen the severity of the flow deviation by providing a longer decay time. The pressure decay is exponential, and is according to the formula:P(t)=Ps*e−(t/RC)
Where:                P(t)=the resulting pressure as a function of time        Ps=the system pressure when the piston refill begins        e=2.71828        t=time        R=resistance to flow or backpressure generated by column to flow        C=capacity in PSI/mL of the pressure reservoir
In practice, a reservoir is sized to allow an acceptable deviation of pressure at a given operating condition (flow rate and pressure). The trend towards conducting HPLC analysis at lower flow rates is significant with respect to the technique of using a pressure reservoir. The problem lies in attempting to decrease flow rate by simply slowing the rotation of the pump's cam. This approach causes the refill time to be extended inversely with the reduction of flow rate. During refill, system pressure decays exponentially with time. A typical reduction in flow rate will result in a longer period of time in which pressure decay will occur. This allows a system to fall below the flow deviation requirements of the original system design. By way of example, if a pump that is optimized to provide 1% deviation in flow at 100 μL/min is operated at 10 μL/min, a 37% deviation will result. This is true of pumps using mechanically connected cams (driven by a single motor) to drive the pistons, because the refill stroke cannot be altered without affecting the opposing piston's fill stroke. In the case of single piston pumps, there is some ability to increase the speed of the refill stroke and the precision of refill stroke timing by using the inverse of the desired reduction of flow rate.
Other means of driving pistons such as motorized linear screw drives are also available, which can vary the pre-compression appropriately for the fluid and operating pressure. In such case, however, it is still advisable to monitor pulsation performance to verify that the pump has been calibrated and compensated correctly, and is not malfunctioning.
The net effect of the foregoing problem is that eluents do not arrive at the output of the LC column at consistent times, and there is a possibility of the eluents themselves being misclassified. Additional analysis, typically through mass spectroscopy, is often necessary to resolve doubts that occur due to inconsistencies in elution resulting from flow rate fluctuation.
A common method of attempting to correct the aforementioned problem; that is, the inability to simply slow cam-driven pumps to achieve lower flow rates, is called "flow splitting," or simply "splitting." Referring to FIG. 3, the topology of a flow splitting system is apparent. In this topology, the pump is operated at a flow rate that is within its proven performance range. The output of the pump drives a three-way "T" type junction. Of the two remaining connections of the T-junction, one is connected to the column; the remaining connection drives a backpressure control device. By adjusting the amount of backpressure on the non-column output of the T, the flow through the column can be controlled.
A serious fundamental problem with this approach, however, is that the backpressure of the column itself varies over time, typically increasing as the column ages. As the column backpressure changes, it is necessary that a corresponding change occur in the regulating output of the T, otherwise column flow will be adversely affected. Even in the presence of either automatic or manual adjustment of the backpressure regulation means, the overall backpressure encountered by the pump changes, potentially shifting its operating point into a pressure range that is undesirable.
As of yet, there is no economical means to characterize column backpressure with regard to flow rate; or to measure the column flow rate on the high pressure side of the column when using a conventional cam-driven pump; or to quantify flow deviation as a function of time and pump operating pressure; or to alert a user as to the presence of adverse operating conditions; or to collect pressure and flow data from an independent device which can be used to validate system performance in the absence of any anomaly.
What is required is an instrument that can be inserted in the fluid path that will report pump pressure, column pressure, fluid temperature and flow data at adequate data rates to observe short term deviations in flow rate. Further, such a system should provide data in a readily readable form to a host PC, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), laptop, or other programming device, which is capable of capturing and recording data relative to an accurate and independent time base.
Outside the field of the invention, there are many well known methods to determine flow rate, where the rate is comparatively large (>10 mL/minute). These include, for example, the use of turbine wheels, ultrasonic measurement of the velocity of bubbles or solids in a fluid stream, and displacement of a sphere or other indicator suspended within a vertical cone shaped fluid path. None of these methods are viable below sub-mL/minute (e.g. μL/m and nL/m) ranges of flows. Furthermore, none of the methods are suitable to advance the state-of the-art in LC or HPLC because they do not have adequately fast sampling rates to measure short term flow fluctuations.
Historically, liquid flow rates have been measured using a volumetric measuring device (graduated cylinder, pipette, syringe, etc.) and a means of measuring elapsed time. Using the measuring device, an operator typically observes the change in a fluid level or the movement of a trapped bubble to determine the fluid volume that flowed at a given time. The primary disadvantage of this method is that it does not allow adequate time resolution to detect or quantify sufficiently short term deviations in flow. Such deviations typically result from piston pumps and incorrect compensation for compressibility of the liquid being pumped, as has been described hereinabove.
A recently developed method uses two nano-fabricated thermistors placed along the fluid path, and a small heating element positioned near the upstream thermistor. As flow rate increases, there is a proportional increase in the amount of heat which must be applied to attain a constant temperature differential. This "thermal gradient" approach does allow the measurement of short term deviation of flow, but disadvantageously does not allow either a wide dynamic range or optimum insertion of the flowmeter in the flow path due to inability of the thermal gradient type flowmeter to withstand high operating pressures greater than a few hundred PSI.
An additional modern approach uses a pressure drop as a factor in determining flow. A shortcoming of this approach, however, is that the pressure drop is measured across a porous bed (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,802). Thus the effect of variation of viscosity with temperature is not taken into account. Moreover, the possibility of change in the backpressure characteristic of the flow sensing element is more likely with a porous bed.
The prior art literature and patents describe a variety of methods for remediating flow deviation and pre-compression. However, the drawbacks to the traditional thermal sensing flowmeters illustrate the need for alternatives or improvements in controlling flow deviation and pre-compression in a hydraulics system. These are the primary needs addressed by the present invention.


An inflatable mattress for storage within and use in combination with a furniture member includes a main body portion having a lower surface supportable on a surface such as a floor and an upper surface. An extending end of the mattress includes an extension of the upper surface co-planar with the upper surface, and a support surface which contacts a mating support surface of the furniture member. At least one fluid inlet valve and at least one fluid discharge valve are distributed about the inflatable mattress. A plurality of attachment devices connected to the inflatable mattress are used to temporarily or permanently attach the inflatable mattress to the furniture member. The inflatable mattress is collapsible for storage within a furniture member interior envelope.

Mattresses for "sleep sofas" are commonly thinner versions of standard spring or foam mattresses, which allow the mattress to be folded, along with a complex folding mechanism, for storage within the frame of the sleep sofa. Disadvantages of these mattresses include limited width due to the folding mechanism, limited length due to the amount of mechanism/mattress volume that can be stored, and reduced sleep comfort due to the decreased support of the mattress in addition to user contact with the folding mechanism.
Inflatable mattresses are often used as alternatives to standard box spring or coiled spring mattresses, and in some cases as alternatives to sleep sofas, particularly where portability of the mattress is required. Inflatable mattresses commonly include a fluid valve for inflating and deflating the mattress, which is connectable to a fluid pump such as an air pump. These mattresses are commonly constructed of polymeric material(s) which is lightweight for transfer, and foldable for storage when the mattress is not in use. Disadvantages of a stand alone air mattress include that the air mattress, although portable, requires significant floor space of the dwelling it is used in, independent of the envelope already required for furniture items of the dwelling. Air mattresses are typically folded for storage in a box or container, which requires its own storage volume when not in use. Also, air mattresses are generally not connectable to other structure or furniture items, and therefore can shift when a user is entering onto or exiting from the mattress.
Inflatable mattresses in combination with a conventional box spring or in combination with a mattress support system are known which provide adjustable pressure sleep support zones. These inflatable mattresses are internally divisible into two or more zones, each having an inflation/deflation valve to control the fluid pressure in each zone. A disadvantage of the combination of an inflatable mattress and a mattress support system is this system still requires the cost and complexity of the support system, as well as the volume of the support system even if the air mattress is deflated.

West & Knowles Design and Engineering, L.L.C.


An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and a display processing unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a recording medium. The display processing unit causes a display to display a group of options including a first option and a second option in a case where the image forming unit is not equipped with a function to form an image on a recording medium under specified image forming conditions, the first option being an option for issuing a command to form an image on a recording medium in a manner realized through a function of the image forming unit, the second option being an option for issuing a command to display identification information of an alternative apparatus equipped with a function to form an image on a recording medium under the image forming conditions among plural other connected image forming apparatuses.

1. (i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a non-transitory computer readable medium.
2. (ii) Related Art
A system is known that performs printing by interfacing between plural image forming apparatuses. Each image forming apparatus is equipped with a function to access another image forming apparatus, to acquire image data from the other image forming apparatus, and to print images represented by the image data.
In a system in which each image forming apparatus accesses another image forming apparatus, acquires image data from the other image forming apparatus, and prints images represented by the image data, there may be the case where an image forming apparatus that actually executes printing is not equipped with a function to perform printing under specified printing conditions. For example, even when printing conditions such as a print size, color printing or double-sided printing, and the like are specified, there may be the case where a certain image forming apparatus that actually executes printing is not equipped with a function to perform printing under these printing conditions. In order to cope with this case, it is conceivable that printing conditions (for example, a print size) are forcibly changed and printing is executed. However, when printing conditions are forcibly changed, a printed material may be formed that a user does not intend to obtain.

Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and non-transitory computer readable medium


A protector for toes is provided including a toe enclosure configured to block exposure of the toes to an environment external of the enclosure. The toe enclosure may be a footwear article configured to protect the toes. A pedicure shoe system is also provided for protecting freshly painted toe-nails from contact with foreign objects. The pedicure shoe system includes a pedicure shoe and a pedicure slipper. The pedicure slipper is positionable in the pedicure shoe, and spacer members ensure adequate space between the pedicure shoe and the toe-nails.

Pedicures are typically performed in a salon or spa. During a pedicure, a foot may be treated with creams, lotions, hot wax or other skin conditioning softeners. Typically, a pedicure also includes painting the toe-nails of the foot with nail polish. Nail polish may require a minimum of one hour to dry, during which time it is important to prevent any material or foreign objects from contacting the freshly coated toe-nails. As is well known to individuals who obtain pedicures, even if the polish is dry to the touch, the polish can scratch easily should the individual attempt to wear tight fitting shoes or inadvertently come into contact with another surface before the polish has cured to its final density and hardness.
During a pedicure, toe-separating slippers often are used to assist a pedicurist by inhibiting the toes from touching each other during application of nail polish to each toe. The most basic pedicure slippers are generally made from a disposable paper fabric. More sophisticated slippers may include a semi-rigid sole and enable the individual receiving the pedicure to walk immediately or to drive a car with freshly polished toe-nails. The ability to walk or to drive a car with freshly polished toenails eliminates the need for the individual receiving the pedicure to remain at the salon until the nail polish dries. However, conventional pedicure slippers and shoes are not generally suitable for use in inclement weather. For example, in northern latitudes during the winter months, conventional pedicure slippers and shoes do not provide suitable warmth and protection from slush and snow. Further, typical pedicure slippers may not be appropriate footwear for many occasions. Even if conventional pedicure shoes or slippers allow an individual to depart a salon before the polish is dry, the individual may be limited by the informal qualities of conventional pedicure shoes or slippers as to where he or she may go. Thus, while conventional pedicure shoes and slippers may be practical in a few instances, in many instances they are inadequate.
Many conventional pedicure shoes and slippers, for example the shoes and slippers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,987 to Perez; U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,837 to Poulos; U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,893 to Schlamp, et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,580 to Tadayan, separate a wearers toes to prevent the toes from inadvertently marring the freshly polished nails. Some pedicure shoes and slippers also protect the freshly polished nails from contact with other surfaces or materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,823 to Yates ("Yates") discloses a pedicure slipper system including a slipper assembly having a plurality of toe separation cushion assemblies on the sole of the slipper assembly and a removable toe cover assembly for shielding the toes. The removable toe cover assembly may be installed over the forward part of an individual's foot, including the toes, after the foot is inserted in the slipper. While the Yates slipper separates an individual's toes and provides some protection to freshly polished nails, it does not provide adequate protection from the elements to the individual wearing the slipper.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a pedicure shoe system wherein a foot may be easily inserted into the shoe while wearing a pedicure slipper, wherein the pedicure shoe provides additional protection to the freshly coated toes, and wherein the pedicure shoe is configured to provide the comfort and versatility similar to a conventional shoe.
From the foregoing it will be seen there is room for improvement of pedicure shoes.


A liquid crystal display panel includes: a plurality of first source drivers (35a) provided in a first frame region (20a), each first source driver supplying a first display signal voltage to source bus lines, from among a plurality of source bus lines (14s), that are associated with the first source driver; and a plurality of second source drivers (35b) provided in a second frame region (20b), each second source driver supplying a second display signal voltage to source bus lines, from among the plurality of source bus lines, that are associated with the second source driver. In each vertical scanning period, the first display signal voltage and the second display signal voltage are supplied to each of the plurality of source bus lines while being superposed on each other, and polarities of the first display signal voltage and the second display signal voltage do not change within each vertical scanning period.

The present applicant manufactures and sells large-size high-definition liquid crystal display panels. For example, with a large-size liquid crystal display panel having a high definition exceeding FHD, such as 4K or 8K, a source driver (a signal line driving circuit) for supplying display signal voltages to source bus lines (signal lines) may be required to have a high charging ability. With a high-definition and/or large-size liquid crystal display panel, a driving method may be employed, in which source drivers are provided in frame regions on opposite sides of the display region (e.g., on the upper side and the lower side of the display region) of the liquid crystal display panel, wherein each source bus line receives display signal voltages input from both source drivers (hereinafter referred to as a "two-side input driving structure".). A liquid crystal display panel having the two-side input driving structure has a high charging ability because it includes two source drivers for driving each source bus line. The charging ability that is required for each source driver can be reduced as compared with a liquid crystal display panel of a driving method, in which source drivers are provided in one of the frame regions on the upper side or the lower side of the display region of the liquid crystal display panel, wherein each source bus line receives a display signal voltage input from one source driver (which may be referred to as a "one-side input driving structure" as opposed to the two-side input driving structure described above.).
Patent Document No. 1 discloses a liquid crystal display device having the two-side input driving structure described above. According to the liquid crystal display device of Patent Document No. 1, it is possible to display without a hitch even if there is a break in a source bus line.
Various ideas have been devised so as to improve the display quality of a liquid crystal display panel. Each pixel of a liquid crystal display panel exhibits a brightness in accordance with the level of the voltage applied across the liquid crystal layer. A pixel is electrically represented as a liquid crystal capacitor having a pixel electrode/liquid crystal layer/counter electrode structure, and the level of the voltage applied to the pixel (liquid crystal layer) is represented with respect to the potential of the counter electrode. A liquid crystal material is a dielectric material, and deteriorates after a DC voltage is applied therethrough over a long time. In order to prevent this, the polarity (direction) of the voltage (electric field) applied across the liquid crystal layer is inverted after every passage of a predetermined amount of time (this is referred to as "AC driving"). A frame inversion driving (or field inversion driving) has been employed, in which the polarity of the voltage (the direction of the electric field) applied to each pixel is inverted every vertical scanning period. Note that the "vertical scanning period" means the period from when a certain scanning line (gate bus line) is selected until that scanning line is selected next.
However, with mass-produced liquid crystal display panels, it is difficult to accurately match the absolute value of the voltage before the inversion of the polarity of the voltage with that after the inversion, and the absolute value of the voltage changes slightly each time its polarity is inverted. As a result, when a still image is displayed, the brightness changes each time the polarity is inverted, causing flicker of the display. In view of this, a method for reducing flicker has been employed, which makes use of the effect of spatially averaging brightnesses of pixels by arranging, adjacent to each other in the display region, pixels to which voltages of opposite polarities are applied. A representative method is a driving method of inverting the polarity between voltages that are applied to pixels adjacent to each other, thereby realizing a state called "dot inversion" (this may also be called a "one-dot inversion driving"). A "dot" means a pixel.

Liquid crystal display panel and correction method therefor