An image processing apparatus with interframe interpolation capabilities for reproducing a sequence of video frames by performing a frame interpolation between two given video frame images to compensate for dropped frames. The image processing system comprises an outline detection unit to detect the outline of each moving object contained in a frame image and an affine parameter calculation unit to calculate first affine parameters based on the geometrical relationship between one outline image at a first point in time and another outline image at a second point in time. Based on the first affine parameters, an affine parameter interpolation unit performs a linear interpolation to produce second affine parameters corresponding to a third point in time between the first and second points in time. An interpolated image generation unit then applies an affine transformation to the object images at the first or second point in time, using the second affine parameters supplied from the affine parameter interpolation unit, thereby generating another frame image of each moving object at the third point in time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus with interframe interpolation capabilities, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus which reproduces a smooth sequence of frames by applying an interframe interpolation to video images with some frame dropped.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some video communications systems, such as videoconferencing systems, are designed to use ordinary low-speed telecommunication lines to deliver image information to the receiving ends. In such systems, the frame rate (i.e., the number of frames transmitted in a unit time) is dynamically controlled in accordance with the amount of information to be actually delivered. More specifically, when the source pictures contained a large amount of video information, some frames may be dropped at the sending end to reduce the information transmitted over the communications channel. This frame subsampling operation, however, can degrade smoothness of the pictures reproduced at the receiving ends; it makes rapid movements of on-screen objects appear jerky. The present invention is addressed to the solution of such problems.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 3-109677 (1991), for example, discloses an image processor with interframe interpolation capabilities. This conventional image processor produces a smooth and continuous succession of video images from time-discrete source pictures sampled at certain time intervals, which feature allows the processor to be used to create animation from a limited number of key-frames or to display images captured by ultrasound imaging devices for medical treatment.
FIG. 9 shows a typical configuration of such a conventional image processor with frame interpolation functions. Specifically, source frame images captured by a camera 101 are stored into a frame memory 102, frame by frame. The frame memory 102 supplies a moment calculation unit 103 with two consecutive frame images captured at discrete points in time, (tn) and (tn+1), as illustrated in FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B). In each frame image provided, the moment calculation unit 103 recognizes a moving object 107 by approximation to an ellipse, and calculates its first-order moment axis 108 and second-order moment axis 109. Next, an affine parameter calculation unit 104 calculates affine parameters (or coefficients for affine transformation) through evaluation of geometrical relation between the first-order and second-order moment axes 108 and 109 at time point (tn) and those at time point (tn+1).
Based on the affine parameters calculated above, a predictive affine parameter calculation unit 105 calculates another set of affine parameters for an intermediate time point (tn+t) between the two time points (tn) and (tn+1); i.e., tn<tn+t<tn+1. The obtained affine parameters are then supplied to a predictive object image generation unit 106. With the affine parameters for time point (tn+t), the predictive object image generation unit 106 conducts an affine transformation to the image of the moving object 107 included in the source frame image at time point (tn) or (tn+1) sent from the frame memory 102, thereby generating an in-between frame image at time point (tn+t).
As described above, the conventional image processor of FIG. 9 calculates the first-order moment axis 108 and second-order moment axis 109 to determine the object's orientation. That algorithm, however, consumes a large amount of computing power to perform two-dimensional sum-of-products operations over the entire image of each moving object. This leads to a difficulty in obtaining frame-interpolated video images in a real-time fashion. As mentioned earlier, such conventional image processors can be used to create animation or to display images captured by ultrasound imaging devices for medical purposes. However, it should be noticed here that these are all off-line, or non-real-time, applications. Conversely, the conventional image processors with interframe interpolation capabilities can not be applied to, for example, videoconferencing systems where real-time image processing is essential.
Meanwhile, the rotation angle of the moving object 107 is one of the affine parameters that must be identified. The conventional image processors calculate this parameter from the first-order moment axis 108 and second-order moment axis 109 at two points in time (tn) and (tn+1). But here lies another problem with the conventional algorithms that the range of rotation angles that can be correctly identified is limited to 90 degrees at most.
More specifically, consider that the first-order moment axis 108 at time point (tn) and the same at time point (tn+1) form an angle .alpha., where 0<.alpha..ltoreq.90 [degrees]. Although this condition can actually happen when the object has rotated by just a degrees or (180-.alpha.) degrees, the conventional image processing algorithms are unable to discriminate whether the true rotation angle was a degrees or (180-.alpha.) degrees because of the symmetrical nature of the elliptic approximation models that they use. In practice, the conventional image processors are designed not to interpret it as (180-.alpha.) degrees, but take .alpha. degrees as the rotation angle in such a situation. That is, they cannot identify the affine parameters correctly when the actual rotation of an object exceeds 90 degrees.

Image processing apparatus with interframe interpolation capabilities


An electrochemical sensor with a capillary channel is formed by placing a sacrificial insert on a sensor base and applying casting material. After the casting material is cured, the sacrificial is removed leaving a capillary channel in the sensor. The insert may be removed by a tool including a clamp for clamping and holding the insert stationary and a sliding block to which the sensor is secured.

Electrochemical sensors are used for the quantification of components or analytes in a sample of liquid such as blood or urine. Sensors of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,958,199 and 5,798,031. These sensors include an insulating base with carbon electrodes printed on the base. The electrodes are covered with a reagent and are located in a capillary channel. The capillary channel is defined by a spacer positioned between the base and a cover piece.
Other electrochemical sensors have two parts, a base and a lid. The lid forms three sides of a capillary space and the base forms the fourth. The base and lid are laminated together to form the sensor.
Sensors of this type are used by dipping an open end of the capillary channel into test liquid. The liquid is drawn by capillary action into the capillary channel to cover a reagent and/or enzyme in the capillary channel near one or more electrodes. A measurement of an analyte in the test liquid can then be made. The usual way to fabricate sensors of this type is to precision screen print active areas within a capillary area formed by a shaped top lid. It is desirable to reduce the cost and assembly required by this construction. Moreover, it is difficult to provide electrodes in a small molded capillary channel of less than 0.005 inches in height and it is desirable to provide a sensor of this size with molded electrodes so that such a sensor could be used for electrochemical analysis.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A probe holding structure includes a substrate and a plurality of holding modules. The substrate has an opening and a plurality of grooves arranged around a periphery of the opening. The holding modules are connected with the grooves, respectively. Each holding modules includes a fixing member and a plurality of probes. The fixing member is connected with a corresponding groove. The probes are connected with the fixing member and pass through the corresponding groove. The probe holding structure is combined with a lens adjusting mechanism having a lens to form an optical inspection device for testing electric characteristics of chips.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to probe holding and lens adjusting technologies and more particularly, to a combination-type probe holding structure and an optical inspection device equipped with the probe holding structure and a lens adjusting mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to assure the quality of the product, a lot of testing tasks have to be conducted in production of semiconductor chips. One of the testing tasks is adapted to confirm whether the electric connections among the electronic components inside the semiconductor chip are good and the function of the chip is in compliance with specification of the quality control.
In a task of testing semiconductor chip, the tester needs to contact a device under test (DUT), such as a chip, through a probe card, and meanwhile the test result of the DUT can be obtained by conducting signal transmission and electric signal analysis. The aforesaid probe card is generally equipped with a plurality of fine-dimensional probes arranged in a certain pattern such that each probe may be aligned with a specific contact pad of the chip under test. When the probes contact the corresponding contact pads of the DUT respectively, they can positively transmit the test signals from the tester. In the meantime, the purpose of measuring the electric characteristics of the DUT can be achieved by the cooperation of the control and analysis processes of the probe card and the tester.
FIG. 1A is a schematic bottom view of a part of a probe card of a prior art, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 1A. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the probe card 1 is composed of a guide plate 10 having an opening 11, and three series of probes 12, 13 and 14 arranged around a periphery of the opening 11. Because the guide plate 10 has a small area and a plurality of series of probes 12, 13 and 14 have to be mounted to the guide plate 10 with a limited area, the work of inserting the second and third series of probes 13 and 14 can not be simultaneously carried out with the process of inserting the first series of probes 12 upon manufacturing the probe card 1, resulting in decrease of the manufacturing efficiency of the probe card 1. In addition, in this prior art design, the probes are directly inserted through the guide plate 10. When the probe card 1 thus obtained has a manufacturing defect or one or more probes are malfunction in their contact operation, it is hard to fix the probe card by replacing the problematic probes separately, such that the guide plate mounted with the probes having problems are usually discarded, resulting in increase of the manufacturing cost.
FIG. 1C is a schematic lateral side view of a probing structure of a prior art used in a wafer-level testing. In this prior art design, the wafer-level probing structure is composed of a base seat 6 provided with a plurality of openings 61, each of which is adapted for accommodating a lens holder 71 therein. Each lens holder 71 is provided at an inside thereof with an accommodation for being screwingly coupled with a lens 72 through a thread 721. The disadvantage of this prior art design lies in that the position of the lens 72 can not be easily and precisely adjusted. Specifically speaking, each lens has a fixed focus and it is needed to let the focus of the lens be lain exactly on the device under test by adjusting the position of the lens, such that a clear image may generate. In the aforesaid prior art, the fine adjustment of the focus is carried out by adjusting the engagement relationship between the thread 721 on the periphery wall of the lens 72 and the thread provided inside the lens holder 71 so as to change the position of the lens 72 in the vertical direction. This adjusting work is however very inconvenient and adversely affects the probing efficiency. In addition, the backlash between the thread provided on the inner wall of the lens holder 71 and the thread 721 on the lens 72 will usually cause error in the position adjusting operation of the lens to adversely affect the optical image-forming effect.
In light of the above, it is desired to provide a combination-type probe holding structure and an optical inspection device having the probe holding structure and a lens adjusting mechanism to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior arts.

Probe holding structure and optical inspection device equipped with the same


A method and apparatus for qualifying an object. Several characteristic values of the object are determined and arranged in a sequence in a polar coordinate system having an origin. At least one quality point is determined as the center of gravity on the basis of the positions of the characteristic values in the polar coordinate system. The object is qualified according to the position of the quality point in the polar coordinate system. In determining the quality point, the characteristic values are taken into account by weighting with their distances from the origin of the polar coordinate system.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a method and apparatus for qualifying an object.
2. Discussion of the Background
By plotting alterations of a physical characteristic measurable on a material as a function of another physical characteristic a spectrum is obtained. A spectrum is obtained for example, when an optical characteristic (transmission or reflection) of a material is plotted as a function of the wavelength of the illuminating radiation. Spectra are useful information sources relating to qualities, e.g. composition, of a material examined. However, the relationship between data representing qualities of the examined material and a certain spectrum of the sample cannot be described today in most cases in the form of mathematical equations. Therefore, determining relationships in an empirical way is relied upon. For this, a large number of samples with known qualities are required and spectra of all samples must be measured. In present day measurement technology it is not rare that a single spectrum is represented by a thousand spectrum values. The processing of the spectrum means that operations are to be carried out with these one thousand data.
Obtaining and interpreting useful information require in most cases the application of complicated methods of mathematical statistics. Even the majority of such spectrum recording and evaluating instruments and methods become suitable for determining qualities of samples of unknown composition from their spectra after a "learning" process of a large number of measurements (calibration) carried out on a series of samples of known qualities. Of methods of mathematical statistics applied for processing spectra, a relatively simple and widely applied method is the MLR (Multiple Linear Regression) method. Good results can be achieved by the MLR method, however, it has the disadvantage that only spectrum values associated with some discrete values of independent variable are used in determining the quality or qualities sought, although other spectrum values also carry valuable information. Further, when the program is run on a PC configuration, the calculation period may be rather long.
Shortening of the calculation period and the learning process may be achieved by transforming spectra into Fourier domain and taking into consideration the first 20 to 50 members of the Fourier series, only. This method represents a substantial data reduction, generally by one order of magnitude, in a way that in determining the reduced data all original spectrum data play a role. A spectral pattern classification system using discrete Fourier transformation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,754. The signal to be classified is sampled and the samples are multiplied by weighting constants inherent in the system prior to performing discrete Fourier transformation. The preprocessing ensures that data blocks from similar sources will have spectra that are close to one another in the Fourier domain.
A method different from those above, implementing a large-scale data reduction based on geometry, has also been suggested by K. J. Kaffka and L. S. Gyarmati in an article entitled Qualitative (Comparative) Analysis by Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Jun. 25-29, 1990, Brussels, Belgium, pp. 135-144. According to the method, spectrum values measured are not plotted in a usual rectangular coordinate system, but in a polar coordinate system, hypothetical masses of equal amount are assigned to the spectrum points so obtained, and their center of mass, that is the center of gravity is determined. The polar coordinate system was called "quality plane", the center of gravity was named "quality point" and the vector drawn from the origin of the coordinate system to the quality point was called "quality vector". According to this method, the quality, e.g. composition, of materials that can be characterised by their spectra can be described by the quality point or quality vector, respectively.
In many cases, however, the examined object is not homogeneous, and the distribution of various components is not uniform in the object. At the same time, knowledge about planar (spatial) distribution of the components could be important e.g. from the aspect of quality. To this end, elaboration of such a special technique is required, which enables measurement of reflection spectra of objects in two dimensions. The size of the object could vary between wide limits. The inhomogeneous surface could be of one cm.sup.2 or smaller size, e.g. when examining pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or foodstuff, it could be of some dm.sup.2 size, e.g. when protein or fat distribution of a body part is to be determined for medical purposes, but it could also be of several thousand km.sup.2 size, e.g. when grain crops of a country are to be predicted on the basis of aerial photographs taken at different wavelengths about the arable land. The solution is to project the surface of the object to be examined to a photosensitive matrix.
According to the publication of S. K. Taylor and W. F. McClure: NIR Imaging Spectroscopy: Measuring the Distribution of Chemical Components, Proceedings of the 2nd International NIRS Conference, Tsukuba, Japan, 1989, pp. 393-404, a photosensitive camera including a charge coupled device (CCD) as an image detector was used to distinguish healthy and dead tissue parts of tree leaves, with 320*240 detector elements (pixels) which could distinguish 256 light intensity levels. On one wavelength this represents 76,800 eight-bit data. In order to obtain reliable physical-chemical information from the intensity data measured on the pixels, the measurement should be carried out on several hundred wavelengths. The large quantity of data resulting would exceed the data processing possibilities of a normal PC. Even in the method mentioned above, measurement was carried out on six wavelengths by changeable filters installed in a rotating disk.
In the publication of P. Robert, D. Bertrand, M. F. Devaux and A. Sire: Identification of Chemical Constituents by Multivariate Near-Infrared Spectral Imaging, Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 64, No. 6, Mar. 15, 1992, pp. 664-667, measurements carried out on grain by a NIR video camera with 512*512 pixels, on 21 wavelength values are described. The pixels could distinguish 256 light intensity stages. In order to reduce the noise eight pictures were averaged and in order to facilitate data processing signals of four neighbouring pixels were averaged.

Method and apparatus for qualifying an object


A display screen assembly is provided. The display screen defines a channel for allowing selective engagement of the display screen. A mount assembly is provided and includes a base for supporting the display screen assembly about a support surface, and a locking assembly that selectively engages the channel to thereby lock the mount assembly to the display screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display screen assembly having a selectively engageable mount assembly. The mount assembly includes a locking assembly that allows for engagement of the mount assembly with a display screen.
2. Description of Related Art
Display screens are used as a user interface for many electronic systems. For example, personal computers have traditionally used a display screen to display information relevant to the user of the display screen.
Occasionally, it may be desirable to transport the display screen without having to transport the entire display screen assembly. For example, a display screen having a touch responsive display may be used in a commercial or retail setting, however, due to the relatively high costs of the touch responsive display, a user may desire to transport the touch responsive display between one or more mount assemblies. As another example, a retail establishment may want to secure the expensive display screen during hours that the establishment is not open in order to deter theft or vandalism. The mount assembly may be fastened to a surrounding support surface and it may be time consuming to remove the mount assembly.
Typically, if a retailer desired to remove or move display screen assembly, the entire assembly must be unplugged, unsecured, or otherwise disengaged, and then transported to the desired location where the display screen assembly would then have to be plugged back in, secured, or otherwise engaged. This creates a situation where a retailer must expend man hours securing the display screen assembly during open and closed hours of the retail establishment.
Accordingly, there is a need for a display screen assembly in which the display screen is selectively engageable about a mount assembly.

Display screen assembly having a selectively engageable mount assembly

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holding Corporation


A type of portable computer with interchangeable components is provided. The chassis of the portable computer includes an upper part, a lower part, and an edge part. The edge part can be equipped with removable input and output (I/O) plates. The motherboards and batteries of this type of portable computer are standardized with or without optional components such as optical drives and/or 2.5 inch hard drives. Motherboards, batteries and other components can be mounted in the chassis of the portable computer through fixed mounting stands and/or removable mounting standoffs. The portable computer allows the I/O plates and/or the edge part to be replaced. Therefore, a motherboard with different I/Os, a motherboard and other components with different heights, and an auxiliary cooling system can be installed in the chassis. In the portable computer, mounting stands and standoffs can be shared by multiple components.

The term portable computer encompasses laptops, as well as other computing devices that are easy to carry and move. Examples of these other computing devices include tablets, smartphones, other handheld devices, etc. Some portable computers, such as laptops, contain a top and base portion. The top portion includes a display screen. The base portion includes a chassis and most components of the portable computer. Other portable computers, such as tablets and smartphones, only contain a base portion with a built-in display.
Currently, the base portion of portable computers may include interchangeable components such as processors, graphics cards, wireless cards, memory, optical drives, 2.5 inch hard drives, etc. For portable computers with interchangeable components, component standardization is important and useful. This type of standardization is helpful for users because they can easily upgrade or repair their portable computers by replacing standard components. For example, a laptop can be upgraded to a faster processor and higher memory capacity. However, motherboards in current portable computers do not have this type of standardization, and can only be used for a specific model of portable computer. If a motherboard in a portable computer is faulty, it can only be replaced with a motherboard of the same model, which places significant restrictions on repairs and upgrades. Without a suitable motherboard, even if the portable computer contains all other components, it can only be discarded. The same problem occurs if the chassis is damaged or unusable. If the motherboard or chassis of a portable computer needs to be replaced, it is often necessary to replace the entire portable computer. Currently, there is no solution that allows the motherboard or chassis of a portable computer to be interchangeable.
It would be beneficial to provide a type of portable computer with standardized motherboards, chassis, and other components. All components in these portable computers are ideally interchangeable. This makes it easy to repair or upgrade a portable computer. In addition, since all these portable computers have a similar structure and interchangeable components, it makes it easier for users to assemble or disassemble them.


Source code of a graphical designer application may be generated from a definition of graphical elements that can be employed to develop graphical models using the graphical designer application, a definition of one or more object types that can be represented in graphical models developed using the graphical designer application, and a definition of a mapping between the one or more object types and the graphical elements. One or more of these definitions may be stored within a file formatted in accordance with a markup language such as SGML or XML. The graphical designer application may be customized and extended by modifying one or more of the definitions and regenerating the source code and/or by modifying the source code itself. One or more of the definitions may be generated based on a graphical designer template corresponding to a particular model domain.

Graphical models are widely used in today's business world for various purposes, including data modeling, business process modeling and technical software modeling such as, for example, class modeling, deployment modeling, etc.
Different options are available today for developing models. Drawing tools (e.g., versions of Microsoft® Visio® available from the Microsoft Corporation) typically provide a variety of graphical elements and a relatively high level of flexibility in drawing models. Thus, they can be used to draw models for almost any domain (e.g., business models, data models, technical software models such as class and deployment modeling, etc.) However, drawing tools are limited to providing a graphical representation of a domain, and do not define relationships (e.g., properties) between the graphical elements of the graphical representation and the objects of the domain that they represent. Thus, graphical models drawn using drawing tools do not provide a rich model of the domain being modeled that can be understood and used by other applications. For example, a user can develop a graphical model of a business process using a drawing tool, but generating a process model simulation from the graphical model would be either extremely difficult or impossible.
Graphical designer applications (e.g., modeling tools), on the other hand, typically define strong relationships between the diagram elements and the objects of the model domain that they represent. This is because graphical designers typically are designed for a specific graphical-modeling language (e.g., the Unified Modeling Language (UML)) and/or for a specific model domain (e.g., business workflows). Accordingly, graphical designers typically provide strong support for the syntax and semantics of the particular graphical-modeling language for which they are designed. However, the extensibility and customizability of known graphical designers is limited. Although some graphical designers offer limited user-definable features, which allow users to customize such tools to a certain degree, the vast majority of the functionality of such designers is hard-coded and thus cannot be changed by the user. As a result, graphical designers are difficult to customize and extend to develop graphical models for model domains that require object types, properties, relationships, etc. not within the predefined parameters of the graphical designer.

Generating a graphical designer application for developing graphical models


A printing module for an ink-printing system, interchangeably attached in a holder, consists of an ink storage container with an ink-printing head arranged on it. The ink storage container contains a housing with an assembly surface for an ink-printing head, as well as an ink collection region directly adjacent to the assembly surface. The ink collection region is covered over a large area with a filter element made from woven plastic fabric. Furthermore, a storage element made of a micro-channeled, ink absorbing and releasing material is arranged in the housing, which is in direct contact with the filter element over a large area.

The present invention relates generally to ink storage containers for ink-printing systems, and more particularly to an ink storage container for an ink printing system having an ink-printing head, which can be arranged on the ink storage container. The present invention also relates to a method for producing such an ink storage container.
Ink-printing systems with ink-printing heads that function according to piezoelectric or thermoelectric principles are generally known. In such ink-printing systems, an ink-printing head is moved along an image support, using an electric motor drive device. A print image is generated on the image support by character-dependent excitation of the ink-printing head. Ink is supplied to the ink-printing head from an ink storage container, which is either stationary or is moved along the image support together with the ink-printing head. In this way, the ink-printing head can form an interchangeable module with the ink storage container.
If the ink-printing head is moved together with the ink storage container in the form of a printing module, the capacity of the ink storage container is limited due to the drive forces required and limitations on the size. Care is necessary to ensure that in spite of great dynamic stress, the ink supply to the ink-printing head from the ink storage container is not interrupted. The ink storage container must also be structured so that complete utilization of the ink in the ink supply container is possible for an efficient printing operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,295 discloses an ink storage container with an integrated thermoelectric printing head. The ink storage container and the ink-printing head form a single structural unit in the form of a printing module, which is arranged on a printer carriage of the printing system. The entire housing of the ink storage container is filled with a porous material of polyurethane foam, which exhibits a controlled porosity. At the bottom of the ink storage container, an ink extraction opening in the form of a collar-shaped connection part that extends into the ink storage container is provided. This part is sealed off with regard to the porous material by means of a metal mesh grid. This serves to prevent penetration of air bubbles and dirt particles into the ink supply system. The porous material of polyurethane foam is pressed into the housing under pressure, so that a compression zone results in the immediate vicinity of the connection region. The pore size of this compression region is less than that in a region of the foam farther removed from the connection region. The aim of this measure is to increase the capillary forces in the area surrounding the connection region, so that ink can be reliably fed to the connection region.
The pipe-shaped connection region which projects into the container space reduces the ink supply that can be utilized. Furthermore, there is the risk that because of the small size of the connection region in comparison with the entire supply, the mesh grid will clog with air bubbles and therefore block the ink supply. Due to the foam compression, there is also the risk that singular regions with capillary behavior that deviate from one to the next will be formed. This could cause ink islands to form in the foam. Complete emptying of ink from the foam is therefore only possible within certain limits. Complete emptying furthermore presupposes that the foam is completely saturated with ink. Depletion zones have a detrimental effect on ink transport.
In the ink storage container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,295, the pipe-shaped ink collection region extends significantly into the housing. Therefore, part of the housing volume cannot be utilized to hold a storage element and therefore to store ink. Furthermore, the danger of ink clogging exists when the ink is extracted relatively rapidly.
Finally, the ink storage container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,295 requires defined compression of the storage element in the region of the filter element to guarantee targeted ink flow in the direction of the ink collection region. This can give rise to singular regions, each with a capillary behavior that differs from that of one or more of the others, which can lead to ink islands.
The present invention is directed to the problem of developing an ink storage container for an ink-printing system, in which the ink storage container has an ink-printing head assigned to it, which has a simple design avoiding the problems of the prior art, which allows as complete emptying of the ink as possible, and in which penetration of air bubbles into the ink supply system of the ink-printing head can be reliably prevented, without any interruption in the ink supply. The present invention is also directed to the problem of developing a method for producing such an ink storage container for an ink-printing system.

Printing module for an ink-printing system having an ink storage container with an integrated ink-printing head


A method for gluing and brazing a honeycomb structure includes at least one partially structured foil with a pitch and a wave height. The method includes the steps of choosing a mean brazing material diameter of a powder brazing material, said diameter being 15% smaller than the height of the wave; determining a minimum thickness of the glue strip according to equation; gluing at least partially structured foil within the width of the glue strip on at least part of the wave crests formed by the undulation; brazing the honeycomb structure. The invention also relates to a corresponding honeycomb structure that ensures satisfactory joint connections even when said structure is used in the exhaust systems of automobiles.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a honeycomb structure including at least partially textured films so that ducts through which a fluid can flow and that have a pitch and a wave height are formed, adhesive and a powderous brazing material being provided in regions of contact between the films, within an adhesive strip width, and to a method for applying adhesive and brazing material to such a honeycomb structure.
Such honeycomb structures are used, in particular, as catalytic converter carrier bodies in exhaust gas systems of mobile internal combustion engines (for example, spark ignition engines or diesel engines or the like). Honeycomb bodies and a method for manufacturing them are disclosed, for example, in European Patent 0 422 000 B1, corresponding to United States Patent Publication Nos. 2002/0129890 and 2001/0013390, or German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 29 24 592, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,947 to Nonnenmann et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,590 to Nonnenmann et al. The latter describes a carrier matrix for a catalytic reactor for emission control of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, which matrix is formed from high-temperature-proof steel plates. The carrier matrix is coated with a catalytic material, the steel plates being embodied as smooth and corrugated plates and being disposed alternately in layers.
With respect to the manufacturing method of such a carrier matrix, it is proposed that the steel plates, firstly, be degreased and/or pickled. The steel plates are, then, provided with a brazing material coating before they are disposed alternately in layers. Adhesive or brazing material can, then, be applied to the smooth steel plates, the corrugated steel plates or both types of steel plate. Brazing material is applied in strips in the direction of the corrugations of the corrugated steel plates, or perpendicularly thereto. After the steel plates have been stacked and wound to provide a carrier matrix, the carrier matrix is heated and all the layers or steel plates are simultaneously brazed to one another. A multiplicity of shapes and configurations of the steel plates with respect to one another are already known (S-shaped, spiral, etc.), reference being made in this respect, for example, to European Patent 0 430 945, corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,844, 5,135,794, and 5,105,539 to Maus et al., or EP 0 436 533, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,743 to Maus et al.
Such a method has proven very satisfactory in the past, but has disadvantages, particularly with respect to the costs and the brazing quality. Although the provision of adhesive or brazing material in the form of strips already entails a reduction in the adhesive or brazing material that is used for manufacture, excessively rigid connection of the steel plates to one another, which is not desired in certain cases has, nevertheless, been detected within the scope of load testing. In this context, it has also been discovered that, particularly when very thin steel plates are used, it is important not to introduce too much brazing material material into the carrier matrix because an excessive quantity of brazing material results in an increased risk of corrosion during the use of such a carrier matrix in the exhaust gas system of motor vehicles. Furthermore, the excessive provision of brazing material constitutes a cost factor that has to be allowed for, in particular, within the scope of large-scale manufacture.
A further manufacturing problem occurs when the steel plates are stacked or wrapped. Because the brazing material is already applied before the stacking or wrapping, it may also come to be disposed in the contact regions between the corrugated steel plate and the smooth steel plate so that direct contact between these plates is not ensured. During subsequent thermal treatment, the adhesive vaporizes at least partially and the brazing material melts so that gaps are formed under certain circumstances. This may result in a situation in which a joint connection between steel plates that are disposed adjacent to one another is not formed continuously over the desired connecting region. This has an appreciable influence on the fatigue strength of such a carrier matrix when the latter is subjected to thermal and dynamic conditions in the exhaust gas system of a mobile internal combustion engine.

Honeycomb structure and method for applying adhesive and brazing material to the structure

Emitec Gesellschaft fuer Emissionstechnologie mbH


Database recovery can be performed in substantially constant time. From a database transaction log, the state of one or more transactions is identified including those that were active at a time of a crash but not committed. Transactions can be reapplied sequentially starting from the beginning of a last successful checkpoint to the end of the transaction log. Uncommitted user transactions are not undone synchronously, but simply marked as aborted. Subsequently, versions of affected data elements can be reverted back to a prior saved version asynchronously.

Databases are transactional systems that can provide certain guarantees, namely atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability (known as ACID properties). Transactions are an action or series of actions that read or updates contents of a database. For example, a transaction can be a money transfer that debits a first account and credits a second account. An atomic transaction is one in which all actions are performed or none of the actions are performed. Money is not debited from the first account without also crediting the second account. Consistency refers to a requirement that a transaction change data in allowed ways to produce a new valid state from a prior valid state. For instance, money is not lost or gained. Isolation ensures transactions in process are isolated from each other. For example, the first account and the second account cannot be viewed until operations complete. Furthermore, changes are durable in that data remains in its correct state even in the event of failure or system restart.
At any point in time, a database may need to recover from a crash or failure, caused by loss of power, critical error in code, disk crash, or natural disaster, among other things. A database recovery process ensures a database is returned to a consistent state. Many databases employ the ARIES (Algorithm for Recovery and Isolation Exploiting Semantics) transactional recovery protocol. ARIES comprises three phases: analysis, redo, and undo. First, a transaction log is traversed to identify all transactions and their state at the time of a crash. Second, the transaction log is traversed chronologically to the end of the log, and operations are redone sequentially to bring the database back to a consistent state as of the time of the crash. Third, the transaction log is traversed backward from the end of the log to the oldest active transaction, and all operations performed by uncommitted transactions are undone or rolled back.


Methods and apparatus for automatically predicting epileptic seizures monitor and analyze brain wave (EEG or MEG) signals. Steps include: acquiring the brain wave data from the patient; digitizing the data; obtaining nonlinear measures of the data via chaotic time series analysis tools; obtaining time serial trends in the nonlinear measures; comparison of the trend to known seizure predictors; and providing notification that a seizure is forthcoming.

The theory of nonlinear dynamics provides a basis for understanding and potentially controlling many complex physical and engineering systems. An extensive literature exists for nonlinear dynamics in the brain and related work (18). It is well known that brain waves exhibit seemingly random, unpredictable behavior, that is characteristic of deterministic chaos (1, 20). Moreover, chaotic behavior is "normal," while nonchaotic or periodic behavior is indicative of pathophysiology in experimental epilepsy (20). Schiff et al. (11) showed that chemically-induced seizures in rat-brain can be electrically controlled, leading to speculation (4) that human epilepsy may be controlled without drug or surgical intervention. However, effective use of chaos control for epilepsy requires definitive seizure prediction. Thus, this invention diagnoses brain wave data via chaotic time series analysis (CTSA) methods to predict an epileptic seizure.
Nonlinear analysis of neurological diseases via EEG data is extensive. For example, see the 1994 review by Elbert et al. (18). Epilepsy can be recognized only with clear EEG manifestations, but even these seizures are not easy to detect because there is no stereotyped pattern characteristic of all seizures (5). Work by Olsen and colleagues (7) used various linear measures with autoregressive modeling, discriminant analysis, clustering, and artificial neural networks. Valuable nonlinear tools for studying EEG data include correlation dimension, mutual information function, Kolmogorov entropy, phase-space attractors, and largest Lyapunov exponent. No publications or patents apply one or more CTSA measures to EEG data for systematic characterization of non-seizure, seizure, and transition-to-seizure, for prediction of an epileptic seizure.
Very recent analysis by Theiler (16) studied correlation dimension and Lyapunov exponent, using a form of surrogate analysis on a single EEG time series during an epileptic seizure. The surrogate analysis involved a random shuffling of blocks of time serial data, each block containing one quasi-periodic spike-wave complex. The auto-correlation function for the original data is nearly indistinguishable from the surrogate data. The correlation dimension for the original data is significantly different from the surrogate data only at large scale sizes and large embedding dimensions. The maximum Lyapunov exponent (.lambda.) was negative for both the original and surrogate data and not substantially different, contrary to previous work which found positive .lambda. values. Theiler concluded that his analysis suggests a nonlinear oscillator with noise on the time scale of the spike-wave complex, but cannot indicate whether chaos exits on a shorter time scale.

Epileptic seizure prediction by non-linear methods


An optical sheet used as a component for a touch panel or a display element of a display device is capable of imparting a variety of characteristics such as anti-glare properties and preventing the scintillation of image light in ultrahigh-definition display elements having a pixel density of 300 ppi or more. The optical sheet has an uneven shape on a surface, and the uneven shape satisfies at least one of three disclosed conditions relating to the inclination angles of the uneven portions of the sheet and the distribution curves of the inclination angles.

Recently, mobile information terminal devices which have an interactive communication function and are equipped with a transparent touch panel for information display and information input, which are represented by tablet PCs and smartphones, have been widely distributed not only in Japan but also across the globe.
In spite of the presence of resistance film-type touch panels which are excellent in terms of cost, electrostatic capacitance-type touch panels, particularly, projection electrostatic capacitance-type touch panels have been increasingly demanded as transparent touch panels since gesture operations such as multi-touch are possible and the image quality of ultrahigh-definition display elements is not easily impaired.
In some cases, an anti-glare sheet having an uneven structure is installed on the surface of a touch panel to prevent the reflection of external light.
Furthermore, there are cases in which optical sheets having an uneven structure are used as a base material for the outermost front surface, an internal base material, and a base material for the outermost back surface in a touch panel for the adhesion and prevention of interference fringes between members constituting the touch panel, the adhesion and prevention of interference fringes between the touch panel and display elements, and the like.
However, in a case in which an optical sheet having an uneven structure such as an anti-glare film is used, there is a problem in that the uneven structure causes a phenomenon (scintillation) in which subtle luminance unevenness appears on image light, and display quality degrades. Particularly, in recent display elements having ultrahigh definition (pixel density of 300 ppi or more), the scintillation problem is becoming more serious.
As techniques to prevent scintillation arising from surface unevenness, there have been proposed techniques of the patent documents 1 to 9.

Optical sheet for reducing scintillation effects in touch panels and display panels


A source code and architecture information for at least one data processing environment in which a first executable program code compiled from the source code is to be configured to be executed can be received. The source code can be compiled to generate the first executable program code. The compiling the source code can include selecting, using a processor, from a plurality of source code transformations, a source code transformation to apply to compile a portion of the source code based on a plurality of sets of benchmark data, each of the sets of benchmark data comprising data indicating an efficiency of a portion of another executable program code compiled using a respective source code transformation at executing in the at least one data processing environment. The compiling the source code also can include compiling the portion of the source code using the selected source code transformation.

The present invention relates to computer programming, and more specifically, to compiling computer program code.
A compiler is a computer program that translates computer program code written in one programming language, the source language, into another programming language, the target language. A compiler typically translates source code from a high-level programming language to a low-level language (e.g., assembly language, object code, or machine code) to create an executable program.

Compiling source code using source code transformations selected using benchmark data

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first dielectric fin, a second dielectric fin, a semiconductor fin, an epitaxy structure, and a metal gate structure. The first dielectric fin and the second dielectric fin disposed over the substrate. The semiconductor fin is disposed over the substrate, in which the semiconductor fin is between the first dielectric fin and the second dielectric fin. The epitaxy structure covers at least two surfaces of the semiconductor fin, in which the epitaxy structure is in contact with the first dielectric fin and is separated from the second dielectric fin. The metal gate structure crosses the first dielectric fin, the second dielectric fin, and the semiconductor fin.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process increases production efficiency and lowers associated costs.
Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are desired. For example, a three dimensional transistor, such as a fin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET), has been introduced to replace a planar transistor.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


Systems and methods for performing orthopedic surgical procedures to treat a patient are presented herein. The orthopedic anchoring system may include an implant assembly and a delivery tool to perform the orthopedic surgical procedure. The implant assembly may include an implant outer layer, an implant body situated within the implant outer layer, and a fastener attached to a locking element of the implant body. The delivery tool may include a targeting arm, a fastener guide removably attached at a first end of the targeting arm and an implant guide removably attached to a second end of the targeting arm. The delivery tool may maintain a fixed spatial relationship between a longitudinal axis of the fastener and a longitudinal axis of the implant outer layer and implant body. The orthopedic anchoring system may be used to perform orthopedic surgical procedures related to joint reinforcement or immobilization.

Reinforcement, stabilization, or fusion of a joint or vertebrae may be indicated as a treatment of an afflicted region of a patient. Examples of specific treatments include spinal stabilization, spinal fusion, posterolateral spinal fusion, vertebral immobilization or reinforcement, intervertebral joint immobilization or reinforcement, degenerative disk stabilization, repair of traumatic fracture or dislocation of the pelvis, treatment of degenerative arthritis, treatment of sacroiliitis (an inflammation or degenerative condition of the sacroiliac joint), osteitis condensans ilii, and treatments of other degenerative conditions of joints or vertebrae.
This reinforcement of intervertebral joints, sacroiliac joints, or other joint stabilizations may be accomplished by one or more existing methods, including inserting rods and/or other implants into the afflicted regions. These rods and/or other implants may be anchored in place using existing orthopedic fasteners such as pedicle screws. One limitation of many existing fusion procedures involves the challenge of situating a fusion implant in suitably close alignment with the removed tissues of the patient to achieve a stable fixation of the joint or vertebrae. Existing implant structures may have insufficient engagement with the articular surfaces or cortical bone of the joint for adequate fixation or fusion. This failure to sufficiently stabilize and fuse the joint with the conventional implant structures and methods may result in a failure to relieve the condition being treated.
It may be desirable to limit the movement and/or loosening over time of the anchoring implant and/or associated fasteners to enhance the long-term effectiveness of a fusion implant. Existing pedicle screws and/or implants may loosen, back out, or otherwise functionally degrade due to the cumulative effect of forces and torques experienced as a result of normal posture and/or movements including bending, sitting, walking, and any other typical movements. Therefore, there exists a need for a stabilized anchor that is resistant to these forces for applications in vertebral immobilization/stabilization, intervertebral immobilization/stabilization, sacroiliac joint immobilization, and other surgical interventions.
The inventive fusion system described herein addresses the problems associated with conventional methods and apparatuses used in fixation and fusion.


An energy harvester coupled to a vibration source includes a housing, a transducer, and an amplifier. The transducer may have a first part and a second part. The first part and the second part may move relative to each other along a central axis in response to a motion from the vibration source. The amplifier is coupled to the housing and operable to amplify an amplitude of the motion received from the vibration source. The amplifier has an input member coupled to the vibration source and an output member coupled to the first part of the transducer. The input member moves at a distance D1 in response to the motion from the vibration source. The output member moves the first part of the transducer in response to the input member moving. The first part of the transducer moves along the central axis by a distance D2, where D2>D1.

An energy harvester, which may include a transducer, harvests energy from external sources, such as environmental vibrations. A transducer converts vibrational energy to other forms of energy, such as electrical energy, which can be used for various functions. For example, the energy may be stored to power a device, and/or be used to monitor the conditions of a dynamic system like a sensor. The energy may also be translated to a mechanical motion, such that the transducer acts like an actuator.
The transducer can include movable components. More particularly, one component of the transducer may move relative to the other component. For example, the transducer may include a magnetic structure and a coil structure which move relative to one another. As part of the energy harvester, the magnetic structure and the coil structure move relative to each other in response to kinetic energy from a vibration source. The relative movement causes a variation in the electromagnetic field, thereby generating electrical potential across the coil structure. In addition to an electromagnetic type of transducer, an energy harvester can include a transducer that generates energy based on, for example, piezoelectric, electrostatic, magnetostrictive, and/or electrostrictive actuation.
The amount of energy converted by the transducer can be increased by way of an amplifier. Specifically, the energy harvester may include an amplifier disposed between a vibration source and the transducer. The amplifier increases the energy received from the vibration source and provides the amplified energy to the transducer.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Vibrational energy harvester with amplifier having gear assembly

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN


An email client includes a network interface, a hardware processor, a user interface, an identification module, a content email management module and one or both of a grouping module and bypass email handling module. The network interface communicates with at least one service provider email server. The identification module identifies content emails by analyzing email traffic in an email account established on the service provider's email server. Content email senders are classified as content providers. The content email management module obtains content emails. The grouping module groups content emails from each content provider for display as respective single content item. Optionally, a bypass email handling module implants content emails received over said bypass channel into an email account or accounts.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to grouping emails for display as a single email item, and, more specifically, but not exclusively, to grouping emails sent by a content provider.
Electronic mail is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Typically, email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Email servers accept, forward, deliver and store electronic mail messages.
Gmail™ and Microsoft OUTLOOK™ are exemplary messaging applications that enable users to exchange electronic mail messages through networked computers.
Electronic mail messages (also denoted herein "email" and "email message") are often sent to and received by a group of recipients. Typically, during an email correspondence amongst a group of recipients, one or more of the recipients responds to or forwards received emails using reply, reply all, and forward commands. This exchange of emails may become a conversation. As a result, the number of emails appearing in the recipient incoming mail box (e.g. Inbox) and can range up to tens of emails for a single conversation.
In addition, certain service and content providers send the recipient quantities of email messages providing updates, notifications, status, promotions, etc. Examples include FaceBook™ which sends its subscribers daily (or more frequent) notifications of activities occurring in their account, FoxNews™ which sends its subscribers emails regarding breaking news several times a day, or the local telephone company which sends its customers bills or other notifications.
The above two forms of communications, namely email conversations and frequent updates/notifications, may over-populate the recipient's incoming mail box (e.g. Inbox) and make it very hard to manage. Inbox over-population is particularly problematic in mobile device email applications due to the small size of the screen, making the management task very hard on the recipient.
Some solutions address Inbox overpopulation by grouping the emails by conversation. That is the recipient's mail program attempts to group together the emails that seem to belong to the same conversation. This reduces the size of the Inbox due to the conversation grouping.
It should be noted that some email clients allow alternative types of sorting/grouping. For example MS Outlook™ offers sorting by sender. This is usually an impractical way to manage the Inbox since it contradicts sorting by date (which is typically the most important sorting criterion for an Inbox).
It should be also noted that some email clients create a folder that contains all incoming emails that are identified as promotions. This does not resolve the update/notification problem since these are normally too important to the recipient, who wants to see them on the main Inbox and not to have them placed in a "secondary" folder.
Other solutions allow users to define rules which group all emails arriving from specific sender and put them in a separate folder. However this prevents the recipient from seeing them in the Inbox.
Various solutions have been developed to manage email correspondences. For example one solution is a process for composing and displaying a consolidated message document.
The overload of email has driven some email providers (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) to carry out more radical steps. In some cases they "filter" email messages arriving to their users from certain sources. For example, they might filter email messages sent by certain commercial providers. The filtered email messages might be promotions which are of no interest to the user. However, the emails messages may, for example, be an interaction between the commercial provider and its users (e.g. answers to questions etc.), in which case the filtering disrupts the desired communication with the commercial provider.
Email filtering may be done by moving the corresponding email messages to the SPAM folder, by blocking them altogether or by some other means. This causes a problem to both the commercial provider and its users who want to communicate with each other and their email messages get blocked. This problem is denoted herein the "blocking problem".


The present invention provides a method of refining low purity Si by a slag, in particular removing B, which suppresses wear of the reaction vessel due to the slag and produces high purity Si used for solar battery materials etc. at a low cost, comprising adding SiO2 and an alkali oxide or alkali carbonate as a slag material into molten Si to form a slag during which adding one or more types of materials among materials the same as the reaction vessel material used or ingredients included in the reaction vessel material into the slag so as to remove the impurities in the molten Si.

To remove B from Si, as described in Suzuki et al., Journal of the Japan Institute of Metals, vol. 54, no. 2, p. 168 to 172 (1990), there is the method of bringing molten Si into contact with CaO—MgO—SiO2, CaO—BaO—SiO2, CaO—CaF2—SiO2, or other slag to make the B move to the slag by the equilibrium distribution of B between the slag and molten Si.
Further, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 8-11208 discloses a method of refining Si comprising treating molten Si by slag so as to remove impurities from the molten Si, which method adds said slag to molten Si continuously or substantially continuously and, at the time when the slag and molten Si are in an equilibrium state for one or more types of impurity elements, deactivates said slag continuously or substantially continuously or removes it from the molten Si.


A system for directing air flow in a fume hood having a sash includes a mechanism for producing an output control signal corresponding to a desired flow of air through the sash of the fume hood. The producing mechanism includes a CPU which actively produces the output control signal and is disposed in fluid communication with the fume hood. The system also includes a mechanism for controlling air flow through the sash of the fume hood corresponding to the output control signal. The controlling mechanism is connected to the producing mechanism to receive the output control signal and includes a CPU which actively produces a drive signal for operating the controlling mechanism corresponding to the output control signal. A corresponding method for controlling the air flow in a fume hood is also provided. Also a corresponding system for maintaining a desired relationship regarding air between a first room and a second room separated from but connected to the first room by a wall with an interface through which air can pass when the interface is in an open state is provided.

With the primary industry emphasis on autonomous fume hood controllers and the operation of the laboratory control loop in response to their causal laboratory airflow perturbations with the resultant non-optimum laboratory loop control lag, there exists a need for a more holistic approach. Current fume hood based controllers invoke perceived control actions without any concept or regard for laboratory or neighboring fume hood(s) flow history or perceived future demands. This approach and its resultant lag has in essence rendered laboratory controllers virtually impossible to setup and tune for any reasonably wide turndown range for any but the simplest (and mostly inaccurate) opening size based analog positioning systems.
If the laboratory is assumed to be the primary control loop and the individual hoods/sashes and exhaust dampers are assumed to be just a varied group of controllable exhaust vents, with make-up air loops on individual hoods (if applicable) and supply fans/dampers just another varied group of input vents, and laboratory differential pressure (inside lab/outside lab) an indication of room door(s) flow direction then perhaps a more straightforward and effective control strategy will result.
With a neuron-based approach, the generated network variables to/from all neurons will appear on the network with the resultant binding of certain variables for localized individual input/exhaust vent control and the binding of (laboratory) global variables for whole system control will result in a flatter, more timely architecture than what currently exists. With the binding of all local hood desired flow variables into a lab total exhaust demand variable at the same time as the local hood exhaust intelligent actuators are receiving the same desired flow variable will allow the lab control neuron (possibly the same product with a different superset application as the hood differential airflow sensor neuron since it too will measure differential pressure within/without the lab) to determine and effect the remaining damper/vents in conjunction with uncontrolled openings (doors et. al.) at essentially the same time.
In essence the command to the lab systems supply and auxiliary exhaust vents intelligent actuators will occur simultaneously with the command to the individual intelligent actuators bound to individual (hood) exhaust dampers. All the laboratory actuators will slew in concert with each other. The laboratory will truly be just one system with some local damper actuators (hoods) having certain minimums and maximums that must be maintained (actually no different than just about any flow controlling damper anyway). In addition, the automatic sash closure strategy is best handled at the laboratory level in a non-autonomous fashion.
Since the laboratory is the main application with localized subset applications, the inclusion of a meaningful/integral smoke/fire control strategy is as straightforward as the inclusion of the laboratory into the building HVAC/lighting control strategy. In essence, the present invention is a fully distributed architecture.
The concept of a fully distributed architecture of intelligent non-hierarchical input (sensors) and output (actuation) devices is predicated on the existence of a `flat architecture` in which intelligent devices act as peers communicating the sensible status of a process and implementing resultant controlling adjustments in response without the intervention of a superior hierarchical controller. In this architecture, inputs such as sash position sensors, air flow sensors, human presence sensors each has its own intelligence and communications capabilities in order to exist on a network with similarly intelligent and communication capable output devices such as intelligent dampers, intelligent VEnturi valves, intelligent actuators or intelligent sash closure devices such that complete process control actions can be implemented without the intervention or independent coordination of a `controlling element` which occupies a superior position in networking or calculation. In this `flat architecture` intelligent inputs and intelligent outputs act as peers in a non-hierarchial network and exchange sensed and controlling information in a configurable network which envisions single process loop control (such as a fume hood) and multiple process loop control (such as laboratories with multiple hoods) or arbitrarily configurable process loops to create `virtual applications`.
In this approach, the elements of input and output have the means of calculation or communication resident on them and integral to them. This method using distributed elements necessary to a process application where those elements can share a non-hierarchial high speed network in which a single control loop including one or more input or output, or more than one control loop which incorporates inputs and/or outputs which may be simultaneously used by more than one loop or calculation or application, allows the global sharing of sensed elements and the fuller, faster implementation of final control actions. Other approaches envision inputs and outputs that are digital or analog which are connected to a hierarchically superior `controller` which manages the inputs and outputs using their values as elements in calculations or electronics which determine final control actions. Subsequently, the `controller` may communicate with other `controllers` in a network of `controllers` which may share sensed or calculated values in order to accomplish global control strategies. In that approach, the inputs and output have no inherent or integral intelligence or communications capabilities.
This new approach increases the speed of communications, improves access to shared inputs and values, and removes significant cost elements required in hierarchical networks or global control applications.

System and method for directing air flow having a sash


An air intake device for a vertically oriented multi-cylinder outboard boat engine having an engine block, a crankcase, and vertically spaced fuel intake ports. The air intake device includes a surge tank rigidly attached to the crankcase and having a plurality of vertically spaced air intake union pipes extending from the surge tank, and an intake manifold cover rigidly attached to the engine block and having a plurality of vertically spaced air intake union pipes extending from the intake manifold cover. A flexible air intake hose is connected between the air intake union pipes extending from the surge tank and the air intake pipes extending from the intake manifold cover.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an outboard boat engine air intake device. More particularly, this invention relates to an air intake device that easily attaches to a boat engine.
2. Description of Related Art
Many outboard boat motors include a multi-cylinder engine in which the crank shaft is vertically oriented. Recently, fuel injection air intake devices have become widely used in engines of this type.
Fuel injection air intake devices used in vertically oriented multi-cylinder engines include a surge tank that regulates the air flow, as well as air intake pipes that extend substantially horizontally in multiple vertical stages from the surge tank to the respective intake ports of the engine and fuel injectors that inject fuel into the intake ports. Also, the surge tank has a throttle valve that regulates the amount of air that is taken in.
When the throttle valve opens, fresh air flows into the surge tank, through the various air intake pipes, and into the intake ports. Fuel injected by the injectors near the intake ports flows into and is mixed with the fresh air to create a combustible gaseous mixture taken into the engine. A breather pipe extends from the engine cylinder head and is connected to the throttle valve.
The surge tank, the air intake pipes, and the intake manifold cover forming the air intake device are generally cast from a lightweight and durable material such as an aluminum alloy. The surge tank is then firmly bolted to the engine crank case, and the intake manifold cover is firmly bolted to the cylinder head of the engine with the air intake pipes supported between the surge tank and the intake manifold cover.
Although the surge tank, the air intake pipes, and the intake manifold cover are formed as a single unit, the engine includes multiple parts, such as a crank case, a cylinder block, and a cylinder head, that must be assembled. Therefore, misalignment between the air intake device and the engine is common, causing difficulty in connecting the various air intake components to the engine. Conventionally, to avoid such conditions, the components must be manufactured and assembled with great precision, thus significantly increasing the costs associated with the devices.
Another problem associated with conventional air intake devices arises because of the complexity of manufacturing the surge tank, air intake pipes, and intake manifold cover as a single, large unit.
Thus, an outboard boat engine air intake device is needed that can be easily attached to an engine, and that further can be manufactured with less complexity than conventional devices.

Air intake device for outboard boat engine


A polymerization process is disclosed, including: providing a reactor component suspended in a hydrocarbon gel; introducing the reactor component to a polymerization reactor; and polymerizing an olefin in the polymerization reactor to form an olefin-based polymer. Another polymerization process is disclosed, including: providing a hydrocarbon gel comprising a reactor component suspended therein; combining the hydrogen gel with an additional reactor feed; introducing the combined mixture of the hydrocarbon gel and the additional reactor feed to a polymerization reactor; and polymerizing an olefin in the polymerization reactor to form an olefin-based polymer. A hydrocarbon gel is disclosed, including: a liquid hydrocarbon; a gelling agent; and a reactor component.

Advances in polymerization processes and catalysts have produced new polymers having improved physical and mechanical properties useful in a wide variety of products and applications. With the development of new catalysts, the choice of polymerization, such as solution, slurry, high pressure or gas phase, for producing a particular polymer has been greatly expanded. Advances in polymerization technology have also provided more efficient, highly productive and economically enhanced processes.
A number of different techniques have been developed for delivering reactor components, such as continuity additives and catalysts, to polymerization reactors. One technique involves delivery of the reactor components to the reactor in a mineral oil slurry with the reactor component suspended in a mineral oil. While these mineral oil slurries have been used successfully for reactor component delivery, their use can be challenging because the reactor components often settle from the slurries prior to use. Accordingly, the reactor component storage containers need to be agitated to re-suspend the reactor component in the mineral oil. For example, certain reactor components, such as polyethyleneimine, may require continuous, vigorous agitation to keep the hydrophilic polyethyleneimine suspended in the mineral oil. In addition, special precautions may need to be taken to avoid settling of the reactor component in the lines which feed the reactor. For example, smaller diameter lines could be used to help maintain high velocity of the mineral oil slurry, but this can lead to high pressure drops or line plugging. Alternately, lines may need to be steeply sloped to the reactor, which can then complicate the layout in typical chemical plants. Moreover, because certain catalyst components, such as solid metallocene catalysts, settle too quickly in the mineral oil liquid, solutions of the catalyst component have been used in place of the mineral oil slurries. However, the use of the solutions poses challenges in the compatibility of certain solvents, such as toluene, with the polymerization process.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved polymerization processes, for example, improved techniques for delivering reactor components to a polymerization reactor. Such techniques may reduce the tendency of the reactor components to settle before they reach the polymerization reactor.

Polymerization processes using reactor components suspended in hydrocarbon gels


A package having a roughened surface that does not adhere to a medical device enclosed therein.

Contact lenses have been used commercially to improve vision since the 1950s. At first contact lenses were made of hard materials, which were relatively easy to handle and package for use, but were uncomfortable for many patients. Later developments, gave rise to softer more comfortable lenses made of hydrophobic hydrogels, particularly silicone hydrogels. These lenses are very pliable, but due to this texture and their chemical composition, they present a number of problems with packaging.
Most contact lenses are packaged in individual blister packages having a bowl portion and a foil top, where the bowl portion is made from a hydrophobic material such as polypropylene. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,691,820; 5,054,610; 5,337,888; 5,375,698; 5,409,104; 5,467,868; 5,515,964; 5,609,246; 5,695,049; 5,697,495; 5,704,468; 5,711,416; 5,722,536; 5,573,108; 5,823,327; 5,704,468; 5,983,608; 6,029,808; 6,044,966; and 6,401,915 for examples of such packaging, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. While polypropylene is resilient enough to withstand the sterilization steps of contact lens manufacture, this material has an affinity for contact lenses made of silicone hydrogels. When silicone hydrogels are packaged in polypropylene bowls, the lenses stick to the bowl and cannot be removed from the package without damaging the pliable lenses. Therefore is a need to prepare a contact lens package that has resilient properties, but does not stick to the final product. It is this need that is met by the following invention.


Method and system for predicting print quality degradation in an image forming device. Correction factors produced during calibration cycles are stored for future analysis. The correction factors, or alternatively new printer control parameters which incorporate the correction factors, may be adjusted for current environmental conditions. During the calibration cycle, the correction factors produced during the current calibration cycle and old correction factors produced during prior calibration cycles are analyzed to determine if the printer control parameters are within desired degradation limits, which indicate that the print quality of the imaging forming device will degrade beyond acceptable limits prior to the next calibration cycle. Thus, a statistical analysis of the historical data produced during calibration cycles can be used to predict when the image quality of the image printing device will degrade beyond acceptable limits.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as printers, and more particularly to systems for monitoring and analyzing the calibration routines of the image forming device to predict print quality degradation.
Many image forming devices, e.g., copiers, printers, plotters, etc., include a controlling microprocessor which stores calibration data that enable adjustment of internal components in such a manner as to assure high quality document production. The calibration data is generally configured in the form of control parameters which are stored in either a random access memory or read-only memory, as the case may be. Control parameters can be stored directly on memory chips that are resident on replaceable consumable devices utilized with such devices.
In laser based printers, the electrophotographic process relies on control of toner particles and charge states. These fundamental materials and forces are influenced by a variety of external and internal conditions experienced in the printing process. For example, humidity, temperature, contaminants found on the surface of the photoreceptor, conditioning of the photoreceptor by previously printed patterns, manufacturing variations all affect the quality of printed image.
Electrophotographic printers include components that may be periodically tested and adjusted for changes in environment and/or operating conditions. For example, traditionally, toner cartridges have had life defined in terms of a toner load. The toner cartridge was considered good as long as there was toner available for printing. The advent of very large toner cartridges, e.g., with greater than 10,000 page capacity, has been accompanied by a new phenomena referred to as photoconductive (PC) drum wear out. With the use of a very large toner cartridge, the PC drum may wear out before the toner is expended. PC drum wear out occurs when low coverage or single page jobs are being printed and is caused by the number of rotations experienced by the PC drum. Newer technologies track the PC drum rotation and have established PC drum wear out limits that signal the end of the useful life of the toner cartridge.
Another new phenomena caused by the increased toner cartridge size is known as toner wear out. Toner wear out may occur when the toner in a toner cartridge is excessively stirred, which can be the result of low coverage, single page job printing or, in color printing, when one color is used very little but is rotated, e.g., in a carousel developer system. Toner wear out is different from PC drum wear out as it is not strictly a function of rotations, but is also a function of printed coverage. Toner wear out occurs when the materials designed to control flow and charge are displaced from the toner particle surface due to mechanical impact with container walls, handling components, or other toner particles. Removal of these materials cause the toner to charge or flow differently resulting in print quality defects.
Conventionally, image forming devices perform a calibration cycle to directly measure and adjust the control parameters for current changes in the environment and operating conditions, e.g., component wear out. A calibration cycle adjusts the control parameters of the image forming device only for present conditions and, thus, the calibration cycles will compensate for component wear out until failure actually occurs. Consequently, the calibration cycle will improve current image quality, but cannot predict when failure will occur, which may affect, e.g., a large print job.
Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus and method of predicting when the print quality of the image forming device will degrade beyond acceptable limits, e.g., when system components will be worn out or exceed levels for which the device can compensate.
An image forming device, in accordance with the present invention, stores the correction factors produced during calibration cycles for future analysis. The correction factors, or alternatively, the new printer control parameters, which incorporate the correction factors, are normalized for current environmental conditions. During a calibration cycle, the normalized correction factors produced during the current calibration cycle and old normalized correction factors produced during prior calibration cycles are analyzed to determine if the printer control parameters are within desired degradation limits. Thus, a statistical analysis of the normalized historical data produced during calibration cycles can be used to predict when the image quality of the image printing device will degrade beyond acceptable limits. A system for enabling prediction of image degradation of an image forming apparatus, thus includes a means for calibrating the image forming device, which results in at least one correction factor, a memory for storing data, and a processor. In one embodiment, the system includes an environmental condition measuring device that is used to adjust the correction factors generated during the calibration cycle for environmental conditions. The processor analyzes the correction factors from the current calibration cycle, which may be adjusted for environmental conditions, as well as from previous calibration cycles to determine if the control parameters are operating within statistical acceptable control limits, which indicate, for example, that the print quality of the imaging forming device will degrade beyond acceptable limits prior to the next calibration cycle.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method for detecting print quality degradation in an image forming device includes performing multiple calibration cycles and analyzing the historical data obtained in the calibration cycles. The calibration cycles include generating at least one correction factor that is used to adjust at least one control parameter used to operate the image forming device. The present environmental conditions may be measured and used to adjust the correction factor produced in the present calibration cycle. The correction factor is stored so that it may be analyzed during future calibration cycles. The correction factor of the current calibration cycle and the correction factors of previous calibration cycles are analyzed to determine if the control parameters are within statistical acceptable control limits. If the analysis indicates that the control parameter is outside desired limits, a warning is provided to the user.


Methods are disclosed for treating a subject with a tumor. These methods include administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of CD8+CD39+CD103+ T cells. Methods also are disclosed for isolating a nucleic acid encoding a T cell receptor (TCR) that specifically binds a tumor cell antigen. These methods include isolating CD8+CD39+CD103+ T cells from a sample from a subject with a tumor expressing the tumor cell antigen, and cloning a nucleic acid molecule encoding a TCR from the CD8+CD39+CD103+ T cells. In addition, methods are disclosed for expanding CD8+CD39+CD103+ T cells. In additional embodiments, methods are disclosed for determining if a subject with a tumor will respond to a checkpoint inhibitor. The methods include detecting the presence of CD8+CD39+CD103+ T cells in a biological sample from a subject.

The immune system plays a major role in recognizing and killing tumor cells and new therapeutic approaches have focused on boosting and/or restoring its function in cancer patients. An effective immune response involves the concerted action of several different cell types among which CD8 T cells are key players that can specifically recognize and kill cancer cells via the release of cytotoxic molecules and cytokines (Klebanoff C A et al., 211:214-24, Immunol. Rev., 2006). Tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells recognize tumor-associated antigens (TAA's), which can comprise self-antigens that are overexpressed in neoplastic lesions, as well as tumor-specific antigens (TSA's) or neoantigens, which arise as a consequence of tumor-specific mutations (Finn O J, Cancer Immunol Res, 2017). According to the current paradigm, tumor-specific CD8 T cells are primed in tumor-draining lymph nodes and then migrate via the blood to the tumor to exert their effector function. Previous work has shown that tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells represent a heterogeneous population of cells comprised of tumor-specific T cells as well as bystander T cells with no tumor specificity. The latter are recruited to the tumor site by the inflammation associated with tumor progression (proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis). However, a need remains for immunotherapeutic methods, wherein the efficacy/efficiency of adoptive transfer is increased.

Utilization of CD39 and CD103 for identification of human tumor reactive T cells for treatment of cancer


One embodiment of the present invention comprises a sensor with a face having several tracks spaced apart from one another. One of these tracks has a first electrode and a second electrode separated by an electrically nonconductive gap. Also included is a detection device extending across the tracks to receive signals by capacitive coupling. Sensor circuitry electrically coupled to the tracks and the detection device is structured to generate a first number of bits from a sequential signal pattern applied to the tracks in accordance with an established sequence. The circuitry is also structured to generate a second number of bits as a function of a first signal and a second signal. The first bits and second bits represent a position of the detection device along the tracks with the first bits being more numerically significant than the second bits.

Position sensors include devices that generate change to an electronically interrogated physical parameter based on movement of a structure, such as, for example, an actuator shaft operatively coupled to the sensor. For non-contacting sensors, this change is achieved without physical contact to reduce fatigue failures or system degradation due to sensor drag or noise as desired for certain applications. In encoder devices, the physical parameter movement results in the generation of an electronic code representative of position or movement.
In most non-contacting sensor applications, it is often desired that the absolute position of the interrogated structure be provided within a pre-defined measurement range upon the application of electric power. It is also often desired that the position information be accurate and increment in a known linear fashion. Many electronically interrogated non-contacting properties have been applied to achieve such position sensing including, for example, light detection, magnetism, capacitance, inductance, and RF transmission.
In the area of rotary position sensing, particularly over a measurement range of 360 degrees, optical encoders are common. Optically based sensors typically employ an illumination source and an array of reflective or transparent coded segments and corresponding light-sensitive detectors. Optical sensors often suffer from limitations in operating temperature, and susceptibility to contamination and light source aging. In addition, to provide access to position information commensurate with the application of electric power, complicated encoder structures or multiple sensors have resulted that usually increase the cost and overall size of the sensor package. Accordingly, optical solutions are often executed as incremental encoders that count in precise units once a known position is detected within the encoded pattern. This type of sensor generally cannot provide position information with the immediacy desired unless enhanced by electronic memory, a secondary absolute position sensor input, or the like.
Thus, there continues to be a need for further contributions in this area of technology.

Capacitive sensing techniques that include determing rotational position of one electrode relative to other electrodes separated by an electrically nonconductive gap


An imaging capsule configured to be swallowed to scan the gastrointestinal tract of a person from the inside, including a radiation source providing X-Ray and gamma radiation for scanning the gastrointestinal tract, a pressure sensor for measuring the internal pressure in the imaging capsule; and wherein the imaging capsule is configured to control the emission of radiation from within the imaging capsule responsive to the measurements of the pressure sensor.

One method for examining the gastrointestinal tract for the existence of polyps and other clinically relevant features that may provide an indication regarding the potential of cancer is performed by swallowing an imaging capsule that travels through the gastrointestinal tract and views the patient's situation from within. In a typical case the trip can take between 24-48 hours after, after which the imaging capsule exits in the patient's feces. Typically the patient swallows a contrast agent to enhance the imaging ability of the imaging capsule. Then the patient swallows the imaging capsule to examine the gastrointestinal tract while flowing through the contrast agent. The imaging capsule typically includes a radiation source, for example including a radioisotope that emits X-rays and/or Gamma rays. The radiation typically may be collimated to allow it to be controllably directed toward a specific area during the imaging process. In an exemplary case the imaging capsule is designed to measure X-Ray fluorescence and/or Compton back-scattering and transmit the measurements (e.g. count rate, particle energy) to an external analysis device, for example a transceiver worn by the patient and/or a computer or other dedicated instruments.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,787,926 dated Aug. 31, 2010 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,037,219 dated May 19, 2015 both by the current applicant, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, describe details related to the manufacture and use of such an imaging capsule.
It is desirable to minimize the amount of radiation released inside the patient's body and to optimize the energy expenditure by the imaging capsule. Therefore it is desirable to block the release of radiation until reaching the location that needs to be examined, for example once reaching the beginning of the Colon, e.g. entering the Cecum. Accordingly, it would be desirable that the imaging capsule have the ability to identify in which organ it is located and especially when it reaches the Colon, so that the imaging capsule can limit the use of energy and the release of radiation to these areas.