In a computing system, evaluating a mathematical expression in presented hierarchically according to the rules of precedence of operations, initial operations at the bottom of the hierarchy may yield values too large to be calculated conventionally, even if the ultimate value of the expression may represent a calculable value. The mathematical expression is evaluated top down to determine if portions of the mathematical expression are re-expressible to simplify the expression and avoid initial or intermediate calculations that would prevent calculation of the mathematical expression. Portions of the original mathematical expression are re-expressible by substituting known mathematical identities, applying arithmetic rules, or treating a portion of the mathematical expression as a variable on which other operations are performed. Once the mathematical expression has been re-expressed, the mathematical expression is simplified, and, if possible, its value calculated.

One of the many benefits of computers is the ability quickly to evaluate complex or lengthy mathematical expressions. What may be very time consuming or impractical for a person to compute may be rather simple for a computer to calculate. As a result, a number of computer algebra systems have been developed to allow scientists, engineers, mathematicians, students, and others to use computers to more easily calculate and solve even complex mathematical equations.
As increasingly powerful as computers have become, however, computers have their limits in terms of the magnitude of the expressions they are able to accommodate. For a personal computer, a number on the order of magnitude of 109, or a number raised to the power of one billion, is too large for a typical personal computer to accommodate. A number on the order of magnitude of 1015, or a number raised to the power of a million billion, is too large for even a supercomputer to accommodate.
In addition, the capacity of a computer may limit the precision with which mathematical expressions are calculated. In most computer programs and computing environments, the precision of any calculation is limited by the word size of the computer, because the word size of the computer determines largest number that can be stored in one of the processor's registers. Arbitrary-precision arithmetic consists of a set of algorithms, functions, and data structures designed specifically to deal with numbers that can be of arbitrary size. Arbitrary-precision arithmetic is a common feature in computer algebra systems and some specific math and engineering software packages, but is rarely included in other software
Unfortunately, sometimes mathematical expressions that are too large for the computer to accommodate, or that may be calculated only to an arbitrary level of precision, may represent only intermediate values that are part of a calculation. The calculation ultimately may result in a manageable number, but if an intermediate calculation is too large for the computing system to accommodate, the calculation cannot be performed.
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 further illustrate the concern by illustrating how a computing system calculates a mathematical expression. In FIG. 1A, mathematical expression 100 represents how a computing system evaluates the expression 30*2+5. Rules of precedence of operations dictate the form of mathematic expression 100, such that the product of 30*2 is calculated, then the sum of that product is added to 5. More particularly, as regarded in a tree structure, from top down, the addition operator 102, representing the last operation, is at the top of tree structure 100, over children including multiplication operator 104 and the value 5 106. In turn, multiplication operator has two children, value 30 108 and value 2 110. Values 30 108 and 2 110 also can be thought of as the "grandchildren" of addition operator 102, because values 30 108 and 2 110 are two steps removed from addition operator 102, in contrast to multiplication operator 104 and value 5 106 which are once removed from addition operator 102.
The value of mathematical expression 100 is calculated from the bottom up to give effect to the rules of precedence of operations. Thus, value 30 108 and value 2 110 are received and, moving up tree structure 100, are multiplied together upon reaching multiplication operator 104. Moving further up tree structure 100, the product determined from the multiplication of values 30 108 and 2 110 is received along with value 5 106. Moving up the hierarchical structure of mathematical expression 100, upon reaching addition operator 102, the product of values 30 108 and 2 110 are added to value 5 106.
Shown another way, once value 30 108 and value 2 110 are multiplied together, tree structure 100 of FIG. 1A becomes mathematical expression 120 of FIG. 1B. As the expression is calculated from the bottom up, mathematical expression 100 becomes simplified to mathematical expression 120. Thus, from the perspective of addition operator 102, only the children of addition operator 102, product 122 and value 5 106 are relevant; the children of each operator only are ever relevant, regardless of what the grandchildren of the term might be. Again, the hierarchical tree structure is created based on rules of precedence of operations, and the tree is calculated from the bottom up.
Unfortunately, sometimes the conventional approach cannot calculate an expression that, although manageable on the whole, includes one or more steps that the computing system is unable to calculate. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a mathematical expression 200 representing how a computing system would calculate the expression 12345100000000000000% 18970907, where "%" represents the modulus division operator. In tree structure 200, the modulus division operator 202 has children that include the exponential operator 204, which in turn has children base 12345 208 and exponent 1000000000000000 210, and quotient 18970907 204. The result of modulus division yields a result which, at most, is one less than the quotient or, in the example of FIG. 2, is quotient 18970906 206. This is a value that is manageable within even a simple computing system. By contrast, however, calculating the expression 123451000000000000000 would overwhelm even most supercomputers. Accordingly, even though the overall result of the expression represented by mathematical expression 200 is manageable, processing of mathematical expression 200 ends at the calculation of 12345100000000000000.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method and system for a computing system to automatically calculate the result of mathematical expressions when the overall result of the mathematical expression is manageable by the computing system, even when the mathematical expression includes a calculation the computing system is not able to accommodate.


A magnetostatic wave device comprises two YIG thin films as a ferrimagnetic base material. At one side of the YIG thin films, a microstrip line is disposed so as to intersect orthogonally with the main surfaces of the YIG thin films. At the other side of the YIG thin films, a ground conductor is disposed so as to intersect orthogonally with the main surfaces of the YIG thin films. A d.c. magnetic field is applied in a direction which is parallel to the main surfaces of the YIG thin films and orthogonal to the main surface of the microstrip line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetostatic wave device, and particularly to a magnetostatic wave device which is used in a filter such as a band-pass filter and a band-stop fiIter, a delay line and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the conventional magnetostatic wave device. The magnetostatic wave device 1 comprises a YIG (Yttrium, Iron, Garnet) thin film 2 as a ferrimagnetic base material. The YIG thin film 2 is formed on one main surface of a GGG (Gadolinium, Gallium, Garnet) substrate 3. On the YIG thin film 2, two fine wire conductors 4a and 4b as transducers are disposed in parallel with a space therebetween. Meanwhile, the other main surface of the GGG substrate 3 is bonded to one main surface of a ground conductor 5. One end of the wire conductor 4a and the other end of the other wire conductor 4b are respectively connected to the ground conductor 5.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of the conventional magnetostatic wave device. In the magnetostatic wave device 1, a surface of a YIG thin film 2 on a GGG substrate 3 is bonded to one main surface of a dielectric substrate 6. On one main surface of the dielectric substrate 6, two microstrip lines 7a and 7b as transducers are formed in parallel with a space therebetween so as to cross the YIG thin film 2. On the other main surface of the dielectric substrate 6, a ground conductor 5 is formed. Meanwhile, one end of the microstrip line 7a is connected to the ground conductor 5 through one side of the dielectric substrate 6. The other end of the other microstrip line 7b is connected to the ground conductor 5 through the other side of the dielectric substrate 6.
In the magnetostatic wave devices 1 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, a d.c. magnetic field is applied to the YIG thin film 2, respectively. In these magnetostatic wave devices 1, for example, when a high-frequency signal is inputted to one transducer, a high-frequency magnetic field is generated around the transducer by the high-frequency electric current flowing in the transducer, and a predetermined magnetostatic wave is excited in the YIG thin film 2, respectively. The magnetostatic wave is propagated from one transducer to the other transducer. When the d.c. magnetic field is applied to the YIG thin film 2 in a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the YIG thin film 2, a magnetostatic forward volume wave (MSFVW) is excited. When the d.c. magnetic field is applied in a direction which is parallel to the YIG thin film 2 and perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the magnetostatic wave, a magnetostatic surface wave (MSSW) is excited. When the d.c. magnetic field is applied in a direction which is parallel to the YIG thin film 2 and to the direction of propagation of the magnetostatic wave, a magnetostatic backward volume wave (MSBVW) is excited.
The magnetostatic wave is received by the other transducer and is outputted therefrom as a predetermined high-frequency signal. The magnetostatic wave device 1 is used, for example, in a band-pass filter, a band-stop filter and a delay line.
In the magnetostatic wave devices 1 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, though a sharp resonance characteristics is obtained, a band width is wide.


A compressor (16) comprises a rotor (40) having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outwardly extending rotor blades (42). A casing (44) surrounds the rotor (40) and rotor blades (42). The casing (44) has an inner surface (48) and a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots (50) are provided in the inner surface (48) of the casing (44). Each slot (50) has a length (L), a depth (D), a width (W), an angle (θ) of inclination relative to the radial direction, an axial position (AP) relative to the rotor blades (42) and a circumferential position (CP) relative to an adjacent slot (50). The slots (50) are arranged such that at least one of the length (L), depth (D), width (W), angle (θ) of inclination relative to the radial direction, axial position (AP) relative to the rotor blades (42) and circumferential position (CP) relative to an adjacent slot (50) varies circumferentially around the casing (44).

Conventionally casing treatment slots are provided on the inner surface of a compressor casing, or a fan casing, around the tips of the compressor blades, or fan blades, to extend the stable flow range over which the compressor, or fan may operate.
Typically casing treatment slots are provided around the first stage of compressor blades or around the fan blades.
Our UK patent GB1518293 discloses a compressor casing treatment comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots in the inner surface of the compressor casing and around a stage of compressor blades. The slots are arranged at an angle to the axis of rotation of the compressor blades.
Our UK patent GB2245312B discloses a compressor casing treatment comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots in the inner surface of the compressor casing and around a stage of compressor blades. The slots are arranged at an angle to the axis of rotation of the compressor blades. The slots are also arranged at an angle to the radial direction. The upstream edges of the slots are upstream of the leading edges of the compressor blades and the trailing edges of the slots are upstream of the trailing edges of the slots.
In each of these arrangements the slots are identical, they have the same length, the same depth, the same width, the same angle of inclination to the axis of rotation and the same angle of inclination to the radial direction etc.
However, the compressor casing suffers from cracking of the webs, the pieces of compressor casing circumferentially between the compressor casing treatment slots. It is believed that the cracking of the webs occurs due to the unsteady pressure acting on them due to the periodic passing of the compressor blades. All the slots are identical and have the same geometry and thus they experience the same unsteady pressure variations but with a time lag related to the passing frequency of the compressor blades. In adjacent slots there will be a time lag between the pressure variations and thus the pressure variations are out of phase and this results in a pressure difference across the webs. Additionally because all the compressor blades are substantially identical and all the casing treatment slots are substantially identical, the presence of an incoming distortion may substantially increase the unsteady forces on the rotor creating further phase differences within the casing treatment slots and thence unsteady forces on the webs.

Compressor having casing treatment slots


A method for switched diversity, including: determining, on a pair-wise basis, a plurality of comparative quality factors corresponding to at least two antennas based on signals received by the at least two antennas; filtering, over a period of time, multiple instances of at least one of the plurality of comparative quality factors; and selecting at least one of the signals to couple to at least one receiver chain based on the comparative quality factors.

Diversity reception schemes may be used to improve the quality of wireless communications. While there are various types of diversity reception schemes known, one of them involves the use of multiple antennas. While multiple antennas may be used in various ways, a particular way in which they may be used is in a switching scheme, in which the output of a particular receive antenna may be routed to a particular receiver chain. This type of scheme may be referred to as switched diversity.
In some switched diversity schemes, which antenna output is routed to a receiver chain may be determined based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) determined for each antenna. However, SNR determination may be computationally intensive, and SNR approximations may be inaccurate and may thus lead to less than reliable results.
In other switched diversity schemes, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) may be used for determining which antenna output is routed to a receiver chain. While RSSI determination may be less computationally intensive than SNR determination, switching based on RSSI, only, may also be less than reliable.


Methods of manufacturing structural panels for use in manufacturing aircraft fuselages and other structures are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a structural panel configured in accordance with the invention includes a skin and at least first and second stiffeners. The first stiffener can have a first flange portion mated to the skin and a first raised portion projecting away from the skin. The second stiffener can have a second flange portion mated to the skin and a second raised portion projecting away from the skin. At least one of the first flange portion of the first stiffener and the second flange portion of the second stiffener can extend toward the other of the first flange portion and the second flange portion to form an at least approximately continuous support surface to which a frame can be attached.

Aircraft manufacturers continually strive for ways to increase aircraft performance and reduce manufacturing costs. One well-known method for increasing aircraft performance is to reduce airframe weight through the use of state-of-the-art materials, such as composites, having relatively high strength-to-weight ratios. Conventional methods for manufacturing airframes with composite materials, however, often require relatively expensive tooling and labor-intensive assembly procedures.
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a metal aircraft panel 100 configured in accordance with the prior art. The panel 100 includes a frame 106 and a plurality of stringers 104 attached to a skin 102 in a "semi-monocoque" configuration. The stringers 104 are "hat-section" stringers having a raised portion 103 and opposing flange portions 105. The flange portions 105 are attached directly to the skin 102.
The frame 106 includes a first frame section 107 and a second frame section 108. The first frame section 107 includes a base portion 109 and an upstanding leg portion 110. The upstanding leg portion 110 is fastened to the second frame section 108, and includes a plurality of openings or "mouse holes" 114 through which the raised portions 103 of the stringers 104 extend. The base portion 109 is attached to the stringer flange portions 105 and the skin 102. The base portion 109 includes a plurality of steps or "joggles" 112 positioned just outboard of the stringer flange portions 105. The joggles 112 allow the base portion 109 to step off of the stringer flange portions 105 and onto the skin 102. This allows the base portion 109 to be fastened directly to the skin 102 between the stringers 104 without causing gaps or excessive preload between the base portion 109 and the skin 102.
One shortcoming of the prior art panel 100 is that it can be expensive to manufacture. Forming the joggles 112 in the first frame section 107, for example, adds additional cost when compared to a similar frame section without joggles. This is especially true if the first frame section 107 is manufactured from composite materials rather than metal, because forming joggles in composite materials typically requires special tooling and/or post-cure machining.


Storage, homogenisation and dosing system of substances able to precipitate or aggregate comprising at least one tank (20) for storage and a valve (40) for dosing. The at least one tank (20) comprises a tubular portion (21), a bottom (22) and a cover (23).

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a storage, homogenisation and dosing system, able to be used for substances that can precipitate or aggregate, such as in particular dying substances in liquid solution or solid.
2) Description of Related Art
The dying substances dosed individually in suitable proportions combine to prepare final dyes, which are then used in many fields of application.
The dying substances comprise organic or inorganic pigments, which can be used directly in solid form or else can be dispersed, in water or in other solvents, before use.
In the case of dying substances used in liquid form, these are previously stored in tanks that, through a hydraulic circuit, feed a system for dosing them. In automatic dosing of dying substances in whatever field of application, the end dying result is heavily influenced by the concentration of the raw materials used.
Therefore, the precision of the weight or volume measurements is obviously of fundamental importance for correct dosing of the dying substances, but, it is equally important to keep as perfect as possible homogeneity of the dying substances themselves.
In the case of dying substances mixed with one or more solvents or vehicles, due to phenomena of stratification and sedimentation, the solid particles, being heavier than the vehicle than the vehicle in which they are suspended, are bound by the force of gravity to sediment towards the lowest point of the plant, i.e. typically towards the bottom of the tank and along the vertical portions of the supply pipes of the product to the dosing system, up to the inside of the dosing valves.
Therefore, in the absence of suitable provisions, the lowest parts of the plant tend to build up more concentrated raw materials with respect to the upper areas.
In the best-case scenario, this leads to the manipulation, perhaps extremely precise, of portions of dying substances having a concentration that is variable in time.
At the start of the process a sufficiently homogeneous dying substance is picked up, whereas, as time passes and as phenomena of sedimentation occur, a dying substance richer in pigment (which have accumulated in the lower areas) is firstly picked up and then a dying substance impoverished by the same phenomenon is picked up.
The consequence is that, with an equal amount of dosed dying substance, the dying power, and therefore the tonalities resulting from their mixtures, are subject to variations out of all control.
In the worst-case scenario, the size of the phenomenon and the nature of the sedimented dying substance can cause the system to become blocked, as well as serious and irreversible damage to the plant.
To take into account this specific aspect, the solutions containing dying substances with solvents are added to with suitable surface-active chemical products, known as dispersants or suspending agents, which have a more or less strong stabilisation effect of the suspensions.
In order to further improve the situation, the viscosity of the dying materials tends to be increased, within the limits allowed by the subsequent use steps.
In both cases the problem is not solved in a radical and long-lasting manner, for which reason the builders of plants find themselves having to provide for a situation that is neither controlled nor standardisable.
To do this homogenisation systems are normally used based upon the use of agitators (to avoid phenomena of sedimentation inside the storage tanks) and of pumps and recycling circuits that are as long as possible (to avoid the phenomenon that also occurs inside the tubes and valves) and as powerful as possible (to avoid the load losses generated by the increase in viscosity of the raw materials and by the extension of the hydraulic delivery circuits for supply and return to the storage tank).
Some systems are equipped with slow anchor agitators at the moment placed in movement through a motor reducer. These systems allow the movement of the suspension inside the storage tank of the raw material.
A disadvantage is that their use is only possible in the case of almost continuous use, and therefore consequently involves substantial energy costs.
Moreover, these systems cannot be used in the case of very long feeding circuits.
Other systems are equipped with turboemulsifiers for highly viscous products that allow a substantial mass of highly viscous product to be used.
A disadvantage of these systems is that some particularly delicate dispersions can be irreversibly damaged by an excessive mechanical action.
Moreover, these systems also cannot be applied in the case of very long feeding circuits and in the case of non-continuous use. Other systems are equipped with complex hydraulic circuits with delivery and return lines and timed recycling pumps.
These systems allow optimal homogenisation inside the pipes and, with a series of provisions, also inside the storage tanks and the dosing valves.
A disadvantage of these systems is that they require greater costs, both in terms of energy needs, and in terms of time for the maintenance of the elements that make up the hydraulic circuit.
A disadvantage of the described systems is that they involve a substantial worsening of the costs represented, for example, by a greater value of the investment in the plant for double hydraulic circuits and/or for the assembly of the agitators.
Another disadvantage of all these systems is that they are complicated, given the increase in the number of dynamic components, such as pumps, agitators and integral recycling valves.
Another disadvantage is that the dynamic components, being subject to wear, require periodic maintenance, which is burdensome in terms of time and costs.
A further disadvantage of these systems is that they involve a considerable increase in the energy needs necessary for the operation of the plant.
Also in the case of dying substances or in any case reactants used directly in the solid form there can be problems of blocking of the system and damage to the plant caused by phenomena of aggregation of the solid particles in agglomerations, both inside the tanks and in other parts of the plant.
For this reason the tanks foresee kinematisms inside the tanks themselves capable of breaking the aggregations to keep the material finely dispersed.

Abstract: The at least one valve (40) is housed near to the bottom (22) of the at least one tank (20) and the system also comprises oscillating support means for allowing a good homogenisation of the substances contained in the at least one tank (20).


Microscope, in particular an optical scanning microscope with illumination of a specimen via a beam splitter, which is arranged in an objective pupil and includes at least a reflecting first portion and at least a transmitting second portion, whereby the reflecting portion serves to couple in the illumination light and the transmitting portion serves to pass the detection light in the detection direction or the transmitting portion serves to couple in the illumination light and the reflecting portion serves to couple out the detection light, with a first scanning arrangement. Means are provided in the detection light path for the overlay of at least one further scanning arrangement for illumination and detection.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a microscope, in particular an optical scanning microscope with illumination of a specimen via a beam splitter
2. Related Art
In DE10257237 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,888,148) among other things a beam splitter is described for a line scanner.
In a line scanner the specimen is illuminated with a line focus (e.g. along the X-coordinate), which is shifted in the coordinate (Y) perpendicular to the line. For this the source of light is linearly focused into an intermediate image plane of the microscope mechanism by means of optics. By the focusing in Y direction in the intermediate image, for example by a cylinder lens, a linear and diffraction-limited distribution of intensity arises along X on the specimen. With further optics the light is focused into the pupil of the microscope arrangement. In the pupil levels of the microscope arrangement a line focus results in each case. The pupil levels and the scanner are conjugate to each other and to the rear focal plane of the microscope arrangement, so that the scanner can induce the linear and diffraction-limited focused distribution of intensity perpendicular to this (Y-coordinate in the specimen). The focusing into the specimen is made by scan optics, the tube lens and the objective. Relay optics produces conjugate pupil levels of the microscope arrangement. Due to the kind of the specimen reciprocal effect e.g. during an excitation for fluorescence or luminescence the light emitted from the specimen is of small spatial coherency. That is each point excited in the specimen radiates essentially independently of the neighboring points as point emitter into all directions in space. The optics, (e.g. a microscope objective) displays the individual point emitters together with the tube lens TL into an intermediate image plane ZB of the microscope mechanism, whereby the pupil P is illuminated homogeneously (broken light path) by wave fronts that are essentially incoherent to each other and of different directions of propagation. In the pupil is the element which separates the excitation light from the detection light. It is constructed as described in DE.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A drink dispenser system includes an ingredient supply container including a beverage ingredient, and a source of water. An ingredient supply sensor is operatively associated with the ingredient supply container and configured to sense when the ingredient supply container is empty or nearly empty and generate a signal indicative of the empty or nearly empty state. A handheld dispenser in fluid communication with the ingredient supply container and the source of water includes an indicator. A controller communicates with the ingredient supply sensor and is configured to cause activation of the indicator in response to the signal from the sensor indicative of the empty or nearly empty state.

The system under consideration relates to a drink dispensing system such as those used to dispense various types of carbonated drinks from a hand-held or table-top device. Such dispensing systems typically include a source of pressurized gas, for example, carbon dioxide, a source of water, a plurality of drink mixes or syrups, and a multi-valve dispenser. The dispenser may include a hand-held "gun" unit or may be configured to be fixed in place, for example, on a bar or other work support, or be integrated into a multi-dispener cabinet such as a fountain drink dispenser.
When a particular drink is dispensed, the user depresses a button on the dispenser, which simultaneously causes a flow of gas, water and syrup to flow to a mixer disposed close to the outlet of the device. The desired beverage is mixed and immediately dispensed. Certain machines further include chillers for the water provided for mixing, or inline chillers to cool the mixed beverage before dispensing. One common shortcoming of known systems is a lack of user information concerning the remaining reserves of compressed gas and the various syrups used to mix the various beverages dispensed by the device. As is often the case, for example, when the syrup for a particular beverage is running low or has run out, the quality of the beverage dispensed is affected and the user or customer is dissatisfied.


A slider (19) to be slid by rotating a lever (20) is mounted in a first lever-side connector (L1). The slider (19) is held at an initial position where cam followers (17) provided on the first lever-side connector (L1) can be received into cam grooves (29). When the slider (19) is at the initial position, a part of the slider (19) projects out from the connector. Lever plates (20A) of the lever (20) are so configured that protecting edge portions (38) formed on parts of side edges of the lever plates (20A) are located substantially at the same position as or behind a projecting end part of the slider (19) when the slider (19) is at the initial position. Further, the protecting edge portions (38) are located closer in distance to rotary shafts (34) than an operating portion (20B).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector with a force multiplying mechanism and to a connector assembly provided therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known connectors include a force multiplying mechanism to reduce a connection force for male and female connectors. For example, a cam follower is provided on an outer surface of one connector, and a slider is accommodated on the other connector for sliding movement in a direction intersecting a connecting direction. The slider is slid while the cam follower is engaged with a cam groove on the slider. As a result, the connectors are guided to a properly connected state while a force multiplying action is produced.
The slider of many connectors with the above-described configuration projects out from a housing of a connector before connectors are connected. A projecting end of the slider could be contacted by external matter, such as during transportation of the connector to a site for a connecting operation. Hence, there has been a problem that the slider is pushed inadvertently.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0064749 discloses a connector to address the above-described problem. More particularly, the connector disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0064749 has a stop position where a lever is held during transportation in addition to normal holding positions of an initial position and a connection end position. The lever is formed with a pinion gear to engage rack teeth of the slider over a given angle range and also has a stopper tooth that contacts the leading rack tooth at the stop position to prevent the slider from being pushed inadvertently in a projecting state. Further, a part having no tooth is between the stopper tooth and the pinion gear so that the pinion gear of the lever is not engaged with the rack teeth to move the slider when the lever is moved from the stop position to the initial position. Thus, the connector of Japanese Patent Publication No. 4659069 has a complicated configuration.
The invention was completed in view of the above situation and aims to improve overall operability and to prevent a slider from being pushed inadvertently before connectors are connected.

Connector with force multiplying mechanism and connector assembly provided therewith


The invention provides peptides with high affinity for streptavidin. These peptides may be expressed as part of fusion proteins to facilitate the detection, quantitation, and purification of proteins of interest.

In general, the invention features novel compounds and methods for purifying or detecting proteins of interest.
Determining the enzymatic activity, binding specificity, or three-dimensional structure of a protein often requires the purification of the protein from a complex mixture of other components, such as compounds present in a cell lysate or in vitro translation extract. With the number of known proteins increasing dramatically as a result of whole genome sequencing projects, it has become crucial to find alternatives to traditional, time-consuming monoclonal antibody production for generating affinity reagents for the detection and purification of proteins. In addition, purifying a novel protein using traditional column chromatography methods often requires much trial and error to develop a purification protocol that results in the recovery of the protein in high yield and purity.
Thus, purification methods are needed that may be generally applied to proteins of interest, that utilize inexpensive reagents, and that result in highly purified protein without requiring multiple chromatography steps.

Streptavidin-binding peptides and uses thereof


An automatically guided vehicle includes a single-wheel unit including a first wheel, a paired-wheel unit including second and third wheels, a sensor for detecting a track, a control unit, etc. The first and second wheels are drive wheels that are rotated by motors, individually, while the third wheel is an idler wheel. The control unit executes an angle steering mode during a forward movement or the like and a speed difference steering mode during a sidewise or slantwise movement. In the angle steering mode, the steering angle of that wheel unit, out of the single- and paired-wheel units, which is situated on the rear side in the moving direction is fixed, and the steering angle of the wheel unit on the front side is controlled. In the speed difference steering mode, the guided vehicle is steered along the track by differentiating the respective rotational speeds of the first and second wheels with the respective steering angles of the individual wheels fixed. The control unit selects the speed difference steering mode when the steering angles are set at values such that the first and second wheels are situated on the opposite sides with respect to a line segment in the steering direction passing through the center of gravity of the guided vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatically guided vehicle used with an automatic guidance system in an automatic storehouse or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic storehouse, for example, is furnished with an unmanned automatically guided vehicle for transporting articles. The guided vehicle travels along a track formed of, e.g., white lines or aluminum foil sheet on a floor. This track is composed of a basic track arranged like a circuit in the storehouse and sidewise or slantwise tracks diverging from the basic track. The guided vehicle runs along these tracks and reciprocates between the basic track and article transfer stations in the storehouse.
One such automatically guided vehicle is described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-309029 (Prior Art 1). This guided vehicle is provided with two front wheels and two rear wheels. One of the two front wheels is a drive wheel that is rotated by means of a motor for travel, while the other is an idler wheel capable of free rotation. Likewise, the rear wheels include a drive wheel and an idler wheel. Each drive wheel is swingable around a vertical axis, and is driven so as to be pointed in a desired steering direction by means of a motor for steering. Each idler wheel is supported for rotation around a vertical axis. If the drive wheels are steered, therefore, the idler wheels change their directions as the guided vehicle travels.
On the other hand, an example of a three-wheel automatically guided vehicle is described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 62-210173 (Prior Art 2). This guided vehicle is provided with one front wheel and two rear wheels. The front wheel is driven by means of a motor for travel, and one of the rear wheels is connected to the motor by means of a chain, sprockets, magnetic clutch, etc. When the vehicle is advanced, the clutch is released so that only the front wheel is driven. The front and rear wheels are connected by means of a steering cam system so that the rear wheels can be steered in association with the front wheel. In moving the guided vehicle of Prior Art 2 sideways, the respective steering angles of the front and rear wheels are both set at 90.degree.. If the clutch is thrown in, the front and rear wheels are rotated simultaneously. When the front wheel is rotated by means of the motor for travel, in this case, the rear wheels are rotated through the medium of the chain and the sprockets, whereupon the vehicle moves sideways.
The guided vehicle of Prior Art 1 has a four-wheel structure, including the two front wheels and the two rear wheels. If the floor or ground surface is rough, therefore, only three of the four wheels of the vehicle may possibly be allowed to touch the surface at a time, so that the vehicle may operate with one of its wheels off the surface, in some cases. In this situation, the vehicle is supported by only those wheels which are in contact with the ground surface, so that it is unbalanced and unstable as it travels, and sometimes meanders. It is not easy, moreover, to make this guided vehicle compact, owing to the use of the four wheels and the motors for travel and steering on both sides, front and rear. There is a tendency for modern automatically guided vehicles to require a depressed vehicle floor and more compact underside. The vehicle of Prior Art 1 cannot, however, meet this requirement. According to the automatically guided vehicle of Prior Art 2, on the other hand, the front and rear wheels are steered simultaneously by means of the cam mechanism as the vehicle moves sideways. Once the steering direction of any of the wheels shifts from any cause, therefore, it cannot be stabilized.


A light receiver apparatus for a vehicle comprises a photo diode for receiving an incident light form a surrounding environment, a FET connected in series with the photo diode and a filter for extracting an a.c. signal from a received light signal developed at a junction with the photo diode when a reverse-bias voltage is applied to the photo diode. The a.c. signal is produced by removing from the received light signal a signal corresponding to a background light in the incident light. The FET varies a resistance thereof in accordance with the received light signal so that a d.c. signal in the received light signal is regulated to a fixed level irrespective of the intensity of the background light in the received light.

A conventional object detection system radiates a laser light and receives a reflected laser light signal to detect objects such as preceding vehicles or to measure distances to objects as disclosed in JP 2002-22827A. This system uses a light receiver circuit shown in FIG. 3, for example.
The light receiver circuit includes a photo diode 72, a grounding resistor 74, an a.c. coupling capacitor 76 and an amplifier 78. The photo diode 72 is reverse-biased and allows a current to flow in the resistor 74. This current and the voltage across the resistor 74 changes with the amount of light incident from the surrounding environment. The changes in the light signal, that is, an a.c. signal corresponding to the reflected laser light is passed to the amplifier 78 through the capacitor 76 to be amplified and then signal-processed.
If the photo diode 72 directly receives sun light, which is a background light, a large current flows in the photo diode 72. In this situation, if the resistance of the resistor 74 is large, the voltage, that is, d.c. signal, produced by the resistor 74 undesirably becomes high. As a result, the diode 72 cannot be sufficiently reverse-biased and the receiver circuit cannot operate properly to detect a changing light such as the reflected laser light in the background light.
If the resistance of the resistor 74 is small, on the contrary, the voltage produced by the resistor 74 and indicative of the background light can be held low. Changes in the light received by the photo diode, that is, a.c. signal, passed to the amplifier 78 also become small. Therefore, it becomes difficult to detect changes (reflected laser light) in the received light. Further, if the resistance of the resistor 74 is small, thermal noise increases. As a result, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio becomes unacceptable.

Light receiver apparatus for mobile body


A liquid shield and a funnel in combination with the liquid shield is disclosed. The funnel includes at least one side wall defining a cavity within the funnel and it has a drain opening generally on the bottom surface of the funnel. A rim along the upper edge of the side wall defines a mouth of the funnel. A handle is provided on the funnel. Spaced apart receptacles are positioned on the side wall in relation to the handle. The liquid shield includes a body portion which extends over at least a portion of the cavity of the funnel and is positioned adjacent the handle. The shield includes attachment portions extending from the body which are engageable with the receptacles for removably retaining the shield on the funnel. A flange extends from a portion of the shield and abuts an inside surface of the side wall of the funnel generally blocking passage of material between the shield and the funnel.

The present invention relates to a funnel liquid shield, for use in brewing funnels which can retain either a brewing substance or a combination of a filter and a brewing substance for infusion with heated water to produce a liquid brewed beverage.
A variety of brewing funnels are available which are used to support filter papers or permanent filters containing a beverage brewing substance, such as tea or ground coffee. Such a brewing funnel is attached to a brewing apparatus so that heated water can be sprayed over the brewing substance to infuse the substance and produce a liquid brewed beverage. The brewed beverage drains from the bottom of the funnel and into a carafe or pot position there below.
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid shield for use with a brewing funnel to prevent unintentional escape of brewing substance and water from the funnel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a funnel including a liquid shield to prevent unintentional escape of brewing substance and water from the funnel.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a funnel for receiving a liquid shield to prevent unintentional escape of brewing substance and water from the funnel.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description and preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.


A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product example embodiments of the invention are disclosed to structure access to a wireless medium to reduce interference between nearby nodes. In example embodiments of the invention, a method includes the steps of determining an amount of available wireless communication resources in a reception area; determining a number of wireless communication nodes in the reception area; generating a reservation limit of the available wireless resources; determining an inability to allocate the reservation limit of the available wireless resources; transmitting a request for release of resources to at least one other wireless communication node. Another node receiving the request, performs a method including the steps of determining a threshold; comparing an allocated amount of wireless communication resources against the threshold; and releasing at least a part of the allocated amount of resources, if the reserved number is greater than the threshold.

A future wireless system is expected to provide local-area coverage to selected areas, such as offices and homes, where high bit-rates are provided in small cells through inexpensive network infrastructure. Local-area coverage supplements cellular networks, moving traffic away from the expensive cellular network infrastructure to inexpensive local area networks that may use inexpensive internet connections, such as wireless routers, as backbone.
For example, local-area cells may replace wired Ethernet connections between office personal computers (PCs), similar to a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a large number of low-power indoor access points (APs). Each AP covers a relatively small area and serves a small number of users, allowing a high bit-rate per user. Local-area cells may preserve key features of a cellular network, such as reliability, authentication, and excellent mobility.
Conventional network planning to prevent interference between areas served by nearby access points is impractical for a large number of local-area cells. Instead, local-area cells should self-organize use of shared radio resources with minimal operator intervention. However, in a crowded radio environment it becomes increasingly difficult to allocate a sufficient number of resources in a manner that does not conflict with resource allocations by neighboring nodes.
A situation may arise, where a node becomes unable to allocate a sufficient number of resources, while one or more neighboring nodes hold a disproportionally large number of resources occupied.
The difficulty of allocating a new resource increases with the number of neighboring nodes, the number of resources they hold allocated, the geographical layout of a neighborhood of nodes and other factors.
If resource allocation in neighboring nodes is not limited to a fair share of resources, the outcome may be highly unfair. Some mobile devices may gain a strong advantage or suffer a disadvantage compared to others, depending on their path loss between a mobile device and an access point. The successful device with a good quality link may dominate use of the resource, while other devices suffering high path loss or long links may have little or no access to the resource.

Determining “fair share” of radio resources in radio access system with contention-based spectrum sharing


A disposable absorbent garment, illustrated as a disposable diaper, includes a backsheet, an absorbent panel positioned on top of the backsheet, and a composite, three-component topsheet assembly positioned on top of the absorbent panel. The topsheet assembly includes a central portion generally overlying the absorbent panel, and a pair of side marginal portions joined to opposite side edges of the central portion. Each side marginal portion includes a plurality of segments, including an elasticized, standing gather segment for enhanced containment. The containment characteristics of the garment are further enhanced by joining the central portion of the topsheet assembly to each side marginal portion in spaced relationship to the associated backsheet of the garment.

Disposable absorbent garments, such as disposable diapers and the like, have found wide spread acceptance for infant care. Garments of this nature are typically configured for single use, with an absorbent panel or core of the diaper ordinarily provided in an integrated structure including a moisture-pervious topsheet or facing layer, and a moisture-impervious backsheet or backing layer. Adhesive coated tape tabs are provided to facilitate convenient fitting of the diaper to a baby, with elastication of the garment, such as at the leg and waist openings, providing enhanced fit and comfort. Garments of this nature are not only suitable for infants, but can be appropriately sized and configured for incontinence use by adults.
As will be appreciated, the containment characteristics of a disposable absorbent garment are a key aspect of its overall performance. Elasticized disposable absorbent garments have enhanced containment characteristics, with the provision of elastic elements at both the leg openings and waist openings of a garment being particularly effective.
In addition to providing elastic elements adjacent the leg openings, it is known to provide an associated inwardly extending elasticized component, in the nature of a gather or flap, with such arrangements ordinarily positioned to overlap the associated absorbent panel. While this type of construction, sometimes referred to as an inner standing gather, desirably enhances containment by confining liquid and solid materials in the region above the absorbent panel for absorption, the specific configuration of such arrangements can greatly affect the containment characteristics.
In this regard, it is believed that the disposition of such an inner standing gather relative to the edge of the garment's absorbent panel has a significant effect on containment. Some products have inner standing gathers positioned so that the gathers each have a base portion disposed substantially inwardly of a respective side edge of the absorbent panel. In other words, the absorbent panel extends beneath the inner standing gathers, including in the longitudinally central, crotch area of the garment. However, depending upon the material from which the gather and diaper topsheet are formed, this construction may not provide the desired containment characteristics in that liquid absorbed into the absorbent panel can pass beneath the inner standing gathers, and leak from the leg openings of the garment.
It is further believed that the disposition of such inner standing gathers relative to the associated topsheet, overlying the absorbent panel, impacts on the effectiveness of such gathers. Specifically, some constructions in which the base portion of each gather is positioned beyond the respective side edge of the absorbent panel have the associated topsheet secured substantially directly to the backsheet of the garment, such as at the base of the inner standing gather. It is believed that the trough-like region thus defined just inside of each inner standing gather permits the collection or "puddling" of liquid in a manner which can result in the liquid being forced under, over, or through the inner standing gather, when the liquid is subjected to pressure during the usual wearing of the garment.
In accordance with the present invention, a disposable absorbent garment, illustrated in the form of a disposable diaper, has been particularly configured to provide a structure having inner standing gather elements configured to cooperate with associated components of the diaper for enhanced containment. This is achieved through the provision of a multi-component topsheet assembly, with components of the top of the assembly selected to exhibit the desired degree of liquid-permeability for effective absorption, while at the same time minimizing problems of strike-back or rewetting, as well as minimizing leakage from the garment.

Disposable asborbent garment with composite topsheet assembly


A body speaker comprising a casing having an upper part and a lower part; the upper part has a central circular aperture closed by a cap, a thin magnetic disk with a small diameter centrally attached on the inside of the cap, a tubular member fixed around the central circular aperture of the upper part, a solenoid coil wound around the tubular member. An oscillation body is disposed between the upper and lower parts for oscillating in response to variation of the magnetic field of the solenoid coil. Gaps are provided in an assembled configuration of the upper and lower parts, between the upper and lower surfaces of the oscillation body and the inside surfaces of the upper and lower parts of the casing when the oscillation body is fixed on the inside wall of the casing by means of an oscillation ring, so that the oscillation body may freely oscillate upwards and downwards in response to variation of the magnetic field of the solenoid coil conducting current.

The present invention is related to a bodily sensed speakers, more particularly to musical sound reproducing systems and processes using a plurality of bodily sensed speakers.
Effective enjoyment of sound, such as, for example, music, usually requires a listener to sufficiently feel the rhythm, tone, and melody being played. Conventional musical sound reproducing systems and processes have tended to focus upon the ear in efforts to effectively impart a feeling of these characteristics.
The rhythm of sound, and especially of musical compositions, has a close connection with bodily movements such as dance. Hence, it may be considered that the rhythm is a factor of the music which may be felt not only through the ear, but also through the body of the listener.


Disclosed is a bi-directional sliding-type portable terminal. The bi-directional sliding-type portable terminal comprises a phone body and a bi-directional sliding body. The phone body comprises a first section which is located on one side of the top surface thereof and within which a plurality of keys are mounted, and a second section which is located on the other side of the top surface thereof spaced apart from the first section and within which a camera lens housing is mounted. The bi-directional sliding body linearly moves on the phone body in a longitudinal direction while facing the phone body, opens the first section to expose the keys by moving toward the second section, and opens the second section to expose the camera lens housing by moving toward the first section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a portable terminal such as a cellular phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), an HHP (Hand Held Phone) or the like, and more particularly to a bi-directional sliding-type portable terminal capable of sliding in either direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a "portable communication device" means an electronic device which a user can carry with him/her to perform wireless communication with a desired partner. In consideration of portability, design of such a portable terminal has tended not only toward compactness, slimness and lightness, but also toward providing multimedia capabilities to allow the user to pursue more various functions. In particular, future portable terminals will be not only used for many functions and purposes despite compactness and lightness, but also be modified to be suitable for functioning in a multimedia environment and for providing internet access and functions. Additionally, such portable terminals may be used by men and women, young and old, anywhere in the world.
Conventional portable terminals may be classified into various types according to their appearance, such as bar-type portable terminals, flip-type portable terminals, and folder-type portable terminals. The bar-type portable terminal has a single housing shaped like a bar. The flip-type portable terminal has a flip which is pivotably mounted to a bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit. The folder-type portable terminal has a folder coupled to a single bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit in such a manner that the folder can be rotated in order to be folded to or unfolded from the housing.
Further, portable terminals may be classified as neck wearable type terminals and wrist wearable type terminals, according to the position at or the way in which a user puts on the terminal. The neck wearable type terminal is one which a user wears around the neck using a lanyard or string, while the wrist wearable type terminal is one which a user wears around the wrist.
Additionally, portable terminals may be classified as rotation-type terminals and sliding-type terminals according to ways of opening and closing the terminals. In the rotation-type portable terminal, two housings are coupled to each other in a manner that one housing rotates to be opened or closed relative to the other while facing each other. In the sliding-type portable terminal, two housings are coupled to each other in a manner that one housing slides to be opened or closed relative to the other. The various classifications of portable terminals are easily understood by those skilled in the art.
Further, each of the conventional portable terminals enumerated above has been converted so as to allow a voice communication as well as a high-speed data communication. That is, as consumer demands have increased, various services have been provided using wireless communication technology for transceiving data at a high speed.
It is a present tendency that a camera lens is mounted to the portable terminal, and that it is possible to transmit image signals and the like.
Meanwhile, present portable terminals are provided with an embedded or external camera lens module. Therefore, it is possible to perform image communication with a desired partner or to photograph a desired subject.
However, when the conventional portable terminals are provided with an external camera lens module, the risk is always taken of losing the camera lens module. Further, when the conventional portable terminals are provided with an embedded camera lens module, a lens of the camera lens module is always exposed to an external environment, allowing foreign materials to easily invade and deteriorate the lens, thus deteriorating the quality of photographed images.

Bi-directional sliding-type portable terminal


In a stacked system, errors detected at a user application interface of one or more host systems are associated with root cause errors at a stack level below a virtualization layer by detecting an error at a user application interface; identifying an associated root cause error at a lower stack level; creating an error trace entry for the error; associating an error log identifier with the error trace entry; making the combined error log identifier and the error trace entry into an error identifier that is unique within the plurality of host systems in said stacked system; and communicating the error identifier to any requester of a service at a user application interface of one or more host systems when the service must be failed because of the root cause error.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to error tracing, and particularly to error tracing in environments having virtualization layers between host applications and devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
The problem of fault detection and isolation—tracking down a problem in a complex system to its root cause—is a very significant one. In some environments, there is simply a lack of any error reporting information, but in many enterprise-class environments, much effort is invested in raising and logging detected faults. In fault tolerant systems, such information is critical to ensuring continued fault tolerance. In the absence of effective fault detection and repair mechanisms, fault tolerant system will simply mask a problem until a further fault causes failure.
When a problem does arise, its impact is frequently hard to predict. For instance, in a storage controller subsystem, there are many components in the path or "stack" from disk drive to host application. It is difficult to relate actual detected and logged errors to the effect seen by an application or a user host system.
When many errors occur at the same time, it is particularly difficult to determine which of those errors led to a particular application failing. The brute force solution of fixing all reported errors might work, but a priority based scheme, fixing those errors that impacted the application that is most important to the business, would be more cost efficient, and would be of significant value to a system user.
Any lack of traceability also reduces the confidence that the right error has been fixed to solve any particular problem encountered by the user or the application.
Today's systems, with Redundant Array of Inexpensive Drives (RAID) arrays, advanced functions such as Flash Copy, and caches, already add considerable confusion to a top-down analysis (tracing a fault from application to component in system). It takes significant time and knowledge to select the root-cause error that has caused the fault.
With the introduction of virtualization layers in many systems, the problem is growing. Not only does virtualization add another layer of indirection, but many virtualization schemes allow dynamic movement of data in the underlying real subsystems, making it even more difficult to perform accurate fault tracing.
It is known, for example, from the teaching of U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,544, to maintain logical defect lists at the RAID controller level in storage systems using redundant arrays of inexpensive disks. However, systems using plural such arrays together with other peripheral devices, and especially when they form part of a storage area network (SAN), introduce layers of software having features such as virtualization that make it more difficult to trace errors from their external manifestations to their root causes.
There is thus a need for a method, system or computer program that will alleviate this problem, and it is to be preferred that the problem is alleviated at the least cost to the customer in money, in processing resource and in time.

Fault tracing in systems with virtualization layers

International Business Machines Corporation


A hollow fiber membrane fluid transport device's method of manufacture is disclosed wherein the fibers are comprised of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the potting materials are comprised of fluoropolymer based materials. The potting method described herein, utilizes a compressed chemically resistant fluorocopolymer and or fluoroterpolymer film, allows for ease of manufacture without destruction of the PTFE hollow fibers, with high packing densities, and without the processing complexity of pre-melting, extruding, or chemical crosslinking of any polymeric adhesives. Furthermore, the PTFE hollow fibers can be treated with a fluoropolymeric solvent solution before the chemically resistant film is applied to enhance the adhesion of the PTFE fiber to the film. PTFE hollow fibers, and its respective fluoro-co and terpolymers as potting films, impart high packing densities, superb chemical resistance and temperature resistance without membrane contamination, or low fiber pull strength, as is sometimes observed with standard potting materials such as polyurethane and epoxy.

1. Field
This application relates to hollow fiber membrane fluid transport devices, specifically to the method of manufacturing such membrane fluid transport devices, and even more specifically to the means of assembling the hollow fibers into bundles and sealing the ends of the hollow fibers to make suitable contactors.
2. Background of the Invention
Membrane contactors are useful devices for separation processes, contacting processes, or as filters. A membrane contactor includes a membrane or membranes held in such a manner as to separate two regions of flow and enable the membrane to act as a separation means between the two phases, and a housing to enclose the membrane and contain and direct the flow of the multiple phases. The membrane acts as a barrier between the two fluid phases and selectively allows or prohibits the transport of one or more chemical species or particles from one fluid stream to the other. The housing has one or more ports to allow flow to and from the membrane. Membrane contactors can be considered as a subclass of the more general class of fluid or fluid/gas transport devices.
Membrane contactors have applications as filters, separation systems, or contacting devices in many industries such as chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, environmental, water treatment, and semiconductor processing. Membrane separation processes such as gas/liquid separation or membrane distillation are replacing their bulk counterparts (distillation towers, stripping columns) due to improved energy efficiency, scalability, the ability to operate isothermally, and smaller physical footprints. In addition, membrane filters, separators, and contactors generally have no moving parts and are physically simple and rugged, resulting in low maintenance cost.
Hollow fiber membrane devices are one class of membrane modules that employ membranes in hollow fiber form. While many types of membranes are available in sheet form, the ability to create significantly higher surface area per unit volume with a hollow fiber membrane is of major advantage to the designer and user of a membrane filter or contactor. A hollow fiber membrane is also typically self-supporting in contrast to flat sheet or thin film membranes that usually require a skeletal structure for support. In addition, typical contactor designs employing hollow fiber membranes, whether constructed as a cross flow element or in a dead-end configuration, offer more uniform flow and fewer regions for the flow to stagnate.
The usefulness and efficiency of a membrane contactor is determined by the available surface area of the membrane per unit volume of the device and the rate at which the transfer or removal of the species of interest occurs; this is generally governed by the flux (flow per unit area, per unit time, per unit pressure gradient) of the process stream. The available surface area for a hollow fiber membrane module is dictated by the packing density of the fibers (the ratio of the sum of the cross sections of the individual fibers to the total available cross sectional area). The higher the packing density and the greater the surface area to volume ratio generally results in a more efficient module.
Two other useful parameters for defining the performance of a porous membrane are the pore size distribution and the porosity. The pore size distribution is a statistical distribution of the range of pore diameters found in the membrane wall. The largest pore size is also generally characterized by a measurement called a bubble point, which is defined in the below detailed description of the invention. The smaller the mean pore size, the smaller the particle a membrane filter will separate.
The porosity of a hollow fiber membrane may be defined as the percentage of free volume in the membrane, or, for PTFE hollow fiber membranes, as (1−(membrane density/2.15)*100 where 2.15 is the density of solid PTFE. The higher the porosity, the more free volume and generally the higher the flux rate through the membrane wall.
For a given pore size distribution, higher porosities are often desirable as they lead to higher flux rates. Unfortunately higher porosities also generally lead to softer membrane walls, causing the hollow fibers to be structurally very soft and prone to deformation and collapse, especially during a potting process. Heating the ends of the hollow fibers reduces the porosity and hardens the heated portion of the fibers, reducing the likelihood of the fibers being crushed or deformed on compression.
The elements of a hollow fiber membrane contactor include the hollow fiber membrane itself, the housing, and a means to bind the fibers to one another and to the housing. A hollow fiber membrane is a porous or non-porous, semi-permeable membrane of defined inner diameter, defined outer diameter, length and pore size, and generally of a very high aspect ratio, defined as the ratio of the length to the diameter of the fiber. A hollow fiber membrane contactor is generally comprised of a plurality of fibers.
The housing is an outer shell surrounding the membrane that secures and contains a potted bundle of hollow fibers. The housing is equipped with one or more inlets and one or more outlets, such that the potted bundle of hollow fiber membrane acts as a barrier and separates the two phases or process streams. The design of the housing, and specifically the relationship of the inlets and outlets, regulates the flow of the process fluid into or out of the fiber lumens and directs the processed fluid away from the device. There are typically two common modes of designing the housing, which relate to how the fluids interact with the membrane. What are known to those well versed in the art as dead-end elements consist of a housing that directs all of the volume of one fluid to pass through the membrane walls to reach the discharge or exit of the housing. The dead-end design is a very common design employed for membrane filtration. For dead-end hollow fiber membrane filters, both ends of each hollow fiber membrane are potted or bound at one end of the housing. In dead-end hollow fiber membrane filters the process fluid either enters the lumens of the hollow fibers and discharges out through the walls of the hollow fiber membrane, or enters through the walls and discharges out of the lumens. In either case, this ensures that the entire process stream passes through the membrane wall.
A dead-end hollow fiber membrane filter configuration is contrasted to a cross flow configuration in which the lumens are open at both ends, and only a portion of the process stream entering the upstream lumens passes through the membrane wall, while the remainder of the fluid discharges through the downstream lumen openings. The portion of the fluid discharging from the downstream lumen end may be passed along to another membrane element, recycled to the beginning of the unit, or discarded. The cross flow configuration mode is employed with both filtration as well as membrane contacting or separation processes.
A hollow fiber membrane bundle may be integral to the housing or may be designed so that the potted hollow fiber membrane bundle may be installed and removed.
To create a membrane filter or membrane separator or contactor module, one must establish a suitable means for binding the hollow fiber membranes into an integral bundle and sealing the exposed ends of the hollow fibers from the body of the module, a process hereafter referred to as potting the fibers. Potting the hollow fiber membranes may occur prior to, or during the operation of mounting the hollow fiber membranes into the housing. To bind the ends of the hollow fibers to one another, a potting compound is employed. A potting compound is a material that when applied around the ends of hollow fibers, bonds them together into a solid, cohesive mass that isolates and fixes the hollow fibers from the remainder of the bundled assembly of fibers.
A potted bundle of hollow fibers is a plurality of hollow fiber membranes bound together or potted at least at one end. Both ends may be potted, or the ends of each individual fiber may be looped back in a U-shape and potted at or near one end. One potential configuration can be where the bundled fibers are first twisted 180 degrees and then folded into itself to form a closed end and an open end with the open end potted, i.e.—embedded in a solid mass providing a fluid-tight seal around each fiber. There may be several themes and variations on these basic configurations.
Membranes for contactors or filters have been developed from a variety of synthetic polymers and ceramics and have been known in the industry for many years. While ceramic membranes offer the chemical resistance and high service temperature required by aggressive acidic, alkali, or organic solvent applications, in their present-day state they are very fragile, very expensive, and very difficult to work with, a combination of features that keeps ceramic membranes out of many applications.
The vast majority of state of the art polymeric membranes are limited as they are not inert, they possess inadequate chemical purity, thermal stability and chemical resistance, and occasionally have undesirable surface properties, preventing their use in certain important applications. This is because these very same membranes are spun from solution, and the fact that they must be soluble in certain solvents to convert to a membrane means that the final membrane itself is susceptible to attack by those same classes of solvents.
It has long been desired to be able to have membranes manufactured from fluorinated or perfluorinated resins due to their high service temperatures, chemical stability, inertness, and chemical resistance to a wide range of solvents, acids and alkali systems. However, membranes produced from non-fully fluorinated polymers still require aggressive solvent systems and very high processing temperatures to manufacture, increasing cost and generating environmental and waste issues. Membranes manufactured from Polytetrafluoroethylene (hereafter referred to as PTFE) are most desirable because, as a fully fluorinated polymer, they offer the best combination of thermal and chemical stability of all the fluorinated and perfluorinated resins commercially available. In addition, the method by which they are converted to membranes does not employ hazardous solvent systems; instead using a stretching and orientation method.
It is also desirable to have membranes manufactured from fluorinated or perfluorinated resins, especially fully fluorinated resins, due to their low surface energy Filtration of organic liquids, separating organic from aqueous systems, or removing vapor from aqueous systems all favor low energy membranes. PTFE offers the lowest surface energy of all the fluorinated or perfluorinated polymeric membranes—less than about 20 dyne-cm.
Current potting materials have many limitations such as inadequate chemical resistance, lack of chemical purity and inertness, and poor thermal stability. They are also very difficult to use, and produce inefficient and costly modules. One such class of inadequate potting systems consists of low viscosity materials including urethanes and epoxies which are easy to apply but are chemically very impure and are not chemically resistant, nor do they offer high service temperatures.
It is also therefore highly desirable to have a potting compound that has excellent chemical resistance and high service temperatures that would match those of the fluorinated, perfluorinated, or fully fluorinated membrane, because the effectiveness of a contactor constructed with a fluorinated or perfluorinated membrane for a thermally or chemically aggressive system is limited by the weakest part of the device. An effective combination of a potting system for a fluorinated or perfluorinated membrane has hitherto been unavailable. Current potting methods are not amenable to the use of fluorinated or perfluorinated compounds; they cannot produce membrane modules with high fiber packing density, or with economical manufacturing cycle times; nor can they be employed to make contactors with relatively soft fibers or contactors containing many thousands of fibers, something necessary for many commercial membrane applications.

Fluoropolymer hollow fiber membrane with fluoro-copolymer and fluoro-terpolymer bonded end portion(s) and method to fabricate


A micro-optical element includes a resonator substrate, at least one microresonator includes a rotationally symmetrical body mounted on the resonator substrate, and a light-reflecting element including a ring-shaped mirror that surrounds the rotationally symmetrical body.

In the fields of biology and medicine, there is a high degree of interest in sensors for selective, marker-free, high-sensitivity analysis of very small fluid quantities. One possibility for constructing such sensors is based on the use of optical cavities as microresonators, in particular in the form of toroids, goblets, discs, ellipsoids or spheres. At particular wavelengths λ, resonances form in the cavity. If molecules of an analyte become attached to the resonator surface, the effective radius R of the cavity increases due to a change in the refractive index n in the environment of the microresonator. A change in the radius R and the refractive index n brings about a change in the resonance wavelengths λr, as given by:
            Δλ      r              λ      r        =                    Δ                                                  R            R        +                            Δ                                                              n                n            .
According to F. Vollmer and S. Arnold in Whispering-gallery-mode biosensing: label-free detection down to single molecules, Nature Methods 5 (2008) 591-596, by analysing the spectrum, it is possible, from a shift in the wavelength of the resonance, to deduce attachment of molecules.
In order to be able to detect very small molecule quantities, microresonators with high quality factors are required. A. M. Armani, R. P. Kulkarni, S. E. Fraser, R. C. Flagan and K. J. Vahala describe in Label-Free, Single-Molecule Detection with Optical Microcavities, Science 317, pp. 783-86, 2007, label-free detection of individual molecules applied to the surface of a microresonator. A toroid made of silicon dioxide and mounted on a silicon foot on a silicon substrate was used as a microresonator.
T. Grossmann, M. Hauser, T. Beck, C. Gohn-Kreuz, M. Karl, H. Kalt, C. Vannahme, and T. Mappes describe in High-Q conical polymeric microcavities, Appl. Phys. Lett. 96 (2010) 013303, a method for producing microgoblet resonators made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which is distinguished by having a high degree of transparency in the visible spectral range, having a quality factor of above 106.
In order to couple light into the cavity, evanescent coupling is used. J. Knight, G. Cheung, F. Jacques and T. Birks describe in Phase-matched excitation of whispering-gallery-mode resonances by a fiber taper, Opt. Lett. 22 (1997) 1129-1131, coupling into a microresonator by means of adiabatically thinned glass fibres. In order to obtain the most effective possible coupling, the diameter of the glass fibre must be thinned to values in the range of 0.1 μm to 3 μm. Due to the small diameter, the glass fibre becomes very fragile and handling thereof is made difficult. For the coupling between the fibre and the cavity, the distance must be set to values less than the wavelength of the irradiated light. This adjustment requires a high degree of positional accuracy and is possible only with micrometer tables and under controlled laboratory conditions. If the microresonator is used in a sensor for analysing a fluid, the adjustment is made more difficult by flow within the analyte.
EP 2287592 A1 discloses a micro-optical component for coupling laser light to microresonators, comprising at least one waveguide for laser light and at least two microresonators, each having the form of a rotationally symmetrical body arranged on a foot, preferably designed as a spheroid or a toroid, wherein the at least two microresonators are mounted on a first substrate which is provided with first side walls and the at least one waveguide is mounted on a second substrate which is provided with second side walls, such that the first side walls and the second side walls are rigidly connected to one another.
Resonance frequencies of the cavity create characteristic gaps in the transmitted spectrum in the waveguide, which are known as Lorentz curves. In order to resolve fine displacements of these resonances when molecules become attached to the structure of the resonator, the excitation must be carried out with a continuously tunable laser. The excitation frequency must follow the displacement of the resonance frequency. For this purpose, the whole spectral range being investigated is often continuously scanned with the excitation laser. The spectral analysis of the transmitted light must be carried out with a high resolution in order to detect the finest displacements, and for this purpose a spectrometer or a photodiode which is read out synchronously with the excitation laser is required.
In order to avoid complex adjustment of the glass fibre or waveguide, microresonators are coated or doped with an optical amplifier material, in particular a dye. If a doped cavity is pumped with an external laser having a dye-specific wavelength, a coherent emission can be stimulated. The spectrum emitted by the microresonator is characteristic of the geometry of the cavity and the active material being used. Due to the attachment of molecules from the analyte onto the resonator surface, apart from the resonance frequency, the emitted spectrum of the active microresonator is also displaced. This displacement serves as a sensor signal.
Microresonators doped with an active material emit light isotropically in the "resonator plane" along the whole periphery. Typically, the light emitted is collected with the end of a glass fibre or a lens. Due to the small aperture of the glass fibre, however, only a small part of the emitted light can be collected and detected. Since only a small part of the emitted light is scattered out of the plane at surface defects of the microresonator, it is also only a small intensity that can be collected with a lens positioned over the substrate. Using the above-mentioned detection methods, only a low signal-to-noise ratio is achievable.
In order to obtain directional emission, M. Kneissl, M. Teepe, N. Miyashita, N. M. Johnson, G. D. Chern and R. K. Chang describe in Current-injection spiral-shaped microcavity disk laser diodes with unidirectional emission, Appl. Phys. Lett. 84 (2004) 2485, a spiral-shaped resonator geometry which, in place of isotropic emission, enables directional emission. Due to the modified form of the microresonator, although the signal-to-noise ratio increases, the quality factor of the microresonator falls markedly, such that low molecule concentrations cannot be detected with this apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,892 B2 discloses a biosensor which is based on active rotationally symmetrical microresonators made from GaN/AlGaN. The emitted light is read out with integrated rows of photodiodes. As U.S. Pat. No. 7,310,153 B2 discloses, mounted on the row of photodiodes is a wedge-shaped thin-film filter which ensures that only particular wavelengths impinge on individual diode fields. Due to a resonance shift when an attachment from the analyte takes place, the intensity distribution on the photodiodes is altered. However, light emitted from the microresonator impinges on the detector from only a small angular segment, such that only a low signal-to-noise ratio is obtained. Due to the large distance between the microresonator and the detector of up to 1 cm, only a few microresonators can be placed on a substrate. Furthermore, a separate detector is provided for each microresonator, such that the complexity of the construction and connection technology is increased, since the detectors are manufactured on a separate substrate and are only subsequently mounted on the resonator substrate. Since the accuracy of detection depends on the number of photodiodes in a row, as the accuracy increases, the number of connections for reading out from the photodiode row also increases.

Micro-optical element, micro-optical array, and optical sensor system


Provided are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing recommended entities responsive to a search query based on a query-specific subset of contacts from a user's social graph. A search query is received from a user that includes an identifier identifying a subset of the user's social graph. The entities responsive to the search query are identified, and those entities having evaluations by or other associations with contacts from the identified subset are also identified. In response to the search query, those entities having associations with the contacts in the identified subset of the user's social graph are provided as recommended entities in the search results.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer-implemented searching of the Internet and, more particularly, to providing businesses and other entities of interest to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet is useful for a variety of purposes. For example, users may use the Internet to search geographic areas, such as to retrieve information about businesses or other entities located in a geographic area. Although information about such entities may be generally available in some form, the information, and the presentation of the information, may be nearly random and unstructured and may not present interesting information to a user. Additionally, the sources for such information may be unknown to user, or the user may find the sources for such information to be unreliable or untrustworthy. Consequently, a user may be unable to easily determine entities in a geographic area that are of interest to the user

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing recommended entities based on a query-specific subset of a user's social graph


A new class of CMOS integrated circuits, wherein the PMOS and NMOS devices are both configured as vertical transistors. One trench can contain a PMOS device, an NMOS device, and a gate which is coupled to control both the PMOS device and the NMOS device. Latchup problems do not arise, and n+ to p+ spacing rules are not required.

The present invention relates to integrated circuits and to methods for manufacturing them.
Conventional bulk CMOS (where the NMOS devices are formed in p-type areas of the substrate, and the PMOS devices are formed in n-type areas) does not scale very well. The circuit condition known as latchup (i.e. the firing of a parasitic thyristor between power and ground) must be avoided, and this means that a large minimum spacing from n+ to p+ source/drains--typically five times the minimum geometry or more--must be maintained by the circuit designer. This spacing rule means that a significant fraction of the total circuit area is consumed as mere empty space between NMOS and PMOS areas. As circuits are scaled to smaller dimensions, the p+ to n+ minimum spacing normally cannot be scaled as rapidly as the minimum geometry, and therefore an even larger fraction of total area is wasted on the n+ to p+ spacing.
To avoid this constraint and also provide increased immunity to single event upset, various SOI (silicon-on-insulator) devices have been proposed. If the NMOS and PMOS devices are not part of the same semiconductor body, then latchup cannot happen, and n+ to p+ spacing ceases to be a relevant constraint.
However, many such proposed structures have turned out to have substantially lower performance than bulk CMOS, and have also turned out to be very difficult to fabricate. The lower performance commonly results from the use of polysilicon or annealed polysilicon for one of the device types, usually the PMOS device. The difficulties in fabrication are exacerbated by attempts to make a stacked CMOS structure--i.e. one in which the PMOS device lies over the gate to the NMOS device, so that the same line which is the front side gate for the NMOS device is the backside gate for the PMOS device--although it has been widely recognized that such structures would be highly advantageous for their compactness. One example of such a proposed structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,202 to Malhi.
The present invention provides a different way to build CMOS structures which are extremely compact, free of latchup and associated design constraints, relatively immune to single event upset, provide high channel mobility, and are not excessively difficult to fabricate.
In the present invention, CMOS logic is configured by placing the NMOS and PMOS devices on facing walls of a trench, with an insulated gate in between them to control both.
Another advantage of the present invention is that logic built according to the present invention is extremely easy to design, since the necessity for an n+ to p+ design rule is totally removed. Since design time is a major factor in modern integrated circuit costs, this is an important advantage.
Published work has described a vertical IGFET on the sidewall of a trench. See Richardson et al., A Trench Transistor DRAM Cell (paper 29.6 at the 1985 IEDM), which is hereby incorporated by reference. However, such vertical devices are not well suited for random logic, because the bottom node is not easily accessible. Thus such a transistor would be well suited for the pass transistor of a one transistor DRAM cell, but would be less easily adaptable to provide a pass gate in an SRAM cell.
Thus, it is an advantage of the present invention that a highly compact transistor-in-trench structure is provided, wherein the bottom node is readily accessible.
Moreover, the best prior transistor-in-trench structures have normally had the channels of the transistors in bulk material, so that p+ to n+ spacings would still be a potential problem if such structures were sought to be adapted to CMOS.
Thus, it is a further advantage of the present invention that a highly compact transistor-in-trench structure is provided, wherein full CMOS circuits can be implemented without n+ to p+ spacing problems.
In some embodiments of the invention, some recesses can be configured to contain only NMOS devices while other nearby trenches are configured to contain only PMOS devices. This loosens the alignment constraints of fabricating both NMOS and PMOS devices in a common trench, and still retains some of the advantages of the invention for close-packing of CMOS circuits.
In some embodiments of the invention, a self-aligned etch is used to bring a metal pillar contact to the output node of a CMOS inverter up through the middle of a trench, so that contact from metallization to the active device is simplified. Such embodiments have the further advantage, in addition to others mentioned, that extremely compact layout is permitted.
In some embodiments of the invention, the inverter is fully oxide isolated, with no contacts to substrate whatsoever. Such embodiments have the further advantage, in addition to others mentioned, that single-event upset is very much reduced.
In some embodiments of the invention, the power and ground lines are routed through buried diffusions, but all nodes to which discretionary wiring is necessary are brought out to surface areas. Such embodiments have the further advantage, in addition to others mentioned, that contact etching and constraints are simplified, and the design rules relating to placement of contacts can in general be simplified.
In some embodiments of the invention, the etch which forms the input gate is prolonged to etch into the substrate, and oxide refill of this etch then provides improved isolation between power and ground diffusions in the substrate.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the n+ and p+ polysilicon layers which provide the top source/drain contacts for the NMOS and PMOS devices are elongated past the active area of the devices, so that a surface contact can be made to these polysilicon lines to provide the output.
In the presently preferred process embodiment of the invention, after patterned implantations have formed the bottom n+ and p+ regions, a selective epitaxy step is used to grow upward (into an opening in field oxide) the nearly intrinsic silicon which will provide the channel regions for the active devices. A patterned implant is then used to dope the channel regions appropriately. (Optionally, if this epitaxial material is deposited using appropriate in-situ doping, only one side may need a patterned implant to set its conductivity type.)
After this has been done, a top polysilicon layer is deposited and heavily doped using a patterned implantation (either with one or with two masking steps), to form n+ and p+ polysilicon regions which will provide the top source/drain contact areas for the NMOS and PMOS devices. (Outdiffusion from this heavily doped polysilicon film will actually form shallow junctions within the crystalline regrown semiconductor, which will function as the actual source/drain regions.)
Another patterned etch is then used to cut a slot across the epitaxial material within at least some of the openings, so that an insulating dielectric can be formed on the sidewalls of this slot and the gate electrode placed therein.
In some embodiments, a self-aligned sequence is then used to define a smaller hole within this slot, so that an insulated metal post can reach down and make contact with the bottom n+ and p+ diffusions. However, this class of embodiments has the disadvantage that the parasitic capacitance of the input to the output nodes may be rather large.
In embodiments where the bottom n+ and p+ regions are not oxide isolated, one of them is preferably junction isolated. For example, where the substrate is p-type, the p+ bottom region is preferably shallower than the n+ bottom regions, so that the p+ bottom region is junction isolated from the substrate.
In another class of embodiments, solid phase epitaxy is used to define crystalline semiconductor on oxide regions for the bottom n+ and p+ regions.
Since the input gate is itself preferably conformally deposited polysilicon, this input gate may be routed across the chip to perform other circuit functions as well.
Since the conductivity types of the polysilicon channels are determined by implantation, it is not strictly necessary for every trench to have a PMOS device on one side and an NMOS device on the other. (This configuration provides a single inverter gate, but of course many other logic gate configurations are desirable.) Some trenches may include two PMOS devices, some trenches may include two NMOS devices, some trenches may include only one active device, or (with the addition of some additional steps (e.g. a second slot etch) to provide isolation along the trench walls) more than two active devices may be included in a single trench.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom n+ and the bottom p+ nodes do not have to be connected together. This provides substantial additional flexibility in configuring random logic.
According to the present invention there is provided: A method for fabricating integrated circuits, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate including at least one monocrystalline semiconducting portion near a surface thereof; introducing dopants at high concentration into predetermined surface areas of said semiconducting portion of said substrate; providing a growth-blocking material over said semiconducting portion of said substrate, said growth-blocking material including openings to expose said semiconducting portion of said substrate at predetermined locations; selectively epitaxially growing additional semiconductor material on said substrate, under conditions such that said additional semiconductor material grows epitaxially on exposed areas of said monocrystalline semiconducting portion of said substrate and does not grow at all on said growth-blocking material; introducing dopants into said selectively epitaxially grown material in areas such that in at least some of said openings in said growth-blocking material said selectively epitaxially grown material includes both n-type portions and p-type portions; etching away portions of said selectively epitaxially grown material in at least some of said openings to separate n-type portions thereof from p-type portions thereof; forming a thin film insulated control gate layer having portions extending into at least one said recess and capacitively coupled to both said n-type portion and p-type portion of said selectively epitaxially grown material.
According to the present invention there is also provided: An integrated circuit device comprising: a thick dielectric having at least one recess therein; an n-type insulated gate vertical field effect transistor on one side of said recess; a p-type insulated gate vertical field effect transistor on another side of said recess separate from said n-type vertical field effect transistor; and a control gate in said recess connected to control current flow both in said n-type and in said p-type field effect transistors.
According to the present invention there is also provided: An integrated circuit device comprising: a thick dielectric having at least one recess therein; a trench running across said recess from one side to an opposite side; a body of n-type semiconducting material on a third side of said recess, and a body of p-type semiconducting material on a fourth side of said recess, said n-type body being laterally separated from said p-type body within said recess by said trench; a control gate located in said recess and insulated from and capacitively coupled to a surface of said n-type body and also a surface of said p-type body, whereby voltages applied to said control gate control surface carrier densities at respective surfaces of said respective bodies.