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This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to an engine control system for a turbofan engine having variable stators and a fuel control system responsive to fan speed.
The invention herein described was made in the perfomrance of work under a NASA contract and is subject to the provisions of Section 305 of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, Public Law 85-568 (72 Stat. 435; 42 USC 2457).
Historically, commercially flights have been characterized by takeoffs and landings which are relatively slow and time consuming and by intermediate relatively high speed cruising. Because of the great distances traveled, the cruise time made up the major portion of the total trip time, and rapid takeoffs and landings were not considered necessary. Further, for safety purposes it has been desirable to operate with long runways and relatively gradual takeoffs and landings.
Present-day requirements have been somewhat modified from the past in that there is now more concern about the noise and air polution which exists in airport vicinities because of the high-thrust, relatively inefficient engine operation during takeoffs and landings. Further, there now appears to be a greater need for short haul transport service. Accordingly, there is an effort in the industry to shorten the takeoff and landing periods of operation by aircraft improvisations and by engine design changes. One of the critical points of this manner of operation is that, when you are making a landing at a large descent rate and a go-around maneuver is suddenly necessary, the thrust must be quickly increased from a level of approximately one-half to two-thirds of takeoff thrust to full takeoff thrust in a very short period of time (approximately one second). Present aircraft engines do not provide this capability, primarily because of the high inertia of the compressor.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an aircraft engine which facilitates rapid takeoffs and landings.
Another object of the present invention is the provision in an aircraft for negotiating a go-around maneuver when making a landing approach at a large descent rate.
Yet another object of the present invention is the provision in an aircraft engine for quickly accelerating from an approach thrust level to a takeoff thrust level.
Yet another object of the present invention is the provision in an aircraft engine for overcoming the problem of high compressor inertia when negotiating a go-around maneuver.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision in an aircraft engine for a control system which is effective in use and economical to manufacture.
These objects and other features and advantages become more readily apparent upon reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.
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Contemporary packet-oriented communications networks—also referred to as “data networks”—have previously been designed essentially for transmitting packet streams which are also referred to in the specialist field as “data packet streams”. Hence, there is usually no need for an ensured transmission service quality level. The transmission of the data packet streams thus takes place, for example, with delays whose timing fluctuates as the individual data packets of the data packet streams are usually transmitted in the sequence of their network access, i.e. the timing delays become longer the more packets are to be transmitted by a data network. In the specialist field, the transmission of data is therefore also referred to as a transmission service without real time conditions or as a non-real time service.
In the course of the convergence of line-oriented speech networks and packet-oriented data networks, real time services, i.e. transmission services under real time conditions such as the transmission of speech information or moving image information, are increasingly also being implemented in packet-oriented communications networks, i.e. the transmission of the real time services which have previously usually been transmitted in a line-oriented fashion is being carried out in a packet-oriented fashion, i.e. in packet streams, in a convergent speech-data network. These packet streams are also referred to as “real time packet streams”. Here, the problem arises that for an implementation of a real time service which is embodied as a packet-oriented transmission a high level of service quality is necessary for the implementation to remain comparable in, terms of quality with a line-oriented transmission. In particular, a minimum—for example <200 ms—delay without fluctuations in the delay is important as real time services generally require a continuous stream of information, and cannot compensate a loss of information, for example due to packet losses, by repeated transmission of the discarded packets. As these service-quality-level requirements basically apply to all communications networks with packet-oriented transmission, they are independent of the specific refinement of a packet-oriented communications network. The packets can consequently be embodied as Internet packets, X.25 packets or frame-relay packets, but also as ATM cells. Data packet streams and real time packet streams are, in this case, exemplary embodiments of traffic streams which are transmitted in communications networks.
For the transmission of speech and image information via the packet-oriented Internet—also referred to as “VoIP”—protocols for a transmission over the Internet have been proposed in the international standards—in particular the H.323 standard. Here, the network is divided into a plurality of “H.323” zones in which what are referred to as “gatekeepers” are respectively provided for converting E.164 telephone numbers to computer names and their Internet addresses, permissibility checking for incoming and outgoing conversations, administration of transmission capacities, registration of H.323 terminals.
However, as there is no ensured service quality level for the Internet transmission in the current H.323 standards, the current VoIP technology has the disadvantage that the quality of the transmission of speech and images decreases if the number of packets to be transmitted by the Internet rises. In this respect, the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) has proposed that a plurality of service classes should be introduced in the packet-oriented Internet which previously did not ensure any service quality levels, said proposal being in Blake et. al., “An Architecture for Differentiated Services”, RFC 2475, 1998, ftp://venera.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2475.txt and in Nichols et. al, “Definition of the Differentiated Services Field (DS Field) in the IPv4 and IPv6 Headers”, RFC 2474, 1998, ftp://venera.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2474.txt. Such an Internet is also referred to as ‘DiffServe network’. Here, the individual packet streams are each assigned to a specific service class and, depending on their service class, are transmitted by the transmission nodes of the Internet with or without priority over packets of other service classes. The service quality level which is required for the real time services can thus be ensured, for example, by virtue of the fact that the associated real time packet streams are assigned to a service class which is transmitted with priority by the nodes of the Internet—the real time packet streams are thus prioritized with respect to the data packet streams.
By forming a class of traffic streams which are to be transmitted with priority, a (virtual) separate communications network for the transmission of the prioritized traffic streams with a separate overall transmission capacity, which comprises part of the overall transmission capacity of the Internet, is formed within the Internet. Here, that capacity which is necessary to transmit the traffic streams which are just still capable of being transmitted without loss of traffic is considered to be the overall transmission capacity of a communications network which is composed of transmission nodes and paths. In other words, this means that it would not be possible to transmit a further traffic stream in the communications network without a loss of traffic. The still available transmission capacity of a given route between two transmission nodes of the communications network accordingly depends not only on the traffic which is transmitted directly between these two transmission nodes but also on that traffic which is transmitted at least partially along the given route as a consequence of a transmission along other routes in the communications network.
In a priority-controlled transmission, network access control is basically necessary at least for the prioritized traffic as the requested service quality level can only be ensured if no more prioritized traffic is fed to the communications network than the maximum which can be transmitted by said communications network. For this purpose, network access devices—also referred to as “edge devices” or also “access nodes” from the point of view of the communications network—are proposed for the Internet with a plurality of service classes, said devices performing the network access control. In this context, the edge devices can control the volume of the traffic fed to the communications network by means of packet streams; set priority markers in the packets corresponding to the priority of their packet streams; monitor priority markers of packet streams and if appropriate correct them if the packets are already marked with priorities; monitor the transmission capacity of prioritized packet streams.
Hitherto, how a permissibility check of a transmission of a packet stream which has been applied for, for example, at a gatekeeper or an edge device is to be brought about in this context has not been regulated.
A method in which resources which are necessary for the transmission of a packet stream are requested from each transmission node of a communications network using a reservation protocol RSVP, and the transmission of the packet stream does not occur if at least one transmission node cannot make available the requested resources is known. In this context, the permissibility check is checked in the transmission nodes taking into account only capacities which can be determined locally, i.e. usually the capacities of the outgoing transmission paths and/or channels. In addition, the reservation protocol RSVP must be implemented in each—i.e. even the internal—transmission node of the communications network.
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Endless tracks have been used for many years with vehicles such as tanks to facilitate off-the-road travel. A pair of such tracks are conventionally utilized with each vehicle at each of its lateral sides. An outwardly facing side of each track engages the ground while an inwardly facing side of the track engages an associated set of roadwheels on the vehicle and a drive spocket, a compensating idler wheel, and support rollers along an upper reach of the track above the roadwheels. The constantly increasing weight and speed of track laying vehicles has resulted in a decrease in the track life and a constant increasing need for track maintenance by either repair or replacement. However, conventional endless tracks are not designed to facilitate track maintenance in the field as would most desirably be the case.
The conventional construction of an endless track for a track laying vehicle includes shoe assemblies which are connected along the length of the track with each shoe assembly including a pair of laterally spaced track shoes connected by an associated pair of pins. Each shoe assembly conventionally has a metal shoe housing on which an outwardly facing road pad and an inwardly facing roadwheel pad are mounted. While roadwheel pads do not normally wear significantly, road pads normally do not last more than 800 to 1000 miles. One particular problem is road pad chunking that results from the heat produced with higher speeds and greater weights of present day tanks. Prior attempts to improve track designs have included stamped housing members such as shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,313,266 Couch; 2,301,954 Knox; 2,327,909 Krotz; 2,353,124 Burgess; and 2,548,626 Sinclair. However, the stamped housings disclosed by these prior references have not received any significant commercial acceptance.
To facilitate track maintenance, road pads of track shoes have previously been replaceable. Such replacement is usually achieved by use of a threaded connection that can loosen during use. Replaceable road pads utilizing threaded connections are illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,332,976 Saurer et al; 3,357,750 Reynolds et al; and 4,262,972 Falk. U.S. Pat. No. 2,353,124 Burgess discloses a track shoe in which the road pad is secured by rivets which would eliminate the loosening problem present with threaded connections; however, such rivets make replacement of the road pad more difficult so that the replacement cannot be performed as a field maintenance operation. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,241 Huhne et al discloses a track shoe wherein deformation of the resilient pad allows insertion of retainer elements into claw-like projections; however, the assembly device utilized to perform the pad deformation also inhibits the replacement of the road pad as a field maintenance operation.
Laterally aligned track shoes are conventionally connected by a pair of pin assemblies that extend through the housings of the shoes. These pin assemblies conventionally each include an outer sleeve that includes a pair of sleeve portions respectively located within the housings of the two shoes connected by the pin assembly. Each pin assembly also includes a pin that extends through both sleeve portions and rubber bushings that are interposed between the pin and the sleeve portions by compression upon insertion of the pin into the sleeve portions. Such compression must be sufficient so that there is no rotation between the bushing and the outer sleeve portions or the pin upon bending of the track during use. However, such compression of the bushing results in a greater resistance to the required bending during use and a consequent greater power requirement for driving of the associated vehicle. Conventional pin assemblies incorporating compressed bushings are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,973,214 Lamb; 2,089,210 Knox et al; 2,301,954 Knox; 2,332,976 Saurer et al; 3,357,750 Reynolds et al; 4,139,241 Huhne et al; and 4,195,887 Ruddell.
Hollow pins have previously been utilized with vehicle tracks to reduce the track weight. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,863,858 Knox; 1,973,214 Lamb; 3,762,778 Boggs et al; 3,948,574 Baller; 4,120,537 Roley et al; 4,126,359 Holze; 4,163,589 Fox et al; 4,195,887 Ruddell; 4,265,084 Livesay; 4,288,172 Livesay et al; 4,324,437 Narang; and 4,395,074 Haldimann et al. However, such hollow pins reduce the strength of the ends of the pins where end connectors are secured to provide connection between adjacent shoe assemblies of the track and, as such, present a strength problem.
To provide guiding of vehicle tracks, each shoe assembly of conventional tracks includes a center guide that projects in an inward direction to be received within a center slot in the roadwheels. These center guides are conventionally designed to clamp onto central portions of adjacent pins of adjacent shoe assemblies to cooperate with the pin end connectors in securing the shoe assemblies to each other. The center guides are conventionally clamped to the pins by threaded connections that have the same loosening problem involved with conventional replaceable road pads as discussed above. Such prior center guides for vehicle tracks are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,089,210 Knox et al; 2,283,936 Knox; 2,301,954 Knox; 2,332,976 Saurer et al; 3,357,750 Reynolds et al; 3,467,446 Seelbach et al; 3,582,156 Korner et al; 4,139,241 Huhne et al; and 4,262,972 Falk.
As mentioned above, adjacent shoe assemblies are conventionally connected by end connectors that extend between the adjacent pin ends. These ends connectors conventionally include a wedge connection that is secured by a threaded bolt and/or nut. Such threaded fastening of the wedge connector can loosen during use and requires a greater amount of time for installation and removal than is desirable. Prior end connectors for vehicle tracks are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,028,893 Luther; 1,282,326 Turnbull; 1,446,870 Borst, Jr.; 1,913,098 Alden; 2,957,731 Backhaus; 3,032,376 Blazek et al; 3,056,309 Horste; 3,467,446 Seelbach et al; 4,175,798 Korner et al; and 4,262,973 Grilli et al.
Between the opposite pin ends, adjacent track shoes of vehicle tracks are conventionally connected by the clamping of the center guides extending between intermediate portions of the adjacent pins as mentioned above at a location laterally between the shoes of the track. The dual function of guiding and connecting the adjacent pins results in a substantial loading during use. Usually, the center guide clamps onto each intermediate pin portion with two lines of contact that results in "reseating" due to the substantial loading involved during use. Such reseating can ultimately produce wear that loosens the center connection between the pins and the resultant useful lifetime of the track.
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The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic control device for an automatic transmission that includes a continuously variable speed change mechanism to be mounted on a vehicle, for example.
Automatic transmissions that use a belt-type continuously variable speed change mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a “continuously variable speed change mechanism”) that includes a pair of pulleys and a belt (or a chain) wound around the pulleys and made of metal and that continuously varies a speed by changing the effective diameters of the pulleys have been widespread as automatic transmissions that are suitable for use in vehicles, for example. The continuously variable speed change mechanism includes, as the pair of pulleys, a primary pulley configured to adjust a speed ratio and a secondary pulley configured to adjust a belt holding force.
Such automatic transmissions have linear solenoid valves configured to engage and disengage a plurality of engagement elements such as clutches and brakes provided in a power transfer path to switch a travel mode. As measures for a case where the linear solenoid valves are subjected to an off failure for some reason (hereinafter referred to as “at the time of an off failure”), there is occasionally provided a fail-safe valve configured to supply a source pressure such as a modulator pressure to engagement elements that are required as a minimum for the vehicle to travel forward, for example, at the time of an off failure.
There is known a hydraulic control device that utilizes a primary linear solenoid valve that supplies a primary control pressure for regulating a primary pressure to be supplied to a hydraulic servo for the primary pulley, for example, in order to switch the fail-safe valve at the time of an off failure (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-196390). In the hydraulic control device, during normal times, the primary linear solenoid valve regulates the primary pressure utilizing a low-pressure region of the primary control pressure. At the time of an off failure, meanwhile, the primary linear solenoid valve regulates the primary pressure, concurrently with switching the fail-safe valve by supplying an engagement pressure, utilizing a high-pressure region of the primary control pressure.
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In the field of photography, there has been a long recognized need for convenient image printing and/or displaying after an image is captured. The users like to examine, store, share, edit, manage, and communicate the captured images in a timely fashion. Furthermore, it is highly desirable for the all functions to be provided in a compact system so that the users can use them a portable fashion.
Several commercial products have attempted to address the above needs: one of these product is the instant photographic cameras based on the silver halide photographic technologies. The images are captured by sensitized emulsion grains and the images are formed on a photographic paper. This product, however, does not provide the users the capabilities of storing, editing, managing, and electronically communicating the captured images.
FIG. 1 shows another type of commercial product comprising an electronic camera and a digital printer. The camera-printer system 5 comprises a camera 10 and a printer 40. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the camera 10 includes an image sensor 20, an image processing unit 30, and a microcontroller 50. It is understood that the image processing unit 30 and the microcontroller 50 can also be stand alone or inside the printer 40. The camera-printer system 5 may also include a user input and a display. A common image sensor 20 is in a charge-coupled device (CCD) configuration. A detailed diagram of a CCD sensor is shown in FIG. 2.
In a typical operation of the camera-printer system 5, the image of a scene is captured by the image sensor 20. The image sensor 20 comprises a plurality of light detecting elements 60. The photons from the original scene are captured by the two dimensional array of light detecting elements 60, the photons being absorbed by the light sensitive material in the light detecting elements 60. Electron charges are then generated by electronic excitations. The number of the electron charges within each light detecting element 60 is directly related to the number of photons being absorbed by the light detecting element 60. After the exposure of the scene is completed, the electron charges in the light detecting elements 60 are shifted to the CCD shift register 70. The electron charges in the CCD shift register 70 are then transferred to the output register 80 row by row in a sequential fashion. The electron charges, arranged in rows in the output register 80, are again sequentially shifted through amplifier 90 and to the analog-to-digital converter (A/DC) 100. The analog signals of the electron charges are converted to digital voltages at the A/DC 100, which together constitute the pixel values at each pixel of the two dimensional image file corresponding to the scene. The sequential pixel values output from the image sensor 20 are received by the image processing unit 30 as controlled by the microcontroller 50. The image data can then be processed, displayed can be transferred to the printer via a cable and a wireless port for printing.
The above described electronic camera printer system has the following disadvantages: first, the system is not compact; second, the electron charge transfer within and from the CCD image sensor are conducted in a sequential fashion, which is time consuming. Finally, in order to produce images, the digital output of the camera has to be transferred to a storage medium such as a floppy disk or electronic memory. This medium is used to transfer the images to a display device such as a monitor or to a separate printing device.
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This invention relates generally to the field of underground trenching and more particularly but not by way of limitation to endless cutting chains used in cutting and removing subterranean matter in forming a trench.
Underground trenching apparatus for excavating trenches are well known in the art. Trenches are excavated to lay pipe, utility and cable lines, curb preparation and other like purposes. The conventional underground trenching machines usually includes a frame, a chain, a plurality of cutting teeth and a power transmission. The frame has ground-engaging wheels and the boom is attached to and extends outwardly from the frame. The chain extends around the periphery of the boom in much the same manner as a chain that extends around the bar of a chain saw.
The plurality of cutting teeth are mounted on the chain and the transmission is mounted on the frame. The transmission is used for driving the chain around the boom such that the chain can dig a trench in the ground. Typically, the boom is movable between a raised position in which the cutting teeth do not contact the ground and a lowered position in which the cutting teeth engage the ground. In the lowered position, as the cutting teeth engage and loosen the soil, the teeth and chain drag the loosened ground material to the surface where a conveying auger moves the ground materials to the side of the trench.
Another such prior art trenching apparatus includes a cutting chain with a plurality of cutting links, with each cutting link having a planar flat surfaced plate to mount the cutting teeth. This type of a cutting chain will cause a flat bottom trench to be excavated. It is desirable to provide an improved cutting chain of the type described in the present invention that provides for excavation of a round bottom trench.
Additionally, because of the planar, flat surface of the mounting plates of each cutting link, the loose dirt, spoils or broken materials are not effectively conveyed out of the trench by the cutting chain. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved cutting chain of the type described in the present invention that provides a cost effective and time efficient mechanism to more effectively drag the dirt, spoils, broken materials, etc. to the surface thereby producing a much cleaner trench and improving the trenching performance of the cutting chain.
Also, it is well known in the prior art to employ one or two cutting teeth for each cutting link of the cutting chain. The cutting teeth may be arranged longitudinally on a support surface of some sort of each cutting link. The cutting teeth are then secured to the support surface generally by fasteners or other retaining means. However, the fasteners are often loosened during operation of the cutting chain thereby necessitating repeated tightening of the fasteners.
Additionally, in other prior art trenching apparatuses, the cutting teeth are detachably secured in sockets by using retainers. The retainers are inserted in the socket wall and compressed between the cutting tooth and the socket wall. However, this securing mechanism substantially restricts the number of cutting teeth that may be secured on the support surface of each cutting link due to the mass of the socket and access to the retainers. Also, the selection of lateral positions available to the cutting tooth for attachment on the support surface are limited.
Thus there exists a need in the industry to provide an improved cutting chain of the type described in the present invention that provides for more flexibility for mounting cutters on a support surface of a cutting link. These and other further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.
The present invention is directed to a cutting chain comprising a plurality of cutter links with a strap link joining adjacent cutter links forming an endless chain. At least one cutter link of the cutting chain comprises a pair of side plates, a support member, at least one cutting member, and a drag plate. The support member bridges the side plates and has an arcuate support surface. At least one cutting member is attached onto the arcuate support surface of the support member. Additionally, the drag plate is attached to the support member.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a cutter link for a cutting chain. The cutter link comprises a pair of side plates, a support member; at least one cutting member, and a drag plate. The support member is arcuately shaped and bridges the side plates. At least one cutting member is attached onto the support member. Additionally, the drag plate is attached to the support member.
In still another aspect, the present invention is directed to a cutting chain comprising a plurality of cutter links forming an endless chain. At least one cutter link of the endless cutting chain comprises a support member, wherein the support member has a pair of side sections, a bridge section, and a plurality of cutting members. The pair of side sections is spaced apart and planar. The bridge section is interposed between the side sections and has an arcuate support surface formed in a medial portion thereof. The plurality of cutting members is supported by the arcuate support surface.
The invention is further directed to a cutter link for a cutting chain comprising a support member and a plurality of cutting members. The support member has an arcuate support surface. The plurality of cutting members is disposed in laterally offset relationship at substantially the same longitudinal position on the arcuate support surface. Additionally, the support member and the cutting members are adapted to permit substantially unrestricted selection of the lateral position of each cutting member on the arcuate support surface of the support member.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a cutting chain comprising a plurality of cutter links with a strap link joining adjacent cutter links to form an endless chain. At least one cutter link of the endless cutting chain comprises a pair of side plates, a support member, and a drag plate. The support member bridges the side plates and has an arcuate support surface. Additionally, the support member is characterized by an unobstructed arcuate interior passage that extends substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the cutting chain. The drag plate is attached to the support member.
In still another aspect, the present invention is directed to a cutting chain comprising a plurality of cutter links. A strap link joins adjacent cutter links using a pair of fastening members to form an endless chain. At least one cutter link of the endless chain comprises a pair of side plates, a support member, and a drag plate. The support member bridges the side plates. Further, the drag plate comprises an upper arcuate portion and a pair of side portions. The upper arcuate portion is attached to the support member. The pair of side portions extend downward from the upper arcuate portion. Additionally, each side portion is attached to and extends outwardly from a corresponding side plate such that each side portion forms a shield for the corresponding fastening number.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor structure, in particular, to a metal pattern structure having a positioning layer.
2. Description of Related Art
Following the swift advances in communication technology, portable electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet PCs, notebook computers, etc., become more compact and handy for carrying. For achieving the miniaturization and for the efficiency of these small-sized devices, the portable electronic devices usually contain complex circuits, antenna structure(s) and various electronic components.
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The emergence of Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and Unified Communications (UC) technology has caused a fundamental shift in the telecommunications industry. Due to numerous benefits of VoIP/UC systems ranging from low cost, manageability, pervasiveness of IP communication networks and easy integration with other IP-based software-enabled services, traditional Private Branch eXchange (PBX)/UC systems are increasingly replaced with their IP counterparts. The growing popularity of VoIP/UC networks is largely influenced by two benefits: cost savings achieved by migration from Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to VoIP networks and the flexibility of adding new services and applications to the standard telephony platform. The underlying common IP-based communication platform enables richer application and services than were otherwise possible. The migration from PSTN to VoIP fundamentally has changed the communications landscape and the way various end-nodes of a network communicate with one another or with applications.
However, massive deployment of VoIP/UC faces challenges that need to be effectively addressed to gain widespread adoption. VoIP/UC solution providers need to provide high quality, reliability and security standards that traditional PSTNs offer. Developing a robust architecture that adheres to these constraints is a challenging task.
A number of recent studies showed that nearly half of VoIP/UC service providers planning to deploy VoIP/UC networks affirm that current networks and applications are inherently insecure. The security issue is a major concern for VoIP/UC service providers because security vulnerabilities are not yet well understood, and preventive measures for security have not yet been fully adopted.
VoIP/UC security is vastly different from conventional data security due to the real-time nature of VoIP/UC communications. Real-time characteristics include: zero down time, near close to 100% Quality-of-Service (QoS), reliability, low latency overheads and security. VoIP/UC solutions need to comply with the complex VoIP UC network standards involving a myriad of protocols, applications and devices while maintaining the dependency with existing PSTN systems. A VoIP/UC network is a converged network of PSTN and IP-telephony, thus it is subject to security threats that potentially emanate from either one of the two networks. Due to the number of potential threat vectors arising from the convergence of PSTN and IP-telephony networks, the underlying security protection measures based on either one of the network architectures are not well suited to counterattack most of them. In addition, VoIP/UC networks require close-to-perfect reliability because of the real-time requirement for voice communication. For data-only communication, a typical response to a security attack involves a human intervention, which incurs significant time delays to reduce the scope of the threat and provides appropriate mitigation solutions. Unlike data-only communication, human interventions are inadequate for VoIP/UC communications, which require a real-time response to security threats.
VoIP/UC communication is highly sensitive to QoS parameters. A VoIP/UC security solution causing a noticeable loss in voice quality is unacceptable. Any interruption in the flow of packets, reassembly or jitter impacts the quality of voice conversation. For data communication, the lost data is retransmitted causing additional delay. While this may be acceptable for simple data communication, retransmission in the VoIP/UC realm implies that the caller has to repeat the lost voice message or reinvoke the UC service, which makes any solution that introduces time delay by retransmission an unacceptable solution.
Latency is another factor to consider when deploying VoIP/UC solutions. Modern data security solutions employ encryption and/or deep-packet inspection methods to improve security. Both of these methods introduce additional time delays and jitters to VoIP/UC packet streams, thus impacting the overall QoS of voice steams.
VoIP/UC networks interacting with and depending on existing PSTN networks pose a new set of challenges such as attack entry vectors and application threats. With a myriad of deployment solutions and architectures spanning the VoIP and traditional PSTN networks, the complexity of threat detection and mitigation grows exponentially.
The emergence of Voice-over-IP (VoIP), Unified Communications (UC) and Communications Enabled Business Process (CEBP) solutions has changed the way that enterprises communicate with each other. The convergence of voice and data into a single IP network creates a cost-effective transport mechanism that enables a new set of services. Voice, which was previously confined to a separate legacy network (e.g., PSTN), became ubiquitous and plays an integral role in communication among and bridging disparate entities. These entities include multiple users and user groups both inside and outside the enterprise, as well as advanced applications that enable communication with other entities anywhere, anytime with any device. The converged VoIP, UC and CEBP solutions need to comply with a myriad of protocols, applications and devices including the ones on legacy voice networks. These compliance requirements expose the convergent solutions to threat vectors that emanate from multiple entry points and pose formidable challenges with security and reliability.
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Residential and commercial buildings represent a prime opportunity to improve energy efficiency and sustainability in the United States. The buildings sector alone accounts for 40% of the United States' yearly energy consumption (40 quadrillion BTUs, or “quads”, out of 100 total), and 8% of the world's energy use. Lighting and thermal management each represent about 30% of the energy used within a typical building, which corresponds to around twelve quads each of yearly energy consumption in the US. Windows cover an estimated area of about 2,500 square km in the US and are a critical component of building energy efficiency as they strongly affect the amount of natural light and solar gain that enters a building. Recent progress has been made toward improving window energy efficiency through the use of inexpensive static coatings that either retain heat in cold climates (low emissive films) or reject solar heat gain in warm climates (near-infrared rejection films).
Currently, static window coatings can be manufactured at relatively low cost. However, these window coatings are static and not well suited for locations with varying climates. An electrochromic (EC) window coating overcomes these limitations by enhancing the window performance in all climates. EC window coatings undergo a reversible change in optical properties when driven by an applied potential. Some EC devices may include a working electrode, a solid state electrolyte, and a counter electrode sandwiched between two transparent conductor layers and an outer glass layer. The working electrode may include nanocrystalline structures or amorphous metal oxide nanoparticles such as WO3, CSxWO3, NbOx, TiO2, MoO3, NiO2, and V2O5.
As part of the EC device fabrication process, the working electrode, solid state electrolyte, and counter electrode may be exposed to high temperatures as part of a tempering or heat quench process. For example, the EC device layers may be exposed to temperatures of 650° C. or higher. At these temperatures, some of the layers of the EC device, and in particular the working electrode, may undergo sintering or other undesirable crystallization changes or phase transitions. These changes may affect the operation or efficiency of the EC device.
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The present invention relates to a protective member to be provided within a pressure vessel of an accumulator which is generally used in various hydraulic systems for storing or damping fluid pressure or for transporting fluid by pressure, the protective member being provided for preventing any damage of a separating member dividing the interior of a pressure vessel into two sections when the separating member is forced on the ragged surface of a supporting cylinder arranged on the shrinking side of separating member at the limit of shrinkage.
In the prior art, such a protective device is constituted by interposing valve plates between a separating member and each of the communicating holes formed in a supporting cylinder. By virtue of such a mechanism, the damage of separating member due to direct contact to communicating holes is prevented when the separating member shrinks.
However, it is impossible to form many communicating holes over the whole periphery of the supporting cylinder because of the structure. Thus, the flow of fluid through these communicating holes has a low efficiency. Moreover, the fabrication cost for providing with valve plates is high.
In some prior art accumulators, the supporting cylinder comprises porous material which is composed by sintering metal powder. In this construction, when the shrunk separating member contacts directly with the supporting cylinder, the metal powder gives a protective effect from damage of separating member. Although the effect of metal powder as protective member increases as a finer metal powder is employed, the resistance to fluid flow increases so that the further finer powder cannot be used.
In consideration of these results, some attempts are made to obtain an appropriate resistance to fluid flow by selecting the particle size of metal powder. However, the mutual binding of particles is various. For example, three particles may adhere one another to form a triangle. In this case, the formed void is minute. If five particles sinters to form a ring as a result of bridging, the formed void is coarse. Consequently, sizes of open pores for fluid which comprise these voids scatter largely. The corresponding parts of separating member are forced into coarser open pores and a damage of the member can arise.
Besides, any metal particles constituting sintered body may detach from the material and enter the liquid. These particles can destroy the whole hydraulic system. These are the fatal drawbacks of the equipment of this kind.
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A major problem affecting the efficacy of chemotherapy regimens is the evolution of cells which, upon exposure to a chemotherapeutic drug, become resistant to a multitude of structurally unrelated drugs and therapeutic agents. The appearance of such multi-drug resistance often occurs in the presence of overexpression of a 170-kDA membrane P-glycoprotein (gp-170). The gp-170 protein is present in the plasma membranes of some healthy tissues, in addition to cancer cell lines, and is homologous to bacterial transport proteins (Hait et al., Cancer Communications, Vol. 1(1), 35 (1989); West, TIBS, Vol. 15, 42 (1990)). The protein acts as an export pump, conferring drug resistance through active extrusion of toxic chemicals. Although the mechanism for the pump is unknown, it is speculated that the gp-170 protein functions by expelling substances that share certain chemical or physical characteristics, such as hydrophobicity, the presence of carbonyl groups, or the existence of a glutathione conjugate (see West).
Recently, another protein responsible for multidrug resistance, MRP (multidrug resistance associated protein), was identified in H69AR cells, an MDR cell line that lacks detectable P-glycoprotein [S. P. C. Cole et al., Science, 258, pp. 1650-54 (1992)]. MRP has also been detected in other non-P-glycoprtoein MDR cell lines, such as HL60/ADR and MCF-7 brast carcinoma cells [(E. Schneider et al., Cancer Res., 54, pp. 152-58 (1994); and N. Krishnamachary et al., Cancer Res., 53, pp. 3658-61 (1993)].
The MRP gene encodes a 190 kD membrane-associated protein that is another member of the ATP binding cassette superfamily. MRP appears to function in the same manner as P-glycoprotein, acting as a pump for removing natural product drugs from the cell. A possible physiological function for MRP maybe ATP-dependent transport of glutathione S-conjugates [G. Jedlitschky et al., Cancer RES., 54, pp. 4833-36 (1994); I. Leier et al., J. Biol. Chem., 269, pp. 27807-10 (1994); and Muller et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 91, pp. 13033-37 (1994)].
The role of MRP in clinical drug resistance remains to be clearly defined, but it appears likely that MRP may be another protein responsible for a broad resistance to anti-cancer drugs.
Various chemical agents have been administered to repress multi-drug resistance and restore drug sensitivity. While some drugs have improved the responsiveness of multi-drug resistant ("MDR") cells to chemotherapeutic agents, they have often been accompanied by undesirable clinical side effects (see Hait et al.). For example, although cyclosporin A ("CsA"), a widely accepted immunosuppressant, can sensitize certain carcinoma cells to chemotherapeutic agents (Slater et al., Br. J. Cancer, Vol. 54, 235 (1986)), the concentrations needed to achieve that effect produce significant immunosuppression in patients whose immune systems are already compromised by chemotherapy (see Hait et al.). In addition, CsA usage is often accompanied by adverse side effects including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and central nervous system disorders. Similarly, calcium transport blockers and calmodulin inhibitors both sensitize MDR cells, but each produces undesirable physiological effects (see Hait et al.; Twentyman et al., Br. J. Cancer, Vol. 56, 55 (1987)).
Recent developments have led to agents said to be of potentially greater clinical value in the sensitization of MDR cells. These agents include analogs of CsA which do not exert an immunosuppressive effect, such as 11-methyl-leucine cyclosporin (11-met-leu CsA) (see Hair et al.; Twentyman et al.), or agents that may be effective at low doses, such as the immunosuppressant FK-506 (Epand and Epand, Anti-Cancer Drug Design 6, 189 (1991)). PCT publication WO 94/07858 refers to a novel class of MDR modifying agents with some structural similarities to the immunosuppressants FK-506 and rapamycin. Despite these developments, there is still a need for more effective agents which may be used to resensitize MDR cells to therapeutic or prophylactic agents or to prevent the development of multi-drug resistance.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to processors having a branch prediction unit, and more particularly to a branch target buffer (BTB) within the branch prediction unit. The invention is adapted for use with processors having pipelined architectures, including both single and superscalar pipelined architectures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Early computers where designed to finish processing one instruction before beginning the next instruction in a sequence of instructions. Over the years, major architectural advances have been made to these early designs that dramatically improve performance. Pipelined and superscalar architectures are examples of these advances.
Processor performance has also been enhanced by the uses of caches. Caches are memory elements used to store and provide frequently used information. The term “information” broadly includes both data and instructions. Caches typically provide information in a single clock cycle, as compared with conventional memory access operations which may require several cycles. The so-called Branch Target Buffer (“BTB”) is one example of a processor cache.
The utility of a BTB is readily understood in the context of a pipelined architecture. “Pipelining” (or “speculative execution”, as it is also known) is a term generally referring to an operating approach in which a sequence of instructions is processed using a series of functional steps or processing stages. Each processing stage usually accomplishes its constituent operation(s) within a single clock cycle.
Unlike a non-pipelined processor that processes each instruction to completion before beginning the next instruction, a pipelined processor simultaneously processes several instructions in different processing stages of the pipeline. Pipeline stages may be arbitrarily designated by a designer, but generally include; instruction fetching, instruction decoding, instruction execution, and execution resolution stages.
An instruction fetch stage retrieves an instruction from wherever it is currently stored (e.g., a main system memory or an instruction queue). Once fetched, the instruction is passed to a decoder stage that typically determines an instruction address and/or instruction operand. From the decoder stage, the instruction passes to an execution stage that executes one or more operations indicated by the instruction. The execution resolution stage generally involves writing-back the results (e.g., results data) generated by execution of the instruction to one or more registers or memories for later use.
An instruction preferably passes from one pipeline stage to the next during a prescribed period. Thus during a first period, the instruction fetch stage fetches a first instruction from storage and aligns it within associated hardware register(s) for decoding. During a second period, the instruction fetch stage fetches a second instruction from storage and aligns it, while the instruction decoder stage decodes the first instruction. During a third period, the first instruction initiates an execution operation (e.g., a logical, mathematical, addressing, or indexing operation) in the execution stage, while the instruction decoder stage decodes the second instruction, and the instruction fetch stage fetches a third instruction. Pipelining continues through execution resolution, and in this manner the overall operating speed of the processor is dramatically improved over non-pipelined architectures.
In a superscalar architecture, two or more instructions may be processed and/or executed simultaneously. That is, superscalar systems have two or more execution (or decode/execution) paths capable of simultaneously and independently executing a plurality of instructions in parallel. Scalar systems may only execute one instruction per period, whether the instruction emerges from a pipelined sequence of instructions, or is executed in a non-pipelined manner. The simultaneous execution of multiple instructions further increases the performance of a processor.
Pipelining provides unquestioned performance benefits, so long as the sequence of instructions to be processed remains highly linear, or predictable. Unfortunately, most instruction sequences contain numerous instructions capable of introducing non-sequential execution paths. So-called “branch instructions” (including, for example, jump, return, and conditional branch instructions) produce a significant performance penalty in a pipelined processor—unless an effective form of branch prediction is implemented. The performance penalty arises where an unpredicted (or erroneously predicted) branch instruction causes a departure from the sequence of instructions currently pipelined within the processor. Where this occurs, the currently pipelined sequence of instructions must be throw out or “flushed,” and a new sequence of instructions must be loaded into the pipeline. Pipeline flushes waste numerous clock cycles and generally slow the execution of the processor.
One way to increase execution performance associated with a branch instruction is to predict the outcome of the branch instruction, and insert a predicted instruction into the pipeline immediately following the branch instruction. If such a branch prediction mechanism is successfully implemented in a processor, then the performance penalty associated with pipeline flushes is incurred only if the branch instruction outcome is incorrectly predicted. Fortunately, conventional techniques and analyses have determined that the outcome of many branch instructions can be correctly predicted with a high degree of certainty—approaching 80% for some applications.
As a result, several conventional types of branch prediction mechanisms have been developed. One type of branch prediction mechanism uses a BTB to store numerous data entries, wherein each data entry is associated with a branch instruction. The BTB thus stores a number of so-called “branch address tags,” each branch address tag serving as an index of sorts for a corresponding branch instruction. In addition to the branch address tag, each BTB entry may further include a target address, an instruction opcode, branch history information, and possibly other data. In a processor utilizing a BTB, the branch prediction mechanism monitors each instruction entering the pipeline. Usually, the instruction address is monitored, and where the instruction address matches an entry in the BTB, the instruction is identified as a branch instruction. From associated branch history information, the branch prediction mechanism determines whether or not the branch is likely to be taken. Branch history information is typically determined by a state machine that monitors each branch instruction indexed in the BTB and defines data stored as branch history information in relation to whether or not the branch has been taken in preceding operations.
Where the branch history information indicates that the branch instruction is likely to be taken, one or more predicted instruction(s) is inserted in the pipeline. Conventionally, each BTB data entry includes opcode(s) associated with the branch instruction being evaluated in relation to its branch history information. Upon an appropriate indication from the branch prediction mechanism, these opcode(s) may be inserted directly into the pipeline. Also, each BTB data entry includes a “target address” associated with the branch instruction being evaluated. Again, upon an appropriate indication from the branch prediction mechanism, this target address is output by the branch prediction unit as a “predicted address” and used to fetch the next instruction in the instruction sequence.
Processing of the branch instruction and its succeeding instructions proceeds through the pipeline for several periods until the branch instruction has been executed in the execution stage. It is only at this point that accuracy of the branch prediction becomes known. If the outcome of the branch instruction was correctly predicted, the branch target address has already been moved through the pipeline in its proper order, and processor execution may continue without interruption. However, if the outcome of the branch instruction was incorrectly predicted, the pipeline is flushed and a correct instruction or instruction sequence is inserted in the pipeline. In a superscalar processor, which has two or more pipelines processing multiple instruction sequences, the performance penalty caused by an incorrect branch prediction is even greater because, in most cases, at least twice the number of instructions must be flushed.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional BTB 1 connected to branch prediction logic 2 and related hardware. BTB 1 generally comprises an instruction address decoder 3, a memory array 4, and a sense amplifier 5. Address decoder 3 receives an instruction address from an instruction fetch unit and selects a word line associated with the decoded instruction address. Word line selection is conventionally performed, but typically includes applying a word line voltage to the selected word line. As is customary, a plurality of word lines extend from address decoder 3 through memory array 4 in a row-wise manner.
Memory array 4 comprises numerous memory cells each storing at least one data bit. Data entries, each comprising a number of data bits, are conveniently stored in rows such that selection of a particular word line essentially accesses a corresponding data entry. Data entries include at least one data field defining a branch address tag and another data field defining a target address. A word line-selected data entry is conventionally output from memory array 4 through sense amplifier 5.
From sense amplifier 5, the branch address tag is communicated to a tag compare register 6 which also receives the instruction address. The target address from sense amplifier 5 is communicated to multiplexer 7, along with an address associated with the non-branching sequence of instructions (e.g., a program counter value +4 for a 32-bit instruction word processor). One of these two multiplexer inputs is selected for communication to the instruction queue (shown here a PC multiplexer 8) by operation of a logic gate 9 receiving results from tag compare register 6 and a Taken/Not-Taken indication from branch prediction logic 2.
This type of conventional BTB suffers from a number of drawbacks. First, left in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the memory array of the BTB will be accessed by every branch instruction, without regard to the likely outcome of the instruction. BTB access typically involves executing a conventional READ operation in relation to the word line selected by the address decoder. Each READ operation draws power from a supply in order to energize the plurality of memory cells associated with the selected word line and output data from these memory cells.
In response to this wasteful state of affairs, other conventional BTB designs have integrated an enable line into the memory array design. U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,417 is an example. As shown in this document, the proposed BTB includes an enable line which enables or disables word line drivers associated with the memory array during READ operations. The word line drivers are enabled or disabled on the basis of a Taken/Not-Taken state which predicts whether a particular instruction is unlikely to be taken or not. For example, where a Taken/Not-Taken state for a particular instruction indicates a “strongly not taken” state, the enable line transitions to an inactive level, thereby disabling the memory array word line drivers.
Unfortunately, this conventional approach to saving power during BTB access operations comes with high overhead. Namely, the branch prediction mechanism generating the enable signal requires both time and resources to “pre-decode” the instruction, determine its branch history data and Taken/Not-Taken state, and thereafter change, as necessary, the level of the enable signal.
As the rate of instruction execution and the depth of instruction pipelines increase, the accuracy and speed of branch predictions becomes increasingly important. Recognizing this importance, many conventional processors incorporate extensive pre-decoding schemes whereby all instructions are evaluated, branch instructions are identified, and branch history information is either retrieved or dynamically calculated in relation to a branch instruction currently being evaluated and pre-decoded. Needless to say, such approaches to predicting branch instruction behavior takes considerable time and requires significant additional resources. Additional delay and complexity in the processing of instruction sequences are not desirable attributes in a branch prediction mechanism. Yet, this is exactly what many conventional approaches provide.
The issue of power consumption further complicates the design of competent branch prediction mechanisms. Not surprisingly, contemporary processors are finding application is a range of devices characterized by serious constraints upon power consumption. Laptop computers and mobile devices, such as handsets and PDAs, are ready examples of devices incorporating processors preferably consuming a minimum of power.
As noted above, the BTB is a cache type memory storing a potentially numerous number of data entries. Thus, the BTB has at its core a memory array, and preferably a volatile memory array. Such memory arrays, and particularly ones sufficiently large to store numerous data entries, are notoriously power hunger. Each access to the BTB by the branch prediction mechanism implicates a “READ” operation to the BTB memory array. All agree that BTB access operations are increasing, and some estimates suggest that READ operations to the BTB memory array account for as much as 10% of the overall power consumption in conventional processors.
Clearly, a better approach to the implementation of branch prediction mechanisms within emerging processors is called for. Conventional approaches requiring lengthy, real-time evaluation of branch instructions and/or the dynamic retrieval or calculation of branch history information are too complex and slow. Further, the power consumption caused by incessantly, yet necessarily in many conventional approaches, accessing the BTB memory array is simply wasteful.
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1. Field
The present invention relates to the field of recumbent leg pull exercise apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise apparatus that exercises the abdominal, back and leg muscles with the operator prone on his back whereby the feet follow an arcuate curve with pull/push movement. Leg curls are performed with the operator face down using a leg curl extension.
2. State of the Art
The benefits of regular exercise to improve overall health, appearance and longevity are well documented in the literature. One of the most difficult muscle groups to exercise is the abdominals. For exercise enthusiasts the search continues for safe apparatus that provides exercise to tone the abdominals without back strain.
Many devices have appeared recently to aid the user in the performance of situps from a prone face-up position with the intent of easing back strain. Various situp assist devices have appeared recently on the market for the upper abdominals.
Devices to aid the sit-up movement such as Evans in U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,052, Steinmetz in U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,750 and Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,987, as just a few, that provide for a recumbent operator to contract the upper abdominals while raising the upper body with the aid of such device. Another group of abdominal exercise aids such as Boland in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,138, Conner in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,118 and Hern in U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,014 start in a seated posture and lean forward against the resistance of an apparatus. Oeglaend in German Pat. No. 3631622 shows an adjustable bench with cable for exercise.
The simplest kneel-prone-kneel device is the classic exercise wheel. Shiek et al. in U.S. Pat. No. D306,886 shows a pair of wheels rollably attached to a straight rod used for hand grip. Mattox in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,866 adds elastic tubing to the handles where the knees hold the tubing while the operator is in the push mode to assist in the return mode. A spiral spring is added to the exercise wheel in R.O.C. Pat. 276503 and to a pair of wheels by Barbeau in U. S. Pat. No. 2,821,394.
Semi-recumbent cycles such as Chang in U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,046, Praprotnik in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,376, Bostic et al. in U.S. Pat. No. D353,422, Dranselka in U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,902 and Jennings in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,583 show simple bicycle cranks to be operated from a seated position with the hip above or about the same level as the crank.
Another group of cycles intended to be ridden from the recumbent position such as Mousel in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,464, Dranselka in U. S. Pat. No. 4,739,984, McJunkin, Jr. et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,184, Shibata in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,050, Kock in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,737 and Douglas in U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,591 are simple bicycle cranks attached to a bed by different means.
Recently several semi-recumbent cycles such as Stearns et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,197, Maresh in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,707,321 and 5,938,570, Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,855 and Rodgers, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,758 have added elliptical foot movement to a seated semi-recumbent operator.
Noharan in U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,146, Zibell in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,804 and Welch in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,840 show rotary cranks above the operator from adjustable bench positions. Arzonnian in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,604 shows a rotary crank above a recumbent operator where the crank axis and bench oscillate.
Hess in U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,530, Dixon in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,908, Zak in U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,214 and McKenzie in UK Pat. No. 403165 show foot contacts that slide away from an operator prone or seated against resistance.
Brentham in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,627, Davenport in U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,274, Dalebout et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,126, Berger in U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,976, McBride et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,679, Shifferaw in U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,088 and Moreillon in Swiss Pat. No. 442103 show swing arms for the feet to operate in a seated position.
One of the top 10 abdominal exercises listed by Club Industry Magazine, May, 2000, page 69, lists number 7 as the xe2x80x9cBicyclexe2x80x9d. The article gives the following directions: xe2x80x9clie on back and lift knees to a 90 degree angle from the floor; Bring the right knee in to the left elbow as the left leg extends; Repeat on the other side; Continue to alternate while keeping abdominals contractedxe2x80x9d. Observation of this exercise shows that the feet can follow an arcuate path instead of a circular bicycle path. The abdominals are exercised because the feet are moved towards the exerciser.
None of the prior art reviewed including samples above address the number 7 exercise with the feet moving along an arcuate curve path while recumbent with knees bent above the upper body operating with resistance. One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a back and forth movement for the feet where one foot pulls toward the operator against resistance along an arcuate curve path while the other foot pushes away from the upper body along the arcuate path as the leg extends. Alternately, both feet pull together.
Another objective of this invention is to provide pull/push apparatus motion which exercises the abdominals, back and leg muscles in a novel manner without back strain. Another objective of this invention is to combine the benefits of a situp assist device with the leg pull apparatus for a more complete workout of the abdominals. Another objective of the present invention is a leg curl extension as an alternate exercise. Another object of this invention is the use of stack weights as the resistance.
The present invention provides a pair of lower leg contacts in the form of rollers that can be pulled by the abdominal and leg muscles towards the recumbent operator. Rollers are generally composed of foam material and can rotate or be stationary. One roller contacts the instep of the foot while the other roller supports the heel of the foot for back and forth movement. Handles are provided for the hands during operation of the exercise apparatus. A situp assist can be used with the leg pull apparatus and a leg curl option is available.
The present invention is intended for a recumbent operator having back downward with knees bent where the feet move along an arcuate curve path located above the torso of the operator. An adjustable bench is provided to support the back. A framework supports the seat, bench and a pair of guide links. The feet are positioned in a pair of foot contacts guided by each guide link to follow an arcuate curve path. An adjustable resistance is imposed upon the guide links.
The lower leg contacts are configured to allow the abdominal muscles to pull one foot towards a recumbent operator against the resistance as the knee bends while the other foot pushes away from the operator as the leg extends. The feet alternately pull and push the lower leg contacts to exercise the leg muscles as well as the abdominals. Alternately, both feet pull together.
In the preferred embodiment, the operator is prone on the floor or other supporting surface face up. The lower leg contacts are rollers attached to a guide link for each foot that follows an arcuate path. One roller is in contact with the instep of the foot while the other is in contact with the heel of the foot. As the lower leg is pulled toward the body, the foot is trapped between the roller pair allowing force to be transferred from the guide link to the lower leg. Each guide link is connected to a pair of support links that are pivoted to the framework. The general length of the support links is similar to the length of the upper leg between the hip and knee joints of the operator. However, other support link lengths can also be used and be within the scope of this invention.
A guide link extension is quickly attachable to the guide link for each foot to allow leg curls. A third roller is added to the guide link extension that provides heel contact for an operator prone in the face down position. It is understood that one of the roller pairs could alternately be repositioned for leg curls.
Resistance is provided by elastic bands that attach to the guide links, wrap around guide rollers and attach to the framework at different locations for variable intensity resistance. Alternately, adjustable damping or other means of resistance can be used.
In an alternate embodiment, the operator is supported by an adjustable bench where the height and angle may be varied. A situp assist device is supported by the bench for exercise of the upper abdominals. A weight stack engages the guide link through a cable system to provide variable gravity resistance. The rollers, guide links and support links are similar to the preferred embodiment.
Both the preferred and alternate embodiment are shown with independent guide links whereby the feet can operate opposed or in unison. Each embodiment includes lower leg contacts that move along arcuate curves above the recumbent operator. The length of the curve is determined by the operator. The feet move with a pull/push motion against adjustable resistance. Handles are provided in each embodiment to accommodate the hands of the operator.
Each of the embodiments shown contains a minimum number of elements that comprise the linkage to guide the foot contacts along an arcuate curve path. It should be obvious that linkage systems having additional elements can also be used to guide the feet along an arcuate path and are considered within the scope of the present invention.
Each of the embodiments provide pull/push apparatus motion which exercises the abdominals, back and leg muscles in a novel manner without back strain.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device, in particular, to a semiconductor device including a metal/high-k gate structure.
2. Description of Related Art
In metal gate/high-k (MG/HK) technology, work-function control is a key to adjusting Vth (threshold voltage) of the transistors. FUSI, or fully silicided, metal gate is one of the MG/HK solutions to control the work-function.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to drainage mechanisms, and more particularly a water drain for a lanai, a verandah, a screened porch, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many homes, particularly in southern climates, are provided with a lanai, verandah, screened porch, or the like. In temperate climates, such partially open structures permit residents and guests to enjoy warm outdoor weather while having a roof for shade and a screen for protection from insects. However, since such structures are at least partially exposed to the elements, it is often necessary to clean the floors with a garden hose or the like, and sometimes standing water will collect after a rainfall. In order to protect the floor from water damage, and for the comfort and safety of the residents and guests, a drainage system to prevent standing water from collecting on the floor and to promote quicker drying is desirable, but preferably in a manner that is unobtrusive and does not mar the aesthetics of the structure.
Thus, a water drain solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
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The application of freeze-point depressants on roadways has long been a method of combating the formation of ice. Traditionally, dedicated maintenance vehicles have applied anti-icing solid or liquid chemicals to areas that have a high risk for developing ice. It is important to apply these anti-icing chemicals to the roadway before freezing occurs, as this prevents a bond from forming between ice and the roadway. Freeze-point depressants do this by depressing the freezing point of the liquid on the roadway, much as the anti-freeze in a car radiator prevents it from freezing.
To do this well, a highway agency needs to know whether the current road conditions warrant the application of chemicals. If the road surface has an adequate concentration of chemicals for the current conditions, the application of additional freeze-point depressant is unnecessary, costly, and has an impact on the environment. Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) and their associated pavement sensors are one cost-effective way for highway agencies to monitor current road conditions, without sending personnel into the field. Many RWIS systems can send information on the current road conditions to a centralized traffic management center, where decisions on the application of additional freeze-point depressant can be made.
There are also some highway sites, such as bridges and overpasses, which typically freeze long before the rest of the roadway. Since the expense of sending a truck with anti-icing chemicals to such a site is high, many highway agencies are installing fixed anti-icing systems. These systems automatically determine the most opportune time to spray, based on the current local conditions as reported by pavement and other RWIS sensors. One of the most important parts of the RWIS system is the pavement sensor, as it allows the determination of the current conditions of the roadway.
In its simplest form, the pavement sensor can consist of a thermometer that measures the temperature of the road surface. Measuring the temperature alone does not give enough information to determine if ice will form, however. This is because the exact concentration of the liquid present on the roadway is not known. For instance, the road temperature may be near 0xc2x0 C., the freezing point of water. This may mean that the formation of ice is probable; however, previous applications of anti-icing chemicals may have depressed the freezing point of the liquid on the roadway. Precipitation and its runoff may also have diluted the anti-icing chemicals previously applied to the road. To most accurately gauge the current freeze point of the roadway, a sample of the actual liquid on the roadway needs to be analyzed. One method of doing this is to freeze a small sample of solution on the roadway and determine its freezing point. Such a sensor is known as an active sensor, because it actively changes the state of the liquid that is on the road surface.
The following sections describe a new active pavement sensor that includes unique features that increase the sensor""s ability to accurately predict the current state of the road.
By way of general introduction, the illustrated pavement sensors include one or more of the following features, that can be used alone or in combination:
The illustrated freezing point sensor includes a sample well that has a surface in good thermal contact with a thermal link situated between the sample well and an active cooler. A temperature sensor is disposed in good thermal contact with the sample in this sample well.
The disclosed freezing point sensor confirms the freezing point as measured with an active cooler and a temperature sensor by additionally assessing the conductivity of the sample being cooled.
The illustrated sensor module determines the freezing temperature of a sample by measuring a freezing curve (a plot of temperature versus time, begun with the sample at a temperature above its freezing temperature and continuing until the temperature of the sample is below the freezing temperature), and then assessing the shape of the freezing curve. One disclosed algorithm locates a region of the freezing curve having a slope that is level or slightly downwardly trending and that occurs (1) after a second time derivative of the freezing curve exceeds a threshold value or (2) after the first time derivative of the curve exceeds a positive threshold value. The disclosed system fits lines to multiple temperature measurements in order to improve system performance.
The disclosed system uses two-conductor temperature sensors having globally unique addresses. Power for the temperature sensor and digital signals to and from the temperature sensor are carried by a set of cables including no more than two conductors.
Temperature information is transmitted from temperature sensors having globally unique addresses to a base station, which transmits temperature information via a network such as the Internet to a remote computer.
This section has been provided only by way of general introduction, and it is not intended to narrow the scope of the following claims.
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(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fuel-cell vehicle, and more particularly, to a safety control system and method for hydrogen charging of a fuel-cell vehicle, which can improve safety of the fuel-cell vehicle during hydrogen charging by turning off the ignition of the fuel-cell vehicle during hydrogen charging of the fuel-cell vehicle.
(b) Background Art
Unlike an internal-combustion engine vehicle driven using rotational power of the internal-combustion engine, which is generated by explosive power obtained via combustion of fossil fuel and oxygen in the air, a fuel-cell vehicle is driven by utilizing rotational power of an electric motor driven via electric energy generated in a fuel-cell stack. The fuel-cell stack, which is a main power source of the fuel-cell vehicle, generates electric energy through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen supplied by a hydrogen supplier including a hydrogen tank or a reformer in the vehicle and oxygen in the air supplied by an air supplier such as a blower or a compressor. Therefore, in the fuel-cell vehicle, it is important to store hydrogen, which is a type of fuel or gas, in a safe and compact manner. To this end, various hydrogen storing techniques have been developed which achieve both an increase in the traveling distance of the vehicle and safety of the vehicle.
Among those techniques, hydrogen may be stored as liquid hydrogen in the vehicle or may be occluded in an occlusion alloy, but such a scheme has a problem which cannot be solved by current techniques in terms of natural evaporation or sorption quantity. As a result, hydrogen is generally charged and used in a hydrogen tank which has a light weight and high strength and can endure high pressure. To secure a sufficient cabin space and a sufficient traveling distance, a hydrogen tank capable of filling hydrogen therein with high pressure, such as 350 bar or 700 bar, is widely used.
In the case of a general gasoline vehicle or diesel vehicle, there are often no regulations or laws that require the ignition to be off or that prevent the driver from turning the ignition on while the fuel is being pumped into the gas tank even though it is highly recommend drivers turn off the ignition while pumping gas for safety reasons.
For a fuel-cell vehicle, however, laws and regulations that restrict operation of a propulsion system and vehicle movement during fuel charging have in fact been enacted. As a result, ignition control logic that would normally be applied to a gasoline vehicle or diesel vehicle can not be applied to a fuel cell vehicle while still abiding by the new laws and regulations.
In particular, conventionally, when the ignition of the fuel-cell vehicle is controlled, a device for sensing fuel charging has not included, and as a result vehicle ignition cannot be restricted systematically during fuel charging and thus the law and regulations may be violated in the process.
As such, the fuel-cell vehicle should satisfy the related laws and regulations that prescribe that during the progress of fuel charging, the propulsion system of the fuel-cell vehicle can not be operated and movement of the vehicle is not be allowed. However, logic for sensing the progress of hydrogen charging has currently not been applied to a conventional fuel-cell vehicle, thus failing to satisfy the related laws and regulations.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to a paper conveyer for conveying paper sheets through a sheet carrier path within an image recording apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, it is the common practice to use a pair of rollers, namely, a paper conveying roller and a pinch roller, to convey paper sheets onto a guide plate that forms a part of a paper carrier path within an image recording apparatus. The guide plate is arranged in a spaced parallel relationship with respect to a recording head. The rollers rotate in opposite directions to catch the leading edge of paper sheet and urge the sheet against the guide plate. It is indispensable to urge paper against the guide plate to keep it extending flatly over the surface of the guide plate, thus insuring high quality forming of an image onto the paper. To accomplish this mission, it is known to arrange an axis of rotation of the pinch roller as displaced from a plane, including an axis of rotation of the conveying roller, normal to a paper feeding direction. The pinch roller axis is displaced from the normal plane in such a direction as to urge paper against the guide plate. If an amount of such displacement is increased sufficiently, the rollers fail to catch paper sheet in a satisfactory manner.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solution to this problem.
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The present invention relates to a receptacle for smoking waste, such as cigarette butts or cigar butts. In the United States alone, studies from the American Heart Association have indicated an average of 22% of adults in the United States smoke cigarettes.
Smoking legislation has forced the smoking public to move outdoors from public buildings in several states. Smoking is not permitted within some buildings for other reasons. The building management typically provides only specific designated smoking areas. This results in smoking-waste litter concentrated in a specific area.
It is not desirable to use traditional open-container ashtrays in these areas. Such an ashtray often has a small capacity and fills up quickly with smoking waste, which requires frequent cleaning. The cigarette butts are left exposed, creating an unsightly condition, odor, and a possible hazard because the cigarette butts are not completely extinguished. Also the traditional ashtray typically includes rest notches, which encourage a smoker to set a smoldering cigarette on the ashtray, thereby creating second hand smoke.
Manufacturers have introduced smoking stations or receptacles for use in these designated smoking areas. Conventional smoking receptacles are often designed to contain the smoking waste within the receptacle and are generally large, sometimes having heights of 36 inches or taller. The smoking waste typically enters the receptacle through a small hole at the top and travels through a long neck until falling into a collection container at the bottom. Conventional smoking receptacles have several drawbacks.
First, some conventional receptacles suffer from an undesirable amount of smoldering of deposited cigarettes. Smoldering is undesirable because it results in second hand smoke and can cause fires. A conventional receptacle may provide sand in the collection container for the purpose of causing deposited cigarettes to extinguish themselves in the sand. After a sufficient number of cigarettes are deposited, however, the sand becomes covered and is rendered useless. Moreover, the user must sift through the dirty sand/butt mixture to empty the collection container. Another conventional receptacle includes baffles within the neck to reduce the amount of oxygen inside the receptacle, for the purpose of shortening the amount of time a cigarette can smolder. However, trash or cigarettes deposited in the receptacle may rest on the baffles and clog the neck inside of the receptacle.
Second, fires may occur within conventional smoking receptacles if flammable trash is deposited in them. For example, a conventional receptacle may make it easy to force trash, such as gum wrappers or paper, through the receptacle opening and into the cigarette butt storage area. This build up of trash makes it easier for fires to start inside the receptacles. The fires started may burn inside of the receptacles. Some plastic receptacles have melted as a result of an internal fire. Receptacle manufacturers have, therefore, limited the size of the cigarette deposit opening (to inhibit the insertion of trash) in conjunction with filling the collection container inside the receptacle with sand (to extinguish fires). If the cigarettes cover the sand, however, the sand may not extinguish the smoldering butts and prevent fire. Receptacles with baffles also can experience problems preventing fires. The baffles can clog with trash, which enables the smoldering cigarette butts to start fires originating at the baffles.
Third, some conventional smoking receptacles also make it harder for the user to access the receptacles. Conventional receptacles provide limited areas for the user to deposit their cigarette or cigar butts. It is easy for users to miss these areas when they deposit their butts. The limited access makes it more likely to find cigarette and cigar butt waste on the ground rather than inside of the receptacles.
Fourth, it is relatively easy to steal parts of conventional smoking receptacles. A common way to protect a receptacle from thieves is to thread a bolt through the components of the receptacle. Other receptacles have keyed locking mechanisms. Too many thieves, however, are still able to abscond with receptacle parts.
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to a method related to formation of a gate electrode that employs a conductive hard mask as a protective layer during a photoresist removal process for multiple work function gate structures.
2. Related Art
The ongoing reduction in size of electronic device elements poses problems in device performance that must be addressed using new materials and fabrication techniques. In the case of gate structures for high-performance complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, the equivalent oxide thickness of the gate dielectric has been reduced to about 1.2 nm. A typical CMOS gate structure is shown schematically in FIG. 1. Gate structure 10 is fabricated on the surface of a substrate 12, which has source and drain regions 14, 16 formed therein. Gate structure 10 includes conducting element 18 (typically polysilicon; p+ doped and n+ doped in PFETs and NFETs, respectively) overlying dielectric layer 20. If a conventional oxynitride gate dielectric is used, decreasing the thickness below about 1.2 nm (physical thickness of the dielectric) causes the gate leakage current to become unacceptably high. In a structure such as shown in FIG. 1, the total gate electrical thickness may be viewed as having three components: the equivalent oxide thickness of the gate dielectric (about 1.2 nm), the quantum-mechanical effect of the substrate (about 0.4 nm), and the polysilicon depletion effect (about 0.3 to 0.4 nm). With present-day gate dielectric thicknesses, the polysilicon depletion effect accounts for a substantial component of the total gate electrical thickness. The polysilicon depletion effect comes about when the gate is turned on and a region devoid of free charge forms at the polysilicon/dielectric interface (interface 20A in FIG. 1). The appearance of this depletion region reduces the capacitance of the gate and thus increases the electrical thickness. If the polysilicon depletion region could be eliminated, the electrical dielectric thickness would be reduced with no substantial increase in the leakage current. This would permit improved device performance without a further reduction in the thickness of the gate dielectric 12.
Linewidths are also being reduced to less than 65 nm. In the case of CMOS, this means that the lateral extent of gate structure 10 is now in the sub-65 nm range. If a gate structure about this size is designed with a gate dielectric equivalent thickness of about 1 nm, a conventional oxynitride gate dielectric can no longer be used due to unacceptably high leakage currents. It then becomes necessary to substitute high-k gate dielectric materials for the conventional gate oxide or oxynitride, which serves to lower the gate leakage current by 4 to 5 orders of magnitude while having similar equivalent oxide thickness. However, the combination of polysilicon for gate conductor 18 with a high-k material for gate dielectric 20 presents further problems. As is understood by those skilled in the art, interactions between the materials can cause a shift in the threshold voltage Vt due to pinning of the Fermi level in the gate conductor. In particular, an increased Vt may prevent proper function in a PFET. Another problem affecting PFET performance is that of penetration of boron from the p+ type polysilicon into the high-k dielectric and possibly into the channel region of the device, which renders the device unusable. In addition, the boron diffusion also interferes with hafnium containing high-k dielectrics.
Accordingly, in a PFET device (at least) it is desirable to eliminate the polysilicon from the gate structure (or at least remove the polysilicon from contact with the gate dielectric), as several benefits may be obtained. The elimination of the polysilicon depletion effect would decrease the effective electrical thickness of the gate dielectric. Interactions between the polysilicon and gate dielectric materials would be avoided, which in turn would avoid the problem of boron penetration. This would lead to faster devices that consume less power.
Recently there has been substantial interest in replacing polysilicon gate conductors with metal gate electrodes, so that gate conductor 18 is a metal in both NFET and PFET devices. In order to provide appropriate threshold voltages in the two types of devices, two different metals are typically needed. In addition, the NFET and PFET require metals with different work functions. The “work function” of a material is a measurement of how much energy is required to extract an electron from the material by moving the electron in the solid from the Fermi level to the vacuum level, i.e., to outside of the solid. Generally, an NFET device should have a gate work function in the range 4.1 to 4.3 eV, and a PFET device should have a gate work function over 5.0 eV. Furthermore, the interface 12A between the metal and the gate dielectric should be stable during the high-temperature processing steps in the fabrication of the CMOS devices.
There are two possible integration approaches for metal gate conductors in CMOS; these are referred to as the conventional processing approach and the replacement gate approach. In the conventional processing approach, the metal is in contact with the gate dielectric during the high-temperature (above 1000° C.) activation annealing steps for the dopants in the source and drain regions. The metal must not interact with the dielectric material during the annealing steps. In the replacement gate approach, the CMOS structure is first formed with polysilicon gate electrodes. After all of the high-temperature processing steps, the polysilicon and gate dielectric are removed and a new dielectric is formed, followed by deposition of the metal gate conductor. With this approach the metal/dielectric interface needs to be stable only up to about 500° C. In either process flow, in order to create two gate materials with different work functions, one has to selectively remove the first gate material from the area designated for the second material. This selective removal can be easily accomplished with the aid of standard photolithography techniques where the first material is selectively protected by a photoresist mask in the first area and is selectively removed in the second area. After selective gate material removal, the photoresist mask is stripped. Unfortunately, current technology implements such a photoresist strip with the aid of an oxidizing ambient (e.g. oxygen or ozone plasma) and/or an oxidizing chemical solution (e.g. a solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with oxidizing peroxide H2O2). Presence of oxidizers (dry or wet) can substantially thicken the exposed gate dielectric which leads to a substantial degradation of performance. The absence of oxidizing agents in the resist strip can lead to a defective layer formation in the gate dielectric and the gate electrode. For example, the non-oxidizing solvent resist strip can create impurity contamination like carbon on a gate oxide and incomplete uniform resist strip. In addition, typical metal gate electrode materials (e.g., tungsten nitride (WNx), titanium nitride (TiN), hafnium nitride (HfN) or zirconium nitride (ZN)) can be easily etched out by chemicals such as a mixture of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and/or peroxide (H2O2) during photoresist strip. Accordingly, the first gate material can be also damaged during a typical photoresist strip process.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a method that does not suffer from the problems of the related art.
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Skin is the largest organ of the body, accounting for almost a fifth of the weight of a normal adult. The skin performs the vital function of separating the internal components of the body from the outside environment, while also providing a permeable membrane to protect and maintain the internal organs.
Located throughout the dermal layer of skin, just below its surface, are sebaceous glands, which secrete a material composed primarily of waxes and lipids, known as “sebum”. Sebum acts to moisturize the skin in order to keep it supple and firm, and yet also sufficiently flexible to accommodate the various joints and irregular contours of the body's skeleton and internal organs. Sebum is also believed to provide certain antimicrobial benefits against airborne microbes to prevent the transmission of disease from the outside environment into the body.
While sebum performs these functional skin benefits, it also affects the aesthetic appearance of the skin. For example, the most common cause of acne is a disruption in the normal, continuous flow of sebum that is typically the result of obstructed sebaceous glands. Indeed the principal objective in anti-acne therapy is to clear existing lesions and prevent the formation of new ones. An additional objective of such skin treatment is the removal of excess sebum from the skin.
In addition to contributing to the development of skin-blemishing acne, sebum can also compromise the desired facial appearance that women seek to obtain by using cosmetics, especially facial cosmetics. Women who have imperfect complexions or whose skin appears to have an oily sheen due to the accumulation of sebum often apply a layer of facial cosmetics, known commercially as foundation, or foundation makeup, in order to give the skin a more desirable appearance. However, these cosmetics absorb sebum from the skin, causing the facial cosmetic layer to either take on a shine or become darker, giving the skin a spotty, blotched appearance. In fact, in some cases, an individual's sebum production is so high that it liquefies the cosmetic pigment layer, resulting in a rapid removal of the facial cosmetic either by physical friction and abrasion or by liquid flow. This problem is particularly acute on the eyelid as well as immediately below the eye. In order to avoid this it is necessary to frequently remove and reapply the cosmetic layer, which is a considerable inconvenience to most women. In order to avoid this it is necessary to frequently remove and reapply the cosmetic layer, which is a considerable inconvenience to most women.
In some cases, an individual's sebum production is so high that it liquefies the cosmetic pigment layer, resulting in a rapid removal of the facial cosmetic either by physical friction/abrasion or by liquid flow. This problem is particularly acute on the eyelid and/or immediately below the eye. In order to avoid this it is necessary to frequently remove and reapply the cosmetic layer, which is a considerable inconvenience to most women.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for cosmetic compositions that provide excellent coverage and a natural skin appearance while also concealing skin imperfections or protecting skin against damage from ultraviolet radiation. Additionally, cosmetic compositions may serve as a base for such pigmented products, or can be applied over such pigmented products, thereby increasing their durability. Alternatively, cosmetic compositions may act as pure oil absorbers without the use of any other pigmented product. Such cosmetic compositions should be resistant to the deterioration caused by sebum and thereby provide long-lasting durability that lasts the entire day without the need for continued maintenance and reapplication. Additionally, these cosmetic compositions should have a smooth, comfortable, non-oily feeling when applied to the skin. There is also a need for mild, non-irritating cosmetic compositions that ameliorate or eliminate the affects of skin disorders, and reduce the blemishes and redness associated with acne.
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This invention is directed to recognizing vascular structures in a digital medical image.
The diagnostically superior information available from data acquired from current imaging systems enables the detection of potential problems at earlier and more treatable stages. Given the vast quantity of detailed data acquirable from imaging systems, various algorithms must be developed to efficiently and accurately process image data. With the aid of computers, advances in image processing are generally performed on digital or digitized images.
Digital images are created from an array of numerical values representing a property (such as a grey scale value or magnetic field strength) associable with an anatomical location points referenced by a particular array location. The set of anatomical location points comprises the domain of the image. In 2-D digital images, or slice sections, the discrete array locations are termed pixels. Three-dimensional digital images can be constructed from stacked slice sections through various construction techniques known in the art. The 3-D images are made up of discrete volume elements, also referred to as voxels, composed of pixels from the 2-D images. The pixel or voxel properties can be processed to ascertain various properties about the anatomy of a patient associated with such pixels or voxels. Computer-aided diagnosis (“CAD”) systems play a critical role in the analysis and visualization of digital imaging data.
An important application of computed tomographic (CT) imaging systems, as well as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and 3-D x-ray (XR) imaging systems, is to produce 3D image data sets for vascular analysis, which can include analysis of a variety of tortuous tubular structures such as airways, ducts, nerves, blood vessels, etc. Production of such 3D image data sets is particularly important for radiologists, who are called upon to provide thorough visual reports to allow assessments of stenosis or aneurysm parameters, quantify lengths, section sizes, angles, and related parameters. Information concerning, for example, the most acute stenosis on a selected vessel section, the largest aneurysm on a selected vessel section, or the tortuosity of a vessel, is commonly utilized by physicians to allow for surgical planning. For productivity reasons, as well as to reduce film costs, the 3D image data sets should be limited to only a small set of significant images.
To facilitate the obtaining of useful information for vascular analysis in an efficient manner, conventional medical imaging systems sometimes provide 3D visualization software. Such software is provided either on the imaging systems themselves or on analysis workstations, and provides a set of tools to perform length, angle or volume measurements and to visualize a volume in different ways, for example, using cross-sections, navigator or volume rendering. With respect to vascular analysis, in particular, the software can be used to obtain multiple oblique slices of a particular vessel to allow for analysis of the vessel.
Analyzing tortuous structures, such as airways, vessels, ducts or nerves is one of the major applications of medical imaging systems. This task is accomplished today by using multiple oblique slices to analyze local segments of these structures. These views provide a clear, undistorted picture of short sections from these objects but rarely encompass their full length. Curved reformation images provide synthetic views that capture the whole length of these tubular objects and are therefore well suited to this analysis task. True 3D length measurements along the axis can be obtained from these views and they are not too far from the real anatomy in many cases. Curved reformation images can be generated by sampling values along a curve at equidistant points to generate lines, and then translating this curve by a sampling vector to generate the next image line.
Therefore, it would be advantageous if new methods and apparatuses were developed for allowing medical imaging systems and related 3D visualization software to produce useful 3D imaging data sets in a more efficient, consistent, repeatable, rapid, and less operator-dependent manner. It would particularly be advantageous if such new methods and apparatuses facilitated vascular analysis, including the analysis and imaging of tubular vessels and related stenoses, aneurysms, and tortuosity. It further would be advantageous if such methods and apparatuses could be employed both during imaging and in post-processing after imaging is completed.
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1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computing systems and more particularly to data storage solutions within such computing systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Computers are known to communicate, process, and store data. Such computers range from wireless smart phones to data centers that support millions of web searches, stock trades, or on-line purchases every day. In general, a computing system generates data and/or manipulates data from one form into another. For instance, an image sensor of the computing system generates raw picture data and, using an image compression program (e.g., JPEG, MPEG, etc.), the computing system manipulates the raw picture data into a standardized compressed image.
With continued advances in processing speed and communication speed, computers are capable of processing real time multimedia data for applications ranging from simple voice communications to streaming high definition video. As such, general-purpose information appliances are replacing purpose-built communications devices (e.g., a telephone). For example, smart phones can support telephony communications but they are also capable of text messaging and accessing the internet to perform functions including email, web browsing, remote applications access, and media communications (e.g., telephony voice, image transfer, music files, video files, real time video streaming. etc.).
Each type of computer is constructed and operates in accordance with one or more communication, processing, and storage standards. As a result of standardization and with advances in technology, more and more information content is being converted into digital formats. For example, more digital cameras are now being sold than film cameras, thus producing more digital pictures. As another example, web-based programming is becoming an alternative to over the air television broadcasts and/or cable broadcasts. As further examples, papers, books, video entertainment, home video, etc., are now being stored digitally, which increases the demand on the storage function of computers.
A typical computer storage system includes one or more memory devices aligned with the needs of the various operational aspects of the computer's processing and communication functions. Generally, the immediacy of access dictates what type of memory device is used. For example, random access memory (RAM) memory can be accessed in any random order with a constant response time, thus it is typically used for cache memory and main memory. By contrast, memory device technologies that require physical movement such as magnetic disks, tapes, and optical discs, have a variable response time as the physical movement can take longer than the data transfer, thus they are typically used for secondary memory (e.g., hard drive, backup memory, etc.).
A computer's storage system will be compliant with one or more computer storage standards that include, but are not limited to, network file system (NFS), flash file system (FFS), disk file system (DFS), small computer system interface (SCSI), internet small computer system interface (iSCSI), file transfer protocol (FTP), and web-based distributed authoring and versioning (WebDAV). These standards specify the data storage format (e.g., files, data objects, data blocks, directories, etc.) and interfacing between the computer's processing function and its storage system, which is a primary function of the computer's memory controller.
Despite the standardization of the computer and its storage system, memory devices fail; especially commercial grade memory devices that utilize technologies incorporating physical movement (e.g., a disc drive). For example, it is fairly common for a disc drive to routinely suffer from bit level corruption and to completely fail after three years of use. One solution is to utilize a higher-grade disc drive, which adds significant cost to a computer.
Another solution is to utilize multiple levels of redundant disc drives to replicate the data into two or more copies. One such redundant drive approach is called redundant array of independent discs (RAID). In a RAID device, a RAID controller adds parity data to the original data before storing it across the array. The parity data is calculated from the original data such that the failure of a disc will not result in the loss of the original data. For example, RAID 5 uses three discs to protect data from the failure of a single disc. The parity data, and associated redundancy overhead data, reduces the storage capacity of three independent discs by one third (e.g., n−1=capacity). RAID 6 can recover from a loss of two discs and requires a minimum of four discs with a storage capacity of n−2.
While RAID addresses the memory device failure issue, it is not without its own failure issues that affect its effectiveness, efficiency and security. For instance, as more discs are added to the array, the probability of a disc failure increases, which increases the demand for maintenance. For example, when a disc fails, it needs to be manually replaced before another disc fails and the data stored in the RAID device is lost. To reduce the risk of data loss, data on a RAID device is typically copied on to one or more other RAID devices. While this addresses the loss of data issue, it raises a security issue since multiple copies of data are available, which increases the chances of unauthorized access. Further, as the amount of data being stored grows, the overhead of RAID devices becomes a non-trivial efficiency issue.
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The invention relates to improvements in fittings of the type disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,872, granted Sep. 17, 1991, for "Fitting for cables, tubes and the like". The disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference.
Fittings of the type to which the present invention pertains include an externally threaded first component (e.g., a sleeve), an internally threaded second component (e.g., a nut) which can be moved into mesh with the first component, and a set of prongs which can be flexed to engage the outer surface of a rod, cable, tube, hose or other object or article extending through aligned coaxial passages of the two components. The flexing is effected by an annular deforming surface which is provided in one of the components and engages the end faces of the prongs in response to threading of the first component into the second component.
Conventional fittings of the above outlined character are furnished in several sizes, and each size is designed to be used with articles or objects having outer diameters within a particular range. Thus, a first fitting will be used to sealingly and/or clampingly engage the outer surfaces of articles having a diameter within a relatively narrow first range, a second fitting will be used to sealingly and/or clampingly engage the outer surfaces of articles having a diameter within a relatively narrow second range, and so forth. In many instances, the externally and/or internally threaded components of such fittings are made of a plastic material which can create problems if the connection between the fitting and a rod-shaped or tubular article is to withstand pronounced tensional stresses. The situation is aggravated if the connection is also called upon to establish a fluidtight seal at the locus of engagement of flexed prongs with the outer surface of a rod-shaped or tubular object or article.
The rules and regulations by authorities in many countries also create problems in connection with the making and using of fittings of the above outlined character. For example, the authorities in charge of regulating the utilization of such fittings in certain countries prescribe identical norms for all sizes of fittings. Thus, the prescribed tensional stress to be withstood by a fitting which is designed to engage articles of small or very small diameter is the same as that to be withstood by much larger fittings which are designed to clampingly engage and/or establish sealing connections with articles having a large or very large diameter. In actual practice, a fitting which is designed to clampingly and/or sealingly engage an article having a relatively small diameter cannot withstand the stresses which are expected to be withstood by a fitting for use with articles having larger or very large diameters. In other words, whereas certain sizes of fittings meet the prescribed norms, the remaining sizes cannot be put to use because the regulations cannot be met when the fitting is designed to engage a workpiece having a small or very small outer diameter. Additional problems arise because the authorities in many countries prescribe the materials which can be used to make the parts of the fittings. This greatly reduces the selection of materials which can be used to make fittings capable of satisfying the aforediscussed strict requirements.
Many authorities also prescribe the dimensions and the nature of internal and external threads on the components of fittings for use in connection with cables or the like, and the authorities even prescribe the dimensions and the shape of normally polygonal portions of nuts and sleeves which are provided to facilitate engagement by a wrench, by pliers or by any other suitable tool which must be used to hold the respective component against rotation and/or to rotate the particular component relative to the other component or components. Still further, the authorities in certain countries even prescribe the range of outer diameters of workpieces which can be used in conjunction with fittings of a particular size. In other words, the regulations in many countries are of such nature that the manufacturer is free to select only the size and/or the shape of the flexible prongs, of the deforming surface or surfaces and possibly the size and/or shape of discrete seals which are to be used in order to establish a sealing connection between the fitting and the rod-shaped or tubular article which is to be sealingly and/or clampingly engaged by the fitting. Even these parameters cannot be selected at will because the maker of the fittings is required to avoid designs which would necessitate the application of large forces in order to drive the externally threaded component into the internally threaded component and to thereby flex the prongs toward sealing and/or clamping engagement with the outer surface of a rod-shaped or tubular article which extends through the aligned axial passages of such components. Still further, the manufacturer must take into consideration the requirement to maintain the overall length of the partly assembled or fully assembled fitting within a desired range. The inclination of the deforming surface which is caused to flex the prongs in response to penetration of the externally threaded component into the internally threaded component of the fitting determines the torque which must be applied to assemble the fitting with an article as well as the overall length of the fully assembled fitting.
German Utility Model No. G 84 15 525.6 of Holzmann (published Oct. 11, 1984) discloses a threaded fitting which can be used with cables and is characteristic of numerous presently available fittings serving to clampingly and/or sealingly engage the outer surface of a cable or the like. The dimensions (particularly the radial dimensions) of the prongs in the fitting of Holzmann are selected in such a way that they provide room for insertion of a relatively thick cylindrical seal. The seal is deformed into fluidtight engagement with the outer surface of an article to be clamped in response to radially inward flexing of the prongs. This is achieved by reducing the thickness of the prongs accordingly, i.e., the prongs are rather thin as measured in a direction radially of the tubular component which carries the prongs. The thin prongs provide adequate clearance for insertion of a relatively thick cylindrical seal which is biased against the outer surface of an article when the fitting of Holzmann is assembled. The fitting of Holzmann further exhibits the feature (which, at a first glance, could be interpreted as an advantage) that a relatively small torque suffices to engage the fitting with a cable or the like because the relatively thin and readily flexible prongs as well as the rather thick elastic seal can be readily deformed in response to penetration of the externally threaded component into the internally threaded component. Of course, such fittings cannot offer a pronounced resistance to a pull, i.e., to axial movement of the fitting relative to a cable and/or vice versa.
Holzmann proposes to further weaken the relatively thin and readily flexible prongs by the provision of a recess in that end portion of each prong which is of one piece with the adjacent axial end of the externally threaded component. Such recess is provided in the external surfaces of the prongs and its depth approximates half the thickness of a prong. The recess ensures that each prong is flexed at a point adjacent the closed ends of axially parallel slots which alternate with the prongs. Initial flexing of the prongs about pivot axes at the external recess can be effected in response to the exertion of a relatively small force (torque). However, such force must be increased rather abruptly when the prongs are thereupon bent intermediate their ends in response to further penetration of the externally threaded component into the internally threaded component. In fact, the torque which must be applied to deform the prongs between their ends is just as large as that which is required to flex prongs having no recesses of the type proposed by Holzmann.
Proposals to influence the function of fittings include the provision of prongs having a particular size and shape in order to enhance the clamping force between the prongs and a cable or the like as well as to enhance the ability of the assembled fitting to resist tensional stresses. The proposals have met with some success in connection with the making of relatively large fittings for engagement with articles having a large outer diameter but they have failed when a fitting is to be brought into clamping and sealing engagement with articles (e.g., cables) having a relatively small outer diameter. For example, it was proposed to employ relatively long prongs in order to ensure the establishment of large-area contact between a deformed prong and the outer surface of an article or between a deformed prong and a tubular seal which is to be inserted between the prongs and the outer surface of the article. The relatively long prongs are likely to project from the passage of the internally threaded component before the threading of the externally threaded component into the internally threaded component is completed. This does not entail any further increase of the clamping and/or sealing action. Since the prongs are relatively thin, those portions of such prongs which extend outwardly beyond the internally threaded component of the fitting are likely to be bent radially outwardly by an article which is elastically or resiliently deformable and has stored energy during application of the fitting. Such outward flexing weakens the sealing and/or clamping action and hence the resistance of the applied fitting to stand pronounced tensional stresses in a direction to move it axially of the article. The reason is that only those portions of the deformed prongs which do not project beyond the internally threaded component offer resistance to tensional and/or other stresses which develop when the fitting is applied in order to clampingly and/or sealingly engage a cable or the like.
Relatively thick cylindrical seals also exhibit a number of drawbacks. The main drawback is that the thickness of the seal can be increased only by reducing the thickness of the prongs; this creates the aforediscussed problems. The reason for the utilization of rather thick cylindrical seals is that they are less likely to undergo unpredictable deformation during flexing of the prongs against the external surface of a seal. However, a relatively thick seal must undergo very pronounced radial deformation before it can establish a reliable sealing and frictional engagement with the outer surface of a rod-shaped or tubular article. If the seal is not subjected to pronounced deformation, it merely acts as a cushion and can readily slide along the outer surface of a cable or the like. The forces which must be applied in order to adequately constrict a relatively thick cylindrical seal are often so large that the densification of the material of the constricted seal results in the generation of a radially outwardly directed reaction force which must be taken up by the externally threaded component of the fitting. Such problem is likely to arise when the fitting is relatively small and is to be applied to an article having a small or very small outer diameter. It has been found that the reaction force is likely to cause bursting or cracking of the threaded components, especially in the region of their threads. Moreover, further rotation of the mating components cannot result in additional stressing of the seal, i.e., such rotation does not result in further penetration of the externally threaded component into the internally threaded component because the two threads are out of mesh. Attempts to overcome such problems involve the formation of specifically designed threads having deeper grooves; this even further reduces the ability of the corresponding components to withstand the aforediscussed reaction forces.
All in all, heretofore known fittings are incapable of satisfying the requirements which are prescribed by authorities and/or the requirements by users of the fittings. Such requirements include shortness of the fully assembled fitting, elimination of the danger of destruction under the influence of reaction forces, assembly with a cable or the like in response to the application of a relatively small force, and the ability of a fitting to be connectable with articles having relatively small or relatively large outer diameters.
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In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to an improved display tag especially adapted for cooperation with a metal packaging clip.
Poultry and other packaged meats and foods are often retained in a plastic or cellulose wrapping or casing which is fastened at one or both ends by a metal clip. Typically, the food product is placed in a casing. The open end of the casing is then gathered and a metal clip is affixed about the gathered end.
Because such products are often bulky and have an unsymmetrical shape, it is desirable to provide a handle or loop attached to the package so that the product can be hung for display or manually carried by a customer with greater ease. Tipper et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,259, discloses one method for forming the end of the casing material in a loop for such a package. The casing material is gathered and a free end of the material is formed in a loop. The loop is retained by the metal packing clip.
The structure and arrangement for making a carrying handle as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,259 provides a good solution to the need. Some disadvantages have, however, been noted. For example, the extra packaging material, which may be expensive, needed to form the loop is, in effect, wasted packaging material. Also, the end of the packaging material may slip through the metal clip due to the weight of the product when the product is being carried by the formed loop.
As an alternative to the arrangement shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,259, it has been suggested that a separate display tag and product carrying handle be attached when the package clip is attached to product casing. This suggestion resulted in the development of a handle and display tag as described and claimed herein.
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Recently, measurements of concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air such as PM2.5 are widely performed. The mass of particles included in gas per unit volume is used as the unit of a concentration of particles in gas. This particle concentration is called a mass concentration. In an example of a standard method of measuring the mass concentration of PM2.5, particles in gas are collected with a filter and their mass is measured (see Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 11-502303, for example). A beta-ray attenuation method is also available as a mass concentration measurement method by which automatic measurement is possible. Concentrations obtained in the filter sampling method and beta-ray attenuation method are mass concentrations. At present, PM2.5 concentrations are generally indicated as mass concentrations. As a simple method, a scattered light detection method is available in which particles in gas are illuminated with light and the number of particles in the gas is measured according to the resulting scattered light.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 8-15122 is another example of related art.
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It is common practice today for motor vehicle operators to utilize a portable electronic device, such as a music player, a navigation device or a smart phone, while operating a motor vehicle.
In order to maintain a proper charge on the electronic device during use, it is often necessary to connect the electronic device to a power outlet of the motor vehicle utilizing a charge cord. Such a charge cord is typically oversized and may become entangled with the gearshift knob, the brake lever or another object. In many instances such a charge cord becomes an annoyance for the motor vehicle operator and potentially could interfere with free and easy operation of motor vehicle systems including, for example, the climate control system, the entertainment system and the transmission.
This document relates to a new and improved retention device useful in a method of retaining a charge cord in a desired position in a motor vehicle where that charge cord will not become a distraction to the motor vehicle operator.
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Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is recognized as one of the greatest health threats facing modern medicine. There is, as yet, no cure for this disease.
In 1983-1984, three groups independently identified the suspected etiological agent of AIDS. See, e.g., Barre-Sinoussi et al. (1983) Science 220:868-871; Montagnier et al., in Human T-Cell Leukemia Viruses (Gallo, Essex & Gross, eds., 1984); Vilmer et al. (1984) The Lancet 1:753; Popovic et al. (1984) Science 224:497-500; Levy et al. (1984) Science 225:840-842. These isolates were variously called lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III), or AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV). All of these isolates are strains of the same virus, and were later collectively named Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). With the isolation of a related AIDS-causing virus, the strains originally called HIV are now termed HIV-1 and the related virus is called HIV-2 See, e.g., Guyader et al. (1987) Nature 326:662-669; Brun-Vezinet et al. (1986) 233:343-346; Clavel et al. (1986) Nature 324:691-695.
A great deal of information has been gathered about the HIV virus, however, to date an effective vaccine has not been identified. Several targets for vaccine development have been examined including the env, Gag, poi and tat gene products encoded by HIV.
Haas, et al., (Current Biology 6(3):315-324, 1996) suggested that selective codon usage by HIV-1 appeared to account for a substantial fraction of the inefficiency of viral protein synthesis. Andre, et al., (J. Virol. 72(2):1497-1503, 1998) described an increased immune response elicited by DNA vaccination employing a synthetic gp120 sequence with optimized codon usage. Schneider, et al., (J. Virol. 71(7):4892-4903, 1997) discuss inactivation of inhibitory (or instability) elements (INS) located within the coding sequences of the Gag and Gag-protease coding sequences.
The Gag proteins of HIV-1 are necessary for the assembly of virus-like particles. HIV-1 Gag proteins are involved in many stages of the life cycle of the virus including, assembly, virion maturation after particle release, and early post-entry steps in virus replication. The roles of HIV-1 Gag proteins are numerous and complex (Freed, E. O., Virology 251:1-15, 1998).
Wolf, et al., (PCT International Application, WO 96/30523, published 3 Oct. 1996; European Patent Application, Publication No. 0 449 116 A1, published 2 Oct. 1991) have described the use of altered pr55 Gag of HIV-1 to act as a non-infectious retroviral-like particulate carrier, in particular, for the presentation of immunologically important epitopes. Wang, et al., (Virology 200:524-534, 1994) describe a system to study assembly of HIV Gag-β-galactosidase fusion proteins into virions. They describe the construction of sequences encoding HIV Gag-β-galactosidase fusion proteins, the expression of such sequences in the presence of HIV Gag proteins, and assembly of these proteins into virus particles.
Recently, Shiver, et al., (PCT International Application, WO 98/34640, published 13 Aug. 1998) described altering HIV-1 (CAM1) Gag coding sequences to produce synthetic DNA molecules encoding HIV Gag and modifications of HIV Gag. The codons of the synthetic molecules were codons preferred by a projected host cell.
The envelope protein of HIV-1 is a glycoprotein of about 160 kD (gp160). During virus infection of the host cell, gp160 is cleaved by host cell proteases to form gp120 and the integral membrane protein, gp41. The gp41 portion is anchored in (and spans) the membrane bilayer of virion, while the gp120 segment protrudes into the surrounding environment. As there is no covalent attachment between gp120 and gp41, free gp120 is released from the surface of virions and infected cells.
Haas, et al., (Current Biology 6(3):315-324, 1996) suggested that selective codon usage by HIV-1 appeared to account for a substantial fraction of the inefficiency of viral protein synthesis. Andre, et al., (J. Virol. 72(2):1497-1503, 1998) described an increased immune response elicited by DNA vaccination employing a synthetic gp120 sequence with optimized codon usage.
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Wide attention has been given to metallocene catalysts for their ability to make ethylene polymers having relatively narrow molecular weight and comonomer distributions at excellent polymerization rates. Such narrow molecular weight and comonomer distributions contribute to improvements in clarity, toughness, and extractables levels in ethylene polymers having densities much below 0.95 g/cc. However, for some applications requiring processing ease, such as enhanced extrudability, these ethylene polymers can be deficient due to their narrow molecular weight distributions. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,420,220 and 5,324,800 disclose metallocene-made, linear low-density polyethylenes having characteristic narrow molecular weight and comonomer distributions, along with the associated limitations in processability.
Unfortunately, if the molecular weight distribution of an ethylene polymer is broadened in order to improve processability, the clarity and impact strength of the polymer diminish. In addition, extractables increase, especially for ethylene polymers having densities much below 0.93 g/cc. To improve the processability of an ethylene polymer while maintaining a narrow molecular weight distribution, long chain branching may be incorporated into the polymer. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,236 and 5,278,272 and PCT Application No. WO94/07930 describe metallocene-made, very low-density and low-density polyethylene having long chain branch structures that are reported to have improved processability. However, long chain branch structures sometimes promote directional orientation during fabrication leading to an imbalance in mechanical properties and reduced impact and tear resistance. The clarity of fabricated articles such as blown film may also be less than optimum for long chain branched ethylene polymers even with narrow molecular weight and comonomer distributions. It would be advantageous, therefore to identify ethylene polymers having the benefit of long chain branching that maintain good mechanical strength and clarity.
U.S. application Ser. No. 08/611,278 filed on Mar. 3, 1996, now abandoned discloses ethylene polymers having narrow molecular weight and comonomer distributions, and very high clarity. However, these polymers do not possess a high degree of fabrication ease, i.e., extrudability, bubble stability in blown film processing, and melt instability resistance in cast film processing. This is due to their relatively low normalized Relaxation Spectrum Index (nRSI), which ranges from about 2.5 to about 6.5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,752 generically discloses catalyst compositions that are complexes of transition metals, substituted or unsubstituted .pi.-bonded ligands, and heteroallyl moieties, which may be used to make these ethylene polymers.
An ethylene polymer having fabrication ease superior to that of the ethylene polymer disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/611,278 filed on Mar. 19, 1996, now abandoned and yet maintaining good mechanical strength and clarity, has now been discovered. This ethylene polymer has a broadened relaxation time distribution that is defined by its high nRSI and cRSI.
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The skin is a vital organ composed of several layers (dermis, proliferative layers and stratum corneum), which covers the entire surface of the body and ensures protective, sensitive, immune, metabolic or thermoregulatory functions. The skin, like the other organs, is subject to aging.
For example, the appearance of the skin is modified by various types of internal (disease and hormonal changes such as pregnancy) or external aggressions (environmental factors, such as pollution, sunlight, pathogens, etc.). Then wrinkles and fine lines, hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation blemishes, dryness or even dehydration of the skin, thinning of the epidermis, elastosis, imperfections, age spots, etc., may appear. All of these changes affect not only the skin, but also the keratinous appendages such as the nails and hair.
It is known that free radicals, chemically unstable and very reactive species generated by the intracellular metabolism or external aggressions, play a key role in the aging process and more particularly in the formation of oxidized, damaged proteins (Harman et al. “Aging: a theory based on free radical and radiation chemistry” J. Gerontol., 11, 298-300). These external aggressions can include: ultraviolet radiation, toxins, atmospheric pollutants, alimentary oxidants. Ultraviolet radiations skin exposure induces extensive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These can react with DNA, proteins, fatty acids and saccharides causing oxidative damage.
In the skin, premature aging is observed, occurring in the areas exposed to ultraviolet radiation, characterized by phenomena of alteration to the macromolecules (lipidic peroxidation, carbonylation of proteins), affecting in particular elastin, collagen or fibronectin.
One of the important consequences of the accumulation of oxidative damage is a reduction in the capacity of the cell to produce ATP (Porteous et al., Eur J Biochem 1998, 257(1):192-201). Thus, the phenomenon of cellular aging is in relation to the oxidative damage which the cell undergoes, but also to the process of energy production necessary for the cell to survive.
The human sirtuin family comprises 7 proteins, very conserved throughout evolution, named SIRT1 to SIRT7. “SIRT2 protein” is predominantly located in the cytoplasm and plays roles in oxidative stress response, inflammation, mitotic progression, microtubule dynamics, cell migration, longevity. In cytoplasm, SIRT2 co-localizes with and deacetylates microtubules. During mitosis, it is translocated to the nucleus where it deacetylates histone and regulates chromosomal condensation (Serrano L. et al., “The tumor suppressor SirT2 regulates cell cycle progression and genome stability by modulating the mitotic deposition of H4K20 methylation”, Genes & Dev. 2013. 27: 639-653). Thereby, SIRT2 plays mitotic checkpoint role: it regulates the mitotic progression and the mitotic exit (Bosch-Presegué L. and Vaquero A., “Sirtuins in stress response: guardians of the genome”, Oncogene (2014) 33, 3764-3775). Moreover, the stability of spindle assembly checkpoint protein BubR1 is under control of SIRT2 and a decline in BubR1 over time has been linked to mammalian aging (North B. J. et al., “SIRT2 induces the checkpoint kinase BubR1 to increase lifespan”, The EMBO Journal, 2014, 33, Issue 13, 1438-1453). SIRT2 can therefore be associated with increased cell longevity through BubR1 pathway preservation.
Deacetylation of Lys668 of BubR1 by SIRT2 inhibits the ubiquitination of BubR1 and its designation to the proteasome. Germline mutation that reduce BubR1 abundance cause aneuploidy.
From the state of the art, numerous cosmetics are known which in some way contain plant-based raw materials in the form of oils or extracts. In most cases, the known advantageous effects of individual plants are used to achieve a corresponding overall effect.
The aim of the invention was to develop a novel plant extract exhibiting activation of the SIRT2 expression. Patent EP1868632 disclosed synthetic peptides able to activate endogenous synthesis of sirtuin (SIRT1) protein and have been identified by inventors to be able to activate SIRT 2. Based on this knowledge, the inventors searched for botanicals comprising sequence homology to those identified activating SIRT2 peptides. Sequence similarity searches to identify homologous sequences were performed using comprehensive protein sequence data bases like BLAST following standard procedures (William Pearson, “An Introduction to Sequence Similarity (“Homology”) searching”, Curr Protoc Bioinformatics. June 2013). This search allowed the inventors to select Prunus persica as a good candidate.
The peach flower extract according to the invention has shown an increased expression of sirtuin SIRT2 proteins in the skin.
The species name Prunus persica refers to its widespread cultivation in Persia, whence it was transplanted to Europe. It belongs to the genus Prunus which includes the cherry and plum, in the family Rosaceae. Genetic studies suggest peaches originated in China, where they have been cultivated since the early days of Chinese culture circa 2000 BC.
Prunus persica has long been used in Chinese medicine for treating skin disorder. In Korea, flowers have always been a favorite source of inspiration for women and men of letters. In addition to this quality of muse, flowers have been used in the life of every day, for food decoration or infusions.
The peach blossom is the symbol of Korea Feminine Beauty. The infusion with peach blossoms was once very popular among women of high social rank who knew its beneficial properties for the skin tone. Peach blossom, popularly consumed as tea, is believed to promote healthy, young-looking skin. The literature reporting pharmacological studies related to peach blossom is very limited.
Peach flower is known to be very rich in polyphenolic compounds, such as phenolic acids, and flavonoids. These molecules can act as scavengers of superoxide anions, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and lipid peroxyl radicals. Many flavonoids such as quercetin, luteolin and catechins are better antioxidants than the nutrients vitamin C and beta-carotene (Svobodova et al., “Natural phenolics in the prevention of UV-induced skin damage. A Review” Biomed. Papers 147(2), 137-145 (2003)). The controlled hydrolysis enables these compounds to be released. The peach leaves are used as an anthelmintic, and sedative in traditional medicine (Nadkarni, 1976). Cevallos-Casals et al. reported that peach fruits rich in phenolic and anthocyanin have good antioxidant and antimicrobial activities (Cevallos-Casals et al., “Selecting new peach and plum genotypes rich in phenolic compounds and enhanced functional properties”, Food Chemistry 96 (2006) 273-280). The pink-colored peach blossom flowers, popularly consumed as tea, are purgative and are believed to promote healthy, young-looking skin. The peach blossom is the symbol of Korea Feminine Beauty. The infusion with peach blossoms was once very popular among women of high social rank who knew its beneficial properties for the skin tone.
Some flavonoids have been identified in peach flower such as the kaempferol glycoside derivatives multiflora B, trifolin, afzelin, and astragalin. In addition, a skin protection effect was demonstrated for multiflora B (Young ha Kim et al., “The extract of the flowers of Prunus persica, a new cosmetic ingredient, protects against solar ultraviolet-induced skin damage in vivo”, j. Cosmet. Sci., 53, 27-34 (January/February 2002)).
Peach flowers which are pink in color have been used to obtain the extract. Flowers are rich in polyphenolic compounds and also in flavonoids in particular pink flower are also rich in particular flavonoids, the anthocyanins that give the pink color to the flower in comparison to white flower.
Anthocyanins have been demonstrated to have a broad spectrum of biological functions and may act as good antioxidant like other members of flavonoids family.
Antioxidants play an important role as health protecting factor. Primary sources of naturally occurring antioxidants are whole grains, fruits, flower and vegetables. Plant antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenes, phenolic acid, flavonoids. They have been recognized as having the potential to reduce disease risk, anti-aging effect. The antioxidant effect of pink peach blossom extract has been investigated according to the method of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH).
The use of peach extract in a cosmetic composition is known in prior art. Most extract are total extracts or water-alcohol extracts. For example, the Japanese patent application, JP-A-2001302439 has disclosed a cosmetic having inhibitory action on elastases and collagenases for prevention of skin aging by including an extract from white Prunus Persia Batsh obtained by high temperature extracting process. Korean patent, KR-526637 has disclosed an anti-ultraviolet and cosmetic composition for skin aging protection including ferulic acid and peach blossom extract in which the stability of skin including the extract from peach Blossom of 0.1-20.0 weight % and ferulic acid of 0.1-20.0 weight % in the active ingredient is improved. Japanese patent application, JP-A-2016053008 has disclosed a manufacturing method of the peach extract which has the active oxygen eliminating ability carrying out partition extraction of the obtained extract with hexane/water further, and contains sphingoglycolipid (ceramide component). Korean patent, KR-1429117 has disclosed a composition for skin whitening containing peach blossom extract obtained by a step of removing the flower (fuse) from the peach blossom and using only the calyx, drying the sample, pulverizing the sample, subjecting to the homogenizer. With the step of extracting in the solvent selected in the group consisting of water, lower alcohol of the C3-6 and lower organic acid of the C3-6. The obtained extract is freeze-dried after it filtering with filter paper. Unlike the prior art, the present application provides an effective process for extraction of peach flower extract with high polyphenol content and free of ceramide.
In spite of the various anti-aging cosmetic products on the market for the treatment of skin, there remains a need for effective topically applied cosmetic compositions that provide anti-aging or rejuvenating benefits to the skin, hair and/or nails using natural ingredients as active agent. Unnatural, chemically-synthesized products may be perceived as being environmentally or personally unsafe. In contrast, natural products are perceived as pure, mild, and superior to chemically synthesized products. Numerous natural based products extracted from plants or herbs are known to contain antioxidant/free-radical scavenging agents that can neutralize the effects of free-radical damage. Additionally, they can contain agents that stimulate the synthesis and restoration of damaged connective tissue structures in the dermis and barrier function in the epidermis.
There remains a need for cosmetic compositions which address the signs of aging, in particular the appearance of wrinkles, lines, and sagging. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new compositions and methods for treating, ameliorating, and/or preventing signs of aged or aging skin. It is a further object of the invention to improve the overall appearance of aging or aged skin.
The foregoing introduction is presented solely to provide a better understanding of the nature of the problems confronting the art and should not be construed in any way as an admission as to prior art nor should the citation of any reference herein be construed as an admission that such reference constitutes “prior art” to the instant application.
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The concept of non-impacting linear vibrators is known in the art, typically, a cylindrical mass oscillates back and forth in a cylindrical chamber as air flows into and out of the cylindrical chamber. Air or a fluid such as an air oil mist forms a fluid bearing that is used to support the cylindrical mass as it oscillates back and forth. While such systems provide vibration one of the difficulties with such systems is that the vibrators do not always start on-demand as the mass may stop on a dead center position where the fluid supplied to the cylindrical chamber might flow around the cylindrical mass without inducing the required oscillation of the mass. Another difficulty is that although the mass oscillates on a fluid bearing the fluid bearing the fluid bearing may not always prevent contact between the oscillating mass and the chamber walls thus causing damage to either the surface of the mass or the walls of the chamber or both which can render the vibrator inoperative.
In one embodiment of the known linear vibrators the vibrator includes a cylindrical shaped piston that is driven back and forth in a chamber by fluid that simultaneously pushes the piston back and forth as it forms an air bearing around the piston to provide essentially a frictionless surface between the piston and the housing. One of the drawbacks of such vibrators is that to ensure that the vibrator responds to the introduction of the fluid into the housing it is usually necessary to have some mechanical means such as a spring to bias the piston to facilitate initiation of the oscillating activity of the piston. That is, when fluid such as air is introduced into the chamber the piston, which is to be supported by an air bearing, might not immediately begin oscillating as air is introduced into the chamber. Consequently, if one wants to ensure vibrator start-up one needs to bias the piston to one end or the other end of the vibrator. The biasing is usually done through a mechanical device such as a spring or the like that is located at one end of the chamber in the vibrator. However, introducing mechanical start-up devices such as springs reduces the life of the vibrator since the springs eventuality break through metal fatigue.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust gas cleaning device of an internal combustion engine wherein a secondary-air supply passage is connected to an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine and a reed valve means is provided in the intermediate part of the secondary-air supply passage so as to be opened in response to the pulsation pressure of exhaust gas in the exhaust system in order to supply secondary air into the exhaust system and burn the unburnt components present in the exhaust system thereby to clean the exhaust gas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such an internal combustion engine has been already known as having a plurality of exhaust ports opened to the combustion chamber of a cylinder and exhaust pipes independent of each other communicated with these exhaust ports respectively, the exhaust pipes being made different in length from each other, thereby to improve the performance of the engine over the whole operation ranges thereof.
By the way, such an internal combustion engine has the following problem. In case of supplying secondary air for cleaning exhaust gas into the exhaust systems different in length, if the secondary-air supply passages communicated with the exhaust systems respectively are concentrated and connected to a single reed valve, which is adapted to be opened in response to the exhaust gas pulsation pressure produced in each of the exhaust systems so that secondary air is introduced into each of the exhaust systems, the exhaust gas pulsation pressures produced in the exhaust systems respectively may cancel out each other because the frequencies of the exhaust gas pulsations generated in these exhaust systems respectively differ from each other in accordance with the difference in length between the exhaust systems. Consequently, the amount of secondary air supplied to each of the exhaust systems tends to be insufficient, so that it becomes difficult to attain the expected exhaust gas cleaning effect.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated type inductor element including conductor patterns and ceramic green sheets laminated on each other and a manufacturing method for the laminated type inductor element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, inductor elements have been known to be formed by printing and laminating conductor patterns on a ceramic green sheet including a magnetic substance material. When a laminated type inductor component is used for a choke coil for a DC-DC converter, a large inductance value is desirable. In the past, so as to improve a direct-current superimposition characteristic or so as to achieve stress relaxation due to a difference in the thermal shrinkage ratios of magnetic substance materials, it has been proposed to provide an air gap within a laminated body. Such a technique is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 4-65807, for example.
So as to provide an air gap, it is desirable to apply a carbon paste, which is to disappear at the time of firing. Thus, an extra process is necessary.
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{
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A tubular instrument panel reinforcement has conventionally been known that is provided inside the instrument panel of a vehicle along the width direction of the vehicle (see Patent Document 1). The instrument panel reinforcement comprises a large-diameter portion arranged on the driver side to support the steering column and a small-diameter portion arranged on the passenger side to support the air conditioner, etc. The large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion are coupled together chiefly by fitting them together.
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Home Node-Bs (HNBs) for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Home e-Node-Bs (HeNBs) for Long Term Evolution (LTE) (collectively, “Home Node-Bs” (HNBs)), have been introduced in Release 8 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard, for example, to increase cellular coverage and overall system throughput. HNBs are physical devices (e.g., similar to wireless local area network (WLAN) access points (APs)) that provide access to UMTS and/or LTE services over extremely small service areas (or cells), such as private homes, small offices and coffee shops. As opposed to WLAN APs, which are generally accessible by wireless devices within their ranges, access to HNBs may be limited to smaller, more select groups of users referred to as closed subscriber groups (CSGs). Similar to WLAN APs, however, HNBs connect their users' wireless devices to the HNB operator's core network. For HNBs, the connection may be established using, for example, an internet connection (e.g., a digital subscriber line (DSL)). By way of example, a coffee shop owner (or subscriber) may choose to deploy an HNB in his or her shop to provide patrons (the CSG in this example) with a stronger wireless connection than may otherwise be available inside the shop. Due to their use in small service areas, HNBs may be densely deployed and, accordingly, located within the coverage area of one or more macro Node-Bs.
To enable certain functionalities for wireless devices or wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), such as handover (HO) between network nodes, it may be necessary for the WTRU to perform measurements, for example, on other frequencies or systems. To perform these measurements, the WTRU may require gaps.
Inter-frequency measurement reporting rules do not cover scenarios where it may be preferable for the WTRU to handover from a macro cell frequency to an HNB frequency, even if the quality of the macro cell frequency is still acceptable. The network typically configures the WTRU for compressed mode with gaps to measure other frequencies when the WTRU is at the border of one or more cells and needs to handover to another frequency.
The inter-frequency measurement reporting rules rarely apply to HNBs, which may be, for example, deployed in private homes localized anywhere in the macro cell coverage area (as described above). Nevertheless, a user may prefer to handover from a macro cell to an HNB, even if the quality of the frequency of the serving macro cell is above a predetermined threshold. To handover the WTRU from a macro cell to an HNB, the network may need to configure the user's WTRU for compressed mode in order to detect the HNB primary scrambling codes (PSCs) (applicable to UMTS HNBs) or physical cell identities (PCIs) (applicable to LTE HNB) on other frequencies.
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The present invention generally relates to a water sled apparatus. More specifically, the invention is a towable water sled apparatus.
It is an object of the invention to provide a towable water sled apparatus that is easily maneuvered by a rider.
It is an object of the invention to provide a towable water sled apparatus that greatly reduces diving or sinking while being towed, especially in an overturned position.
It is an object of the invention to provide a towable water sled apparatus that does not require a rider be strapped to the water sled apparatus while riding.
What is really needed is a towable water sled apparatus that is easily maneuvered by a rider, greatly reduces diving or sinking while being towed, especially in an overturned position and that does not require a rider be strapped to the water sled apparatus while riding.
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It is known, for example from French Pat. No. 2,587,895, to secure a removable dental prosthesis magnetically to an anchor face of a ferromagnetic body implanted in a jaw by means of an attachment system comprising a saliva-resistant cushioning mass secured in the prosthesis and forming a pocket open toward the anchor face, a ferromagnetic and saliva-resistant shell seated in the pocket and open toward the face, and a permanent magnet fixed in the shell and having a magnet face confronting the anchor face. The permanent magnet is of relatively great strength and of a material corrosible by saliva.
The shell typically leaves the magnet face exposed and, in order to protect it, it is covered with a layer about 3 mm thick of a protective material such as an acrylic resin. As this material is not magnetically attractable, it forms in effect an air gap between the magnet face and the anchor face. The magnetic attraction is therefore severely limited, so that the practice is to reduce the thickness of the protective coating in order to obtain maximum hold. This of course leaves the magnet relatively poorly protected and, if a leak occurs, the magnet quickly corrodes so that the denture needs to be repaired or replaced.
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At this time there is a critical national need for removing toxic compounds from groundwater, surface water and industrial waste waters without transferring these compounds to the atmosphere or to burial sites. At present, oxidation by incineration or chemical means is the only method of accomplishing true detoxification rather than mere displacement of these organic toxicants into the atmosphere or to another medium.
Incineration of dilute aqueous solutions of organic components is costly due to the energy required for the evaporation of water. Moreover, incineration may cause the formation of toxic by-products, such as dioxin derivatives, in the off-gases. Chemical oxidation processes to treat contaminated water include use of such substances as for example, potassium permanganate, chlorine dioxide, chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, or ozone. Additionally, oxidation may be enhanced using ultraviolet light (UV) in conjunction with any of these substances except permanganate.
Chemical detoxification methods are in commercial use for wastewaters and some ground waters. These methods present attendant disadvantages, however. For example, potassium permanganate produces manganese dioxide as a by-product during oxidation. Chlorine, and in some instances, chlorine dioxide, forms chlorinated organic compounds. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide plus ferrous sulfate (Fenton's reagent) produces soluble and insoluble iron residues.
Ozonation without UV light partially oxidizes benzene derivatives to mono- and di-basic acids which are biodegradable, but does not oxidize saturated halogenated compounds. Oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and UV light is useful for oxidizing a number of organic compounds, but in many cases the rates of oxidation are significantly slower than when using UV/03. While ozone combined with UV enhancement has been found to be cost-effective and practical for non-volatile unsaturated chlorinated hydrocarbons and a number of benzene derivatives, certain saturated chlorinated and oxygenated compounds, such as the pervasive pollutants methylene chloride and methanol, have been found to be refractory to UV-ozonation.
In addition certain types of fuels, such as rocket fuels, contain hydrazine and hydrazine derivatives including monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as well as mixtures of these compounds. During the course of procurement, storage, transport and testing of such hydrazine fuels, there is a possibility for environmental contamination, for example of water sources. Therefore, there is a need for treatment technologies for contaminated water generated at fuel production sites and/or from spilled fuels. The use of ozone and ultraviolet light to treat aqueous solutions containing hydrazine, MMH and UDMH has been investigated. (Sierka et al., Report September 1978, Civil and Environmental Engineering Development Office, (CEEDO), Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; and Jody et al., "Oxidation of Hydrazines and Their Associated Impurities", available from the Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif.).
The toxicity and carcinogenicity of most compounds with a N-nitroso (N-N=0) structure is well established (Druckery et al., Krebsforsch, 69:103 (1967); Ember, Chemical and Engineering News, 58:20 (1980); and Tsai-Hi et al., J. Agr. Food Chem., 19:1267 (1971)). Nitrosamines, one group of N-nitroso compounds, are formed when amines react with nitrogen oxides and/or nitrite ions (Ember, supra). Because of ready availability of precursors, presumably (CH.sub.3).sub.2 N.multidot. and partially oxidized nitrogen species such as NO.sub.2 --, NO and NO.sub.2, dimethylnitrosamine, (DMNA) one of the more potent carcinogens in various animal species, can be formed as an intermediate during oxidation of UDMH and to a much lesser extent during oxidation of MMH. (Judeikis, "Modeling the Ozonolysis at Hydrazine Wastewater", available from the Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif.) has proposed a general mechanism applicable to the ozonation of hydrazine derivatives concluding that oxidation of DMNA, which reaches the maximum level just as the parent hydrazines are no longer detectable, spears to be the rate limiting step in the overall ozonation of hydrazine derivatives. Because DMNA is more resistant than the parent compound (UDMH) to oxidation it persists in the solution of oxidized UDMH solutions after the parent compound has been completely destroyed.
Thus, there is a long standing need for powerful and practical methods for removing a wide spectrum of toxic compounds from water. Such a method should provide both a highly effective and cost-effective means of detoxifying hazardous compounds. The present application fulfills these needs and provides related advantages as well.
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This invention relates generally to electrical medical leads and more particularly to epicardial defibrillation electrode leads.
Early epicardial defibrillation electrodes typically took the form of a wire mesh mounted in an insulative backing. Such electrodes are illustrated in design U.S. Pat. No. 274,262 issued to Heilman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,203 issued to Tacker et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,932 issued to Ideker et al.
The above cited electrodes, while workable, do not exhibit the degree of flexibility that might be desired in conjunction with a large surface area defibrillation electrode. The surface of the heart undergoes a complex wringing motion characterized by longitudinal and circumferential dimensional changes and by angular shear deformation with each heartbeat. The heart, therefore, displays an actual change in surface area, with individual areas of the surface of the heart moving relative to one another during each contraction. Large surface area electrodes of fixed configuration cannot both maintain intimate contact with the surface of the heart and follow the surface of the heart as the heart beats.
A number of defibrillation electrodes do display increased flexibility and an ability to reshape themselves to conform to the changing surface of the heart. For example, the electrodes illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,656 issued to Smits, FIGS. 6A, 7 and 10 display generally planar insulative electrode bodies with a plurality of individual conductive areas. These conductive areas may move relative to one another because of the provision of perforations extending through the lead body which allow relative movement of the electrodes within the plane defined by the lead body. This allows the individual electrode surfaces of the lead to remain adjacent heart tissue while it moves during contraction of the heart.
The form of the conductive surfaces employed in defibrillation electrodes has also changed in recent history. U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,634 issued to Holleman et al discloses a flexible electrode patch which employs an elongated electrode coil, rather than a wire mesh. The coil follows an elongated convoluted path along the electrode head and, in conjunction with the elasticity of the head provides some ability to conform to the heart as it changes shape during contractions. A similar electrode design, but lacking an insulative backing, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,769 issued to Fogarty et al. In this lead, the electrode comprises a multifilar coil embedded in the surface of an elongated defibrillation electrode which displays a spiral configuration at its distal end. This spiral portion defines a generally planar insulative lead body with provision for allowing movement of individual conductive areas (turns of the electrode coil) relative to one another within the plane defined by the electrode body, and should be able to follow changes in configuration of the heart surface during contraction of the heart.
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Many purification techniques include a heating step. It is difficult to purify double-stranded DNA using these techniques because heating causes denaturation of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) duplexes to form single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). This causes problems for any downstream DNA processing techniques which require dsDNA.
Various methods for stabilising double-stranded nucleic acids are known. For examples, reference 1 reviews the sequence-specific isolation and purification of intact dsDNA by oligonucleotide/PNA -assisted affinity capture. References 2 & 3 discuss the use of the PD-loop in the isolation of dsDNA fragments from complex mixtures. Reference 4 discloses the use of ion-pair reversed-phase HPLC to purify dsDNA. Other methods are discussed in the introduction to references 5 and 6, and commercially-available kits include the Wizard™ Genomic DNA Purification Kit (Promega), FlexiPrep™ (Pharmacia Biotech) and Whatman BioScience's Genomic DNA Purification System (‘WBPS’; ref. 7).
Reference 5 discloses methods and reagents for stabilising dsDNA. It discloses an aqueous solution for treating a nucleic acid duplex having a pH of from 3 to 11 and comprising (a) a soluble protein or mixture of proteins and (b) 0.1 mM to 10 mM divalent cations. The nature and concentration of the soluble protein or mixture of proteins is selected so that the solution is capable of inhibiting heat denaturation of a nucleic acid duplex.
The preferred proteins used in reference 5 are from mammalian blood serum. By its nature, however, serum is a complex mixture. It would be advantageous to achieve the same effects as disclosed in reference 5 using simpler and/or more defined reagents. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide improved reagents, methods and compositions for use in stabilising nucleic acid duplexes such as dsDNA.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention regards an arrangement by a hydraulic jar device, especially for use in underground wells, where the jar device is installed in a pipe string led down into the well, and designed so that e.g. a stuck object in the well may be loosened or broken up by upward or downward percussions from the jar device, where the jar device comprises a casing member, a connector sleeve, a jar, the casing member and connector sleeve each having separate longitudinal through bores, while the jar has a bore such that hydraulic liquid may pass in the jar device, and where the jar device is provided with a piston associated with a valve designed to close and open a bore during the percussion cycle, the piston valve being designed, respectively, to be closed by the inflow of hydraulic liquid and be opened by a tension spring tensioned during the percussion cycle, when the spring force of the tension spring exceeds the pressure from the inflowing hydraulic liquid, to enable the piston to displace the jar relative to the casing member in order to carry out the percussion.
2. Background of the Related Art
Such jar devices are often used in connection with anchoring of valves, measurement equipment and other equipment downhole. The jar device is provided in a pipe string, e.g. a drill pipe string or coiled tubing, and equipment to be placed in the well is fitted to the lower end of the jar device. As mentioned, the jar device is provided with a passage such that inflowing liquid may pass before the jar device is actuated for percussion. The equipment to be placed in the well may be equipped with grippers, spring bosses or something else that will grip e.g. grooves or seating areas in the wall of the well. In order to ensure that the equipment does not come loose, it is often provided with a locking device to be actuated when at least one shear pin is broken off. In those cases where the pipe string is not able to transfer sufficient force to break off at least one shear pin, it may be broken by means of the jar device. Moreover, the jar device is often used purely as a measure, so that the equipment may be loosened, were it to get stuck.
Such hydraulic jar devices are often pre-tensioned by means of an external spring over the jar device. Alternatively, a long drill string or coiled tubing may constitute the spring element. The percussion is carried out by impact areas on the jar device being moved apart, whereupon the pre-tensioned spring sends the impact areas back towards each other. As mentioned, the jar device comprises a hydraulic piston provided with a passage and an associated valve. The valve is normally open, so that liquid may pass through the piston of the jar device when not actuated for percussion. When the jar device is to be actuated for percussion, increasing the flow rate of the inflowing hydraulic liquid closes the passage, so that the valve is closed at the time in question during the percussion cycle. Alternatively, pushing the jar into the casing member may in one embodiment actuate the device. At this, the piston and also the impact areas of the jar device will be displaced relative to each other during the preparation for the percussion. At the same time, the spring is tensioned further as a result of the movement in the jar device. The piston valve is opened when, during the percussion cycle, the jar device has been brought to the extreme position in question, to allow the liquid to flow through the piston again. The hydraulic force against the piston will then suddenly decrease, and the external, associated spring over the jar device will send the impact areas against each other in order to carry out the percussion, whereupon the percussion cycle is repeated.
The use of a spring that can be pre-tensioned from the outside in order to drive the percussion in the jar device is known. It is further known to design the spring so as to allow it to be pre-tensioned either by pulling the pipe string in the direction away from the jar device or pushing the pipe string in the direction towards the jar device. The magnitude of the impact force may be varied through the pre-tensioning of the spring. When the pre-tensioned spring over the jar device is in a neutral position, hydraulic liquid may be passed through the pipe string without actuating the jar device. The jar device is actuated for percussive movement by a pressure increase in the hydraulic liquid contained in the jar device; this will result in cyclic closing and opening of the piston valve, so that the jar device prepares and performs the percussion in the percussion cycle by displacing the relevant components of the jar device, whereupon the procedure is repeated for new percussions. In one embodiment, the jar device may, as mentioned above, be actuated through the jar being pushed into the casing member.
In many of the known jar devices, see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,807,709, 3,570,611, 3,379,261 and 3,361,220, the weight of the equipment hanging from the jar device is often sufficient to actuate the piston valve, so as to close the passage for the hydraulic liquid, thereby actuating the percussion effect. This means that it is not possible to circulate liquid through the pipe string when the jar device is being run into or out of the well. If prolonged circulation is required, the percussion effect may damage the equipment. The hydraulic parts of the jar device such as the piston and valve components, will become worn during operation and therefore require regular replacement. Upon lengthy operation requiring circulation of liquid, parts of the jar device may wear significantly before the jar device comes to be used in the required operations. This may result in a reduced percussion effect and faulty operation. However these are conditions that have essentially been remedied by the jar device according to NO patent 304 199. Here, an efficient, reliable and robust hydraulic jar device of the above-mentioned type has been provided through relatively simple and reasonable means. Furthermore, circulation of liquid such as drill fluid through the jar device is possible without this being actuated upon pre-tensioning of the spring, and it is possible to initiate the percussion effect by increasing the pressure of the inflowing volume of liquid, as the piston valve can not close until there is an increase in pressure in the inflowing liquid.
However the known jar devices, especially jar devices with upward percussions, suffer from a shortcoming in that the impact areas in question are provided on the outside of the jar device. Consequently, the percussion effect may be limited by influences from the outside of the jar device, e.g. by contaminants depositing between the impact areas. Another shortcoming of known jar devices is that the hydraulic liquid can close the piston valve before the impact areas has reached full impact against each other during the final period of the percussion cycle. This means that the liquid over such a prematurely closed piston valve will brake the percussion and give a reduced percussion effect.
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The development and integration of low-k materials for sidewall spacers has proven challenging, primarily due to their weakness, particularly resulting from downstream processing, e.g., etching, ashing, and/or cleaning. Conventional practices include the use of a robust film such as oxide, silicon nitride (SiN), silicon carbon nitride (SiCN), etc. as a crust layer to protect the weaker low-k materials during the downstream processes. Such techniques are effective to reduce lateral erosion of the low-k materials, but provide minimal protection to spacer shoulder loss. These conventional approaches also result in unwanted epitaxial (EPI) growth, trench silicide-gate (TS-PC) short, and gate height variations. Further, such approaches prevent implementation of materials with lower dielectric constant (k) values to further boost device performance.
A need therefore exists for methodology enabling formation of a robust low-k sidewall spacer for downstream processes and the resulting device.
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Occupant position and weight estimation systems are useful in connection with air bags and other pyrotechnically deployed restraints for purposes of determining whether, and how forcefully, to deploy the restraints. For example, deployment of an air bag can be disabled if the occupant is positioned in close proximity to the air bag cover, or if the seated weight of the occupant is indicative of an infant seat or a small child. A well known weight estimation technique is to locate a fluid-filled bladder in or under a vehicle seat cushion, and to estimate the seated weight of the occupant based on the fluid pressure in the bladder. See for example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,987,370 and 6,246,936 to Murphy et al., the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,101,436 and 6,490,936 to Fortune et al., and in particular the U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,871 to Gray et al. which discloses the use of a seat bladder having multiple fluid-filled chambers corresponding to different areas of the seat cushion. In Gray et al., fluid pressures in the various chambers of the bladder are individually measured and summed to form a composite pressure, and the composite pressure is adjusted in a direction to favor restraint enablement when the pressure in an outboard chamber of the bladder significantly exceeds the average pressure. On the other hand, the restraints are disabled if the pressure distribution indicates that the occupant is positioned at the front of the seat cushion in close proximity to the air bag cover.
In a production vehicle, the capabilities of occupant position and weight estimation systems are typically limited due to cost considerations, and the systems are ideally designed to acquire the necessary information about the occupant while minimizing system cost. For example, a seat bladder can be used to reliably characterize an occupant with relatively low system cost, but the use of a bladder with several chambers and individual pressure sensors may be cost prohibitive in many vehicles. Accordingly, what is needed is way of maximizing the occupant information available from a low-cost position and weight estimation system.
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The present invention relates to a method for forming structures and more specifically to a method of constructing a structure having a desired contoured configuration.
Inflatable forms for construction of structures have been known for many years. The inventor is aware of the following U.S. patents (two of which are his).
Inventor(s)U.S. Pat. No.Bird et al3,225,413Widmer3,232,806Fontaine3,506,746Turner3,779,847Bell, Jr.3,801,685Nicholson4,041,671Braine4,365,455Boyce4,442,059Thoeny4,550,544Dahl et al4,651,478Thoeny4,683,696Hale4,746,471Vicino4,799,982Sallee5,579,609
The problem with these references is the limitation of the shape of the structure formed in space using fabric. Present technology of forming fabric (non-woven, woven, knitted, etc.) permits the production of very large expanses of fabric which can be disposed over a skeletal structure to form a structure having a desired contoured configuration. Further, the prior art required considerable labor, time and materials. There is a need for a method of forming a structure having a desired contoured configuration at reduced costs and time, as well as obtaining unusual and artistic contours and configurations in the finished product.
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The present invention relates to a fuel assembly loaded in a boiling water reactor and a reactor core containing such a fuel assembly, and more particularly to a fuel assembly and a reactor core which contribute to achievement of higher burn-up and an improvement in fuel economy.
In existent boiling water reactors, a fuel assembly is built up in such a manner that a fuel rod group (fuel bundle) is constituted by a number of fuel rods arrayed in a square lattice pattern and containing nuclear fuel material and at least one moderator rod containing no nuclear fuel materials, and a channel box is arranged to surround the fuel rod group. The presence of the channel box defines a coolant path passing the fuel rod group inside the channel box and a coolant path outside the channel box. Light water as a coolant and a moderator flows through those paths. The light water flowing through the inside of the channel box boils, but the light water flowing through the outside of the channel box does not boil. Accordingly, the fuel rods making up the fuel assembly are subjected to different profiles of moderator distribution depending on whether they are located near to or far from the channel box.
Recently, raising burn-up of a fuel assembly has been attempted from the standpoints of effectively utilizing uranium resource and reducing the amount of spent fuel generated. For this purpose, it is required to increase mean fuel enrichment of a fuel assembly. With fuel enrichment of fuel rods increasing, however, a number density of fuel material is increased, hence a fission cross section is enlarged. At corners of a channel box including a fuel assembly, because neutrons produced by nuclear fission are effectively moderated with light water, that flows outside the channel box surrounding fuel rods, to become thermal neutron flux, the thermal neutron flux is intensified around the fuel rods near the channel box corners. As a combined result of the above effects, those fuel rods which are arranged at the corners of the channel box including the fuel assembly exhibit higher power and a higher local power peaking factor so that a thermal design margin decreases.
As one prior art for solving the above-mentioned problem, it has been proposed to make an outer diameter of the fuel rods arranged at the channel box corners smaller than that of other fuel rods, thereby suppressing an increase in the fission cross section due to greater enrichment, lowering the power per unit length of the fuel rods arranged at the channel box corners, and reducing their local power peaking factor (see JP, A,52-9792 and JP, A, 58-129385, for example: this prior art will be hereinafter referred to as the first prior art). As another prior art, it has also been proposed to provide a central region where a plurality of fuel rods are arranged in a square lattice pattern and a peripheral region in which a plurality of fuel rods are arranged in a triangular lattice pattern and which surrounds the central region, and to increase a diameter of some fuel rods correspondingly to an increase in distance between those fuel rods and the channel box resulted from the presence of the triangular lattice pattern, thereby increasing the power of those fuel rods, lowering a share of the power to be borne by the fuel rods arranged at the channel box corners, and reducing their local power peaking factor (see JP, A,1-308994: this prior art will be hereinafter referred to as the second prior art).
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a current injection-type optical semiconductor device and a semiconductor laser device in a frequency domain of a millimeter-wave band to a terahertz band (for example, from 30 GHz to 30 THz).
2. Description of the Related Art
A quantum cascade laser in which carrier transitions are performed between energy levels in the same energy band of either a conduction band or a valence band has been disclosed as a semiconductor laser. Since the oscillation wavelength of such a laser depends on the energy gap between two energy levels relating to optical transition, the oscillation wavelength can be selected over a wide spectrum range (for example, from a mid-infrared region to a terahertz band). In one example, laser light was achieved in a quantum cascade laser in which the oscillation wavelength was selected at 4.2 μm in the mid-infrared region. In another example, as disclosed by Rüdeger Köhler et al., (Nature, vol. 417 (2002), 156), a laser oscillation was confirmed even in a quantum cascade laser in which the oscillation wavelength was selected at 67 μm in the terahertz band. This suggests that such a semiconductor laser, in which carrier transitions are performed between energy levels in the same energy band of either a conduction band or a valence band, is useful as a light source in the terahertz band.
A description of a quantum cascade laser will now be provided with reference to FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 shows a part of the structure of a conduction band when an electric field is applied to a quantum cascade laser. A region A 410 includes potential barriers 441, 443, 445, and 447, and quantum wells 442, 444, and 446. This structure provides energy levels 411, 412, and 413 in the region A 410. A region B 420 includes potential barriers 447, 449, 451, 453, and 455, and quantum wells 448, 450, 452, and 454. This structure provides a mini-band 421 in which a plurality of energy levels is bundled. The region A 410 and the region B 420 are periodically repeated a plurality of times. A region A 430 indicates a region A in the subsequent period.
When a predetermined electric field is applied to the quantum cascade laser, an electric current flows. In particular, an electron undergoes an optical transition 401 from the energy level 411 to the energy level 412 in the region A 410, thereby emitting light having a wavelength corresponding to the energy gap between the energy level 411 and the energy level 412. Subsequently, the electron at the energy level 412 in the region A 410 is extracted to the region B 420 through the energy level 413 by, for example, optical phonon scattering 402. The electron passing through the mini-band 421 in the region B 420 is injected in the subsequent region A 430 and undergoes the optical transition as in the region A 410. Since the energy gap between the energy level 411 and the energy level 412 can be freely designed, light emitted by the quantum cascade laser can be selected over a wide spectrum range. Such light is resonated with an appropriate optical resonator, thereby performing laser oscillation.
In order that the oscillation wavelength is selected in the range from the millimeter-wave band to the terahertz band, the energy gap between two energy levels relating to the optical transition in the region A should be as small as the broadening of an energy level that is essentially inevitable (11 meV, K. K. Choi et al., Physical Review B, vol. 35 (1987), 4172) or less. Therefore, in the structure of the known quantum cascade laser in which the oscillation wavelength is selected in the range from the millimeter-wave band to the terahertz band, a non-radiative current path wherein carriers flow from the region A to the region B without undergoing the optical transition, or a non-radiative current path wherein carriers flow from the region B to the region A without undergoing the optical transition, forms a short-circuit. In a typical case, the carriers in the region B remain in a warmed up state. As a result, a population inversion required for laser oscillation typically cannot be achieved.
Accordingly, to perform laser oscillation in which the oscillation wavelength is selected at the terahertz band, the known quantum cascade laser must typically be cooled to a low temperature (95 K or less, Rüdeger Köhler et al., Applied Physics Letters, vol. 84 (2004), 1266). Therefore, a semiconductor laser device that performs laser oscillation at higher temperatures (for example, room temperature of 300K) is desired.
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The present invention relates to the knitting of seamless hose and in particular to the method of forming hosiery such as socks, stockings and the like with closed toe portions in the form of a pocket which is constricted about its center.
Methods of closing the toe portions of knitted hosiery are well known in which the hose is twisted and/or constricted directly on the knitting machine to form a closed pocket. Such techniques present a particular problem which has as yet not been solved with sufficient satisfaction. The twisting or constricting of the hose confines the knitwork forming the wall of the hose into a diameter several times smaller than the diameter of the knitwork actually formed on the knitting machine. Consequently an undesirable and uncontrolled layering and overlapping of the knitwork takes place in the constricted section and as a result a lower quality of hose is produced both from the viewpoint of appearance as well as from wearability. Additionally the overlapping layers of fabric are uncomfortable and become a cause of sore feet during wearing as a result of the pressing of the shoe against the toes.
One of the methods of solving this problem, reduces the volume of the knitwork by omitting some loop courses in the section of the toe portion to be constricted. When knitting the toe portion of the hose as the final step, this is performed by not knitting the toe portion on all of the needles in the cylinder and the needles are brought to such a position that they do not catch the yarn. As a result free sections are formed between two adjacent loop wales. This method successfully reduces the volume of the knitwork but it does not overcome the unsightly overlapping and layering of the knitwork in the closed area, because it does not successfully reduce the overall diameter of the toe portion.
Another solution which has been attempted called for knitting the knitwork of the closing toe portion from a rib structure having the inherent property of causing the hose to assume a smaller diameter. This can be obtained by forming the purl loop wales so that they are displaced in the knitwork behind the rib loop wales. As a result the outer circumference of the hose has a smaller number of loop wales than the actual number of wales in the knitwork. This solution, however, has the disadvantage in that it can be only formed on a knitting machine having two needle beds and thus in particular is adaptable only to two cylinder circular machines.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method for forming hose having closed toe portions which overcome the disadvantages and defects of the prior art method.
It is another object of the present invention to provide circular knit hose having an improved closed toe portion in which the disadvantages and defects of overlapping and layering common in the prior art are avoided.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a circular knit hose having reduced volume and yarn in the constricted portion and which may thus be closed in a more efficient and improved manner.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method for forming circular knit hose having an improved closed toe portion capable of being knit on one needle cylinder machine as well as on two needle cylinder machines.
The foregoing objects, other objects and the numerous advantages of the present invention method and hose will be apparent from the following disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
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The present invention relates to machinery used to produce composite wood products, and in particular relates to disks used in rotating disk-type wood strand orienter machinery.
Composite wood products such as oriented strand board (xe2x80x9cOSBxe2x80x9d), particleboard and the like are produced from wood particles or strands. Such strands are generally elongated (longer than they are wide), and it is desirable to have these strands aligned longitudinally and lying flat on the mat when producing OSB. During the manufacturing process, strands of wood are typically formed into mats with the orientation of the wood strands controlled by strand-orienting machinery. Generally, the quality of a composite wood product depends in large part upon how well aligned the wood strands are in the wood strand mat produced by the orienter.
Commonly used strand orienters employ rotating disks. One type of orienter known in the art is the xe2x80x9cStokesxe2x80x9d type of orienter, which is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,431, which issued on Dec. 24, 1963 to Stokes et al. This orienter uses a plurality of intermeshed rotating disks mounted on a plurality of substantially parallel shafts oriented in a plane beneath a supply of wood strands. The wood strands are permitted to fall down upon the disks, which, while turning, tend to align the strands longitudinally. The aligned strands fall between the disks to form a mat of strands on a platform or conveyor beneath the disks. The mat is accordingly formed of particles aligned generally longitudinally, although the strands are not perfectly aligned.
Another type of orienter known in the art, which also employs orienting disks, is the type known as the xe2x80x9cBxc3xcrknerxe2x80x9d orienter. The Bxc3xcrkner orienter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,285, which issued on 19 Apr., 1983. In the Bxc3xcrkner orienter, disks on adjacent shafts are arranged in pairs in side-by-side relationship, defining passages for allowing strands of wood to pass through to form a mat.
The disclosures of the aforementioned Stokes and Bxc3xcrkner patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Over many years, various types and shapes of orienting disks have been used in Stokes and Bxc3xcrkner orienters to orient wood strands. One type of disk commonly used today is shown in FIG. 1 (the xe2x80x9cprior art diskxe2x80x9d). This prior art disk has a generally circular shape, with protuberances formed along its periphery. Shallow notches are also cut into the periphery, the notches having a rear edge extending inwardly towards the center of the disk, and a forward edge extending upwardly and forwardly from the bottom of the rear edge, as described in greater detail below.
As discussed earlier, better quality wood composite products can be formed from wood strand mats having a high percentage of strands that are aligned longitudinally as well as lying flat on the mat, and the improved orienting disk of the present invention provides better strand alignment than the prior art disk.
The present invention provides an improved orienting disk for use in a wood strand orienter. In one embodiment of the invention the orienting disk comprises a plate having a generally circular shape and an outer periphery. An aperture is formed through the center of the plate for allowing the plate to be fitted onto a shaft in the wood strand orienter for rotation in a first direction about a rotation axis. A plurality of fin-shaped teeth extend outwardly from the periphery of the plate.
Each one of the teeth has a leading edge extending outwardly from the periphery of the plate to a tip of the tooth, the leading edge facing the first direction of rotation when the disk is fitted onto the shaft; and a trailing edge trailing rearwardly and downwardly from the tip of the tooth to the periphery of the plate.
In another embodiment of the invention, the fin-shaped teeth number between two and eight and are evenly spaced about the periphery of the plate. In yet another embodiment, there are six fin-shaped teeth, and each one of the teeth is separated from another by 60xc2x0 about the periphery of the plate.
The leading and trailing edges can be straight or curved, but in a preferred embodiment, the leading edge is straight, and the trailing edge is curved.
In another preferred embodiment, protuberances are formed about the periphery of the disk, between the fin-shaped teeth.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal transmission cable with a connector, which requires measures against EMI (electromagnetic interference). More particularly, the present invention relates to a signal transmission cable with a connector, which can respond to noise regulations prescribed by every country without impairing appearance and handleability by combining a closed magnetic path core embedded in a folded portion of a shielding layer of a cable, and a shielded cable having a magnetic powder compound layer. This technology is useful for various signal transmission cables used in, for example, computers game machines, office equipment, portable devices, medical equipment, in-vehicle equipment, machine tools, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with the increased processing speed in electronic equipment, errors caused by electromagnetic interference noise have become a problem. Accordingly, as for a signal cable which transmits and receives several ten Mbps signals, in order to reduce unnecessary electromagnetic radiation attributable to a common mode current, there have been heretofore taken various measures as described below.
(1) Attachment of Low-pass Filter to Signal Line
A filter circuit including a capacitance, an inductance unit or a combination thereof is connected to an output terminal of a single signal transmission circuit.
(2) Attachment of Common Mode Choke to Signal Line
By attaching a common mode choke to an output terminal of a signal transmission circuit, balance of a signal is enhanced, and a common mode current is reduced.
(3) Use of Shielded Cable and Connector
A signal line is shielded by covering the signal line with a metal plate or a wire mesh.
(4) Attachment of Ferrite Core to Outside of Cable Insulating Coating
By attaching a ferrite core to outside of cable insulating coating, a common mode current flowing through a shielding layer of a cable is suppressed. The ferrite core is housed in a resin case, for example, which is divided into two parts and can be united in a snap-fit manner. The ferrite core is fitted from the outside of the cable.
(5) Use of Ferrite Cable
By interposing a ferrite compound layer (a layer having ferrite powder mixed in a resin material) between a shielding layer (braided shield) and insulating coating of a cable, a common mode current flowing through the shielding layer is suppressed.
However, when trying to reduce unnecessary electromagnetic radiation of a cable for a high-speed signal of over several hundred Mbps by use of the conventional technology as described above, the following problems were observed.
(1) Attachment of Low-pass Filter to Signal Line
In order to transmit and receive a signal at a transmission rate of several hundred Mbps, a rise time and a fall time of a digital waveform have to be set to several hundred picoseconds. In order to transmit and receive a signal without a bit error, it is required to ensure the 6 dB bandwidth of a transmission line to be up to several GHz. However, when a method of attaching a low-pass filter to a signal line is used to try to conform to regulations for unnecessary electromagnetic radiation prescribed by every country, it is required to set a cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter to several ten MHz. Accordingly, the 6 dB bandwidth of the transmission line, which is required for signal transmission, cannot be ensured.
(2) Attachment of Common Mode Choke to Signal Line
A common mode choke basically reduces only a common mode current, and does not affect a differential or a single signal. However, since an actual common mode choke has differences in resistance of a coil and a wire length, when the frequency reaches several ten MHz or more, the common mode choke starts to function as a low-pass filter for the differential or the single signal. Thus, a bit error is caused by received waveform rounding in signal transmission of several hundred Mbps or more.
(3) Use of Shielded Cable and Connector
In actual shielded connector and shielded cable, electrical connection on a contact surface between metal plates or between a metal plate and a braided shield is not perfect. Generally, the higher the frequency gets, the more the contact impedance between the metal plates or between the metal plate and the braided shield is increased. Accordingly, a shielding effect diminishes from around 800 MHz. Moreover, when a common mode current flows through a differential signal line in the shielded cable, the common mode current returns to a source of the signal via the braided shield of the shielded cable. Thus, unnecessary electromagnetic radiation is generated from the braided shield. Accordingly, only by use of the shielded cable and connector, a frequency band having a sufficient shielding effect to reduce unnecessary electromagnetic radiation of a signal having a transmission rate of several hundred Mbps is narrow. Consequently, a sufficient reduction effect cannot be obtained for the common mode current caused by unbalance of a differential signal.
(4) Attachment of Ferrite Core to Outside of Cable Insulating Coating
Since a ferrite core fitted to outside of insulating coating of a cable is large and heavy, flexibility becomes poor. Thus, not only does handling of the cable become difficult, but also the appearance thereof is impaired. Moreover, assembly and attachment costs of the core are increased. Furthermore, since magnetic permeability is lowered at a frequency as high as 800 MHz or more, a sufficient common mode current suppression effect cannot be obtained. A signal having a transmission rate of several hundred Mbps or more has an electrical energy of up to several GHz. Thus, an unnecessary electromagnetic radiation reduction effect at the frequency as high as 800 MHz or more is insufficient.
(5) Use of Ferrite Cable
A cable having a ferrite compound layer exerts a stable common mode current suppression effect at a frequency of 100 MHz or more. In addition, the cable has a smart appearance and good flexibility (bendability). However, the cable has hardly any common mode current suppression effect at a frequency of 100 MHz or less. Thus, a reduction effect cannot be obtained for a low-frequency common mode current of a signal having a transmission rate of several hundred Mbps or more.
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FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional laminated fiber metal composite 20 including a body 22 having a plurality of fiber plies 24 and a plurality of metal foil sheets 26 stacked in face to face relation in a predetermined order and orientation. Each fiber ply 24 has a resin mixture (not shown) interspersed between a plurality of reinforcing fibers (not shown). Each metal foil sheet 26 is uninterrupted throughout its length and width and is sized and shaped similarly to the fiber plies 24. Because the metal foil sheets 26 are generally solid, the resin mixture may need to be interspersed between the fibers of each fiber ply and/or positioned between the fiber plies prior to lamination, for example by prepregging the fibers, wet-winding each fiber ply, resin transfer molding, and/or resin film infusion. Fiber metal laminates such as the laminate 20 may be used for many different applications, such as armor systems, high performance automotive components, and high-performance aerospace components.
The solid metal foil sheet between adjacent pre-impregnated fiber plies can increase bearing strength and other properties. However, if it is desired to infuse resin into a dry preform of fiber plies using a resin infusion process, the metal foil sheet can inhibit resin flow, resulting in resin starved regions.
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Satellite (re)transmission of a restricted distribution television program relies upon transmission of an encrypted version of the program. The encrypted program is decrypted at the television receiver by a decryption chip or module that is provided for legitimate subscribers. Unfortunately, these decryption chips are often cloned without authorization, and the satellite television broadcasting industry estimates that as much as $8 billion in potential revenues is lost annually because of these clones. Various signal encryption schemes have been proposed by workers in this field.
Hermann, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,521, discloses a system for coding guidance signals that are produced at a central station and transmitted to a self-propelled vehicle, such as a missile or guidable satellite, that is to be guided or whose control surfaces are to be adjusted from time to time. The length of the coded signal is kept low, and transmission of the coded signal is immediately preceded by transmission of a noise signal with uniform power density per unit frequency interval, to frustrate attempts to jam or interfere with transmission and receipt of the coded signal. The coded signal, when received by the vehicle, is decoded and applied to guide or control the vehicle. The concern here is interference with receipt by the intended recipient (the vehicle) of the transmitted message, not receipt and comprehension of the guidance signal by some other entity. Coding and anti-interference measures, but not encryption and decryption, are employed.
Teeter et al disclose use of pseudo-noise modulations and specific address encoding to permit multiple conversations or signal transmissions between a central station and a plurality of vehicles, or between the vehicles, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,271. A receiver for such (broadcast) signals is provided with a filter that accepts only signals with the proper address coding and disposes of all other messages. The encoded address also identifies the source of the message. The inventors note that this technique is useful only over modest ranges and that the most suitable frequency range is tens of kilohertz up to tens of megahertz.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,343, issued to Barrett, discloses transmission of an enciphered television signal during a field blanking interval that can be received, recognized and deciphered by a viewer with an authorized signal decoder and deciphering key. A subset of television viewers, those with the decoder and particular key, can be addressed for particular messages or programs.
Stern et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,067, disclose a tamper-resistant subscription television signal descrambling system in which a security carrier signal causes a television receiver to receive a selected program or an adjacent channel program, depending on whether the subscriber is or is not authorized to receive the selected program. If the viewer attempts to tamper with the descrambling system, to retune the receiver to receive a program on an unauthorized channel, the security carrier signal interferes with and blocks reception of comprehensible signals on the unauthorized channel.
Provision of a television signal filter, arranged for maximum attenuation for channels that a receiver is not authorized to receive, is disclosed by Waldo in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,288. Authorized channel signals have little or no attenuation. Any attempt to disable the filter results in blockage of signals on all channels.
Encryption using destination addresses using a TDMA satellite communications system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,415, issued to Fennel et al. A common encryption/decryption key is held by all authorized users of a network. This key is EXclusively ORed with the specified destination address, and the output (digital) signal is passed through an encryption engine, on the satellite and at the intended ground-based receiver, using the same key or another key. The encryption engine output signal is then combined with the channel data to be transmitted in another EXclusive OR circuit and transmitted to the network users. Each of the receivers receives the message and reverses the encryption process, using its own destination address as part of the decryption key. However, only the (single) intended receiver produces a cleartext message that is comprehensible.
Hanas et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,266, disclose use of a satellite scrambling network to provide messages that are scrambled or encrypted differently for different geographical regions. This is useful for distributing scrambled video, voice and data subscriber messages. A master uplink message (ground-to-satellite) is used to control the scrambling or encryption commands that determine the scrambling applied to each geographical area and/or to groups of individual subscribers.
A cable television subscriber system with two-way telephone communication is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,955, issued to Kauffman. When a receiver transmits a request to view a particular television program, the headend determines if sufficient credits are available to pay for viewing the requested program. The requested program signals are descrambled only if sufficient credits are available.
A cable television security arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,239, issued to Frezza et al, attaches a bootable checksum to the requested program signals transmitted to a requesting receiver. The receiver compares the received checksum with a checksum stored at the receiver. The signal descrambler is enabled only if the two checksums agree.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,510, issued to Jeffers et al, discloses insertion of digitized audio and control signals in the horizontal blanking intervals of a television signal. The control signals appear as frames or packets, with a header containing a group address, synchronization and program-related information. A second portion of the header, containing control information addressed only to one or more specified receiver units, allows control of certain receiver functions at the transmission end of the system. The system uses several tiers of message authorization levels and a common audio or video key that is encrypted differently for use by each receiving authorized receiver. An authorized receiver receives only the information intended for that receiver, and unauthorized receivers receive only a scrambled message.
A cable television system with signal descrambling circuits located remote from the subscriber's premises is disclosed by Dumbauld et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,386. When a receiver requests viewing of a particular channel, the requested channel is compared with a list of channels authorized for viewing by that receiver. Signal descrambling occurs only if the requested channel is on the authorized list.
Horne, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,296, discloses a three-key cryptographic system for a direct broadcast satellite system, to be used in video broadcasting to a plurality of ground-based receivers, each having a unique address number. A signature key, which is an encryption using the address number for that receiver, is stored in the receiver at the time of manufacturing. At the transmitter, a common key is encrypted, using the unique signature key for a receiver that is targeted for a portion of the message to be transmitted. The data stream contains message portions intended for all receivers and message portions intended for, and decryptable only by, individual receivers. A target receiver decrypts its messages, using the common key and signature key used by the transmitter to encrypt the receiver's portions of the message.
Use of frequency hopping for transmission of cleartext cable television signals is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,912,760 and 5,014,309, issued to West et al. An assembly of off-premises voltage-controlled oscillators provides jamming of the transmitted signal for a requesting receiver if that receiver is not authorized to receive that program, as determined at the head end or at the VCO assembly. Use of addressable, remotely located signal traps or jammers for program signals transmitted in the clear is also disclosed by Barany in U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,865.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,737, issued to Chomet et al, discloses an anti-piracy television program scrambling/descrambling system that allows the encryption/decryption code to be changed periodically (e.g., once per month) by communication from the head end or central station. The receiver's decryption unit has an unalterable ROM portion, containing its unique serial or address number, and an EPROM portion, containing an alterable ROM portion with a look-up table that can be changed by receipt of special signals from the head end.
Kolbert discloses use of parallel transmission of "real" data and "junk" data to all recipients, to mask which user is the intended recipient of a message, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,057. The system is intended to be used where several different systems on an aircraft (e.g., communication, navigation, visual display) receive different subsets of data, some of which are confidential. The radiation produced by transmission along hardwired circuits in parallel allegedly masks the message and the intended recipient.
Transmission of a television program signal together with a general addressing control message and a shared or special addressing control message is disclosed by Guillou et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,428. The special message determines which receivers can view the transmitted signal and is reconfigurable at any time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,431, issued to Keegan, discloses a method of decryption of encrypted P-code signals in a Global Positioning System (GPS). The encrypted binary signals are squared using a relatively narrow bandwidth so that each GPS satellite signal can be separated from the other signals and so that the GPS carrier phase and pseudorange signals can be recovered from the composite signal. The signal-to-noise ratio is kept reasonably high so that very weak signals can be received and analyzed.
An encrypted satellite communications system with relatively easy rekeying is disclosed by Leopold in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,067. The contemplated system provides communications between a satellite and all ground receivers in a defined geographic area. A message received by or from a receiver located in an improper receiver area is discarded. A designated ground receiver transmits a rekeying request to the satellite. The satellite determines whether the rekeyed areas correspond to geographically permitted areas. If the answer is affirmative, the satellite transmits rekeying instructions to change the geographical configuration of the ground-based receivers, either immediately or at a previously selected time.
Geographically defined lock-out of direct broadcast satellite signals, such as pay-per-view television, is also disclosed by Jeffers et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,537. Before the broadcast, each receiver in the geographic area intended to be locked out is addressed and prevented from receiving that broadcast, using a blackout tier system that determines which receivers are to be locked out, based upon a designation code assigned to that receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,443, issued to Brockman, discloses a method for scrambling a satellite communication by (1) encoding and modulating different portions of the communication signals onto different carrier frequencies to form a total signal and (2) transmitting the total signal to a ground station using the different frequency channels. The ground station receives the transmitted signal, decodes the individual channel signals using the known carrier frequencies, and accumulates the signal as a decoded whole. Only an authorized ground station possessing a key can decode and properly sum the received signals to produce the message originally transmitted from the satellite.
Esserman et al disclose signal encryption apparatus for satellite communications that generates a plurality of distinct keys, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,467. A secret common key is combined with distinct parameter data (unique to a particular station) to produce a distinct key for communications transmitted to that station.
A global communications system for transmitting encrypted messages to each of a plurality of different geographic areas is disclosed by Davis et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,095. One or more satellites communicates with ground stations in each distinct geographic area by use of identification words on different channels. The system is intended for use in paging selected users in a plurality of countries.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,925, Cross discloses a location interrogation system in which a mobile unit, upon receipt of an interrogation signal, transmits its present location in a conventionally encoded format to a central station that has issued the interrogation signal, to assist in tracking the mobile unit.
Bestler et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,664, disclose provision of a descrambling authorization signal in the vertical blanking intervals during transmission of a scrambled cable television program. A decoder at a requesting receiver examines the authorization signal, determines if this receiver is authorized to receive this program or channel, and descrambles the transmitted program signal only if this receiver is so authorized.
A verification procedure for mobile stations in a cellular network is disclosed by Raith in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,612. In response to receipt of a random challenge signal or interrogation, the mobile station transmits to the central station a first response signal, depending only upon an unchanging, commonly-held encryption key, and a second response signal, dependent upon a changeable encryption key. The first and second response signals are analyzed by an authentication algorithm to authenticate, or deny authentication to, the putative mobile station.
A communication system for control of access to a location-sensitive remote database is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,652, issued to Teare et al. A central station stores and transmits encrypted television material whose encryption key is available only for a viewers in a specified geographical area, as determined by a GPS or Loran location determination system.
Transmission of encrypted information packages from a central site to a remote site, in response to receipt of a request for specified information from that site, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,575, issued to Sprague et al. The encryption key is changed periodically (e.g., weekly) and does not depend upon any past information.
Goldfine et al disclose a financial or telephone service transaction authentication system, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,529, in which any attempt to gain access to a protected system is thereafter answered and controlled by a centralized authentication agency. In response, the agency issues an identification request, requesting information that is unique to that request; a subsequent attempt by that person to gain access would require submission of different information. If the information supplied by the access seeker matches the information on file, the access seeker identity is authenticated and access is granted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,580, Molva et al disclose an authentication method using a smartcard to encrypt the presently displayed time with a cryptographically strong key. A public work station receives the encrypted time message, generates one or more values from this message, and further encrypts and/or transmits these values to a server station. The server station uses the received values to authenticate the holder of the smartcard and to accept or reject a message or command from the holder.
A remote control transmitter-receiver pair that cooperatively implement a code transmission sequence that minimizes energy use and protects the communication channel from unauthorized access is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,459, issued to Reed. The transmitter issues a specified sequence of start/stop pulses of different lengths, similar to pulse code modulation, which are received by the receiver and compared with a copy of this sequence. If the sequences agree, the receiver authenticates the transmitter and opens the secured channel to receive the remainder of the message.
Generation of two pseudorandom numbers, each generated by an independently chosen number of iterations, is the basis for a cryptographic authentication system disclosed by Koopman et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,448. The two pseudorandom numbers are concatenated and encrypted into a single word. This word is transmitted by or on behalf of a person seeking access to a protected system, and the word is decrypted and deconcatenated to produce the two pseudorandom numbers, for comparison and authentication purposes. Immediately after the concatenated and encrypted word is received, the receiving system locks out receipt of any additional signals for a selected time interval, such as 0.5 sec. Thus, breach of the protected system by rapid, exhaustive, numerical trials is made difficult or impossible.
Blume discloses a system to allow a space platform to distinguish between a friendly object and an unfriendly object in U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,957. The platform, which includes a GPS receiver/processor and antenna, transmits an encrypted interrogation signal to the object, which can be positioned tens or hundreds of kilometers from the platform, requesting certain information including the location coordinates of the object. Simultaneously, the platform uses high directivity radar and line of sight measurements to estimate the object range and the object location coordinates, using the platform's GPS-based knowledge of its own location. A friendly object will reply to the encrypted interrogation signal with an authenticating reply, including the GPS-determined location coordinates of the object. A receiver on the platform receives the object location coordinates from the object and compares these coordinates with its own estimate of the object location coordinates. If the object-supplied object location is within a determinable distance of the platform-supplied object location and all other authenticating replies from the object are appropriate, the platform authenticates the object as a "friendly" object.
Several of these approaches provide an encryption method that may be used to withhold decryption of an encrypted message for a receiver not in a geographically selected region, such as a time zone (roughly 1,200-1,600 kilometers in a direction measured parallel to the equator) or selected broadcast zone. However, none of these approaches provides a method for withholding decryption of an encrypted message by a receiver that is not within a small distance D, such as 200 meters or less, of a selected location. To achieve this with many of the approaches summarized above would require provision of an enormous number of special codes, with a unique code being provided for each individual receiver. Further, most of these approaches would require replacement or extensive reconfiguring of a decryption system, if a change in the group of authorized channels or in the group of unauthorized channels is to be implemented. Further, most of these approaches are applicable to cable transmission but not to over-the-air transmission of the program signals. What is needed is an approach that allows decryption of an encrypted over-the-air message to be withheld at any otherwise-appropriate receiver that is not within a selected small distance D of a licensed site or location for receipt and viewing of the message or program. This approach should not require provision of a separate code for each receiver, and the location of a licensed site should be easily changeable without major surgery on the signal transmission system. This approach should allow easy reconfiguring of the decryption system to allow relocation of an authorized receiver and to implement a change in the group of authorized channels or in the group of unauthorized channels.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to deflector devices of the kind used between a towing vessel and a tow located in water, for example a seismic streamer or streamer array, or a seismic source array, in order to pull the tow out to one side of the vessel, so as to position it at a desired lateral offset from the course followed by the vessel.
2. Description of the Related Art
A deflector device of this kind is described in detail in our U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,892, and comprises a wing-shaped deflector body having a remotely-operable pivotal lever or “boom” which extends rearwardly from a point near the middle of the trailing edge of the wing-shaped body. In use, the wing-shaped deflector body is suspended beneath a float so as to be completely submerged and positioned generally vertically in the water, and is connected to the towing vessel by means of a tow line, while the tow is connected to the end of the boom remote from the wing-shaped body. As the device is pulled through the water, the wing-shaped body produces a sideways force, or “lift”, which moves the tow laterally. This lift can be varied by adjusting the angle of the boom from the vessel, thus permitting the lateral offset of the tow from the course of the vessel to be varied in use.
The deflector device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,892 has been successfully commercialised by the Applicant as its MONOWING deflector device. In use, rolling stability of the device is provided by the connection to the float, while stability of the device about a vertical axis is provided by the drag produced by the tow.
The deflectors in current use are very large, typically 7.5 m high by 2.5 m wide, and weigh several tonnes. They are usually suspended around 2 m to 8 m below the float by means of a fibre rope, and are also provided with a safety chain intended to prevent separation of the float and deflector wing in the event that the rope breaks.
In bad weather, the upper part of the deflector wing may rise up out of the water, allowing the rope connecting the deflector wing and the float to go slack. If the deflector wing then drops abruptly, the rope, and possibly the safety chain, may break, and/or the attachment points may be damaged.
One solution to this problem is disclosed in PCT Patent Application No. PCT/IB98/01946 (WO 99/33700). It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative and simpler solution.
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This invention relates to computer systems and in particular to processors that use configurable hardware events to work around flaws that exist in the hardware design by detecting particular hardware events then activating a variety of pseudo-exceptions, each exception for causing behavior of the processor to be modified in a predefined way.
Modern microprocessors grow in complexity from generation to generation due to increasing functionality and performance as required by their consumers. As more functions are added, and more microarchitectural features are added, the processors become more susceptible to design flaws that might not be caught in simulation verification before designs are built into actual hardware. As it costs both time and money to rebuild hardware to fix such design flaws, it is becoming more economic to have some built-in capability to workaround design flaws if one is found. Certain examples of prior art techniques are provided below.
One example includes U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,085, entitled “System for automated problem detection, diagnosis, and resolution in a software driven system.” This patent discloses a system having a database that contains entries with executable code that can make use of these services in order to monitor, diagnose, and solve specific problems. Each entry in the database addresses a specific problem. The executable code is designed to isolate and recognize the problem, and then implement a fix or workaround for that problem. The executable code is designed to completely automate the entire process of detection and resolution of the problem. Further, manual intervention may be employed to complete the diagnosis or solution. Unfortunately, this system is only implemented once a problem is detected and does not provide for avoidance of problem occurrence.
Another example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,742, entitled “Method and apparatus for artificially generating general purpose events in an ACPI environment.” This patent discloses hardware implementation of the General Purpose Event status register that supports the ability to assert, under software control, individual General Purpose Event status bits in a General Purpose Event register in an ACPI environment. Software control over the General Purpose Event register allows compensation of a platform electronic apparatus for design defects discovered late in the development cycle. Software control also enables the creation at any time of new “hardware events” which are then processed by the ACPI driver by means of manufacturer provided P-code. The ability to provide a software work-around for a wide range of ACPI related difficulties is advantageously created. Moreover, additional ACPI value-added features can thereafter be developed to differentiate and enhance ACPI compatible products. Similar to the first example, this patent is event related and does not provide for avoidance of problem occurrence.
Accordingly, what are needed are improved techniques for detecting situations within a processor and using those detections to avoid permitting a design flaw to effect a result. Preferably, the techniques provides flexible implementation of a variety of detections as well as a variety of actions activated via psuedo-exceptions to avoid an error related to a design flaw with minimal impact upon performance.
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Methods to sequence or identify significant fractions of the human genome and genetic variations within those segments are becoming commonplace. However, a major impediment to understanding health implications of variations found in every human being remains unraveling of the functional meaning of sequence differences in individuals. Sequencing is an important first step that allows geneticists and physicians to develop a full functional understanding of that data.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies include instruments capable of sequencing more than 1014 kilobase-pairs (kbp) of DNA per instrument run. Sequencing typically produces a large number of independent reads, each representing anywhere between 10 to 1000 bases of the nucleic acid. Nucleic acids are generally sequenced redundantly for confidence, with replicates per unit area being referred to as the coverage (i.e., “10× coverage” or “100× coverage”). Thus, a multi-gene genetic screening can produce millions of reads.
When a genetic screening is done for a person, the resulting reads can be compared to a reference, such as a published human genome. This comparison generally involves either assembling the reads into a contig and aligning the contig to the reference or aligning each individual read to the reference.
Assembling reads into a contig and aligning the contig to a reference produces unsatisfactory results due to the algorithms used for contig assembly. Generally, algorithms for contig assembly assess a read using certain quality criteria. Those criteria set a threshold at which certain reads that satisfy the algorithm are determined to be legitimate reads that are used to assemble the contigs, while reads that do not satisfy the algorithm are excluded from the contig assembly process. Based on the threshold level of the algorithm, as many as 10% of legitimate sequence reads are excluded from further analysis.
Additionally, aligning the resulting contig to a reference is error prone due to a tradeoff, inherent in doing an alignment, between whether mismatches or gaps (insertions/deletions, or “indels”) are favored. When one sequence is aligned to another, if one sequence does not match the other perfectly, either gaps must be introduced into the sequences until all the bases match or mismatched bases must appear in the alignment. Existing approaches to alignment involve algorithms with good mismatch sensitivity at the expense of indel sensitivity or good indel sensitivity at the expense of mismatch sensitivity. For example, if an alignment is to detect mismatches with sufficient fidelity, then it is likely that some indels will be missed.
Even where assembly provides accurate detection of variants (e.g., substitutions or indels), these methods are often computationally intractable for high throughput data analysis because each read must be compared to every other read in a dataset to determine sequence overlap and build contigs.
Another sequence assembly technique involves aligning each individual read to a reference. This assembly technique is problematic because very short reads (e.g., 50 bp or less) may align well in a number of places on a very long reference (e.g., 5 million bp). With a number of equally good positions to align to, aligning a read to a reference offers little positional accuracy. Also, particularly with very short reads, long indels can be difficult or impossible to detect. Due in part to the tradeoff between substitution sensitivity and indel sensitivity, certain mutation patterns are particularly difficult to detect. Indels near the ends of reads are sometimes incorrectly interpreted as short strings of mismatched bases. Substitutions near indels are often interpreted incorrectly, as well.
Existing methods of read assembly do not offer the positional accuracy of a contig-based alignment while including detailed information from each read. Further, due to limitations in alignment algorithms, existing methods do a poor job of correctly interpreting certain mutations (e.g., indels near the ends of reads, substitutions near indels).
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In recent years, bit-interleaved coding and modulation (hereinafter, BICM) systems have been used in the field of digital communications (see, for example, Non-Patent Literature 1).
BICM systems generally incorporate the following three steps.
(1) Encoding data blocks into codewords using, for example, quasi-cyclic low-density parity check (hereinafter, QC LDPC) code or similar.
(2) Performing bit interleaving on the bits of each codeword.
(3) Dividing each bit interleaved codeword into constellation words having a number of constellation bits, and mapping the constellation words to constellations.
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The present invention relates to a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube, a producing method therefor, an aperture grille, and a color picture tube incorporating the aperture grille. More particularly, it relates to a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube which has an excellent tensile strength and high temperature creep strength and besides good magnetic characteristics, and relates to a producing method therefor, an aperture grille made thereof, and a color picture tube incorporating this aperture grille.
When an aperture grille is incorporated into a color picture tube, it is welded to the frame of the color picture tube while being applied under great tension. Therefore, a material for making an aperture grille for a color picture tube is required to have a tensile strength of at least 60 kgf/mm2. Accordingly, the materials currently used for the aperture grille of the color picture tube comprise low carbon steel sheets, which have been reinforced by strengthening-forming.
Further, after being welded to the frame of the color picture tube, the aperture grille is subjected to a heat treatment for blackening. This heat treatment is carried out at 455xc2x0 C. which is below the recrystallization temperature of steel for only a short time of about 15 minutes so that after blackening the tapes constituting the aperture grille may not be loosened but can be maintained with its loaded tensile strength. However, under such heat treatment conditions for blackening, the tapes cannot be entirely free from a recovery phenomenon but involve elongation of it by the recovery, thereby suffering cuts and twists. For this reason, a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube is required to have a tensile strength of not less than 60 kgf/mm2 and a creep strength enough to cause no elongation even when subjected to such a heat treatment for blackening as conducted at a temperature of 455xc2x0 C. for a time of 15 minutes and to control its elongation of not more than 0.4% when the aperture grille is applied with a tensile strength of 30 kgf/mm2.
The color picture tube comprises an electron gun and a luminescent screen which converts an electron beam into picture images. The inside of the picture tube is covered with a magnetic shield member so as to prevent the electron beam from being biased by geomagnetism. The aperture grille is also required to be used as the magnetic shield member and, therefore, should be made of a material having a great magnetic flux density (Br) and a small coercive force (Hc) representing the magnetic characteristics, in other words, a material having a great ratio of magnetic flux density to coercive force (Br/Hc). However, such a low carbon steel sheet as mentioned above, which has been subjected to strengthening-forming for obtaining a high tensile strength and also subjected to heat treatment for blackening at a temperature below its recrystallization temperature, has a small magnetic flue density of up to 8 kG and a great coercive force of about 5 Oe. Therefore, it is preferable in the present invention to use a material having a ratio of Br (kG) to Hc(Oe) exceeding 1.7.
So far, methods for improving tensile yield strength of a low carbon steel sheet include a solid solution strengthening method by means of carbon and nitrogen. The more the carbon or the nitrogen increases in the steel, the more increases carbide or nitride so that the movement of ferromagnetic domain walls will be prevented, inducing the impairment of the magnetic characteristics of the steel. Besides, methods for improving creep strength of a low carbon steel sheet include that of precipitating carbide or others in the steel. These precipitates have mostly a large grain size in micron order, which prevent the movement of ferromagnetic domain walls, greatly impairing the magnetic characteristics of the steel. Therefore, this method has not been applied as a method of producing a material for an aperture grille for use in a color cl picture tube.
The present invention has an object to provide a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube which has an excellent tensile strength and high temperature creep strength and superior magnetic characteristics to prior materials, and provide a producing method therefor, an aperture grille made thereof, and a color picture tube incorporating this aperture grille.
The present invention relates to a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube made of a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni, and another embodiment of the invention relates to a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube made of a low carbon containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni and 0.1 to 5 wt % of Co.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of producing a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube comprising the steps of cold-rolling a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni and annealing same at a temperature of 400 to 500xc2x0 C.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of producing a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube comprising the steps of cold-rolling a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni and 0.1 to 5 wt % of Co and annealing same at a temperature of 400 to 500xc2x0 C.
Still another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of producing a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube which comprises the steps of cold-rolling a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni, subjecting the same to process-annealing at a temperature of 500 to 800xc2x0 C. and another cold-rolling, and annealing same at a temperature of 400 to 500xc2x0 C.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of producing a material for an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube which comprises the steps of cold-rolling a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni and 0.1 to 5 wt % of Co, subjecting same to process-annealing at a temperature of 500 to 800xc2x0 C. and another cold-rolling, and annealing same at a temperature of 400 to 500xc2x0 C.
And embodiment of the invention relates to an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube, which is made of a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni and another embodiment of the invention relates to an aperture grille for use in a color picture tube, which is made of a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni and 0.1 to 5 wt % of Co.
An embodiment of the invention relates to a color picture tube incorporating an aperture grille made of a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30 wt % of Ni and another embodiment of the invention relates to a color picture tube incorporating an aperture grille made of a low carbon steel sheet containing 9 to 30.
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“Technical Specification,” 3 GPP RAN 25.214 V 1.3.1, September 1999 describes a method of regulating power for the uplink channel of a mobile station to a base station in a mobile wireless system. A closed loop is provided, regulating the transmission power of the mobile station, so that the signal/interference ratio (SIR) received in the base station via the uplink channel may be kept at a predetermined target level. In the base station, a signal/interference ratio may be estimated from the signal received from the mobile station. The base station may generate TPC (transmit power control) commands as a function of the estimated signal/interference ratio and may transmit the TPC commands to the mobile station. If the estimated signal/interference ratio is greater than the selected signal/interference ratio, a zero may be transmitted with the TPC command to be transmitted, whereas if the estimated signal/interference ratio is below the selected signal/interference ratio, a one may be transmitted with the TPC (transmit power control) command. In this manner, the transmission power may be adjusted on the basis of the TPC commands received in the mobile station, so that the estimated signal/interference ratio may be corrected by the selected signal/interference ratio.
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This invention concerns gas turbine engines of a type that can be especially useful for driving electric generators or vehicles and in other applications where it is preferred to have a moderate power output, small size and high response speed. A gas turbine engine of this type has a compressor, a combustor mounted downstream of the compressor and a power turbine mounted downstream of the combustor.
A compressor turbine, rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the power turbine, is mounted downstream of the power turbine for driving the compressor. The engine has a temperature control system for controlling the temperature at the outlet of said compressor turbine, as referred to in a pending application Ser. No. 09/267,893. The compressor in this gas turbine engine rotates independently of the power turbine and compresses gas from the compressor turbine exhaust to feed this gas back to the combustor and through a heat exchanger for power turbine cooling, as described in detail in our earlier patent application Ser. No. 09/161,115.
When the gas turbine engine idles, the compressor must continue to rotate and sustain recirculation of the exhaust gas in the flow duct of the engine because otherwise combustion in the combustor cannot be sustained, and the engine will not be able to sustain the load when the load is again applied. In order to rotate the compressor in the no-load mode (when the power turbine does not rotate and the compression ratio in the compressor substantially decreases), the efficiency is very low, and too much fuel is consumed without doing any useful work. In addition, burning too much fuel without generating power is associated with useless harmful emissions (both thermal and chemical). This gas turbine engine, while having a very good efficiency over the major part of the power range, is rather inefficient when it idles, similarly to the majority of the state-of-the art thermal engines.
This disadvantage is eliminated in the gas turbine engine according to the invention as described below.
It is an object of the invention to provide a gas turbine engine in which the fuel consumption is minimized or eliminated when the engine idles.
Another object of the invention is to improve the overall fuel economy of the gas turbine engine of the above-described type.
A further object of the invention is to reduce harmful emissions of the gas turbine engine when the engine idles.
The foregoing objects are accomplished by a gas turbine engine having a compressor, a combustor mounted downstream of the compressor, and a power turbine mounted downstream of the combustor. This engine has a compressor turbine that is mounted downstream of the power turbine for producing power to drive the compressor and that rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the power turbine. The gas turbine engine has a temperature control system for keeping a preset temperature at the compressor turbine outlet, a fuel supply control system, a drive motor to drive the compressor rotation, a motor control system having a motor power-up module with an input connected to the fuel supply control system and a motor power output control module with a first input connected to the motor power-up module and an output which is connected to the drive motor, and a temperature sensor positioned at the outlet of the compressor turbine and connected to a second input of the motor power output control module.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof and the accompanying drawings.
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In an internal combustion engine, the structure of which is such that an explosion of fuel occurs at a top dead point of a piston in a bore and the piston is pushed down by the explosion, temperature rises on an upper side of a cylinder bore wall and temperature falls on a lower side of the cylinder bore wall. Therefore, a difference occurs in a thermal deformation amount between the upper side and the lower side of the cylinder bore wall. Expansion is large on the upper side and, on the other hand, expansion is small on the lower side.
As a result, frictional resistance between the piston and the cylinder bore wall increases. This causes a decrease in fuel efficiency. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the difference in the thermal deformation amount between the upper side and the lower side of the cylinder bore wall.
Therefore, conventionally, in order to uniformize a wall temperature of the cylinder bore wall, it has been attempted to set a spacer in the groove-like cooling water channel for adjusting a water flow of cooling water in the groove-like cooling water channel and controlling cooling efficiency on the upper side and cooling efficiency on the lower side of the cylinder bore wall by the cooling water. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a heat medium channel partitioning member for internal combustion engine cooling including: a channel partitioning member disposed in a groove-like heat medium channel for cooling formed in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine to partition the groove-like heat medium channel for cooling into a plurality of channels, the channel partitioning member being formed at height smaller than the depth of the groove-like heat medium channel for cooling and functioning as a wall section that divides the groove-like heat medium channel for cooling into a bore side channel and a counter-bore side channel; and a flexible rip member formed from the channel partitioning member toward an opening section direction of the groove-like heat medium channel for cooling and formed of a flexible material in a form with a distal end edge portion passing over one inner surface of the groove-like heat medium channel for cooling, whereby, after completion of insertion into the groove-like heat medium channel for cooling, the distal end edge portion comes into contact with the inner wall in an intermediate position in a depth direction of the groove-like heat medium channel for cooling with a deflection restoration force of the distal end edge portion to separate the bore side channel and the counter-bore side channel.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to digital-to-analog converters. More particularly, this invention relates to monolithic converters that are especially adapted for operation with microprocessors, such as may be used in analog control systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of digital-to-analog converters have been available now for some time. Such converters frequently employ current sources which are selectively-activated in accordance with a digital input signal. U.S. Pat. No. Re. 28,633 (Pastoriza) shows one highly successful converter design of that type. A more recent design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,326 (Craven). Digital-to-analog converters also are employed in successive-approximation analog-to-digital converters such as disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 931,960 (Brokaw et al); the latter converter particularly is advantageous in that it incorporates inverted mode transistor circuitry (sometimes referred to as I.sup.2 L, for "integrated injection logic"), together with bipolar transistor circuitry, on the same monolithic chip.
There have been proposals for converters especially suited for use with microprocessors, as for example described in the paper by Schoeff entitled "A Microprocessor Compatible High-Speed 8-Bit DAC", in the February, 1978, ISSCC Digest of Technical Papers, at pages 132-133.
Although many proposals have been put forward, none has provided a satisfactory converter capable of required performance, and yet suitably simple in design to be manufactured economically. Particularly, prior art designs have not provided a monolithic converter including a reference source and an amplifier to produce voltage output, all operable by a single supply, e.g. +5 volt. It is a principal object of this invention to provide solutions to the problems encountered in achieving that goal.
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{
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Today's data and video projection systems typically include illumination systems that may include a number of components, such as light gathering reflectors, cover glass holders, various lens holders, color wheel shrouds, integration or integrating tunnels, etc. These components are generally discrete components which may require additional parts for mounting and alignment. Some challenges faced with such illumination systems may include increased costs due to large part counts, difficulties containing stray light, difficulties in properly aligning the various optical elements, and difficulties in providing adequate thermal dissipation.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to telecommunications systems, and in particular, to telecommunications systems that provides simultaneous voice and broadband services over ATM connections over the local loop.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The telephone wires to the residence are known as the local loop. The local loop has primarily been used to carry POTS traffic and low speed data using modems. POTS is an acronym for “Plain Old Telephone Service” and generally entails voice traffic. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology has been developed to provide greater bandwidth to the local loop. DSL technology superimposes high bandwidth data over the analog POTS traffic on the local loop. This high bandwidth data is transparent to the POTS operation of the local loop. At the central office, the high bandwidth data is removed from the twisted pair and provided to a separate data network. The POTS traffic remains on the twisted pair and is provided to a class 5 switch. As a result, DSL technology allows high bandwidth data and POTS traffic to co-exist on the local loop. POTS traffic is still handled by a class 5 switch in the conventional manner, but the high bandwidth data is removed from the line before the class 5 switch.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) technologies have also been developed to provide broadband transport and switching capability to Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), and other networks. Prior systems do not contemplate converting the voice traffic to ATM before it is placed on the DSL local loop. This is because standard class 5 switches on the network side of the local loop do not typically handle ATM voice traffic. As a result, ATM technology has not been combined with DSL technology to carry residential POTS traffic. POTS traffic carried by a DSL local loop still requires processing by a complex and expensive class 5 switch.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to joints between elements, such as building panels, and more particularly to polysurfaced male and female lips which are interlocked to provide an upstanding joint.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art discloses numerous examples of joints which secure together adjacent sheet metal panels without the necessity of crimping or otherwise deforming the elements of the joint. Typical examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,019,379 (ANDERSON); 3,127,962 (JAMES); 3,481,094 (TAYLOR); 3,511,011 (STRAUS).
The ANDERSON joint is particularly suited for use in connecting the slats of a rolling metal curtain. When used in wall or roof structures, the male lip may be partially disengaged from the female lip by loads applied at locations adjacent to the male lip. The possible partial disengagement precludes formation of a reliable weather-tight seal.
The JAMES joint avoids the partial disengagement problem by providing tightly nested cylindrically-shaped connecting members. A lubricant must be applied to the contacting surfaces of the connecting members to facilitate interconnection. The cylindrically-shaped connecting members have substantially identical girths and therefore appear to utilize more material than is actually necessary.
The TAYLOR joint also attempts to avoid the partial disengagement problem discussed above by providing an inwardly extending crimp on the female lip which is engaged by the terminal edge of the male lip. Despite the presence of the crimp, the male lip is still subject to deflection by applied loads and degradation of the weather-tight seal.
The STRAUS joint utilizes intricately formed male and female lips of single and double metal thickness, respectively. The female lip is particularly subject to damage during packaging, shipment and erection. Such damage would interfere with the interconnection of the lips and the formation of a weather-tight seal.
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{
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The present invention relates to an image synthesizing apparatus, image synthesizing method and a computer readable recording medium having recorded a program which can obtain a simple moving image by generating a plurality of still images from a single still image and combining the still images.
Digital cameras are well known as one type of an electronic imaging apparatus. With the technology of increasing the number of pixels of digital cameras, recent digital cameras can provide images with the quality no less than the quality of silver-gelatin (analog) cameras. A digital camera has functions such as a record mode to pick up and save images and a reproduction mode to reproduce saved images.
Conventional digital cameras have various imaging modes, such as a panoramic imaging mode to link plural picked-up still images to create a panoramic image and a moving image pickup mode to link plural still images in a format called “motion JPEG” to create a moving image. In imaging a subject, the digital cameras can pick up an image zoomed by an optical zoom function and an electronic zoom function. Some techniques of producing a moving image from still images create a moving image from a plurality of still images whose focus points are changed so that the moving image has a video effect (see Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2002-290831).
The conventional digital cameras cannot however provide a moving image easily unless the cameras are equipped with a moving image pickup mode. In addition, the conventional digital cameras cannot provide a moving image having such a zoom effect that the image is picked up in moving image pickup mode.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image retrieval from an image database using keywords.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image retrieval from an image database, the necessity of higher efficiency increases as the number of image data in the database increases. A general procedure of image retrieval comprises: specifying some of the keywords, which have previously been given to the respective images, and retrieving an image having the specified keywords.
In some cases, a user cannot clearly recognize the user's own desire nor input any specific keyword for retrieval of a desired image, but has only ambiguous requirements to the image to be retrieved. In a conventional procedure applied for such cases, the user successively checks displayed images to find an image that meets the ambiguous requirements.
In these cases, however, it is difficult to extract an image that meets the user's vague requirements from the image database and display it with a high efficiency. The retrieval is accordingly very time-consuming.
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a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermosiphon for transferring cooling energy from a refrigerating machine to a portion to be cooled.
b) Prior Art
Conventional thermosiphon of this type comprises a closed fluid system in which is enclosed a working fluid, said closed fluid system being constructed of a condenser, a liquid pipe connected to the condenser, an evaporator connected to the liquid pipe, and a gas pipe which is connected to the evaporator and returns to said condenser. In such conventional thermosiphon, the working fluid is deprived of heat at the condenser attached to a refrigerating machine so that the fluid is condensed, and then the fluid thus condensed flows down through the liquid pipe to reach the evaporator, where the working fluid deprives a portion to be cooled of latent heat of evaporation, so that it is evaporated to thereby go up through the gas pipe until it reaches the condenser. This cycle is operated by the difference in liquid level between the working fluid flowing down through the liquid pipe and the working fluid in the gas pipe.
According to such conventional thermosiphon, however, cooling energy from the refrigerating machine is liable to cool not only the condenser but also the respective connecting ends of the gas pipe and the liquid pipe, and thus the working fluid is condensed not only in the condenser but also in the liquid pipe and the upper portion of the gas pipe. In the liquid pipe, the working fluid is little condensed, as it is already almost condensed in the condenser. In the gas pipe, however, the condensed working fluid flows back and returns to the evaporator, and thus the amount of the working fluid that is to be condensed in the condenser and then to flow down through the liquid pipe is liable to be decreased by that amount. As a result, the liquid level in the liquid pipe is likely to be lowered, while that in the gas pipe is likely to be raised.
Further, as the liquid pipe is formed thinner than the gas pipe, the condensed working fluid is likely to overflow from the condenser so that it flows backward from the gas pipe to the evaporator, in the event that the condenser is overcooled for some reason. As above mentioned, the circulation fluid system of the working fluid is operated by the difference in liquid level between the working fluid flowing down the liquid pipe and the working fluid in the gas pipe. Accordingly, small difference in liquid level provides an obstruction to the above fluid system, and thus the circulation efficiency is likely to be lowered. Furthermore, there is another problem that vibration from the refrigerating machine is likely to be transferred to the evaporator, even to an object to be cooled, via the gas pipe or the liquid pipe, to thereby adversely affect the object. As the gas pipe is formed thicker than the liquid pipe, more vibration from the refrigerating machine is transferred to the evaporator via the gas pipe than via the liquid pipe.
Accordingly, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a thermosiphon for refrigerating machine which can cool something without the circulation system of the working fluid being choked.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a thermosiphon for refrigerating machine which can transfer the least possible vibration from the refrigerating machine to a portion to be cooled.
To attain the above objects, there is provided a thermosiphon for refrigerating machine, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, comprising: a condenser provided in a cooling portion of the refrigerating machine, a liquid pipe connected to the condenser; an evaporator connected to the liquid pipe for depriving an object of heat; a gas pipe connected to the evaporator, said gas pipe extending back to said condenser; a working fluid which is filled in a circulation fluid system defined by said condenser, liquid pipe, evaporator and gas pipe; and a reverse-flow suppressing portion formed in a part of the gas pipe in the vicinity of said condenser, said reverse-flow suppressing portion including a riser pipe, positioned in a higher position than said condenser.
Thus, even if the working fluid is condensed in the reverse-flow suppressing portion due to the cooling energy from the condenser being transferred thereto, the condensed working fluid can be prevented from flowing back through the gas pipe into the evaporator, as the reverse-flow suppressing portion is provided in a higher position than the condenser, thereby ensuring the flowing down of the working fluid into the condenser. Further, as the distance from the condenser that is in contact with the refrigerating machine and the evaporator is elongated due to the reverse-flow suppressing portion being provided, the vibration transferred from the refrigerating machine to the evaporator is decreased by that elongated distance.
Further, there is also provided a thermosiphon for refrigerating machine from another aspect of the invention, wherein the thermosiphon according to the first aspect of the invention further comprises a damper portion which is formed by bending said gas pipe and/or said liquid pipe into the form of a wave or a coil.
Thus, the liquid pipe and/or the gas pipe is elongated by providing such damper portion, which in turn means that the distance from the condenser that is in contact with the refrigerating machine and the evaporator is elongated, thereby decreasing the vibration transferred from the refrigerating machine to the evaporator.
Furthermore, there is also provided a thermosiphon for refrigerating machine from a further aspect of the invention, wherein the gas pipe provided at a top side is always higher or at least even with said evaporator in said fluid passage. Accordingly, even though the liquid pipe and/or the gas pipe are/is formed with the waveform-shaped damper portion, yet the top side of the gas pipe is higher, or at least even with the evaporator so that the flowing-down of the condensed working fluid into the evaporator is insured, without staying in the course of the damper portion.
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The present invention relates to a CSMA wireless local area network having an antenna device and a terminal station.
A local area network (LAN) is developed in recent year. Because LAN is convenient even wired, and more if wireless, a high speed wireless LAN of transfer rate over 10 Mbps is considered for practical use.
One of access method in the high speed LAN is CSMA (carrier sense multiple access), used in the Ethernet. CSMA is a method in which each terminal station senses carrier to check the traffic on a channel for determining whether or not to send a frame. A terminal station that has frames to be sent on the network senses the carrier before transmission. If the carrier is not sensed at this time, the terminal station determines that other terminal stations are not sending frames and start transmission of its frames. If the carrier is sensed, the terminal station determines that another terminal station is sending frames and postpones its transmission.
In CSMA, the communication condition is that the carrier may be sensed between each of terminal stations. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18, the communication area of a base station BS may be assumed a circle of radius R, the communication area that terminal stations T1 and T2 have to secure will be a circle of radius 2R.
However, the above formation area is under an ideal environment. In the practical environment, there may exist fluctuation on the transmission link, and obstacles that block radio wave such as walls, impeding the radio wave from reaching to the mated terminal station. The terminal station that the radio wave transmission signal may not be reached is referred to as a “hidden terminal station”. FIG. 19 shows an example of communication area that may have such a hidden terminal station. If there is a hidden terminal station, the carrier sense may not work effectively thereto, the frequency of collision of transmission frames may rise in the CSMA. Since the collision frames are rejected, the throughput characteristics that indicates the amount of transmitted information for a unit of time will be lessened.
In order to solve this problem, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H09-247187, a method has been devised in which a base station uses a sector type antenna to perform carrier sense for each sector and a signal selector switches sectors to alleviate the collision of frame packets. Although this method may avoid collision of packets, it may lessen the throughput of overall network because the communication area is still formed in a way that a hidden terminal station may exist.
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A recent important application of fluorescent lighting has been the use in retail establishments, and the like, of strip lighting, particularly those having a high truss roof and rows upon rows of shelving approximately six foot in height. In the past, it has been customary that ceiling suspended banks of fluorescent lighting have fairly well saturated the interior of the retail establishment from a distance well above the shelves.
With the advent of increased consumer awareness as to the labeling and content of the packages, particularly food packages, the ceiling suspended lighting, even though it involves a large number of fixtures, often fails to provide adequate illumination for the purchaser at chest height to read fine print on labels. As a result a relatively new type of lighting in the form of continuous tubular fixtures which is located at approximately the seven foot height above the floor and extending along the length of the shelves providing strip lighting has found broad acceptance.
The tubular cross section fixture allows a single or double strip fluorescent lighting fixture assembly to be enclosed within the tubular enclosure with a window and lens directed downward and in certain cases angled inwardly toward the shelf. Typically, the enclosures are six inches in diameter with approximately 120 degrees of a circle in the form of a curved linear fresnel lens to provide the desired lighting pattern.
Typically, tubular fixtures of this type have the fluorescent lamp and electrical lamp components integrated into the enclosure and the assemblies come in preassembled lengths usually slightly more than 8 feet in length to enclose a standard 8 foot fluorescent lamp assembly. The enclosure itself is usually extruded aluminum in the form of generally 240 degrees of circular cross section with internal bosses designed to provide support points for 120 degrees of lens and additional support points for the fluorescent lamp assembly. Examples of lighting fixtures of the type discussed above may be found in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ 4,390,930 Douglas J. Herst June 28, 1983 4,420,798 Douglas J. Herst December 13, 1983 4,274,657 Douglas J. Herst July 10, 1984 4,573,111 Douglas J. Herst February 25, 1986 ______________________________________
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates generally to multi-cavity valve gated injection molding apparatus and more particularly to stack molding apparatus having two elongated valve members reciprocating in alignment to control the melt flow during the injection cycle.
Stack molding apparatus to locate cavities on opposing faces of a movable platen is well known. An example of sprue gated stack molding apparatus is shown in the applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,001 which issued Jan. 2, 1990, while an example of valve gated stack molding apparatus is shown in the applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,626 which issued Jul. 15, 1980. While valve gated stack molding has been satisfactory for some applications, it has the disadvantage that some melt is trapped between the faces of the tip ends of the valve members when they close together. This forms a circular piece of plastic film which may stick to one of the valve members or elsewhere in the mold and not drop out when the mold opens for ejection. This piece of plastic film can then prevent proper closure of the mold and/or injection during the next injection cycle.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to development and preservation of living water resources and is directed more particularly to a method for preserving and encouraging development of aquatic species, such as fish, turtles, large invertebrates (such as shrimp, prawns, and lobsters), and other aquatic species that travel through freshwater estuaries, and other marine environments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sustainable water resources development is facilitated by the use of hydraulic structures to: 1) pass adult fish around dams or other channel obstructions so they can migrate to their historical spawning and nursery areas, 2) pass juvenile fish around channel obstructions to their adult habitat areas, and 3) physically exclude fish from turbine, pump, or dredge intakes where they can be injured or killed. Methods presently used to design, site, and operate these structures are inadequate for many applications.
The design of hydraulic structures for fish passage and protection typically involves the selection and implementation of a number of design elements in order to develop the fully operational system. Hydraulically-based fish passage structures typically include varying designs of components, such as diversion screens, orifices, fish ladders, surface collectors, navigation locks, and other structures whose primary or secondary function is to facilitate movement of fish around a dam or other channel obstruction. Fish protection devices include physical exclusion structures, behavioral devices using light and sound, and special operating techniques for hydraulic structures whose mere existence potentially influences the behavior of fish. Fish protection structures are typically used to prevent fish entry into hydroturbines, irrigation intakes, and dredge heads. Once a system is designed, it must be optimally sized, sited, and operated for maximum efficiency. Currently, methods available to aid selection of design alternatives are relatively crude. Methods for integrating design elements into a complete fish passage or protection system are nonexistent or merely anecdotal, and there is little available for optimal siting of the structures and their operation.
Hydraulic structures for fish passage and protection are currently designed by combining assumptions, or criteria, of fish behavior with bulk flow characteristics of the hydraulic flow field, as predicted by mathematical hydraulic models, measured in scaled physical hydraulic models, or measured at existing structures. Model-predicted or measured hydraulic data are integrated with these assumptions, or criteria, to design structures that will pass fish around obstructions in rivers and lakes, or prevent their entry into hydro-turbines, pumps, dredges, or other mechanical structures that can injure or kill them. Unfortunately, systematic application of these assumptions and criteria does not guarantee that efficient designs, sites, or operations will be identified and selected. Numerous unsuccessful fish passage and protection structures, costing many millions of dollars, have been constructed. The inefficiency of the design process, coupled with the endangered or threatened status of many fish species, requires that the present qualitative process of designing fish passage and protection technologies be considerably improved to insure the protection and restoration of the nation's aquatic natural resources. In addition, because presently used methods are qualitative, they cannot be easily included into population, community, water quality, or ecosystem models that are typically used to predict and evaluate the environmental consequences of different fish passage and protection strategies.
The literature available to describe the response of fish to flow fields is dominated by the reliance of studies on simple stream gaging methods for describing the position of fish in hydraulic nets. That is, the position of the fish is described in terms of velocity and depth at the point of measurement, or as an average of cell velocity and cell depth. Unfortunately, this type of hydraulic characterization for habitat description and modeling is insufficient to capture the complexity of fish behavior in complicated hydraulic fields.
The success of fish passage hydraulic structures must be based on the creation of hydraulic patterns that: 1) attract fish to optimal areas for passage, 2) induce fish to enter into the fishway structure, 3) encourage fish to successfully pass through the structure, 4) create exit conditions that prevent fish from loitering in the fishway, and 5) discourage fish from turning in the wrong direction after they depart from the fishway. The state-of-the-art provides no quantitative method for selecting from competing designs to achieve steps 1-5 above. The success of fish protection hydraulic structures must be based on the creation of hydraulic patterns that discourage fish from entering regions of the hydraulic structure where they can be injured or killed and/or prevent and minimize their physical impact with a protection device.
The lack of systematic success and, in some cases, the failure of fish passage and protection structures, prove that guiding concepts employed to design such structures must be significantly enhanced. Evaluation of the prior art design process for fish passage and protection structures indicates that a major source of uncertainty occurs in the qualitative or anecdotal methods used to relate fish behavior to predicted or measured hydraulic fields. Therefore, fish behavior is not rigorously included in the design selection process for fish passage and fish protection systems. It is enticing to apply anthropomorphic logic to bulk flow patterns as the basis for selecting design alternatives because the flow patterns can be easily visualized in plan view in physical models and in plan view or profile view in mathematical hydraulic models. Unfortunately, the information content of bulk flow patterns that are so obvious to researchers observing physical models or inspecting the output of mathematical hydraulic models is not available to fish because of the limitations and capabilities of fish sensory systems. Fish are embedded in the fluid medium and are much more likely to utilize or be restricted to the information they can acquire in their immediate hydraulic surrounding as they select a swim path through the complex hydraulic and acoustic environment generated by fish protection and passage structures. Fish may be completely unaware of the overall hydraulic pattern because the large-scale bulk flow pattern so obvious to engineers and biologists when visualizing flow fields, is unavailable to organisms imbedded in the fluid medium.
There is thus a need for a method for designing fish passageways, which method integrates several technologies, to optimally design, locate, and operate fish passage and protection structures, and which includes fish behavior in the design of hydraulic structures used to pass or protect fish and other aquatic organisms.
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The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to a permanent magnet rotor and, more particularly, to the interior placement of permanent magnets within a permanent magnet rotor.
Permanent magnet (PM) synchronous motors are found in a broad assortment of applications ranging from automotive, aircraft, watercraft, robotics, machinery, and other areas as well. As way of example only, in aerospace electromechanical drives have been used in electric fuel pumps, electric actuation systems for flight control, electric cabin air compressors, nitrogen generation systems, compartment refrigeration units, and supplemental cooling units.
A number of different arrangements of the magnets have been provided within permanent magnet motors. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A through FIG. 1F rotor configuration for PM synchronous motors have included: (a) surface-magnet rotor; (b) spoke-type magnet rotor; (c) interior-magnet rotor with flat PMs; (d) inset-magnet rotor; (e) rotor with double-layer interior magnets; and (f) rotor with buried magnets asymmetrically distributed. d-axis (direct axis) is the center axis of magnetic pole, q-axis (quadrature axis) is the axis electromagnetically orthogonal to the d-axis. However, this list is not exhaustive of all possible arrangements.
Accordingly, there is a constant desire for improvements in the magnet arrangement within these PM motors to provide desired motor properties.
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The literature is replete with products capable of cleaning hard surfaces such as ceramic tile floors, hardwood floors, counter tops and the like. In the context of cleaning floors, numerous devices are described comprising a handle and some means for absorbing a fluid cleaning composition. Such devices include those that are reusable, including mops containing cotton strings, cellulose and/or synthetic strips, sponges, and the like. The use of any such device or mop requires considerable effort.
Examples of disposable mops include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,559, issued Mar. 10, 1992 to Rivera et al., which describes a mop that includes a disposable cleaning pad comprising a scrubber layer for removing soil from a soiled surface, a blotter layer to absorb fluid after the cleaning process, and a liquid impervious layer positioned between the scrubber and blotter layer and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,015, issued May 30, 1995 to Garcia, which describes a mop having removable, washable work pads, said patents being incorporated herein by reference.
The cleaning implement herein preferably comprises a removable cleaning pad, which alleviates the need to rinse the pad during use. This cleaning pad preferably possesses sufficient absorbent capacity, on a gram of absorbed fluid per gram of cleaning pad basis, to allow the cleaning of a large area, such as that of the typical hard surface floor (e.g., 80–100 ft2), without the need to change the pad. This typically requires the use of a superabsorbent material, preferably of the type disclosed hereinafter. The detergent composition that is used with such superabsorbent matierials must be carefully formulated to avoid defeating the goal of using such superabsorbent material.
The preferred cleaning implements have a pad which offers beneficial soil removal properties due to continuously providing a fresh surface, and/or edge to contact the soiled surface, e.g., by provideng a plurality of surfaces that contact the soiled surface during the cleaning operation.
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{
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A variety of ion channel proteins exist to mediate ion flux across cellular membranes. The proper expression and function of ion channel proteins is essential for the maintenance of cell function, intracellular communication, and the like. Numerous diseases are the result of misregulation of membrane potential or aberrant calcium handling. Given the central importance of ion channels in modulating membrane potential and ion flux in cells, identification of agents that can promote or inhibit particular ion channels are of great interest as research tools and as possible therapeutic agents.
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In the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits where, for example, individual semiconductor chips are diced from a semiconductor wafer, it has been one practice to bond these chips to a continuous lead frame having many frame segments therein and then separate each chip and corresponding lead frame segment from the continuous frame for further subsequent reliability testing. One type of continuous flexible lead frame member which is particularly useful in practicing the present invention and which is well known in the art is referred to as a TAB bond circuit. The acronym "TAB" refers to tape automated bond and is described in many prior art references including U.S. Pats. Nos. 4,007,479, 4,195,195, 4,390,598 and 4,459,607.
The above reliability testing of integrated circuits will typically include the mounting of a certain number of the separated chips and supporting lead frame segments on a burn-in card and then inserting the burn-in card in a test oven. Here the individual IC chips are electrically connected to test circuitry for cycling the chips with a predetermined sequence of electrical signals. These signals are applied to certain nodes of these chips for a predetermined time and at a certain required elevated oven temperature.
The above electrical connection requires high tolerance fixturing using skilled labor and also requires a relatively large area of oven space for burn-in. This burn-in preparation and testing of these IC chips has been known to contribute to the final manufacturing cost per integrated circuit chip by about $2.00.
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The invention relates to a method for operating a management network of a telecommunications network, in which the manager and the agent communicate with each other using an object model.
TMN (TMN: Telecommunications Management Network) principle, a plurality of management layers exist for the management of a communication system—such as for example of a mobile radio communication system—with each layer, with the exception of the highest and lowest layer, having a dual function, namely a manager function and an agent function. In the managing system each layer except for the lowest exercises a manager function for the layer below it. In the managed system each layer except for the uppermost layer is given an agent function for the next-higher layer.
For network monitoring and control, managers start operations in which they send out what are referred to as “requests” which are executed by agents, and receive corresponding acknowledgements, referred to as “responses”, from the agents. Elements of the telecommunications network, also referred to as resources of the telecommunications network, which in the TMN hierarchy exercise the role of an agent, detect relevant occurrences known as “events”, for example alarms, generate the appropriate notifications, and transmit them to managers in the form of what are known as event reports to make possible an efficient network management system.
Network management can include functions such as fault management and/or configuration management and/or security management and/or accounting management and/or performance management. Network management is designed to provide suitable protection mechanisms for information distribution and -administration, so that if necessary a comprehensive picture of the network status is available and the individual objects of the telecommunications network can be efficiently monitored and configured.
Manager and agent communicate using what are known as management interfaces or manager-agent interfaces, which in an object-oriented environment are identified by a communication protocol, such as CMIP (Common Management Information Protocol) according to ITU-T X.711 or CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture), and by an object model. Object models are used for modeling of resources of the telecommunications network, with these resources being subdivided during modeling into object classes.
Such interfaces are present for example between the network element management level on one side and the network element level on the other side. An example of network devices of this manager-agent interface are the operation and maintenance centers (OMC) on the network element management level side, as well as on network element level side devices such as base stations of the base station system (BSS) of a GSM mobile radio network, or base stations of other communication networks, for example Node Bs of a UMTS mobile radio network (UMTS) or radio access points of a WLAN (WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network) system for example in accordance with one of the IEEE 802.11 Standards.
Management interfaces or manager-agent interfaces also exist between the network management level on one side and the network element management level on the other side. Network Management Centers (NMC) represent an example of network devices for this manager-agent interface on the network management level side and Operation and Maintenance Centers (OMC) on the network element management level side, e.g. in the GSM network mentioned or in another mobile radio or telecommunications network.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a near-field optical head for recording/reading information on a recording medium by utilizing the interaction of a near field light, and to a method for fabricating the same.
2. Background Information
An information recording/reading apparatus using lights has been evolving into the realization of large capacity and downsizing. On that account, the realization of a high density recording bit is demanded. As measures for that, studies using a blue-violet semiconductor laser or an SIL (Solid Immersion Lens) have been conducted. However, it is only hoped that these techniques will result in the improvement to the extent of a few times current recording density due to a problem of the diffraction limit of light. As contrast to this, a method for recording/reading information utilizing a near field light is expected as a technique of handling optical information in microregions exceeding the diffraction limit of light.
This technique utilizes the near field light that is generated by the interaction of a microregion with an aperture formed in a near field optical head having a size equal to or under the light wavelength. Thereby, optical information in areas equal to or below the light wavelength can be handled, which is considered to be a limit in a conventional optical system. Thus, the realization of a high density optical memory can be expected. The principle in reading will be introduced in brief. Generally, in a method called a collection mode, a scattered light first is irradiated onto the surface of a recording medium and thereby a near field light is localized in the periphery of a micromark in accordance with a structure of the micromark on the surface of the recording medium. This near field light is optically interacted with an aperture to be converted into a scattered light and is detected through the aperture and thereby data reading is made possible. Additionally, a method called an illumination mode, a propagation light is irradiated onto the aperture and thereby a near field light is generated in the periphery of the aperture. The near field light is allowed to come close to the surface of the recording medium to interact with the micro-optical information recorded on the surface of the recording medium. The light scattered thereon is detected by a detector that is disposed separately and thereby reading can be conducted. Furthermore, as a method for recording information, it is performed such that a near field light generated from an aperture is irradiated onto the surface of a recording medium to change the topology of the microregion on the recording medium (heat mode recording) or the refractive index or the transmissivity of the microregion is altered (photon mode recording). The near field optical head having an aperture exceeding the diffraction limit of light is used in these methods and thereby the realization of a high density recording bit exceeding an conventional optical information recording/reading apparatus can be attained.
In the case of fabricating such a near field optical head for recording/reading optical information, the aperture formation that directly influences the resolution or the signal-to-noise ratio of signals is an important process. As one method for producing an aperture, a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 21201/1993 is known. In the manner of producing the aperture by this method, an opaque film on a point is plastically deformed by pressing a pointed light waveguide on which the opaque film is deposited against a hard flat plate with a very small amount of pressing, which is well-controlled by a piezoelectric actuator.
Additionally, another method for forming an aperture is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 265520/1999. The manner of forming the aperture by this method is conducted by irradiating an FIB (Focused Ion Beam) to the vicinity of the point of an opaque film covering a projection from the side direction to remove the opaque film from the point of the projection.
However, according to the method of Japanese Patent Publication No. 21201/1993, the aperture can be formed on the light waveguide only one by one. Additionally, a piezoelectric actuator having a moving resolution of a few nanometers is needed to control the amount of pressing and thus an aperture forming apparatus has to be placed in an environment which is little influenced by vibration of other devices or air. Furthermore, it takes much time to adjust a wave guide rod to vertically abut on the flat plate. Moreover, in addition to the piezoelectric actuator having a small moving amount, a mechanical translation platform having a large moving amount is needed. Besides, when the pressing amount is controlled by using the piezoelectric actuator having a small moving resolution, a control unit is required and it takes a few minutes to control and form the aperture. Therefore, for aperture formation, a large-scale apparatus such as a high voltage power supply or a feedback circuit is needed. In addition, a problem has arisen that costs for aperture formation are increased.
Additionally, according to the method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 265520/1999, a fabrication object is the projection on the flat plate. However, since the aperture is formed by using the FIB, the time required to form one aperture is as long as ten minutes. Furthermore, because of using the FIB, a sample needs to be placed in vacuum. Thus, a problem has arisen that fabrication costs for aperture fabrication are increased.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of microcontrollers. More particularly, the invention relates to debug interfaces for microcontrollers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Background debug, which aids in the development of software in microcontrollers (MCUs), has been in existence since about 1990 and has grown in sophistication. Debug is essential for the software development of most modern MCUs. It usually utilizes a synchronous serial data protocol.
As shown in FIG. 1, a control device, such as a computer 100, is linked to a debug module 110 to debug the software in the MCU 150. A “data in” signal 120 and a clock signal 130 are sent simultaneously from the debug module 110 to the MCU 150, and a data signal 140 is sent back to the debug module 110 from the MCU 150. This data signal 140 is analyzed to detect and correct possible problems in the software in the MCU 150.
FIG. 2 illustrates a system where only one wire is used to communicate in a half-duplex manner between the MCU and the debug module 110, thereby maintaining low costs. Signal waveform 210 of the data in/out signals 200 is illustrated. As directed by the computer 100, the debug module 110 sends and receives from the MCU 150 a binary or bi-level waveform 210. However, because a clock signal is not embedded in the data signal, both the MCU 150 and the debug module 110 needs to receive clock information from another source or the information transmitted between the debug module 110 and the MCU 150 is useless.
As the performance of MCUs increases and the cost simultaneously decreases, it is increasingly necessary to put software debug logic on-chip. In future generations of low cost MCUs, the pin count may be so low that only a single pin may be reserved for use as a debug port. This becomes a problem as IC designers never know what frequency a customer might use, and a clocking signal is important to keep the two modules synchronized.
One example of current technology is a system that is implemented with on-chip hardware rather than external software and provides a full set of debugging options. The control logic resides in an on-chip background debug module (BDM), rather than in a CPU. The BDM generally uses CPU dead cycles to execute debugging commands while the CPU is operating normally but can steal cycles from the CPU when necessary. While the BDM is active, the CPU executes a monitor program located in a small on-chip ROM.
Debugging control logic communicates with external devices serially, via single pin. This single-wire approach helps to minimize the number of pins needed for development support. This pin is an open-drain pin that can be driven either by an MCU or by an external host and is used to send and receive data only. The BDM and the MCU both have their own clocks. However, problems arise when the clock in the BDM becomes out of sync with the clock in the MCU. If this situation arises, the BDM cannot effectively detect any problems that may be present. Thus, synchronization of the MCU and the debug module, without dedicated data, clock, and handshake signals, is a fundamental problem.
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This invention relates to a method of alleviating the symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome through the use of antiviral agents.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder which, until recently, had no formalized name, received little attention and was believed by the majority of the medical community to be a psychological rather than medical disorder. However, as information about the disorder has been disseminated, the symptoms associated with the disorder, as well as the growing number of people afflicted with this disorder, have steadily increased to alarming proportions. In fact, CFS is being reported with increasing frequency throughout the world.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a puzzling, exasperating illness whereby previously healthy, vigorous and productive young or middle-aged adults are suddenly afflicted with a persistent, overwhelming fatigue. When such a severe debilitating fatigue extends beyond six months and psychiatric disease is excluded, the condition has been termed xe2x80x9cchronic fatigue syndrome.xe2x80x9d Despite the number of people afflicted with chronic fatigue syndrome and the recent research attention, to date, the cause of the disorder remains unknown.
The medical community has only recently defined the term xe2x80x9cchronic fatigue syndromexe2x80x9d to have a distinct and well-defined meaning. In the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Vol. 84, February, 1991, chronic fatigue syndrome is defined as:
xe2x80x9cA fatigue which is the principal symptom, which has a definite onset, and is severe, disabling and affects both physical and mental functioning, and furthermore that fatigue should have been present for a minimum of six months at which it was present for more than 50% of the time.xe2x80x9d
One or more of the following symptoms are generally associated with the syndrome, such as sleep disturbances (changes in the duration of sleep and/or quality of sleep), impairments in concentration and short-term memory, chronic and recurrent low-grade fever, and musculoskeletal pain. The changes in the duration of sleep could be hypersomnia or increased sleep, or insomnia or reduced sleep. The changes of the quality of sleep are contemplated to be due to a decrease of REM sleep. There is also generally a restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a healthy human being, (resulting from loss of psychological or physiological function). There is further a definite persistent change from a previous level of functioning.
Mood disturbances such as depressed mood, and anhedonia, anxious mood, emotional stability, irritability, and severity of the mood disturbances should be assessed on standards scales. For diagnosis purposes, a patient""s symptoms should be evaluated to determine whether such symptoms are attributed by a psychological condition, such as a depressive disorder rather than chronic fatigue syndrome. It should thus be determined whether the disorder is sufficient to meet the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorders. In CFS patients, myalgia, which is pain or aching felt in the muscles, should be disproportionate to exertion. Such myalgia should be distinguished from feelings of weakness and pain felt in other areas such as the joints. Certain patients should be excluded from the definition of CFS, such as patients with established medical conditions known to produce chronic fatigue such as severe anemia. Additionally, patients with schizophrenia, manic depressive illness, substance abuse, eating disorders, or proven organic brain disease should be excluded as chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers. However, other generalized psychiatric disorders may be attributed to chronic fatigue syndrome.
A variety of treatments have been suggested and utilized for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,817, there is described a treatment of the chronic fatigue syndrome wherein a pharmaceutically-acceptable cholinesterase inhibitor or a prodrug therefore is administered for the treatment of fatigue syndromes. This treatment is based on the understanding that the mechanism of the fatigue could be an imbalance in the cholinergic nicotinic transmitter system, both peripherally and centrally, which decreases the acetylcholine in the central and peripheral synapses. However, this therapy has proven ineffective, as this mechanism does not properly describe the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome.
In a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,296 discloses a treatment involving the administration of mammalian liver extract. Yet another example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,739, whereby an opiate receptor antagonist is administered as a treatment option. In addition, a variety of drugs have been prescribed for symptomatic relief including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tricyclic anti-depressants, sleep-inducing drugs, tranquilizers, anti-anxiety and stress-relieving drugs such as androstenediol and androstenetriol. Such symptomatic treatment efforts, while providing temporary relief for one of the associated symptoms, have in general provided no long-term treatment of the disorder as a whole.
In addition to the physical pain associated with this disorder, there is also a severe mental and emotional toll placed on the CFS sufferer. As a result of the prolonged and debilitating fatigue, and flu-like symptoms, CFS sufferers are forced to reduce their level of activity, and are often unable to lead what would be considered a normal life.
Accordingly, there is a genuine need for a method of treating chronic fatigue syndrome with a reliable, and effective technique which allows a CFS sufferer to regain a normal level of activity without the associated persistent fatigue characterized by the disorder.
It would be desirable to provide a method for alleviating the symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome by administering antiviral agents to target the cause of the disorder. It would further be desirable to provide a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome through administration of an antiviral drug which is directed to the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome rather than one that addresses a particular condition or symptom. It would be yet further desirable to provide a long-term treatment approach whereby chronic fatigue sufferers could resume a normal level of activity without experiencing extreme fatigue.
In carrying out the above objects, a method is disclosed for alleviating the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, including administering to a patient in need thereof, a therapeutically effective amount of one or more pharmaceutically acceptable antiviral agents, wherein the one or more antiviral agents are selected from the group consisting of acyclovir, ganciclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir, cidofovir, and pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives and mixtures thereof.
There is further disclosed a method of diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in a patient, including the steps of: evaluating the patient for serologic evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection; and monitoring the patient for T-wave abnormalities by 24-hour electrocardiographic (Holter) monitoring to document the persistent cardiac pathology which is the basis of the CFS. The serologic evidence of EBV and HCMV is obtained by studying the level of antibodies of EBV and HCMV to detect the presence of active and persistent multiplication of either or both of the viruses. In conjunction therewith, tests are conducted to verify the existence of a cardiomyopathy in the CFS patient. Based on the results of the tests and the determination of the cause of CFS, the patient is administered a specific antiviral agent suitable for EBV, HCMV or the combination. Following initial antiviral treatment, supplemental tests are conducted to check for recurrent CFS to determine an appropriate treatment period for the patient to achieve continued alleviation of the CFS symptoms.
There is yet another method of diagnosing CFS in a patient including the steps of: evaluating the patient for serologic evidence by HCMV, evaluating assays for non-structural early gene products; and monitoring the patient for T-wave abnormalities by 24-hour Holter monitoring to document the persistent cardiac pathology which is the basis of the CFS.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention.
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The present invention relates to magnetic storage systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to magnetoresistive sensors used in magnetic storage systems to read back stored information.
Magnetic storage systems are used to store information in a magnetic format for subsequent retrieval. Various technologies are available for reading back the stored information. One promising technology is the use of a magnetoresistive sensor for such read back.
Magnetoresistive sensors are responsive to a change in resistivity caused by the presence of magnetic fields and are increasingly being employed as read back elements in the heads of magnetic disc drives. They are particularly advantageous because the change in resistivity is independent of disc speed and depends only on the magnetic flux. Further, the sensor output is easily scaled by adjusting the sense current.
Magnetoresistive sensors typically comprise a thin strip of ferromagnetic material such as NiFe magnetized along an easy axis of low coercivity. The strip is mounted in the head such that the easy axis is transverse to the direction of disc rotation and parallel to the plane of the disc. Magnetic flux from the disc surface causes rotation of the magnetization vector of the stip, which in turn causes a change in electrical resistivity. A sense current is passed through the thin strip and the magnetic flux can be detected by measuring the change in voltage across the element as a result of the changing resistivity.
One drawback with magnetoresistive sensors is that the resistance of the magnetoresistive element and its sensitivity vary with temperature. Magnetoresistive sensor parametrics have been measured to degrade at ambient temperatures as low as 65.degree. C. However, during operation of the magnetoresistive sensor, its temperature tends to rise due, to for example, current flowing through the sense element, and the general increase in the ambient temperature from other components in the disc drive system such as the spindle motor, actuator and control circuitry. Common operating temperatures are as high as 60.degree. C. during normal operation, or even higher during intense operation. Further, the ambient temperature for high end components is being pushed higher as higher speeds, increased seek rates, and higher density components are designed. The prior art has focused on making the magnetoresistive sensor element less heat sensitive and/or attempting to compensate for this temperature dependency.
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Utilization is a measure of how well a computing system resource, such as a processor, memory device, storage system or communication infrastructure, is used. Measures of utilization are generally indicative of how much capacity of a resource is consumed by its workload and how much capacity is unused.
Knowledge of the level of resource utilization in computing systems is important for ensuring that applications are adequately serviced and that computing resources are deployed where they are most needed. If a resource is over-utilized, the system configuration may not support additional demands, such as additional users or an increased workload. As a result, users may experience performance degradation. To remedy this situation, the workload may be spread over additional or higher-capacity resources. Conversely, if only a small portion of a resource is being utilized, its unused capabilities may be wasted. To correct this, a lower-capacity resource may be substituted or a portion of the workload may be reassigned to the under-utilized resource.
One technique for estimating the utilization of a computing system resource involves the use of models. However, model construction can be time-consuming and there is no guarantee that utilization under any particular workload will be accurately predicted by the model. Other techniques involve monitoring activity of the resource under a workload. While this approach indicates the current workload of the resource, it has limited ability to predict how much capacity of the resource is unused. In addition, the required instrumentation can be difficult to implement.
Therefore, there is a need for improved techniques for estimating utilization of a computing system resource.
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The invention relates to a method for generating a soft token, to a computer program product, to a service computer system, and to a data processing system.
The use of soft tokens, which are also referred to as software tokens, for authentication purposes is known per se from the prior art. A disadvantage of soft tokens is that copies thereof can be made. This poses potential for the misuse of soft tokens.
In particular soft tokens according to the U-Prove standard, which are referred to as U-Prove tokens, are known from the prior art. Such a U-Prove token can be protected by hardware by dividing the private key of a U-Prove token between two devices (see in this regard U-Prove Technology Overview V1.1, Draft Revision 1, Microsoft Corporation 2011, Section 6 on page 18).
It is therefore an object of the invention to create an improved method for generating a soft token, a computer program product, a service computer system, and a data processing system.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing 2,2-difluoroethylamine of the formula (I) and salts thereof, for example sulphates, hydrochlorides or acetates, which proceeds from difluoroacetonitrile.
2. Description of Related Art
2,2-Difluoroethylamines and salts thereof are important intermediates for preparation of active ingredients, especially active agrochemical ingredients. Various preparation methods for 2,2-difluoroethylamine are known.
Donetti et al. (J. Med. Chem. 1989, 32, 957-961) describe, for example, the synthesis of 2,2-difluoroethylamine hydrochloride proceeding from 2,2-difluoroacetamide, in which the corresponding amide is reduced with a diboran solution in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Kluger et al. describe, in JACS 1982, 104, 10, 2891-2897, the reduction of 2,2-difluoroacetamide with sodium boranate and boron trifluoride etherate to give 2,2-difluoroethylamine.
The low yield and the use of expensive and hazardous chemicals, for example sodium boranate/BF3 or diborane, prevent the processes according to Donetti et al. and Kluger et al. from being suitable for the industrial scale preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine. All these processes are uneconomic, and industrial scale implementation is associated with high costs.
An inexpensive preparation process consists in the hydrogenation of difluoroacetonitrile, which is readily available as a starting material. It can be prepared, for example, from difluoroacetamide (Swarts et al., Bulletin des Societes Chimiques Belges 1922, 31, 364-5, Grunewald et al., J. Med. Chem. 2006, 49 (10), 2939-2952). The catalytic hydrogenation of trifluoroacetonitrile using PtO2 has been described by Gilman et al. (JACS 1943, 65 (8), 1458-1460), to obtain trifluoroethylamine hydrochloride.
The inventors have now found that the process described for trifluoroacetonitrile by Gilman et al. is unsuitable for the hydrogenation of difluoroacetonitrile. When the hydrogenation of difluoroacetonitrile is performed under the conditions described, 2,2-difluoroethylamine is obtained only in traces, whereas a multitude of more highly alkylated reaction products is otherwise obtained.
In addition, it has been found that the catalytic hydrogenation of difluoroacetonitrile in pure glacial acetic acid or in toluene does afford difluoroethylamine, but the conversions were unselective and the product was not isolable from the reaction mixture owing to the low boiling point.
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Recent advances in telecommunications networks have drastically altered the manner in which people interact and conduct business. These advances promote efficiency and convenience in one's ability to receive important information. With this in mind, individuals and businesses today find that their physical and electronic addresses are changing faster than ever with increased mobility and competing message delivery services. Deregulation and privatization of the global postal systems, competing package delivery services, and rapid growth of multiple competing electronic mail (e-mail) systems are creating an environment in which there is no single point of contact for address correction as there was when the sole messaging provider was the national postal service.
Users who enjoy the benefit of sending and receiving e-mail messages typically subscribe to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) offering such e-mail capabilities (e.g., America Online (AOL), Netcom, and Redconnect) and/or may subscribe to an internet based e-mail service (e.g., juno, rocketmail, yahoo) which each is associated with a particular e-mail address. Thus, the e-mail address is unique to the e-mail service provider. The uniqueness of an address to a selected provider is often apparent on the face of the address, e.g., [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]. A user or subscriber to a particular e-mail service may from time to time desire or need to change service providers (e.g., from [email protected] to [email protected]). Exemplary motivation for these changes may derive from the fact that an alternative service provider charges lower rates, or the existing provider's inability to upgrade its service.
A user who desires to change from one e-mail service provider to another suddenly faces the reality of being bound to the old service provider because the user's address is unique to that one provider. A sudden and complete changeover is in many circumstances impossible because the community of people who wish to send electronic messages to the user are only aware that the old address exists. For example, an e-mail address may be published in an industry directory that is only published once every year or two years. Alternatively, the e-mail address may be printed on a business card which cannot be retracted and corrected. Thus, the user incurs a potentially significant loss of prospective business by abandoning the old address.
Currently, there is no effective means in place for address correction of e-mail addresses. Even if the e-mail sender is highly diligent, there are no resources or processes available to identify corrected electronic address information. The problem is further accentuated by the fact that extreme competition in internet service providers, and likewise e-mail service providers, results in extremely high obsolesce of e-mail addresses with no means for e-mail forwarding (e.g., closing an AOL e-mail account provides no option for forwarding e-mail intended for that account to a new e-mail address).
Further, today's web savvy users may have multiple e-mail addresses which periodically change as new features develop or are lost. Entire domain names can be lost (e.g., lostdomain.com) and all mail directed there may be lost as well. In either case, typically the MAIL DAEMON message is returned to the sender, notifying the sender that the e-mail address cannot be found and e-mail message is being returned to the sender.
Some service providers offer their user-subscribers the option of a message forwarding service. These forwarding services operate by receiving the incoming message, retrieving the portion of the incoming message that identifies a selected user who subscribes to the forwarding service, associating the selected user with a forwarding address through the use of a lookup table, and transmitting the message to the forwarding address. The forwarding services differ from the normal message delivery service that the central service provider offers because a portion of the forwarding address belongs to another central service provider. Thus, the forwarded message is actually delivered to its intended recipient by the other or second service provider, i.e., the forwarded message passes through two central service providers, as opposed to just one provider. The intended message recipient is free to change the second provider with regularity provided that the recipient always informs the forwarding service of each change in the second provider. However, this message forwarding system only works with viable e-mail address, that is, the e-mail address associated with the first service provider must still be active and not obsolete. In fact, few e-mail services offer forwarding services and few, if any, offer to forward e-mail after the account is closed. Otherwise, the first service provider is only enabled to send the later mentioned MAIL DAEMON message back to the original sender of the e-mail message.
Obsolescence of e-mail addresses can be a particular problem in a modern business environment. Many companies provide e-mail addresses by which employees send and receive messages in conducting business. When employees leave a company, the employer is faced with the problem of what to do with messages sent to the former employee's work e-mail address. On one hand, e-mail messages received at company e-mail accounts are generally considered to be company property, and the company has an interest in receiving messages relating to its business. On another hand, the reality is that many employees also receive personal and junk mail messages on their company e-mail accounts. Rather than risk impinging on the former employees'privacy, and to avoid the expense of manually sorting out important business related messages, companies will often choose to simply close the former employees'e-mail account and lose the potential business related messages.
When a new employee joins a company, there is often a period of administrative delay before an appropriate company e-mail account is opened for the new employee. During the delay others may attempt to send e-mail messages to the new employee before the new account is opened. Under existing systems and methods, those premature e-mail message will most likely be lost, and not received by the new employee.
E-mail addresses also become obsolete as a result of changes to business e-mail domain names. An e-mail domain name change may occur for a variety of reasons including mergers and acquisitions of companies, rebranding, or corporate or divisional name changes. In addition to changing domain names, companies may also revise the address name formats, adding further difficulty to proper delivery of e-mail messages.
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This disclosure is related to highly crystalline electrically conducting composites, methods of manufacture thereof and to articles comprising the same.
Electrically conducting organic polymers and semiconducting organic polymers are often used in electronic devices that contain displays (e.g., computers, television sets, and the like), as well as in solar cells, and the like. They are employed in these devices in the form of thin film transistors that have flexible and non-flexible substrates. The combination of easy fabrication using methods such as ink-jet printing and roll-to-roll printing, the mechanical flexibility and modest charge mobilities of solution-processable conducting and semiconducting polymers has the potential to transform the electronics industry. One challenge to the application of polymers in digital electronics is the inherent complexity of the electrical properties of polymer films due to the semi-crystalline nature of many conjugated polymers.
Electron mobility within semiconducting conjugated polymers is dependent upon intrachain and interchain charge carrier hopping events. For example, charge carriers can hop between different chains due to the presence of intermolecular overlapping electron densities, such as π-π stacking. Consequently, the charge carrier mobility can depend on various aspects of the thin-film structure, such as the crystallinity, orientation of the crystals, electron cloud overlap in the unit cell, and the connectivity between ordered regions of the polymer.
U.S. Patent Application 2009/0001359 to Worle is directed to enhanced stability with the addition of metallocenes to polythiophene (PT). However, unsubstituted polythiophene is universally accepted as “insoluble and intractable.” The standard polythiophene deposition approach requires an electrochemical process in which thiophene or bithiophene monomers are polymerized oxidatively at the anode. Research towards solution processing with polythiophene has resorted to extreme techniques, such as an AsF3/AsF5 solvent system or high temperature thermal cleaving of a soluble polythiophene derivate, but the resultant films cannot be re-dissolved following deposition.
It is therefore desirable to have electrically conducting polymeric compositions that display high charge mobility and that are easily processable.
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The present invention relates to an optical connector for use in connecting an optical fiber.
In recent years, there is a strong demand for an increase in capacity of optical communication using an optical fiber. Further, in order to reduce the size of an optical communication apparatus, use is made of a PLC (Planar Lightwave Circuit) comprising a silicon or a quartz substrate and a plurality of optical waveguides integrated thereon. In particular, in DWDM (Dense-Wavelength Division Multiplexing), an AWG (Arrayed Waveguide Grating) as one type of the PLC is used so that optical signals transmitted from a plurality of transceivers and different in wavelength from one another can be transmitted by a single optical fiber.
Traditionally, in order to achieve coupling between a number of optical waveguides on the PLC and a number of optical fibers, a component called a fiber array is sometimes used. The fiber array has a number of V grooves. The optical fibers are disposed in the V grooves of the fiber array, respectively, and adhered and fixed thereto. Then, light is transmitted through the optical fibers in the fiber array and the optical waveguides of the PLC and optical power of the light is monitored. When the optical power becomes maximum, the fiber array is adhered and fixed to the PLC.
The above-mentioned technique is called active alignment. The active alignment requires a power monitor and a device for aligning the optical waveguides and the optical fibers in three directions, i.e., back-and-forth, left-and-right, and vertical directions upon coupling the optical waveguides and the optical fibers. Further, a considerably long operating time is required.
Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 2843338 discloses another example of coupling optical waveguides and optical fibers. The optical waveguides are formed on an optical waveguide substrate. The optical waveguides have end portions located on the optical waveguide substrate in the vicinity of an end face thereof. On opposite sides of the end portions of the optical waveguides, a pair of guide pins are fixed. Each of the guide pins protrudes from the end face of the optical waveguide substrate by about a half of its length.
On the other hand, an optical fiber plug is fixed to end portions of the optical fibers. The optical fiber plug has a pair of receiving holes formed on opposite sides of the end portions of the optical fibers. By inserting the guide pins into the receiving holes, connection between the optical waveguides and the optical fibers is automatically achieved.
With the above-mentioned structure, it is easy to align the optical waveguides and the optical fibers. However, when the guide pins are inserted into the receiving holes, a part of the optical fiber plug which is adjacent to each receiving hole may be damaged by the guide pin. Upon occurrence of such damage, stable alignment is difficult to perform. In order to perform stable alignment, a whole of the optical fiber plug which has been damaged must be replaced by a new optical fiber plug. This requires a relatively high cost.
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Today's society and its computing resources are becoming increasingly mobile. People are moving from “anchored” home- or work-based personal computer (PC) computing to mobile computing on Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), mobile phones and pagers. This mobile technology creates opportunities for holders of such technology to electronically interact with people and things they encounter as they move about.
Further, businesses frequently have a difficult time getting their advertisements to interested consumers. At the same time, consumers are inundated with advertisements and other messages, most of which are of no interest, and may miss the impact of advertising or other messages that would be of interest. As advertisements and other messages are delivered to mobile devices, as described above, the chance that an advertisement will reach an interested consumer will grow even smaller. Providing a link between businesses and mobile consumers that might be interested in the businesses' goods and services is a challenge.
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1. Field
Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to constant envelope spread-spectrum coding and, more particularly, to a method for demodulating a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal.
2. Background
Spread-spectrum coding is a technique by which signals generated in a particular bandwidth can be spread in a frequency domain, resulting in a signal with a wider bandwidth. The spread signal has a lower power density, but the same total power as an un-spread signal. The expanded transmission bandwidth minimizes interference to others transmissions because of its low power density. At the receiver, the spread signal can be decoded, and the decoding operation provides resistance to interference and multipath fading.
Spread-spectrum coding is used in standardized systems, e.g. GSM, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Digital GSM Evolution (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA or W-CDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Digital European Cordless Telecommunication (DECT), Infrared (IR), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Global Positioning System (GPS), Millimeter Wave (mmWave), Ultra Wideband (UWB), other standardized as well as non-standardized systems, wireless and wired communication systems.
In order to achieve good spreading characteristics in a system using spread spectrum, it is desirable to employ spreading codes which possess a near perfect periodic or aperiodic autocorrelation function, i.e. low sidelobes level as compared to the main peak, and an efficient correlator-matched filter to ease the processing at the receiver side. Spreading codes with high peak and low sidelobes level yields better acquisition and synchronization properties for communications, radar, and positioning applications.
In spread spectrum systems using multiple spreading codes, it is not sufficient to employ codes with good autocorrelation properties since such systems may suffer from multiple-access interference (MAI) and possibly inter-symbol interference (ISI). In order to achieve good spreading characteristics in a multi code DS-CDMA system, it is necessary to employ sequences having good autocorrelation properties as well as low cross-correlations. The cross-correlation between any two codes should be low to reduce MAI and ISI.
Complementary codes, first introduced by Golay in M. Golay, “Complementary Series,” IRE Transaction on Information Theory, Vol. 7, Issue 2, April 1961, are sets of complementary pairs of equally long, finite sequences of two kinds of elements which have the property that the number of pairs of like elements with any one given separation in one code is equal to the number of unlike elements with the same given separation in the other code. The complementary codes first discussed by Golay were pairs of binary complementary codes with elements +1 and −1 where the sum of their respective aperiodic autocorrelation sequence is zero everywhere, except for the center tap.
Polyphase complementary codes described in R. Sivaswamy, “Multiphase Complementary Codes,” IEEE Transaction on Information Theory, Vol. 24, Issue 5, September 1978, are codes where each element is a complex number with unit magnitude.
An efficient Golay correlator-matched filter was introduced by S. Budisin, “Efficient Pulse Compressor for Golay Complementary Sequences,” Electronic Letters, Vol. 27, Issue 3, January 1991, along with a recursive algorithm to generate these sequences as described in S. Budisin “New Complementary Pairs of Sequences,” Electronic Letters, Vol. 26, Issue 13, June 1990, and in S. Budisin “New Multilevel Complementary Pairs of Sequences,” Electronic Letters, Vol. 26, Issue 22, October 1990. The Golay complementary sequences described by Budisin are the most practical, they have lengths that are power of two, binary or complex, 2 levels or multi-levels, have good periodic and aperiodic autocorrelation functions and most importantly possess a highly efficient correlator-matched filter receiver.
However, Golay sequences are not without drawbacks. First, Golay sequences don't exist for every length, for example binary complementary Golay sequences are known for lengths 2M as well as for some even lengths that can be expressed as sum of two squares. Second, an efficient Golay correlator-matched filter exists only for Golay sequences generated by Budisin's recursive algorithm and that are of length that is a power of two (i.e. 2M). Third, the Golay sequences generated using Budisin's recursive algorithm might not possess the desired correlation properties. Furthermore, good spreading sequences such as m-sequences, Gold sequences, Barker sequences and other known sequences do not possess a highly efficient correlator-matched/mismatched filter.
WBAN (Wireless Body Area Networks) are envisioned to be crystal-less or will use cheap crystal oscillators. In both cases the system with have high ppm (parts per million) precision on the output frequency. For WBAN spread spectrum systems where there is a substantial frequency offset between the transmitter and the receiver, it might be advantageous to process the received signal differentially first. Golay sequences, m-sequences and other codes do not possess good correlation properties when detected differentially.
Finally, for low power applications such as wearable devices and wireless implants, there is a need for very low power radio that allows operation for long time before changing or charging the battery.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method of spread spectrum coding applied at the transmitter and an efficient method for de-spreading at the receiver that allows for large frequency drift between two communicating stations and for a method to reduce the power consumption at the receiver.
Furthermore, there is a need in the art for a practical constant envelope or quasi-constant envelope modulations that enable long battery life while still allowing practical encoding at the transmitter and practical decoding at the receiver.
A decomposition of binary CPM (Continuous Phase Modulation) as a sum of a finite number of time limited amplitude modulated pulse (AMP) was introduced by P. Laurent, “Exact and Approximate Construction of Digital Phase Modulations by Superposition of Amplitude Modulated Pulses (AMP),” IEEE Transaction on Communications, Vol. Com-34, No. 2, February 1982. This was later generalized to non-binary CPM by U. Mengali & al., “Decomposition of M-ary CPM Signals into PAM waveforms,” Vol. 41, No. 5, September 1995. In both cases, the number of pulses remained large for practical CPM modulations. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a single pulse representation of CPM signals which allow us to process CPM as a linear modulation in a similar fashion to BPSK, QPSK and QAM modulations.
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The present invention relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to semiconductor structures including memory devices, such as eDRAM devices, formed within a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate.
Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) cells are well known. A DRAM cell is essentially a capacitor for storing charge and a pass transistor (also called a pass gate or access transistor) for transferring charge to and from the capacitor. Data stored in the cell is determined by the absence or presence of charge on the storage capacitor. Because cell size affects chip density, and cost, reducing cell area is one of the DRAM designer's primary goals.
One way to accomplish this density goal without sacrificing storage capacitance is to use trench capacitors in the cells. Trench capacitors can be formed by etching deep trenches in a silicon wafer and forming vertically oriented capacitors within each deep trench. Thus, the surface area required for the storage capacitor is dramatically reduced without sacrificing capacitance, and correspondingly, storable charge. Each deep trench may have a depth on the order of 1 μm or greater.
Trench-type memory devices are advantageous, in comparison to planar memory configurations, for increased density, performance and lithographic considerations. Trench-type memory devices increase density by reducing the cell area of each memory device, therefore allowing for closer positioning of adjacent memory devices.
There is interest in integrating the excellent drive current and density of memory devices with the superior logic devices that can be formed on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates, to obtain high density memory embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM). SOI substrates reduce parasitic capacitance within the integrated circuit and reduce individual circuit loads, thereby improving circuit and chip performance.
With eDRAM on an SOI substrate, the buried oxide (BOX) is used as a collar oxide, simplifying the overall fabrication process. However, the collar oxide can be attacked easily during wet processing, especially during node dielectric material removal before strap deposition.
Radens et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,252, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses an SOI DRAM memory cell in which the BOX layer is intentionally etched to form the strap therein. There is no recognition of the need to avoid the undercutting of the BOX layer.
Adkisson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,259, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses an SOI eDRAM structure wherein the BOX layer is not undercut. There is no recognition of the problem of BOX layer undercutting or the need to avoid the undercutting of the BOX layer.
Mandelman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,815,749, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses that the BOX layer is purposely undercut to form a strap therein. The reference recognizes that the tolerances are such that there is no risk of shorting adjacent trenches through the BOX layer.
Ho et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2008/0064178, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses the addition of a sidewall spacer to protect the BOX layer prior to the formation of the deep trench. After the formation of the deep trench, the sidewall spacer is removed.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improvement in the design and manufacturing of semiconductor structures, such as eDRAM on SOI substrates, to protect the BOX layer during processing.
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In the manufacture of belted tires and more particularly radial tires, it has been found desirable that the breaker or ply belts or the like serving as reinforcement members of tires be constructed with folded edges. This avoids sharp exposed edges. This may be done by folding the breakers or plies sharply on themselves or to wrap around the edge portions of the other contiguous breakers or plies. Hence, the formation of the desired folded edges requires turning the circumferential edge portions of the endless breaker or ply belts along a fold line so that the so turned portions overlie adjacent circumferential portions of the belts. For precision tire making, formation of sharp and precise folds is particularly important. For example, such precise and sharp folding of the belts eliminates the need for subsequent sizing and trimming of the folded belts.
Heretofore, inflatable bags or bladders have been employed in tire building and belt folding machines to fold the breaker or ply belts and to carry out various other turning operations during building of tire components. Reference may be had, for example, to applicants' assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,832, dated Apr. 15, 1969, which discloses a dual bladder construction in a tire building drum for turning a ply about a bead core to form a tire carcass. However, such machine is not designed to fold sharply a breaker or ply belt back upon itself. For examples of belt folding machines that employ inflatable bladders for folding a tire component belt back upon itself, reference may be had to the Nebout U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,455, dated Oct. 27, 1964, and Wood et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,655, dated Aug. 25, 1970. However, to obtain the desired folds, such machines employ rubber decks with vacuum hold downs to hold the belt to the drum and to attempt to define the fold line while the edge thereof is being folded. Unfortunately, such types of belt folding machines using rubber decks with the bladders as a continuation thereof cannot with ensured repeatability obtain a precise fold edge. Rubber is well known for its change in characteristics upon age and repeated use.
In some such prior art constructions employing inflatable bladders, the fold line may be defined solely by the configuration of the bladders. However, such construction may be undesirable because no precise unyielding fold line is provided to ensure a precise and sharp fold. Moreover, the expansion characteristics of the bladder may vary depending on ambient conditions or the condition of the bladder leading to undesirable fold dimensional variations from one cycle to the next. An exemplary belt folding machine of such prior art constructions is disclosed in Head et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,306, dated May 2, 1978.
Another known belt folding machine, disclosed in Irie et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,987, dated Dec. 20, 1977, employs complex indexed folding and wrapping devices for effecting the fold. However, such machine is somewhat complicated in construction and operation.
It is also known to provide tire building and belt folding machines which include radially expandable drum decks, and some such decks are also axially adjustable. For examples of such decks, reference may be had to the following U.S. patents: Burton U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,545, Appleby et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,437, Jones et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,293 and Gazuit U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,598.
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In commonly-used display devices, each pixel is composed of three subpixels for displaying three primaries of light, i.e., red, green, and blue, whereby multicolor display is achieved.
However, conventional display devices have a problem in that they can only display colors in a narrow range (called a “color gamut”). When the color gamut is narrow, some object colors (i.e., colors of various objects existing in nature; see Non-Patent Document 1) cannot be displayed. Therefore, in order to broaden the color gamut of a display device, there has been proposed a technique which increases the number of primary colors to be used for displaying.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a display device which performs display by using six primary colors. Patent Document 1 also discloses a display device which performs display by using four primary colors and a display device which performs display by using five primary colors. An example of a display device which performs display by using six primary colors is shown in FIG. 25. In a display device 800 shown in FIG. 25, one pixel P is composed of a red subpixel R, a green subpixel G, a blue subpixel B, a cyan subpixel C, a magenta subpixel M, and a yellow subpixel Ye. The display device 800 attains multicolor displaying by intermixing the six primary colors of red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow which are displayed by the six subpixels.
Increasing the number of primary colors to be used for displaying, i.e., performing display by using four or more primary colors, provides a broader color gamut than those of conventional display devices which perform display by using three primaries. In the present specification, display devices which perform display by using four or more primary colors will be referred to as “multiprimary display devices”, and display devices which perform display by using three primary colors (i.e., those which are conventional and commonly used) will be referred to as “three-primary display devices”.
However, given the same screen size, in order for a multiprimary display device to display an image having a similar resolution to that of a three-primary display device, the device structure needs to become finer, whereby the production cost is increased. The reason is as follows. When the number of subpixels per pixel increases from 3, to 4 or more in a multiprimary display device, the subpixel size needs to become smaller than that of a three-primary display device in order to obtain the same number of pixels in the same screen size. Specifically, given a number m of primary colors to be used for displaying (m≧4), the subpixel size must become 3/m. For example, in a multiprimary display device which performs display by using six primary colors, the subpixel size must be made ½(= 3/6).
Techniques for solving this problem are proposed in Patent Documents 2 and 3. In the multiprimary display devices disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the plurality of subpixels composing each pixel are regrouped into a plurality of imaginary pixels (called “virtual pixels”), and display is performed by regarding each of the plurality of virtual pixels is regarded as the smallest unit of multicolor displaying. As a result, even if the resolution of an input image is higher than the panel resolution, it is possible to suitably perform display.
Thus, the multiprimary display devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3 can provide a displaying resolution that is higher than the panel resolution, so that an image having a similar or higher resolution can be displayed with the same subpixel size and screen size as those of the three-primary display device. Moreover, they can be produced with a similar cost to that of a three-primary display device.
As a specific exemplary construction of multiprimary display devices capable of performing display with virtual pixels as described above, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a construction where a signal conversion circuit for converting a three-primary image signal into a multiprimary image signal has a low-range multiprimary signal generation section, a high-range luminance signal generation section, and a rendering process section.
The low-range multiprimary signal generation section of this construction generates a low-range multiprimary signal based on an input image signal. The low-range multiprimary signal is a signal in which a low-range component of the input image signal has been adapted to multiprimaries. Based on the input image signal, the high-range luminance signal generation section generates a high-range luminance signal. The high-range luminance signal is a signal in which a high-range component of the input image signal has been subjected to luminance conversion. The rendering process section performs a rendering process onto a plurality of virtual pixels, based on the low-range multiprimary signal which has been generated by the low-range multiprimary signal generation section and the high-range luminance signal which has been generated by the high-range luminance signal generation section.
In the signal conversion circuit of the above construction, human visual characteristics are taken into account, i.e., there being higher sensitivity with respect to a luminance signal than with respect to a color signal (i.e., the luminous factor as to color differences is lower than the luminous factor as to luminance); thus, a multiprimary process is applied to the low-range component of an input image signal, whereas a luminance conversion process is applied to the high-range component. Then, the low-range multiprimary signal and the high-range luminance signal resulting from these processes are combined, and rendered onto virtual pixels, whereby an image signal (multiprimary image signal) corresponding to four or more primary colors is output.
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Self-riveting male fastening elements of the type disclosed herein were first developed by Profil Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG of Germany, a company related to the assignee of the present application, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,724. The fastening element includes a tubular or annular piercing and riveting portion or barrel portion which in the preferred embodiment pierced an opening in the panel which is then received through the panel opening into a die member having an annular concave die cavity. The die then deforms the free end of the barrel or riveting portion radially outwardly to permanently attach the fastening element to the panel. The fastening element further includes a radial flange portion which is driven into the panel as the free end of the tubular riveting portion is deformed radially outwardly forming a rigid secure installation in a panel. In the preferred embodiment, the fastening element further includes a male fastening portion integral with the radial flange or body portion coaxially aligned with the tubular riveting portion. Female fastening elements of this type were also developed, wherein the body portion includes an internal thread forming a nut-type fastener. Alternatively, the bore may be smooth to receive a self-rolling or self-tapping screw or bolt.
Self-attaching fastening elements of this type have been used extensively particularly in automotive and other applications requiring a secure rigid installation of a fastening element such as a stud, bolt, or nut in a metal panel or plate including body panels, brackets, structural elements and the like. However, self-piercing fastening elements of this type are generally limited to applications where the metal panel has a thickness generally less than about 2.5 mm or 0.098 inches. In automotive applications for example one problem solved by the self-piercing fastener disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. patent was to permanently attach a fastening element in relatively thin panels having a thickness of about 0.031 inches in a continuous operation. Later, fastening elements of this type were developed for permanent attachment of the fastening elements in relatively thick or heavy gauge metal panels as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,713,872; 5,237,733; and 5,564,873. In applications requiring the installation of a self-riveting fastening element of this type in heavy gauge metal panels having a thickness ranging from about 0.08 to 0.25 inches or greater, an opening configured to receive the tubular riveting portion of the fastening element is first formed in the panel. The tubular riveting portion of the fastening element is then received through the panel opening into a concave annular die cavity and the fastening element is then driven toward the die member which deforms the free end of the tubular riveting portion radially outwardly, permanently riveting the fastening element to the panel. The fastening element may include a radial flange portion which is driven into the panel to entrap the panel portion adjacent the panel opening and forming a flush mounting as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,237,733 and 5,564,873. Alternatively, the body portion may include a conical surface adjacent the tubular riveting portion forming a press fit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,872. In the most preferred embodiment, however, the body portion includes a radial flange portion forming a more secure rigid fastener and panel assembly.
There are, however, problems in the installation of a self-riveting fastening element of the type described having a radial flange portion for installation in heavier gauge metal panels, particularly, but not exclusively male self-riveting fastening elements. A male self-riveting fastening element, for example, is driven toward the die member by a plunger having an annular end portion which surrounds the male fastening portion as disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. patents. The annular driving surface of the plunger is driven against an annular surface of the radial flange portion of the body portion of the fastening element which significantly deforms the radial flange portion during installation as shown in FIG. 9, described below, because of the force required for installation. As described in the above-referenced U.S. patents, self-riveting fasteners of this type are normally installed in a die press generating several tons of force and the die press may simultaneously form the plate or panel into a contoured shape. Several tons of force are required first to deform the free end of the tubular riveting or barrel portion radially outwardly in the concave arcuate annular die cavity, because of the extreme frictional resistance and large hoop stresses developed. These forces have been reduced by including an internal conical chamfifer surface on the free end of the self-riveting portion and by friction resistant coatings; however, these approaches have not eliminated this problem. Further, the force required to deform the radial flange portion of the self-riveting fastening element into the panel results in further deformation of the radial flange portion during the final installation of the fastening element in the panel.
During installation of a self-riveting fastening element of the type described above, the radial flange portion is deformed by the driving surface of the plunger or ram toward and into the tubular riveting portion and radially, resulting in resulted in fewer structural integrity of the fastening element and panel assembly. This problem has reduced applications of this type of self-riveting fastening element in heavier gauge metal panels and problems following installation. As set forth below, this problem has been solved by the improved self-attaching fastening element of this invention by reducing the force required to install the self-riveting fastening element in a panel, thereby reducing the deformation of the radial flange portion during installation.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the identification and tracking of items in an airport environment using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.
2. Background Art
An RFID tag may be affixed to an item whose presence is to be detected and/or monitored. The presence of an RFID tag, and therefore the presence of the item to which the tag is affixed, may be checked and monitored by devices known as “readers.”
Airports are required to track large quantities of items/assets, including passenger baggage. These items are checked into the airport by the passengers, and then are transported to the corresponding aircraft. What is desired is the ability to generate an automated manifest of assets being loaded into aircraft transports and containers. Current procedures require the use of manual labor to log each asset as it is being transported and loaded. The ability to identify locations of items within an aircraft or container is not possible with existing systems.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a toy with modular parts, and in particular relates to a combination toy and writing accessory that has multiple functions in playtime as well as in everyday desk-bound activities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The assembly of toy structural members or building blocks into models and predetermined assemblies that represent figures, machines, vehicles and the like is a universally practiced activity among children across a wide range of ages. Such ‘building block’ systems and models are well known and include systems commercialized over the years by Meccano™, Erector Set, Lego™, Märklin™ and System Xox™ among others. The use of such building block toys and model systems can greatly contribute to a child's development relating to mechanical and engineering conceptualization and problem-solving. However, the typical use of such building block toy systems requires a ‘dedicated’ playtime using the ‘dedicated’ building blocks. It is believed that time demands on children, in particular time spent in the classroom, has contributed to a decline in interest in many forms of building block toy systems. Thus, it is desirable to provide a combination ‘toy’ and ‘writing instrument’ based on a building block system that permits the child to spend his or her desk-bound time in mechanical and engineering conceptualization activities and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
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1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a process for coating the exterior surfaces of crystalline silica polymorphs, e.g., crystalline silica and aluminosilica type zeolite catalysts with amorphous silica to increase the selectivity of the catalysts.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
The benefits of coating silica containing catalysts such as zeolites, e.g., ZSM 5 and crystalline silicas have been recognized. U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,869 issued on May 20, 1980 discloses a process for coating a zeolite type catalyst to increase the selectivity which process deposits an isocrystalline layer of aluminum-free zeolite over the surface of the zeolite resulting in an aluminum-free outer shell having the same crystal structure as the zeolite. U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,306 issued on Aug. 11, 1981 discloses a group of novel crystalline silicas along with the concept of promoting the catalytic activity of the silicas by the incorporation of certain compounds including amorphous silica. The amorphous silica is placed on the catalyst by the use of certain silicone compounds as described in Column 5, lines 12-38 of the patent. The silicones cannot enter the channels because of their size. However, these compounds are quite expensive relative to the silicates of the present invention. Alumina is coated on the surface of crystalline zeolites by a technique disclosed in U.K. Patent Application No. 2079737 filed on Jul. 6, 1981. U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,929, issued on Aug. 21, 1973, discloses a method for preparing an alumina coated zeolite type catalyst by contacting the zeolite with a soluble aluminum sulfate, or aluminate at a pH 3-5.
Catalysts to which the process of the present invention can be applied are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,865 issued on Feb. 14, 1978, U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,724 issued on Dec. 6, 1977, U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,519 issued on May 18, 1982, U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,294 issued on Aug. 1, 1978, U.K. Patent Application No. 2,084,552 A filed on Sept. 9, 1981 as well as the references disclosed in the foregoing references. The process of the present invention is particularly useful in coating catalysts for the methylation of toluene as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,208 issued on Jun. 22, 1976 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,215 issued on Jul. 11, 1978. U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,616 issued on Nov. 28, 1978 which discloses numerous references to disproportionation and alkylation using catalysts which can be coated according to the process of the present invention also discloses coating using bulky silicones.
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{
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This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Blowout preventers (“BOPs”) are used extensively throughout the oil and gas industry. Typical BOPs are used as a large specialized valve or similar mechanical device that seal, control, and monitor oil and gas wells. The two categories of BOPs that are most prevalent are ram BOPs and annular BOPs. BOP stacks frequently utilize both types of BOPs, typically with at least one annular BOP stacked above several ram BOPs. The ram units in ram BOPs allow for shearing drill pipe in the case of shear rams, sealing off around drill pipe in the case of pipe rams, and sealing the BOP bore in the case of blind rams. Typically, a BOP stack may be secured to a wellhead and may provide a safe means for sealing the well in the event of a system failure.
An example BOP includes a main body or housing with a vertical bore. Ram bonnet assemblies may be bolted to opposing sides of the main body using a number of high tensile fasteners, such as bolts or studs. These fasteners are required to hold the bonnet in position to enable the sealing arrangements to work effectively. An elastomeric sealing element may be used between the ram bonnet and the main body. There are several configurations, but essentially they are all directed to preventing a leakage bypass between the mating faces of the ram bonnet and the main body.
Each bonnet assembly includes a piston which is laterally movable within a ram cavity of the bonnet assembly by pressurized hydraulic fluid acting on the piston. The opposite side of each piston has a connecting rod attached thereto which in turn has a ram mounted thereon for extension into the vertical bore. The rams can be shear rams for shearing an object within the bore of a BOP. Alternatively, the rams can be pipe rams for sealing off around an object within the bore of a BOP, such as a pipe, thereby sealing the annular space between the object and the BOP bore. In addition, the rams can be blind rams for sealing the BOP bore.
The rams are designed to move laterally toward the vertical bore of the BOP to shear or seal off on any object located therein. For instance, opposing shear rams utilize cutting surfaces configured to close in on and shear an object located in the BOP bore, such as a section of drill pipe used during drilling operations. The opposing shear rams can include seals disposed adjacent the cutting faces of the shear rams and configured to come together to seal off the BOP bore. Placement of the seals near the cutting faces of shear rams weakens the cutting or shearing strength of the shear rams.
Pipe rams utilize seals that close in on and seal off on a tubular within the vertical bore of the BOP. Each pipe ram typically has a semicircular opening in its front face to form a seal about half of the outer periphery of the object within the BOP vertical bore. When the opposing pipe rams are closed, the opposing pipe rams engage each other and seal the entire periphery of the object, thereby closing off the annulus between the object and the BOP bore. Typical pipe ram assemblies can include a ram packer which is composed of an elastomeric or rubber material configured to seal off against the tubular within the vertical bore of the BOP when the opposing rams are run into the closed position.
Still further, blind rams utilize seals that close in and seal on opposing blind ram seals to seal off a BOP bore when no object is present in the bore.
As discussed above, a single BOP stack can include an annular BOP, one or more sets of shear rams, one or more sets of pipe rams, and one or more sets of blind rams. Each respective set of rams is located above or below each adjacent set of rams. In this way, a BOP stack increases in height and weight with the addition of each set of rams. It is desirable to minimize the height and weight of a BOP stack to reduce complexity, costs, and equipment footprint.
Further, many existing BOP rams are constructed of a material which, while suitable for cutting or shearing purposes, is not NACE International compliant. That is, the rams and in particular the sealing features of the rams do not meet the requisite corrosion control standards.
Moreover, and as discussed above, placement of seals or packers adjacent the cutting edge of a shear ram can affect the shear ram cutting or shearing strength.
Accordingly, shear, blind, and pipe rams including sealing features that are NACE compliant are desirable. Furthermore, shear, blind, and pipe rams which do not unnecessarily add to the height and weight of a BOP stack are desirable. Still further, a shear ram with sealing capability but with uncompromised cutting edges is desirable. In addition, a subsea drilling system capable of being pressure tested without having to pull the entire drilling riser is desirable.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
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This invention relates to a fountain pen with a ballbearing tip, more particularly to a leakproof fountain pen with a ballbearing tip.
Fountain pens with ballbearing tips are known in the art. However, not enough protection is provided by these pens to prevent the leakage on ink when the pen is vigorously shaken.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data access method for a timing controller of a flat panel display and a related device, and more particularly, to a data access method and a related device for reducing memory cells of a line buffer in the timing controller, for saving memory cost for displaying images.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The advantages of a liquid crystal display (LCD) include lighter weight, less electrical consumption, and less radiation contamination. LCD monitors have been widely applied to various portable information products, such as notebooks, mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), etc. In an LCD monitor, incident light produces different polarization or refraction effects when the alignment of liquid crystal molecules is altered. The transmission of the incident light is affected by the liquid crystal molecules, and thus magnitude of the light emitted from the liquid crystal molecules varies. The LCD monitor utilizes the characteristics of the liquid crystal molecules to control the corresponding light transmittance and produces gorgeous images according to different magnitudes of red, blue, and green light.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a TFT LCD device 10 according to the prior art. The TFT LCD device 10 includes a panel 100, a timing controller 102, a data-line-signal output circuit 104 and a scan-line-signal output circuit 106. The data-line-signal output circuit 104 transforms data signals into voltage signals according to related control signals generated by the timing controller 102. The scan-line-signal output circuit 106 controls output states of the voltage signals according to related control signals generated by the timing controller 102, so as to control a potential difference of an equivalent capacitor of each pixel of the panel 100 for grayscale display. In addition, a frame of an image is displayed by rows. As shown in FIG. 1, a row of a frame corresponds to 2N pixel data P1-P2N, and the 2N pixel data is outputted to the panel 100 via the two port data-line-signal output circuit 104. That is, the TFT LCD device 10 displays the pixel data P1 and PN+1 at the same time, and then displays the pixel data P2 and PN+2 at the same time, and so on.
In fact, the original 2N pixel data P1-P2N does not line up according to a displaying order of P1, PN+1, P2, PN+2 . . . , PN, and P2N. A line buffer 110 located in the timing controller 102 is utilized for transforming an original order of P1, P2 . . . , PN−1, and PN to the displaying order of P1, PN+1, P2, PN+2 . . . , PN, and P2N, and outputting to the two port data-line-signal output circuit 104. Please refer to FIG. 2 for a schematic diagram of the pixel data P1-P2N and the line buffer 110. The line buffer 110 includes N memory cells, wherein each cell is used for storing two adjacent pixel data. Therefore, the line buffer 110 can be used for storing the 2N pixel data P1-P2N. When the pixel data P1, P2 . . . , PN, and PN+1 are written into the line buffer 110, the pixel data P1 and PN+1 are read out from the line buffer 110 and outputted to the data-line-signal output circuit 104. Similarly, when the pixel data PN+2 are written into the line buffer 110, the pixel data P2 and PN+2 are read out from the line buffer 110 and outputted to the data-line-signal output circuit 104.
However, each memory cell of the line buffer 110 is used for being written and read only once, which cannot enhance the efficiency of memory cells.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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|
The invention relates to stoppers for vials, in particular for vials subjected to a controlled pressure, for example evacuated tubes of blood sampling systems.
A known blood sampling system comprises an evacuated tube closed by a stopper and an open-ended needle-holder tube slidably mounted on the tube or its stopper. This needle holder carries a hollow needle having one part protruding axially from the closed end of the holder for pricking into a vein, and another part extending axially within the holder, the latter part being encased in a loose, flexible cover or sleeve. To take a blood sample, the needle is pricked into a vein and the evacuated tube displaced until the needle pierces the membrane, so that blood is sucked into the tube.
However, in practice the use of conventional blood sampling systems often involves difficulties.
Usually, the membrane is quite thick and, just prior to taking a blood sample, when the evacuated tube is fitted into the needle holder, the inner end of the needle must be partly pricked into the membrane in order to pre-assemble the evacuated tube and the needle holder into a blood sampling unit. This is done by sliding the needle holder to a position indicated by a reference mark. However, sometimes the membrane is accidentally perforated at this stage, causing a rise in pressure in the tube which may not then be adequately filled.
After sampling, the filled tube is withdrawn by disengaging it from the needle, but this is made difficult because of the friction of the thick membrane on the needle, and the needle is liable to traumatize the vein. Moreover, the return of the flexible cover over the end of the needle is sometimes delayed, leaving the end of the needle open and allowing blood to be projected onto the head of the stopper, which creates a source of contamination.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cartridge magazines for use with firearms and, more particularly, to an improved follower for use in a magazine and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,922 to Farrar et al. discloses a follower in a cartridge magazine with an area for receiving an upper end of a spring. U.S. Pat. No. 1,407,633 to Burton also discloses a follower with an area for receiving an upper end of a spring. Followers have also been made of sheet metal, polymer material, and cast metal or machined metal in the past.
Various problems exists in the cartridge magazine area. One of these problems is the ability of a magazine to hold a larger number of cartridges without increasing the size of the magazine. Another problem is the manufacture of a follower from sheet metal without the need of welding or other processes to provide a follower that will not be inadvertently pushed out of the magazine housing.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved cartridge magazine and method of manufacturing the magazine that solves these problems as well as provide additional features.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The wireless telecommunication industry continues to experience significant growth and consolidation. In the United States, market penetration is near 32% with approximately 86 million users nationwide. In 1999 the total number of subscribers increased 25% over the previous year, with the average Minutes of Use (MOU) also increasing by about 20% per user. If one considers growth in the digital market, in as short as three years, the digital subscriber base has grown to 49 million users, or approximately equal to the installed number of users of analog legacy systems. Even more interesting is an observation by Verizon Mobile that 70% of their busy hour traffic (an important system design parameter) is digital traffic, although only approximately 40% of the total number of their subscribers are digital users. The Verizon Mobile observation indicates the digital subscriber will drive the network design through its increasing usage, whereas the analog user is truly a passive “glovebox” subscriber.
Similar growth has been witnessed in other countries, especially in Northern and Western Europe, where market penetration is even higher, approaching 80% in some areas, and digital service is almost exclusively used.
With the availability of Personal Communications Service (PCS) frequencies in the United States, and additional continuing auctions of spectrum outside of the traditional 800-900 MegaHertz (MHz) radio band, the past few years have also seen increased competition among service providers. For example, it has also been estimated that 88% of the US population has three or more different wireless service providers from which to choose, 69% have five or more, and about 4% have as many as seven service providers in their local area.
In 1999 total wireless industry revenue increased to $43B, representing an approximate 21% gain over 1998. However, a larger revenue increase would have been expected given the increased subscriber count and usage statistics. It is clear that industry consolidation, the rush to build out a nationwide footprint by multiple competing service providers, and subsequent need to offer competitive pricing plans has had the effect of actually diminishing the dollar-per-minute price that customers are willing to pay for service.
These market realities have placed continuing pressure on system designers to provide system infrastructure at minimum cost. Radio tower construction companies continue to employ several business strategies to serve their target market. Their historical business strategy, is build-to-suit (i.e., at the specific request and location as specified by a wireless operator). But some have now taken speculation approach, where they build a tower where it may be allowed by local zoning and the work with the new service providers to use the already existing towers. The speculative build spawned by the recently adopted zoning by-law is actually encouraged by communities to mitigate the “unsightly ugliness” of cellular phone towers. Towns adopted the by-laws to control tower placement since Federal laws prohibit local zoning authorities to completely ban the deployment of wireless infrastructure in a community. Often the shared tower facility is zoned far removed from residential areas, in more commercialized areas of town, along heavily traveled roads, or in more sparsely populated rural sections. But providing such out of the way locations for towers often does not fully address each and every wireless operator's capacity or coverage need.
Each of the individual wireless operators compete for the household wireline replacement, and as their dollar-per-MOU is driven down due to competition in the “traditional” wireless space, the “at home” use is one of the last untapped markets. As the industry continues to consolidate, the wireless operator will look for new ways to offer enhanced services (coverage or products) to maintain and capture new revenue.
Considering the trends that have appeared over recent years, when given the opportunity to displace the household wireline phone with reliable wireless service, a wireless service operator may see their average MOUs increase by a factor of 2 to 4, thereby directly increasing their revenue potential 200 to 400%. In order to achieve this, the wireless operator desires to gain access throughout a community as easily as possible, in both areas where wireless facilities are an allowed use and in where they are not, and blanket the community with strong signal presence.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
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