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The invention relates to optical devices, and in particular to a gradient index lens.
Certain existing thermal imaging solutions for night vision are based on uncooled micro-bolometer arrays that are sensitive to long wavelength infrared (LWIR) radiation in the wavelength range of about 8 to 15 μm. The infrared (IR) camera typically includes a camera core comprising a Focal Plane Array (FPA), a lens system and an enclosure. The FPA typically comprises multiple elements—the underlying Read-Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC), the thermistor or micro-bolometer pixel array which is built on top of the ROIC, usually on the same silicon wafer and integrated with the ROIC, and a “packaged window” or lid which is substantially transparent to incoming IR radiation from a source and bonded on top of the FPA with a hermetic vacuum seal. A single lens or a system of lenses is mounted on top of the FPA.
In certain conventional lenses, an effective index of refraction may be varied across the area of the lens to focus incident electromagnetic radiation. In an example, a convex lens may have a thickness that decreases as a function of radial position from its center. In another example, a conventional gradient index (GRIN) lens may have an index of refraction that decreases as a function of radial position from its center.
Typically, the optical lens system can be complex and involve multiple lens elements. In the case of infrared (IR) imaging optics, the lens material is usually made through diamond point turning of germanium, which can be an expensive process. Traditionally, the approach chosen to enable vacuum has been to use a crystalline germanium lid, and bond it to the FPA package. In order to minimize stresses due to differential coefficients of expansion, the FPA wafer is first singulated into die and mounted on a ceramic package. The germanium lid is then bonded to the ceramic package under vacuum. In spite of its high cost, germanium is selected as a lid material because of its low attenuation of infrared light in the relevant range of wavelengths.
Consequently, many micro-bolometer devices currently available for thermal imaging are bulky, expensive, and largely restricted to special use cases such as military or high-end automotive applications. Many conventional night vision cameras cost several thousands of dollars apiece, making their integration into mid- and low-range priced applications prohibitive. There is a need for a night vision thermal imaging camera core that enables a small form factor and low cost while maintaining adequate performance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to cyber security, and more particularly to credential validation across multiple computing devices.
Some computing systems that utilize a password to authenticate a user provide the capability to reset a forgotten password if the user can correctly answer one or more private security questions, such as “What is your mother's maiden name”. While this security feature provides a way to verify the identity of the user, the security questions asked are often answered by information that is publicly available, and as such, are easily circumvented. Additionally, harvesting programs designed to gather this information from various public sources are often employed by computer hackers to obtain answers to commonly asked security questions. Therefore, the use of common security questions and answers are for the convenience of the users, and not for the security of the system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to an improvement in a numerical control apparatus for controlling a tap threading operation.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a device known in the art, capable of threading by a tap. In FIG. 3 reference numeral 1 designates a spindle; 2, a workpiece; 3, a cylindrical hole which is formed in the workpiece 2 in advance of the threading operation; 4, a cutter table; 5, a tap; 6, a floating tapper; and 7, an arrow.
In the threading operation, while the spindle 1 is rotated, the cutter table 4 is moved in a direction indicated by the arrow 7, so that the tap 5 is inserted into the hole 3 to thread the inner peripheral wall of the hole 3. To achieve highly precise tap-machining, synchronizing the rotation angle of the workpiece 2 is necessary; that is, the spindle 1 must be synchronized with the feeding amount of the cutter table 4 according to the thread pitch. Generally, however, the rotation control of the spindle 1 and the movement control of the cutter table 4 are performed independently by different servocontrol systems. Consequently, a floating tapper 6 has been proposed which allows the tap 5 to move freely in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction thereof to compensate for a synchronization error between the rotation angle of the spindle 1, and the feeding amount of the tap 5 during tap-machining. More specifically, with such a floating tapper 6, even if the feed of the cutter table 4 is stopped while the spindle 1 is being rotated, the tap 5 is extended and retracted according to the spindle rotation angle. In other words, by using the floating tapper, the tap may be moved so as to meet the spindle rotation.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a conventional numerical control apparatus. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 11 is a machining data memory section for storing machining data: 12 is an interpolation preprocess section for receiving the machining data and performing an arithmetical process prior to interpolation; 13 is an interpolation process section for performing an interpolation according to the output of the interpolation preprocess section 12; 14 is an acceleration and deceleration process section for performing acceleration and deceleration according to the output of the interpolation process section 13; 15 is a feed device for performing position control according to a position instruction provided by acceleration and deceleration process section 14; 16 is a speed instruction process section for outputting a speed instruction according to the output of interpolation preprocess section 12; 17 is a spindle device for performing speed control according to a speed instruction provided by the speed instruction process section 16; and 18 is an emergency stop process section for producing and inputting a stop instruction to the above-described process sections in response to an emergency stop signal.
The threading operation using, for example, a tap, is performed in the manner described below. First, machining data concerning the tapping operation are inputted to the interpolation preprocess section 12 by the machining data memory section 11. Then, the interpolation preprocess section 12 inputs predetermined speed instruction data to the speed instruction process section 16 according to the machining data. Instruction process section 16 converts the speed instruction data and direction of rotation data into voltages, or the like, which are then inputted to the spindle device 17. Spindle device 17 rotates the spindle in a predetermined direction according to the voltages corresponding to the speed instruction data, and to the direction of rotation data.
The interpolation preprocess section 12 applies machining data such as an amount of linear movement of the tap in a threading direction to the interpolation process section 13. Interpolation process section 13 performs an interpolation process according to the machining data, and inputs a position instruction to the acceleration and deceleration process section 14. The acceleration and deceleration process section 14 performs an acceleration, or deceleration, process for the position instruction, which is then inputted to the feed device 15. The feed device 15 controls the work table position, or the like, according to the position instruction.
An operation of removing the tap from the threaded hole, i.e., reversing the direction of spindle 17 rotation, and reversing the direction of feed device 15 movement, are performed similarly to the above-described threading operation.
Generally, when an emergency stop signal is inputted to the emergency stop process section 18 from either the feed device 15, the spindle device 17, or an operator upon an abnormal condition occurring during the threading machining operation, the respective process sections and the devices are placed in an emergency stop condition by original emergency stop signals such that the tap 5 is inserted into the hole 3 continuously. After recovery from the emergency condition, the tap 5 then is removed from the hole 3.
In the conventional numerical control apparatus thus constructed, the inertia of the spindle 1 is larger than that of the feed device 15, and the position control of the spindle device 17 is disregarded. Therefore, in removing the tap 5 from the hole 3, the positional error of the feed shaft, with respect to the angle of spindle rotation determined by the thread pitch, becomes very large, thereby resulting in a severe rearward movement that may deform the shape of the thread.
The above condition will be described in more detail hereinafter. FIG. 5 indicates the spindle rotation speed and the feed speed of the feed device in a tapping operation. As apparent in FIG. 5, after an instruction is issued to turn the spindle 17 in the forward direction, or in the reverse direction, at time instant a, the feed by the feed device 15 is started, and at time b, the feed speed reaches a value determined by a thread pitch and a spindle rotation speed. During the time period between times a and b, the feed speed is smaller than the determined value and the tapping operation cannot be performed; that is, the time period corresponds to an air-cut. At time c, in response to an emergency stop instruction, the spindle and the feed device start decelerating. The spindle speed is decreased according to the inertia and torque. At time instant e, the spindle 17 is stopped.
In this case, since the inertia of the spindle 17 is larger than that of the feed device 15, the time period between when the spindle device 17 starts decelerating until it stops is longer by a period of d to e than the time period between when the feed device 15 starts decelerating until it finally stops. Furthermore, no position control instruction is given to the spindle device 17, and, therefore, after receiving the stop instruction, the spindle rotation speed is reduced linearly whereas the feed device feed speed is reduced exponentially. Accordingly, for the time period between when the deceleration is started and when the spindle 17, or the feed device 15, is stopped, the ratio of the spindle rotation speed to the feed speed of the feed device 15 varies. As a result, a synchronization error may occur between the spindle rotation speed and the feed speed, thereby resulting in thread deformation.
The tap removing operation will be described hereinafter. At time instant f, an instruction for reversing the direction of spindle rotation and an instruction for moving the tap in a reverse direction are provided. For the time period between time instants f and h, similarly to the time period between time instants c and e, the ratio of the spindle rotation speed to the feed device feed speed in the reverse direction cannot be maintained at the value determined by the thread pitch. In other words, the synchronization between the spindle rotation speed and the feed speed in the reverse direction is destroyed. The time period from time instant h to time instant i involves removing the tap. That is, at time instant i, the tap has been removed from the threaded hole. During the time period between time instant i and time instant j, the feed device 15 decelerates and stops. At time instant j, the tap removing operation is completed. As described above, upon removing the tap from the threaded hole, the synchronization between the spindle rotation speed and the feed speed thereof may be destroyed, resulting in deformation of the threaded hole.
In the above-described process, a dummy mechanism such as a floating tapper is commonly used so that deformation of the thread portion is eliminated. In the dummy mechanism, a mechanism such as a splined shaft is employed so that an axis of the feed device for mounting the tap can be extended or retracted. Defects which may be caused by the inertial rotation of the spindle are absorbed by the dummy mechanism.
However, the conventional tap-machining process using the floating tapper is disadvantageous because the tap-machining is performed dependent upon the spindle movement and, thus, the accuracy in the thread portion length is poor. Furthermore, since there is a tap between the spindle and the feed device, the dummy mechanism normally can absorb the defects caused by the spindle's inertial rotation, but it cannot absorb the distortion due to the spindle's inertial rotation when the movable portion of the dummy mechanism is positioned at either its extended position limit or its retracted position limit, or due to the movement of an axis of the feed device when the spindle rotation stops. As a result, the bottom of the tapped hole is not accurate because the tap drifts in the bottom. Since preventing the amount of tap drift in the bottom from exceeding the range of play of the tap is critical, performing high-speed tapping operations is impossible.
In order to eliminate the above-described difficulties, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 58-50454 has proposed a control system in which a pulse signal which is generated by the rotation of an encoder coupled to the spindle, is used as a z-axis feed pulse to synchronize thereby the spindle rotation with the feed amount in a z-axis. This eliminates the need for a floating tapper. However, in this case, eliminating the drift of the tap may be possible in a normal condition, but the control that is performed is dependent upon the spindle rotation, and therefore, accuracy is reduced in the thread portion length. Furthermore, removing the tap from operation when an abnormal condition occurs is somewhat difficult and time-consuming.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a numerical control apparatus which is simple in construction and needs no expensive dummy mechanism such as a floating tapper, and which minimizes the drift of a tap in the bottom of a tapped hole. Thus, machining accuracy of the bottom of the tapped hole will be improved, and high-speed tapping operation may be conducted. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the numerical control device is capable of preventing the tap, and a threaded portion machined by the tap, from being damaged when an abnormal condition occurs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a thermal protection device designed to protect the cylindrical casing of a ramjet engine combustion chamber.
The invention is more particularly concerned with an internal thermal protection device for hollow structures subjected to the ablative flow of corrosive gases at high speeds and high temperatures and to high-level vibrations, in particular where such phenomena are inherent to their operation, and with a method of manufacturing this device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the current state of the art the thermal protection layers of such structures are made from composite materials using organic, organo-metallic or mineral binders possibly including powder, fiber, mineral or organic woven reinforcement. When exposed to hot gases the ablatable material is pyrolyzed. This pyrolysis is accompanied by deterioration of the carbon-based or organo-silicic chain of the binder which renders the scoria fragile and breakable within the mass of material. To alleviate this the thermal protection layer is usually reinforced, by various techniques.
It is known that the ablation of a material of this kind subjected to erosion by hot gases and to vibration is reduced when the material is reinforced. The reinforcing armature embedded in the insulating material may be metallic or non-metallic, woven or fibrous.
The patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,866 describes a reinforced thermal protection device of this kind and the method of manufacturing it. The device is for thermally protecting walls along which gas flows, such as ramjet engine combustion chambers.
This prior art patent is of interest because it enabled the development of a flexible, for example silicone protection, reinforced in particular by an armature oriented relative to the gas flow, which confers good resistance to ablation and to loss of material due to vibration inherent to operation of the engine.
An object of the invention is to improve the performance of a device as disclosed in the aforementioned patent, in particular with regard to its mechanical strength following pyrolysis of the binder. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a method for programming a robot to imitate the motions of a human being or animal under the control of a computer. The present invention further relates to a method for producing a numerical control program for driving a machine tool or similar device in a manner which imitates the motions of a human machine operator.
Recently, industrial robots have come to be used in various fields to perform a wide variety of physical motions which simulate the motions of human beings. Programming a robot involves a process known as teaching. One teaching method is an on-line programming method known as "teaching playback" in which the motions of a human being are directly taught to the robot. Another method is an off-line programming method in which the motions of a human being are simulated by a computer.
In the teaching playback method, a person moves a robot in accordance with a working sequence by manual control. This method is widely adopted because it is easy to perform, but it has a disadvantage in that the operation of the robot must be stopped during the teaching process, thereby lowering the working efficiency of the robot. The off-line programming method is useful when a high working efficiency is required, because the programming can be performed without stopping operation of the robot.
Generally, in the off-line programming method, the contents of tracks and movements scheduled by environmental models are described by a robot programming language. The contents are ascertained by motion simulation and fine adjustment of the contents is later performed at the work site. Thus, the off-line programming method is very complicated. Since the environmental models include geometrical information such as configuration, dimensions, positions, and postures of the workpiece and peripheral equipment, physical parameters such as materials and weights, and technical information such as functions, service and usage, a programmer must schedule the working,sequence by using complex environmental models.
Modern machine tools are frequently controlled by numerical control programs. Recently, in numerical control techniques, systems known as computer-aided engineering (CAE) systems or computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems have been utilized. In these system, design is performed using computer-aided design (CAD) processes and production is performed using computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) processes.
Since numerical control techniques do not specify working requirements, such as the direction of the working operation, the magnitude of the force to be applied to the workpiece, or the working speed, it is impossible with these techniques to achieve the same quality as can be achieved by a skilled craftsman manually controlling a machine tool.
Furthermore, while the formation of numerical control programs is preferably performed by a method having real time response, conventional numerical control programming methods have no real time response because they require the ascertainment of the contents by means of motion simulation and fine adjustment at the work site.
In order to perform high quality manufacturing by means of numerical control, it is necessary to analyze the motions of a human machine operator and form a control program on the basis of the analysis. In order to control a robot to perform the motions of a human being, it is necessary to analyze the motions of a human being and then design motions to be performed by the robot. For both robots and numerical control programs, the motions of an object are observed by a motion analyst and then on the basis of his observations, a curriculum or a program for teaching or producing the same motions is formed. However, because observations are subjective, often based on the intuition of the programmer, they may not give accurate results.
There has recently been proposed a technique wherein the motions of a human being or an animal are analyzed using a computer. See D. I. Miller, "Computer Simulation of Human Motion", in D. W. Grieve et al, (eds), Techniques for the Analysis of Human Motion, Lepus Books, London, 1975; Calvert T. W. et al, "Composition of Multiple Figure Sequences for Dance and Animation", Proceedings CG International '89, pp. 245-254 (1989); Nigel W. J. et al, "Some Methods to Choreograph and Implement Motion in Computer Animation", Proceedings of Computer Animation '89, 125-140 (1989). In analyzing using computer, a motion analyst analyzes the motions depending on his understanding by applying kinematics, which describes the motions only in terms of positions, velocities and accelerations, neglecting the forces and torques responsible. Thus, kinematics analysis can only generate a line picture representing parts constituting a human or animal body, and a three-dimensional model of the human or animal body cannot be displayed realistically on a screen. Accordingly, the motions designed may be unreasonable and also it is difficult to develop a new motion. The same is true when using kinematics to analyze and design the motion of a machine tool. Thus, as with robotic motion, it was difficult to construct a numerical control program using only a computer.
Another method uses dynamics. While kinematics provides motion analysis in terms of positions, velocities and accelerations, dynamics provides the motions of objects based on the relation between movements and forces. If dynamics is applied to the computer analysis of motions, it is possible to generate complex behavior with the analyst's minimal control. However, the computer analysis of motions utilizing dynamics requires data such as the moments of inertia, the centers of gravity, joint friction and muscle/ligament elasticity of the object, which are difficult to measure. Without such data, the computer analysis of motions utilizing dynamics provides unreasonable results similar to the case of using kinematics. Furthermore, it is necessary to solve rather complex dynamics equations. For a human body, an articulated body with 200 degrees of freedom, it is necessary to solve 600 simultaneous differential equations.
In order to display the motions on a screen, the dynamics equations must be solved exactly. Since this method has the computation complexity O(n).sup.4, a function of n.sup.4, where n is the number of segments constituting a human body and forming the minimal units of motion in the motion analysis, large amounts of computations are required and thus takes time and are expensive. Thus, dynamical simulation methods such as that disclosed in Wilhelms J. P. et al., "Using Dynamic Analysis to Animate Articulated Bodies such as Humans and Robots", Proceedings, Graphics Interface '85, 97-104 (1985) have not been accepted, mostly because of its conceptual complexity and computational expensiveness.
A motion analyzing method which reduces the computation complexity to O(n), a function of n, enabled by neglecting rotations about the principal axes, has been proposed. Armstrong W. W. et al, "The Dynamics of Articulated Rigid Bodies for Purposes of Animation", The Visual Computer, 1:231-240 (1985). However, when the rotations of joints about the principal axes cannot be neglected, this method is not applicable. Thus, by using this method, the forces that produce a motion or the forces that are produced by a motion cannot be displayed exactly.
In a publication from the department of the present inventors, Sun, L. et al., "An Architectural Design of a Sports Instruction System", First International Conference and Exhibition on Visual Computing for Defense and Government (VISUDA '89), Paris, France (1989) (Technical Report 89-017), a system for inputting and analyzing human body movement is disclosed. The human body is modeled as a set of articulated segments, each of which is essentially a rigid solid. In this model, the human body is represented by 50 segments. The system takes in a set of measurements taken with an actual human body and converts it into the size data for each segment, e.g., length, width and diameter. When displaying the model, the system approximates each segment with a polygon and performs a smooth shading for better appearance. In addition, the system calculates the center of gravity and the mass for each segment which will be required in the analysis. A video recorder, preferably several video recorders, recording the movement from a plurality of points of view, records the motion of actual humans in a time sequence of video frames. The position of objects in each frame is input to the system to reproduce and analyze the movement. In order to define the position and configuration of the body in space, the position and orientation of each segment are specified. Therefore, for each segment there are six degrees of freedom, three for the position and three for the orientation. Each segment in an articulate body, however, is restricted by attachments to neighboring segments. Therefore, it suffices to specify the position of only one segment (orientation must be specified for all segments), thereby reducing the degrees of freedom considerably. The user specifies the position of each body segment by manipulating this figure using a mouse; the user picks a segment and translates and or rotates it so that the displayed figure assumes the position of the figure on the videotape. The image of a video frame can be superimposed on each window to facilitate this process.
The body movement which has been input into the computer is then analyzed considering two factors: the movement of the center of gravity and the force exerted on each segment of the body. The position vector G of the center of gravity of a human body is computed by the following formulation: ##EQU1## where g.sub.i is the position vector of the center of gravity of a segment i and .DELTA.m.sub.i. Since each segment is assumed to be a uniform rigid body, g.sub.i and .DELTA.m.sub.i can be obtained prior to this calculation from the measurement data.
The center of gravity of each segment is computed in a way similar to the above formulation. Each segment is divided into small wedge-shaped volumes around and along the central axis through the segment, and these volumes are summed up to find the position of the center of gravity.
The problem of computing the force exerted on a human body from its movement is a problem of inverse dynamics. One starts with the sequence of positions and obtains the velocity and the acceleration of each part of the body, from which the force that has caused such motion is to be calculated.
Solving a problem of dynamics is essentially solving differential equations which describe the relationship between mass and force and torque applied to it. A variety of formulations are available for describing the dynamics equation. They all produce the same result expressed in slightly different terms. One of the most familiar formulations is Lagrange's equation: ##EQU2## where L is the Lagrangian given by kinetic energy (T) minus potential energy (P), q.sub.i is the ith coordinate, f is a constraint equation, .lambda. is an undetermined multiplier, and Q.sub.i is the force or torque applied to the ith coordinate.
In a general animation system, the dynamics approach is not yet practical due to the high computational complexity and cost required. The articulated body of the Sun publication model, consisting of 50 segments, requires 300 (=50.times.6) simultaneous equations to describe it. However, the use of known forces, such as the reactive force between a foot and a floor, simplifies the situation. For each segment, we have ##EQU3## where m is the mass of the segment, V.sub.g is the velocity vector of the center of gravity, X.sub.a and X.sub.d are the position vectors of its two ends, a and b, X.sub.a and X.sub.b are the velocity vectors, I is the inertia tensor, .omega..sub.g is the angular velocity vector around the center of gravity, and 1 is the distance between two ends.
Sun proposes letting the left side of the above Lagrange's equation be D. Then, EQU D(X.sub.a, X.sub.b, X.sub.a, X.sub.b, .lambda., F.sub.a, F.sub.b)=0
where F.sub.a and F.sub.b are the forces exerted on a and b, respectively. Each segment has six degrees of freedom, and there are six degrees of freedom, and there are six Lagrange's equations describing it. In the above Lagrange's equations D(X.sub.a,X.sub.b,X.sub.a,X.sub.b, .lambda., F.sub.a,F.sub.b), the three components of F.sub.a (x,y,z) and F.sub.b (x,y,z), and .lambda. are unknown. Therefore, there are seven unknown variables in total in the the system of six equations. If the force in one direction can be obtained through some means (e.g. by measurement), .lambda. and five other force components can be computed by solving these equations.
Sun then supposes that a segment i is connected at an end b.sub.1 to an end a.sub.j of another segment j. By Newton's Third Law of Motion, the force exerted on the segment i at b.sub.i is equal and opposite to the force exerted on the segment j at a.sub.3. By solving the equations for the segment i, one also obtains a partial solution (three of the seven unknown variables) for the segment j as well. By repeating this process, solutions can be found for all segments making up the body.
As the starting point of a series of calculations, Sun suggests using the force exerted on a foot by the floor, which was measured in advance, to calculate the force exerted on the joint of the foot and shin. Then one works upward to head and lower arms through shins, thighs, hip, waist and torso. In the end, one has calculated the force exerted on each segment at its ends. Note that the force calculated here is the sum of internal force and external force. Internal force is exerted by muscles on attached joints. For the segments on which no external force is exerted, the result is equal to just the internal force. On the other hand, for the segments with no internal force, the result is equal to the external force.
While this system of inputting and analyzing human body movement is useful for computerizing the dynamics of videotaped human movement, it does not solve the problem of how to control an industrial robot or machine tool in a manner which simulates the motion of a human body as closely as possible without relying on trial and error or an unworkable magnitude of calculations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game system in which the game-player can collect game elements appearing in the progress of the game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known a game system in which game elements such as items appear and the character controlled by the game-player uses them, and the appearing rate of the items varies dependently upon the importance and the like of items. In such a game system, generally, the appearing rate is set to be low for the items that have an effect of advancing the game advantageously, and the appearing rate is set to be high for the items that do not have such effect.
There is also known a game system in which the appearing rate of items varies according to a predetermined schedule. For example, in a game system having a concept of time, the appearing rate of items varies as the time passes, and hence the same items appear frequently at a certain time and appear less frequently at another time.
On the other hand, there is proposed a game system in which a plurality of game apparatuses are connected to each other via communication devices so that a plurality of game-players (i.e., user playing the game, hereinafter used in the same meaning) play the same game with exchanging data between those game apparatuses. Such a game system enables the game-players to exchange items between the game apparatuses, and the game-players can collect items in cooperation with each other.
In a conventional game system, the appearing rate of items is the same for everyone. Namely, important items appear with low appearing rate for every game-player, and less important items appear with high appearing rate for every game-player. Even in a game system in which the appearing rate of items varies according to a predetermined schedule, the same item appears with the same appearing rate for everyone at a certain time. Therefore, when plural game-players play the same game with communicating via the communication devices, it is less significant for the game-players to collect items in cooperation with each other.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game system capable of varying the appearing rate of item between game-players.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system for executing a game in which game elements appear in a progress of the game based on a predetermined appearing rates determined for each game element and the game elements are collected, the game system including: a condition judging unit for judging a certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game; and an appearing rate varying unit for varying the predetermined appearing rate based on a result of the judgment by the condition judging unit and for permitting the game element to appear in a progress of the game based on the varied appearing rate.
In accordance with the game system thus configured, a certain condition associated with the game is judged at the time starting the game. All of the game elements are allotted with the appearing rate, which indicates the probability that the element appears in the game. The appearing rate of the game element is changed based on the judgment result. Then, in the progress of the game, the game elements appear based on the changed appearing rate. The certain condition associated with the game is mainly different between the players. The appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game may be differentiated between the players, and hence the players can enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system for executing a game in which game elements appear in a progress of the game based on a predetermined appearing rates determined for each game element and the game elements are collected, the game system including: a condition judging unit for judging a certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game; and an appearing rate varying unit for varying the predetermined appearing rate only for specific game element based on a result of the judgment by the condition judging unit and for permitting the specific game element to appear in a progress of the game based on the varied appearing rate.
In accordance with the game system thus configured, a certain condition associated with the game is judged at the time starting the game. All of the game elements are allotted with the appearing rate, which indicates the probability that the element appears in the game. The appearing rates of the specific game elements change based on the judgment result. Then, in the progress of the game, the game elements appear based on the changed appearing rate. The certain condition associated with the game is mainly different between the players. The appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game may be differentiated between the players, and hence the players can enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
Each of the game elements may belong to one of a plurality of groups, and the appearing rate varying unit may decrease the predetermined appearing rate for the game element belonging to the specific groups based on the judgment result and permit the specific game element to appear in the progress of the game based on the decreased appearing rate. Therefore, the appearing rate of the specific game elements belonging to a certain group may be decreased in the progress of the game. By this, different groups of the game elements become difficult to collect for each player, and hence the players can enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
The game system may further include: a condition judging unit for judging whether or not a predetermined condition set during the game is satisfied; and a unit for increasing the appearing rate for the game elements belonging to the group decreased by the appearing rate varying unit when the predetermined condition is satisfied, and for permitting the game elements belonging to the specific group to appear based on the increased appearing rate. Therefore, in order to increase the appearing rate that has been decreased, the game player should satisfy the predetermined condition set in the game (e.g. stage clear condition), and hence the game-player may have a pleasure in achieving the condition.
The judgment of certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game may include judgment of information inputted by a game-player via an input device. Thus., the appearing rates of the game elements may be changed based on the information (e.g., the name and/or age of the game-player) inputted by the game-player via the input device. This enables differentiating the appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game, and hence the game-players may enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
The judgment of certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game may include judgment of time from a start of the game to a time when a predetermined signal is inputted via an input device. Thus, the appearing rates of the game elements may be changed based on the time from a start of the game to a time when a predetermined signal is inputted via an input device. This enables differentiating the appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game, and hence the game-players may enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium for storing program which controls a computer to execute a game in which game elements appear in a progress of the game based on a predetermined appearing rate determined for each game element and the game elements are collected, the program controls the computer to function as: a condition judging unit for judging a certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game; and an appearing rate varying unit for varying the predetermined appearing rate only for specific game element based on a result of the judgment by the condition judging unit and for permitting the specific game element to appear in a progress of the game based on the varied appearing rate. By executing the program on the storage medium by the computer, the game system according to the present invention may be realized.
In the present invention, the game element is an object which the game-player uses in the game and the use of which affects the progress of the game (such as a result of a battle and/or story change). The example of the game element includes equipment and magic that the character appearing in the role-playing game or action game uses. Also, the character itself may be a game element. Further, the game element may include cards in a card collecting game. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The following disclosure relates generally to a device for feeding a recording medium at a controlled distance and an apparatus for forming an image on the recording medium fed by the device.
2. Background of the Invention
In a background image forming apparatus, a sheet feeding roller is provided for feeding a recording sheet one by one from a stack of recording sheets, which is mounted on a pressure plate, as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, for example. However, the distance between two consecutive recording sheets may fluctuate depending on the height of the stack, i.e., the number of recording sheets. Thus, the sheet feeding operation may become unstable, causing the problem of non-feeding, deforming the sheet, double feeding, etc. | {
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The present teachings relate to hyperspectral imaging sensors and particularly to hyperspectral imaging sensors having two or more spectrometers that operate over different spectral bands.
In some applications, spectral algorithms that process data from a combination of both spectral bands are used. Each spectrometer of the hyperspectral imaging sensor that operates in a particular band typically has the individual keystone distortions corrected within its particular band.
In those cases, the magnification and spatial distortion differences between those spectrometers typically differ by amounts greater than a pixel in some portions of the spatial field, making the spectral purity of data for a given object in the scene insufficient to provide reliable results over the combined spectral bands.
There is a need for hyperspectral imaging sensors having spectrometers that operate over different spectral bands and have increased fidelity for the exploitation of spectral algorithms over their combined spectral bands. | {
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With recent development of digital technology for electric equipment, requirements for nonvolatile memories have been increasing in order to store data such as images. Specifically, requirements for larger capacity of memories, reduction of power necessary for writing, higher write/read speed, longer life and others have been further increasing. At present, flash memories that achieve nonvolatility by utilizing a mechanism in which electrons are injected into a floating gate provided at the gate of a semiconductor transistor are in practical use as nonvolatile memories and are widely used as external memories for digital cameras and personal computers.
However, such flash memories have many drawbacks, e.g., high write power, long write time, short rewritable life and difficulty in increasing the capacity (device miniaturization). Therefore, to overcome these drawbacks of flash memories, new nonvolatile memories such as a semiconductor memory (FeRAM) using a ferroelectric material, a semiconductor memory (MRAM) using a TMR (tunnel MR) material, a semiconductor memory (OUM) using a phase-change material have been actively developed to date. Nevertheless, these memories also have drawbacks, e.g., difficulty in device miniaturization for the FeRAM, high write power for the MRAM and short rewritable life for the OUM. Until now, no memories satisfy all the requirements for nonvolatile solid-state memories. As a recording method to overcome the drawbacks, a technique of changing the resistance value of an oxide with a perovskite structure by utilizing a pulse voltage was invented by Houston University (U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,139). However, this technique still has great difficulties in obtaining stable operation as a memory and high mass-production yield. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mammalian glucagons like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, such as GLP-1 mimetibody constructs, specified portions and variants specific for biologically active proteins, fragment or ligands, GLP-1 receptor agonist encoding and complementary nucleic acids, host cells, and methods of making and using thereof, including improving insulin sensitivity or lipid profiles in obesity related disorders and related therapeutic formulations, administration and devices.
2. Related Art
Recombinant proteins are an emerging class of therapeutic agents. The use of recombinant proteins as potential therapeutics have provided an opportunity for advances in therapeutic protein formulations, also including the use of chemical modifications. Such modifications can potentially enhance the therapeutic utility of therapeutic proteins, potentially such as by increasing serum half lives (e.g., by blocking their exposure to proteolytic enzymes), enhancing biological activity, and/or reducing unwanted side effects. One such modification is the use of immunoglobulin fragments fused to receptor proteins, such as enteracept. Fusion proteins have also been constructed using the antibody Fc domain in an attempt to provide a longer half-life or to incorporate functions such as Fc receptor binding, protein A binding, and complement fixation.
Obesity is a chronic disease manifested by the excess of fat mass in proportion to body size. Approximately one third of Americans are over-weight based on Body Mass Index (BMI>25 kg/m2), and obesity is considered to be reaching epidemic proportions. The importance of obesity's threat to health is emphasized by the fact that obesity is an underlying cause or a risk factor for developing other diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoartritis, and sleep apnea. Even a modest decrease in body weight (5-10% of initial body weight) may significantly decrease risk factors for developing obesity-associated diseases and improve metabolic syndrome conditions characterized by obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, raised blood pressure and insulin resistance.
The need to treat obesity is widely recognized and efforts are being made by all major pharmaceutical companies to develop a successful therapy. Obesity is currently treated by: 1) life style changes, 2) three drugs currently on the market (Phentramine, Orlisata and Sibutramine) that have a modest effect on weight loss and are associated with significant side effects and 3) by surgery.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a 30 amino acid hormone secreted from gut endocrine cells in response to nutrient ingestion. GLP-1 travels through the circulation and binds to the GLP-1 receptor on the pancreas, resulting in an increase in insulin secretion. In addition, it has been shown that GLP-1 reduces gastric emptying which decreases the amount of glucose that is released into the circulation. These actions combine to lower blood glucose levels. Thus, the mechanism of biological activity of GLP-1 suggests that it could be an attractive therapeutic for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 also has the potential to treat obesity. Several studies have shown that GLP-1 administered either peripherally or intracerebroventricularly (ICV) decreases food intake in animal models. A study in humans delivering GLP-1 continuously for five days in obese, diabetic patients resulted in a reduction in food intake and a reduction in body weight. However, GLP-1 is not being developed as a therapeutic because of its exceptionally short half-life (T1/2˜1-2 min). It is rapidly degraded by dipeptidyl protease (DPP-IV), thus reducing the length of the peptide by 2 amino acids at the N-terminus and inactivating it.
There are several GLP-1 analogues that are currently in development or on the market. Byetta™ is a recently marketed GLP-1 analogue developed by Amylin and Eli Lilly. It was first identified in the saliva of the gila monster lizard, and is 53% identical to GLP-1. Byetta™ is resistant to DPP-IV, yet it still requires twice daily pre-prandial dosing partially due to its short in vivo half-life (less than 30 minutes). During clinical trials where Byetta™ was evaluated as a therapy for Type 2 Diabetes, HbAlc levels were lowered approximately 1% following 82 weeks of treatment. Interestingly, patients taking Byetta™ had a sustained decrease in body weight (5-10 pounds) during the course of the study, supporting the theory that GLP-1 analogues have potential for the treatment of obesity. Liraglutide is a lipidated GLP-1 analogue being developed by Novo Nordisk, and it is currently in clinical trials. Based upon the pharmacokinetics of the molecule, it is anticipated that liraglutide will be dosed once daily. A GLP-1 therapy that has an increased half-life such that it could be dosed once weekly or monthly would have a significant advantage over other GLP-1 peptides in development.
Diabetes is a growing epidemic that is estimated will affect over 300 million people by the year 2025 pending an effective pharmaceutical cure. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all cases. Complications resulting from sustained elevated plasma glucose levels include cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Current treatments for diabetes are associated with a variety of deleterious side effects including hypoglycemia and weight gain. In addition, current treatments for type 2 diabetes do not cure the disease but simply prolong the time until patients require insulin therapy.
Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a 30-amino acid peptide secreted from the L-cells of the intestine following food digestion. Because of a spectrum of favorable anti-diabetic actions including glucose-dependent insulinotropic action, an effect to slow gastric emptying, and a role in lowering food intake and body weight, GLP-1 has been widely explored as a potential therapy for treating type 2 diabetes. However, native GLP-1 is not a viable therapeutic because it is rapidly inactivated in vivo by the protease DPP-IV with a half life is less than 2 minutes. Exenatide is a DPP-IV resistant GLP-1 analogue currently approved for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. It is a small peptide that requires twice daily preprandial dosing because its in vivo half life is less than 30 minutes.
In addition to the pharmacodynamic effects described above, both GLP-1 and exenatide positively affect the peripheral actions of insulin. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp studies in diabetic rats showed that chronic, but not acute administration of GLP-1 or exenatide leads to a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide improved and/or modified versions of GLP-1 therapeutic proteins, which overcome one or more of these and other problems known in the art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to ice buckets, and more particularly, to a collapsible water-impermeable ice bucket for carrying, displaying, chilling and serving a beverage, such as wine, in a beverage container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ice buckets and coolers suitable for cooling or chilling beverages stored in a container, such as wine bottles, spirits or other drinks are conventionally known in the art. For example, ice buckets are often used to chill bottles of wine by waiters at restaurants and by consumers at their residences. Although ice buckets and containers are typically aesthetically pleasing, they are not convenient for transporting, displaying, chilling and serving the wine from a bottle or other beverage container.
In U.S. Pat. No. D494,853 to Chan, a rectangular gift bag with water container is shown and described in an open and folded configuration. Although the gift bag is designed to retain water therein, the design patent fails to disclose the materials or construction methods used during fabrication of the bag. Further, there is no disclosure regarding the ability to display content other than water in the bag, or its suitability to chill a beverage in a beverage container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,276 to Clark, a gift bag is disclosed which fabricated from a napped filamentary material, such as woven fabric. Although the gift bag is suitable for transporting content, the gift bag is incapable of retaining water and ice to chill a beverage in a beverage container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,890,101 to Blau discloses a transparent plastic bag or container fabricated from non-rigid plastic sheets which can be easily folded. The clear plastic sheets are attached to gusset members, which function to attach the various plastic panels to one another and to provide rigidity to the bag structure. Although the transparent bag can be used for displaying or storing content, the patent is silent as to the fabrication material and techniques of the gussets, and accordingly, whether the bag is capable of retaining water and ice to chill a beverage in a beverage container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,786 to Kilmartin discloses a method of advertising on wine and spirits bottles, which provides both advertising and a way to protect the bottles from damage in a shopping bag or box. Bottle packaging dividers are imprinted with advertising material, and then distributed to retail sellers of wine and spirits so that employees may use the bottle packaging dividers to cushion the wine and spirit bottles sold by them to consumers, while at the same time providing an advertising vehicle. Although the bag of the Kilmartin patent is suitable for transporting alcoholic beverage containers, the patent provides no indication that the bag can be used to retain water and ice to chill beverages in the beverage containers therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,254 to Berry discloses a freezable container which uses water that is frozen to keep a beverage cold, and which does not require that the beverage be placed into the freezer along with the container filled with water. The freezable container has a removable sleeve placed concentrically inside the container and held in place by a pair of rods. Water is placed between the container and the sleeve and both are placed in the freezer. When the water has frozen, the container is removed from the freezer and the sleeve is removed from the container to allow a beverage container to be placed into the container in place of the sleeve. Although the ice container is suitable for chilling and displaying the beverage container (e.g., wine bottle), the device is not suitable for transporting the beverage container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,484 to Rattay, et al. discloses a portable wine bottle carrier configured as a tote bag having a non-rigid bottom, sides and an open top. The bag is formed from a single piece of fabric material such as cotton duck, such single piece of material having a medial portion forming the bottom and end portions extending upwardly from the edges of such medial portion to form the sides of the bag, such end portions having vertical juxtaposed edges stitched together at seams. Although the tote bag is suitable for transporting alcoholic beverage containers, the patent provides no indication that the bag can be used to retain water and ice to chill a beverage in a beverage container. | {
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This invention relates to a track fastener apparatus of the type used to anchor seats or cargo to tracks fitted to the floor of a vehicle. The particular embodiment disclosed herein is of a track fastener apparatus for securing an aircraft passenger seating unit to the floor of an aircraft. Therefore the vehicle referred to throughout this application is an aircraft. It is understood that the invention relates as well to other types of vehicles such as trains, buses or the like.
Many aircraft require the capability to be differently configured to meet varying cargo and/or passenger-carrying requirements such as the removal or addition of passenger seats and/or cargo. In addition, aircraft also must have the capability of easily and quickly relocating or reposition seats and/or cargo. It is often necessary in aircraft to change the spacing between seats to increase or decrease the passenger density throughout a portion of or the entire aircraft. For example, it may be necessary to change the density of loading of a particular aircraft from its normal first class and coach density to an all-coach configuration such as might be necessary with charter operations. In addition, some aircraft, particularly those operating on late night schedules, carry both passengers and cargo, the cargo being carried in one or more compartments normally used to carry passengers. In particular, Boeing 747's frequently fly a configuration wherein passengers occupy the fore and midsection compartments, with cargo being carried in the aft compartment.
To provide this capability, the aircraft manufacturers install locking tracks that run fore and aft along the floor of the major compartments of the aircraft. These locking tracks have a slot that runs the entire length of the track along its top side. Enlarged cut-out openings are spaced at regular intervals along the length of the track to receive portions of various types of track fasteners to permit the track fasteners to be positioned along and locked into the track in order to secure passenger seats and/or cargo which is itself secured to the track fastener. These track fasteners are adjustable within the track, thereby permitting the seats and/or cargo to be repositioned or removed.
The tracks and track fasteners are designed with safety as a paramount concern. A seat or cargo container which is not securely locked into the track is subject to sudden movement which can cause injury, structural damage to the aircraft or a substantial change in aircraft balance. The track assembly must be able to safely distribute the load to the track so that an unsafe load is not transmitted through only a few load distribution points in a manner that would cause an unsafe condition. It is also desireable for any track fastener to provide an indication of when the track fastener is properly locked to the track, so that during inspection it can be readily determined whether the track fastener is properly tightened. Any track fastener should also be capable of being easily installed on and removed from the locking track so the seats and/or cargo can be repositioned or removed quickly, safely and with minimal effort.
Attempts have been made in the past to provide the features mentioned above. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,344 discloses an apparatus for indicating when the track fastener is properly locked in the track. This is accomplished by uses of a locking wire that can be pivoted into position after the fastener has been placed in the locked position. However, the locking track fastener requires a separate distinct step in order to properly position the locking wire. In addition, the locking wire may be rotated into its partially locked position and thereby incorrectly indicate to an observer that the locking fastener is in its locked position when in fact it is not. Furthermore, the track fastener disclosed in the '344 Patent has components that engage the track and do not permit the track fastener to be readily moved lengthwise along the track since these portions must be removed from the enlarged areas of the track.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,432 discloses a track fastener in which a locking screw member is positioned in the housing of the track fastener in such a manner that when the track fastener is unlocked, the locking screw member extends above the top side of the track fastener and is therefore clearly visible. However, it is possible to tighten the locking wedge against the top of the track in such a way that the locking screw member does not extend above the top side of the track fastener to the same extent. The seat may seem to be securely fastened to the track, but in fact the seat will come loose quite easily upon even light stress being placed on the seat or track fastener. A cursory inspection, particularly in bad lighting conditions, might lead an inspector to incorrectly conclude that the track fastener is properly locked when in fact is it not.
The invention of the present application provides a considerable additional measure of safety by making it impossible for the locking wedge of the track fastener to be tightened to any extent unless the locking wedge is properly aligned and positioned in the enlarged opening of the track for which it is intended. | {
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The application of lettering and designs to automobile exteriors is an expensive and time consuming process because it must be done professionally by hand and requires an extraordinary talent.
To make this procedure less expensive and less difficult stencils have been made available so that untrained individuals can apply decorative effects to vehicle exteriors with a minimum of effort. Unfortunately, stenciling still requires careful and accurate work and the templates available for this purpose are of such poor quality that the stenciling process often results in an unprofessional-looking design.
Moreover, the paints provided in auto stenciling kits generally require long drying periods as a result of which there is an opportunity for the paint surface to absorb dirt and other particles from the atmosphere. To avoid this occurrence blotters are sometimes used to absorb excess paint but this only serves to introduce foreign particles into the paint and thus afford a design which is gritty or uneven in texture and unprofessional in appearance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head-cleaning device and a head-cleaning method for cleaning a head that reads and writes data from/to a medium.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a conventional head that reads and writes data from/to a medium (e.g. a magnetic tape cartridge), and there is a conventional cleaning device for cleaning the head with a brush or the like so that dirt does not accumulate on the head, which is described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Application, First Publication, No. 2005-122898 (Patent Document 1).
An operation of a head-cleaning device relating to the present invention represented by the Patent Document 1 will be explained using FIGS. 5A and 5B. The head-cleaning device in FIGS. 5A and 5B includes a brush filament 3 provided at the tip of a lever 1. FIG. 5A illustrates a state before cleaning operation starts. When cleaning operation starts in the state in FIG. 5A, the lever 1 is driven by a roller mechanism. That is, in FIG. 5A, a bearing 2 moves horizontally (in the right direction of FIG. 5A) and makes contact with one section 4 of the lever 1. This contact pushes the lever 1 in the downward direction of FIG. 5A. As a result of this downward push, as shown in FIG. 5B, the lever 1 and the brush filament 3 at the tip thereof move in a circular-arc trajectory (circular arc movement). As the brush filament 3 moves, it abuts to the surface of the head (not shown) and thereby cleans it. In FIGS. 5A and 5B the head is on the circular-arc trajectory of the brush filament 3, though it is not shown.
FIG. 6 is an example of the configuration of a head that is cleaned. The head in FIG. 6 has a linear groove (step) extending in a predetermined direction of the head. In the example of FIG. 6, a plurality of linear grooves are provided in the long direction of the head.
When the head of FIG. 6 is cleaned by the head-cleaning device of FIG. 5A, as shown in FIG. 7, the brush filament 3 abuts to the grooves in the head surface while moving in the circular-arc trajectory indicated by the arrow. However, when the brush filament 3 moves in a circular arc in this manner, some parts of the grooves in the head surface are likely to remain unswept. In particular, on a head where the grooves are arranged like steps, when the brush filament 3 moves such as to descend the stair-like grooves, parts of the grooves are likely to remain unswept. If this deficient sweeping continues, dirt and the like will accumulate on the head and lead to a danger of errors during reading and writing.
The present invention has been realized in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a head-cleaning device and a head-cleaning method that, by thoroughly cleaning grooves provided in the head, can prevent accumulation of dirt and the like due to deficient sweeping. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Many techniques are available to users today to find information on the World Wide Web (“web”). For example, users often use browsers and/or search engines to find information of interest. The information of interest may include documents that are currently popular among a group of users, such as videos that are currently popular from a video provisioning service. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Electronic tags can transmit a variety of types of data to nearby electronic devices. An electronic device can then store the data and/or use the data to influence operation of an app running on the device. However, some types of data may not be applicable or of interest to users of particular devices. Consequentially, storage space may be unnecessarily consumed and/or app function can be undesirably influenced. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Soil samplers of various types are known in the prior art. Such samplers can be of the auger type which rotate as the sampler is pushed into the earth, or can be of the force or penetrating type in which a hollow cylinder or probe is pushed vertically into the earth, without rotation. Depending on soil conditions and the region of the country in which a sample is to be taken, each of these samplers has its advantages.
It has been found, however, that the force type of sampler which includes a hollow probe which is forced into the earth is capable of taking more accurate representative samples of the soil of various different consistencies, and can also take samples from a much greater depth than the auger type samplers. In addition, the sample taken by the probe sampler is much more accurate where analysis of samples at different depths is required.
While the soil sampler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,393 has proven itself to be quite reliable, the samples taken by the tubular probe disclosed by that patent are frequently difficult to remove from the probe and require disconnecting the probe from the power cylinder in order to remove the sample. Another inconvenience of the arrangement of that patent is that a portion of the bed of the rear of the truck is obstructed by the sample taker so that the available loading space at the rear of the truck and the space available for carrying other cargo on the bed of the truck is somewhat limited.
Soil analysis is vital to present day commercial farming. Because of the high cost of fertilizer and other soil nutrients and chemicals, it is highly desirable to know the precise constituents of the soil so that the farmer can accurately fertilize and otherwise treat the soil to provide the required acidity or alkalinity for the crop to be planted.
In the past, many farmers have simply guessed at the amount of fertilizer required and have routinely applied lime to sweeten the soil, frequently in amounts much greater than those actually required for the crop to be planted. In many instances, the farmer routinely applies the same amount as the year before assuming that the soil conditions remain relatively constant from year to year.
While some farmers regularly sample and obtain analysis of their soil, many do not because of the difficulty, in the past, of quickly obtaining representative soil samples of sufficient depths to be of value. Even those farmers who normally regularly take soil samples, may often omit taking samples during a particular growing season because of unexpected conditions such as a late thaw or other work which they regard to be more important than soil sample taking because of the time required in the past to obtain representative samples.
While numerous attempts have been made in the past to provide reliable sample takers which can quickly take soil samples, the known prior devices have been slow and difficult to operate, require modification to a vehicle for mounting, and are either expensive or unreliable and subject to frequent breakdown. Another defect of such prior devices is that they are incapable of obtaining reliable samples of widely varying soil consistencies, particularly in relatively moist soil. For example, an auger cannot take an accurate sample of wet clay because the clay sticks to the auger, and clay is quite difficult to remove from a tubular sample probe.
In accordance with Applicant's invention, the shortcomings of the prior art are effectively overcome in an inexpensive and reliable manner. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting method and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, capable of effectively removing burrs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In semiconductor device manufacturing steps, steps are performed such as a cutting step of separating each partitioned region (chip: “semiconductor device”), in which a given circuit pattern is formed on a semiconductor wafer (“group of semiconductor devices”), using a cutting device called dicer or dicing, (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2001-77055), and a cutting step of separating each partitioned region (package: “semiconductor device”) from a leadframe (“group of semiconductor devices”) in plate form to which chips are mounted and wire-bonded and that is sealed by a sealing agent having an insulating property.
Here, the semiconductor wafer cutting step is performed by moving the semiconductor wafer in a direction along a cutting line for cutting by an annular cutting blade that is driven to rotate. It is to be noted that, in silicon wafers, a metal wiring layer (“first layer”), made of a ductile metal such as aluminum or copper, is stacked on top of a silicon substrate (“second layer”) that exhibits hard and brittle properties, and the metal wiring layer and the silicon substrate stacked at each boundary between chips are cut in the cutting step.
On the other hand, the leadframe cutting step is carried out similarly by moving the leadframe in a direction along a cutting line for cutting by an annular cutting blade that is driven to rotate. It is to be noted that, at least on the side surface of each of the packages in a leadframe after sealing, a hard and brittle sealing agent layer (“second layer”) such as thermosetting resin or thermoplastic resin is stacked on top of electrodes (“first layer”), made of copper, aluminum or iron-nickel alloy, on the mounting surface side, and the electrodes and the sealing agent layer stacked at each boundary between chips are cut in the cutting step.
While a soft and ductile metal material such as copper or aluminum is cut in the aforementioned cutting steps, it is known that cutting such a metal material produces burrs (excess material, debris) on the cut cross-sections.
In this case it is possible that electrodes (bonding pads) arranged at the perimeter portion of the chip front surface or electrodes (external terminals) arranged at the perimeter portion of the package mounting surface could be short-circuited via the produced burrs, thus resulting in increased manufacturing defects of semiconductor devices.
Further, fine pitch techniques are increasingly used as a result of recent trends toward downsizing and thickness reduction of semiconductor devices, possibly resulting in aggravating the aforementioned problem if burrs are produced between reduced pitch spacings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to a circuit board which is coupled to a local area network peripheral (e.g. a printer) and which allows the peripheral to be an intelligent, interactive network member eliminating the necessity of dedicating a personal computer to manage the peripheral. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining and for controlling the status of the networked peripheral from a remote location such as an administrator's console which communicates with the circuit board.
2. Related Art
Local Area Networks ("LANs") are known for coupling together a plurality of personal computers with peripheral devices such as printers, copiers, etc., to provide for enhanced communication and shared resources. Heretofore, peripherals such as printers coupled to a LAN were rather unintelligent, merely accepting information from the LAN and printing such information on a hard copy. Moreover, such printers usually required a host personal computer ("PC") to effectively manage the flow of data to the printer, i.e., to act as a "server" for the printer. This almost always required that the host PC be dedicated solely to the print server task.
A number of products have recently appeared which ostensibly eliminate the need for such a dedicated PC by incorporating hardware and software into a circuit board which may be coupled into the peripheral in order to perform limited server functions. For example, ASP Computer Products, Inc. provides a device known as "JetLAN/P" which acts as a stand-alone print server for Novell networks. The JetLAN/P.RTM. device couples to a LAN using a 10Base-2 thin coaxial cable or a 10Base-T twisted-pair cable. However, the JetLAN/P.RTM. couples to the printer only through the printer's parallel port. Thus, while print information can be sent to the printer, the amount of printer status information which can be returned from the printer is severely restricted. For example, such a device may obtain "off-line" and "out of paper" status from the printer, but little else. Such a device does very little toward making the printer a truly intelligent, responsive member of the network.
Other known devices for coupling a printer to a LAN include the Hewlett-Packard Jet Direct.RTM. C2071A/B and C2059A, the Extended Systems EtherFlex.RTM., the Intel NetPort.RTM. and NetPort II.RTM., the Castelle LANPress.RTM. and JetPress.RTM., and the MILAN FastPort.RTM.. However, all of these devices suffer from the same disadvantages as the ASP JetLAN in that they do not allow the printer to transmit sufficient amounts of data to the LAN to enable the printer to be an effective and intelligent member of the network. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of recognizing an irradiation field in the case where a radiation image is recorded on a recording medium such as a stimulable phosphor sheet by limitation of the irradiation field of a radiation. This invention also relates to a method of adjusting image processing conditions by utilization of the method of recognizing an irradiation field in the course of the processing of image information detected from the recording medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When certain kinds of phosphors are exposed to radiation such as X-rays, .alpha.-rays, .beta.-rays, .gamma.-rays, cathode rays or ultraviolet rays, they store a part of the energy of the radiation. Then, when the phosphor which has been exposed to the radiation is exposed to stimulating rays such as visible light, light is emitted by the phosphor in proportion to the stored energy of the radiation. A phosphor exhibiting such properties is referred to as a stimulable phosphor.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,264 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56(1981)-11395, it has been proposed to use a stimulable phosphor in a radiation image recording and reproducing system. Specifically, a sheet provided with a layer of the stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet) is first exposed to radiation passing through an object such as the human body to have a radiation image of the object stored thereon, and is then exposed to stimulating rays such as a laser beam which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet upon stimulation thereof is photoelectrically detected and converted to electric image signals, image processing is carried out on the electric image signals, and the radiation image of the object is reproduced as a visible image by use of the processed image signals on a recording material such as a photographic film, a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), or the like.
In the aforesaid radiation image recording and reproducing system, in order to improve the image quality, particularly the diagnostic efficiency and accuracy, of the visible image, image read-out for photoelectrically detecting the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet upon stimulation thereof should preferably be carried out by use of read-out conditions adjusted to appropriate values in accordance with each radiation image. From this viewpoint, one embodiment of the aforesaid radiation image recording and reproducing system has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58(1983)-67240. In the proposed embodiment, before final read-out is carried out by scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image of an object stored thereon by stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the radiation energy stored, detecting the emitted light by a photoelectric read-out means and converting it into electric image signals, the preliminary read-out for approximately detecting the image information stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried out by use of stimulating rays of a level lower than the level of the stimulating rays used in the final read-out. Read-out conditions for the final read-out are adjusted on the basis of the information obtained by the preliminary read-out, and the final read-out is carried out by use of the read-out conditions. The electric image signals obtained by the final read-out are sent to an image processing means and are processed in accordance with the image recording portion of the object and/or the image recording method to obtain a visible image suitable for viewing, particularly for diagnostic purposes. The processed image signals are used to reproduce the visible image on a photographic film or the like.
By the term "read-out conditions" as used herein are meant various conditions affecting the relationship between the input to the read-out means and the output thereof, for example, the relationship between the input to the photoelectric read-out means (i.e. the amount of light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet) and the output thereof (i.e. the level of the electric image signal) in the aforesaid case. For example, the term "read-out conditions" means the read-out gain (sensitivity) determining the relationship between the input and the output of the read-out means, the scale factor (latitude), and the power of the stimulating rays used for the read-out.
As mentioned above, the level of the stimulating rays used in the preliminary read-out is adjusted to be lower than the level of the stimulating rays used in the final read-out. That is, the effective energy of the stimulating rays which the stimulable phosphor sheet receives per unit area in the preliminary read-out is adjusted to be lower than the effective energy of the stimulating rays used in the final read-out.
In the case where the image information stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet is approximately ascertained prior to the final read-out and the final read-out is carried out by use of the read-out conditions adjusted on the basis of the image information, it becomes possible to eliminate the adverse effects of a fluctuation in the level of the radiation energy stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet, which is caused by a change in the object or the image recording portion thereof, by a fluctuation in the radiation dose, or the like, and to obtain a visible image suitable for viewing, particularly for diagnostic purposes.
On the other hand, in the case where the aforesaid radiation image recording and reproducing system is used for medical diagnosis, portions of the human body not related to diagnosis should not be exposed to the radiation since it is harmful to the human body. Further, when the human body portions not related to diagnosis are exposed to radiation, the radiation is scattered by such portions to the portion related to the diagnosis, and the contrast and resolution are adversely affected by the scattered radiation. Therefore, in the aforesaid radiation image recording and reproducing system, the irradiation field is often limited in the course of recording a radiation image.
In the case where image recording is carried out by limiting the irradiation field as mentioned above, a portion inside of the irradiation field and a portion outside of the irradiation field are present on a single stimulable phosphor sheet. In this case, it is advantageous for the portion inside of the irradiation field, i.e. the position of the irradiation field contour, to be able to be discriminated.
This is because, in the case where, for example, the preliminary read-out is carried out on the stimulable phosphor sheet and the read-out conditions for the final read-out are to be adjusted on the basis of the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out, the read-out conditions should preferably be adjusted on the basis of only the preliminary read-out image information inside of the irradiation field on the stimulable phosphor sheet when image recording has been carried out by limitation of the irradiation field.
The aforesaid reason will hereinbelow be described in detail. As the method of adjusting the read-out conditions for the final read-out on the basis of the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out, a novel method has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60(1985)-156055. The proposed method comprises the steps of: determining a histogram of the image information (image signal level) obtained by the preliminary read-out, calculating the maximum image signal level Pmax and the minimum image signal level Pmin of a desired image information range in the histogram, and adjusting the read-out conditions for the final read-out so that the maximum image signal level Pmax and the minimum image signal level Pmin correspond respectively to the maximum signal level Qmax and the minimum signal level Qmin of a desired input signal range in an image processing means which are determined by the maximum density Dmax and the minimum density Dmin of the correct density range in the reproduced visible image.
However, in the case where image recording is carried out by limitation of the irradiation field as mentioned above, the radiation scattered by the object within the irradiation field normally passes outside of the irradiation field. The scattered radiation is absorbed and stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet which exhibits high sensitivity, and therefore the histogram of the image information (image signal level) obtained by the preliminary read-out includes the image signal level caused by the scattered radiation. Since the image signal level caused by the scattered radiation outside of the irradiation field on the stimulable phosphor sheet is often higher than the image signal level inside of the irradiation field, it is not always possible to discriminate between the image signal levels inside and outside of the irradiation field in the histogram obtained by the preliminary read-out. Therefore, in the case where Pmax and Pmin are calculated from the histogram as mentioned above and the read-out conditions are adjusted on the basis of Pmax and Pmin, the minimum image signal level inside of the irradiation field is not detected as Pmin, and that caused by the scattered radiation outside of the irradiation field is detected as Pmin. In general, the minimum image signal level outside of the irradiation field is lower than that inside of the irradiation field. Accordingly, when the minimum image signal level outside of the irradiation field is detected as Pmin, signals caused by the scattered radiation not related to diagnosis are taken within a low density range in the final read-out, and the density of the image of the portion related to diagnosis becomes too high. As a result, the image contrast decreases and it becomes difficult to make an accurate diagnosis.
Namely, in the case where a radiation image is recorded by limiting the irradiation field, the radiation scattered by the object passes outside of the irradiation field on the stimulable phosphor sheet and causes noise in the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out. Therefore, when the read-out conditions are adjusted based on such preliminary read-out image information, it is not always possible to adjust the read-out conditions to appropriate values and to obtain a visible image suitable for viewing, particularly for diagnostic purposes.
Therefore, in the case where radiation image recording is carried out by limiting the irradiation field and the read-out conditions are to be adjusted based on the preliminary read-out image information by use of the aforesaid method, the irradiation field should be recognized accurately and the read-out conditions should be adjusted based on the preliminary read-out image information inside of the irradiation field, thereby to eliminate the adverse effects of the scattered radiation outside of the irradiation field.
Besides the case wherein the read-out conditions are to be adjusted for a radiation image stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet, recognition of the irradiation field is also necessary for various purposes in the case where a radiation image is recorded on a recording medium by limitation of the irradiation field.
On the other hand, in the aforesaid radiation image recording and reproducing system, image processing is carried out as mentioned above on the image signals detected by image read-out. In general, the image processing is carried out by use of image processing conditions adjusted for each image in accordance with the image recording portion of the object and/or the image recording method to obtain a visible image suitable for viewing, particularly for diagnostic purposes. However, it may be considered that the image processing conditions be adjusted on the basis of the image information obtained by, for example, the preliminary read-out or the final read-out, instead of the image recording portion of the object and/or the image recording method, or on the basis of both the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out or the final read-out and the image recording portion of the object and/or the image recording method.
However, as mentioned above, in the case where image recording is carried out by limiting the irradiation field, information (noise) caused by the scattered radiation outside of the irradiation field is contained in the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out or the final read-out. Therefore, in this case, it is not always possible to obtain such appropriate image processing conditions as originally expected to be obtained by the adjustment based on the image information, even though the image processing conditions are adjusted on the basis of the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out or the final read-out.
Therefore, in the case where image recording is carried out by limiting the irradiation field and the image processing conditions are to be adjusted based on the image information as mentioned above, the image processing conditions should preferably be adjusted based on noise-free image information obtained by eliminating the information caused by the scattered radiation, instead of being adjusted directly based on the detected image information.
Besides the case of image recording utilizing the stimulable phosphor sheet, the aforesaid problems with regard to the adjustment of the image processing conditions arise generally in the case where a radiation image is recorded on a recording medium by limitation of the irradiation field.
By the term "image processing conditions" as used herein are meant various conditions affecting the relationship between the input to the image processing means and the output thereof, for example, gradation processing conditions and frequency response processing conditions. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical receiver applied to the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system and a method to control the optical receiver.
2. Related Prior Art
Recent optical communication system sometimes requests the transmission speed thereof reaching 100 Gbps to solve the bottleneck of the transmission capacity between the servers. One solution for the request has been proposed, in which the system includes an optical transmitter transmits signal light containing four optical signals each emitted from, for instance, an electro-absorption modulated laser (EML) or a direct modulated laser (DML), modulated at about 26 Gbps and multiplexed by an wavelength division multiplexer; a single mode fiber (SMF) with a length of 10 to 40 km to transmit the signal light; and an optical receiver including four receiver modules each receiving optical signals de-multiplexed by an optical de-multiplexer. This system may realize an equivalent transmission capacity of about 100 Gbps.
In such a communication system, because of the large optical loss in the SMF with the 40 km length, the optical receiver has been used to accompany with a semiconductor optical amplifier (hereafter denoted as SOA) in the upstream side of the optical de-multiplexer to compensate the optical loss in the SMF. One technique has been reported to compensate the optical loss dynamically, in which the bias current supplied to the SOA is dynamically adjusted to vary the optical gain of the amplifier based on the input level to the SOA. When the optical input level reduces, the optical receiver increases the bias current to increase the optical gain. While, the receiver decreases the bias current to lower the optical gain of the SOA when the optical input level increases, or flows the bias current in the opposite direction to operate the SOA as a device to absorb light, that is, an optical attenuator.
Another method to prevent the receiver module connected in the downstream side of the optical de-multiplexer from receiving an excessive optical signal has been proposed in a Japanese Patent application published as JP-2004-120669A. The optical receiver disclosed therein provides an optical attenuator in the front end to adjust the optical output level from the SOA. Another arrangement has been disclosed in a Japanese Patent published as JP-2005-064051A where the optical receiver has a function combining the front end attenuator and the variable gain optical amplifier.
In such conventional optical receivers, the optical receiver monitors the optical input level at the upstream side of the SOA, and the bias current supplied to the SOA is so adjusted based on the monitored result, which is inevitable to provide additional optical components such as, for instance, an optical splitter and an optical attenuator, which makes the optical receiver complicated and large-size. The present invention is to provide an optical receiver with a simplified arrangement and a function to prevent the receiver modules from receiving an excessive optical input. | {
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A complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) solid state imaging apparatuses represents an image sensor in which a signal accumulated in a photodiode forming part of each of pixels is read out by an amplifier circuit including a MOS transistor. Such a CMOS solid state imaging apparatus can operate at low voltages, consume less power, and be integrated in one chip together with a peripheral circuit.
In view of the above, attention has been paid to CMOS solid state imaging apparatuses as image input devices used for compact cameras for personal computers and portable devices, such as cell phones. In recent years, an increase in the number of pixels have been demanded for CMOS solid state imaging apparatuses, and therefore the cell size per pixel tends to be reduced.
In a known solid state imaging apparatus, a thermal oxide film is generally formed, by local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS), in an isolation region for isolating a photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate and semiconductor devices from one another. In the use of LOCOS, the width of the isolation region needs to be increased to provide a sufficient isolation property. Furthermore, when a thermal oxide film is formed by LOCOS, a bird's beak occurs and therefore the isolation region enters into an active region of the semiconductor substrate. This makes it necessary to previously secure a wide active region. In view of the above, the area of the isolation region occupied in each of pixels and the area of the active region occupied therein must be increased. This makes it difficult to reduce the size of the pixel.
The following known art is used as a measure for solving such a problem (see Patent Document 1). FIG. 14 illustrates a cross-sectional structure of a photodiode section of a solid state imaging apparatus according to a known example.
As illustrated in FIG. 14, a photodiode 62 including a P−-type silicon layer 55, an N-type silicon layer 54 and a P+-type silicon layer 56 is formed in the vicinity of the top surface of an N-type silicon substrate 53.
An isolation region 52 is formed in the vicinity of part of the top surface of the N-type silicon substrate 53 located around the photodiode 62 to extend from the uppermost surface of the N-type silicon substrate 53 to substantially the same depth as that of the N-type silicon layer 54 and have a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure in which a trench having inner walls covered with a silicon dioxide (SiO2) film 61 is filled with an insulating film made of SiO2 and any other material. Therefore, the photodiode 62 is electrically isolated from other peripheral devices in the top surface of the N-type silicon substrate 53.
Since in the known example the isolation region 52 is formed to have a STI structure, a bird's beak does not occur and therefore the isolation region 52 does not enter into a light-receiving area 51. Therefore, the area of the light-receiving area 51 is not reduced due to a bird's beak. As a result, a large light-receiving area 51 can be secured. Furthermore, in the case of the isolation region 52 of a STI structure, the width of an insulative material necessary for isolation is smaller than in the case of the isolation region 52 of a LOCOS structure or any other structure. This can reduce the area of the isolation region itself, resulting in the enhanced sensitivity of the photodiode.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-39832 | {
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Electronic equipment, especially cockpit avionics, are conventionally designed to operate according to parametric values established for a particular installation. By relying on parametric values that are associated with variations in installations (e.g., on different aircraft), the cost of design and qualification of avionics can be spread across many different installations and maintenance costs for a population of avionics may be reduced. In a typical installation and configuration, tables of alternative parametric values are stored in memory of a processor of the avionics; and, some external indication is ascertained for the selection of values particularly suitable for the current installation.
One technique is to choose a connector that is part of the permanent installation of the avionics (e.g., a connection already required for power, input, or output signals), reserve contacts in the connector for short circuits, define a code for the shorts, opens, and/or resistance between reserved contacts of that connector, and associate the code with a table of parametric values. In operation, the processor reads interface circuits that provide the code, uses the code as an index into the table, reads the parametric values from the table, and establishes, in accordance with the parameters, any operational criteria, such as, power conditioning, circuit functions, initial conditions, modes of operation, use of resources, identifications, limit conditions, and branch conditions. Giving effect to various parametric values may require switching circuitry for routing signals in alternate ways.
Avionics may be designed to permit the in situ installation of new software for use by the avionics. In a conventional arrangement, the avionics may have an interface connector (e.g., on a front or rear panel) for data communication signals used to accept the new software when on the ground or otherwise not in service. In situ installation of software avoids the expense of removing the avionics from some or all of its permanent installation (e.g., releasing mechanical restraints, extending circuit assemblies out of the position used in flight, disconnecting cables). Unfortunately, in situ installation of software is expensive in that it requires access to skilled personnel and equipment capable of providing the digital communication signals for transferring the software from such equipment to the avionics.
Without new methods for configuring avionics, the installation and maintenance of avionics will continue to be limited | {
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The present invention relates generally to welding, heating and cutting systems and to their operation in connection with Smart Grid connectivity and data exchange.
Welding systems have become virtually ubiquitous throughout industry. Such systems are currently used in all industries, including manufacturing, physical plant construction, ship building, pipeline construction, maintenance and repair, etc. While variations exist in the system configurations and their modes of operation, many such systems are strictly electrical and rely upon the creation of a welding arc to melt and fuse base metals and/or adder metals, typically in the form of rods and wires. Currently available systems include, for example, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) systems, shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) systems, etc. In conventional terms, such systems may include so-called stick welders, metal inert gas (MIG) welders, tungsten inert gas (TIG) welders, etc. It should be noted that in the present context, although references made to “welding” systems and operations, the term here is intended to cover similar and related processes, such as heating (e.g., induction heating used to support welding operations), and cutting (e.g., plasma torch systems).
Welding systems that rely on the creation of a welding arc have been refined to operate efficiently and effectively for joining metals in desired joints, but nevertheless requires substantial amounts of power. This power is typically provided from the power grid when the systems are connected to the grid (e.g., plugged in). However, other power sources are also common, however, including engine-driven generators, batteries, and the use of alternative sources, such as fuel cells, super capacitors, etc. have been proposed. In many contexts, the welding systems are designed to regulate the conversion and delivery of power based upon the onset and termination of welding arcs (or heating in the case of heating systems, or plasma arc creation in the case of plasma arc cutting systems). When connected to the grid, these systems may represent substantial loads. Moreover, the systems may alter the power factor of the connected infrastructure, requiring correction for efficient operation. However, to date, little or no effort has been invested in intelligently coordinating operation of welding systems with the grid, or the coordination of alternative power sources from which the welding systems may draw the needed power with power from the grid.
Recent developments in power production and distribution have focused on the establishment of a so-called “Smart Grid”. While the project is still evolving in definition and scope, and will certainly require years for full implementation, the concept includes the creation of an interactive power generation and distribution infrastructure in which data systems enable closer coordination of power production and loads. It is hoped that such efforts will result in a power grid that is more reliable, efficient, and balanced.
There is a need, at present, for improvements in welding systems that will be capable of cooperating with the Smart Grid infrastructure such that the significant loads represented by such systems can be at least partially managed along with other loads and power production assets that will be a part of the future Smart Grid deployment. | {
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Capturing a quality image when the scene to be captured includes low light or fast motion is challenging. If a long exposure is used to increase the amount of light that is collected, thereby reducing the noise in the image, any motion present from the camera or the movement of objects within the scene results in motion blur artifacts in the image. Alternately, if a short exposure is used to reduce motion blur, noise will be present in the image due to the low signal at the image sensor. One solution to this photographic challenge is to capture multiple short exposure images which each have reduced motion blur due to their short exposure times. The multiple short exposure images are then combined in a way that compensates for the motion that occurs between the images to produce an improved image which effectively has an exposure time that is equal to the combined exposure time of the multiple short exposure images and an equally higher combined signal with reduced noise due to averaging between the multiple images.
An overlapped readout technique for an image sensor that produces an image with reduced motion blur is described in co-pending United States Patent Application 2009/0021612. Charge from a portion of the photodetectors is transferred into the vertical charge-coupled device (VCCD) shift registers followed by readout of a component image. This technique may extend the time between the overlapped images because additional time may be required to readout the component image from the image sensor. As a result, it may be difficult to capture a series of images with short exposure times in rapid succession to provide a series of images that accurately illustrate the motion that is occurring in the scene.
Another solution to this photographic challenge is disclosed in United States Patent Application 2006/0017837. A series of images are captured, some with short exposures and some with long exposures. A combined image is then produced that has reduced motion blur from the short exposure images and reduced noise from the long exposure images. However, the resulting large difference in length of exposure times between the short exposure image and the long exposure may make it difficult to combine the two images. Also since the two exposures are captured at different times it may be difficult to align the two images when motion is present, particularly if there is local motion present produced by objects moving within the scene.
A method for capturing multiple images in rapid succession using a CCD sensor is disclosed in United States Patent Application 2007/0002165. A first image is captured and the charge transferred into the VCCD using only the rows associated with a first field. The photodetectors are then reset and a second image is captured and transferred into the VCCD using only the rows associated with the second field. The photodetectors are reset again before a third image is captured. The VCCD is then readout which reads the first and second images into the horizontal charge coupled device (HCCD) and converts the charge data for the two images into digital data. The third image is then transferred to the VCCDs, readout, and converted to digital data. While this method reduces the time between captures since the time between captures is not increased by having to wait for the image sensor readout, the photodetectors are reset for each image, so that the images are all captured at different times. The alignment of the multiple images may be challenging in some situations.
A dual capture mode of operation is described in a paper entitled “A CCD Image Sensor and Imaging System with Scene Adaptability for DSC Applications” (Int Sym Tech for Digital Photo Fulfillment, Soc, Imaging Sci & Tech, February 2009) by M. Kobayashi, S. Tanaka, K. Oda, K. Ikeda, K. Hayashi, and T. Nishimura. A CCD image sensor is used to capture one image with a long exposure time along with a second image having a short exposure time. The two images are captured with different rows of pixels in the same image sensor. A “sweep-out process” is used to reset the pixels that are used to provide the second short exposure image. As such, each pixel is used in only one of the two images and the method is limited to capture of two images in a set. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus treating liquid sewage.
2. Description of Prior Art
Individual homes or small population centers which do not have conventional sewage systems are typically served by what is termed "package plant" for the treatment of sewage. Typical of one process employed in such package plants is the contact-stabilization method.
The contact-stabilization method or process is comprised of four basic steps: contact, sedimentation, stabilization and digestion. Liquid sewage to be treated is introduced into a contact chamber or tank where it is mixed and aerated with sludge solids returned to a stabilization tank. The sewage typically remains in the contact tank for from 15 to 20 minutes during which time the raw sewage and sludge under go chemical and bacteriological changes which convert most of the solids in the sewage to a suspension of liquid and activated sludge floc. Following this contact, solid particles of sewage pass into a sedimentation tank chamber where the floc settles out of the liquid suspension and is directed back to the stabilization tank where such solids remain for a period of approximately 5 hours. The stabilization tank is also aerated and mixed.
Following the 5 hour period, a portion of the floc is returned as return sludge or return solids to the contact tank and the process is repeated. The heavier sludge solids settle into a digestion tank or chamber, generally located beneath the stabilization tank where it is aerobically digested. Periodically the nondigested organic particles are removed from the digester by mechanical suction means. Liquid remaining in the sedimentation tank after the floc has settled out is discharged from the system as a purified effluent. Chlorine or other purifying agents may be mixed with the effluent prior to its discharge from the package system.
In use the contact stabilization process for package plants has permitted high organic loadings for a compact and versatile package plant of unitary construction. However, the short period of 15 to 30 minutes when combined with the substantial peak loadings inherent in such package plants in the systems of isolated individual dwellings and small population centers has resulted in an unstable and unreliable treatment system. Additionally, a relatively short 5 hour stabilization period results in a high solids accumulation rate with an attendant solids disposal problem.
In addition to the problems of inadequate contact time and possible inadequate treatment during peak loadings, such plants typically utilize compressed air for the aeration of the sewage to be treated, and the air compressors required for such systems frequently require substantial maintenance in order to keep them in operable condition.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the treatment of liquid sewage. Other additional objectives will be apparent upon a reading of the entire specification, drawings and claims. | {
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Most railway locomotives are operated by the manipulation by hand of three controls: a throttle control, a brake control and a forward/reverse direction control. Generally, these controls comprise handles movable between a plurality of operational positions. These controls are often, if not always, contained within an integrated controller unit. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,842,653 (granted 22 Oct., 1974 to Blonn, Sr.) and 5,542,891 (granted 6 Aug., 1996 to Kettle, Jr.) show two similar types of integrated controller units used in most locomotives in North America.
In these common types of locomotive control systems the throttle and brake handles cannot be removed from the controller unit. However, the forward/reverse controller is a separate key-like handle (shown in FIG. 13 of the Blonn Sr. patent, and in FIG. 10 of the Kettle, Jr. patent) which must be inserted into a chamber or "keyhole" in the controller unit before the locomotive can be operated. The "key" typically has a generally circular profile, with a square ridge running the length of it. Similarly, the chamber has a generally circular cross section, but with a generally square or U-shaped groove running its length.
The handle, once inserted, can be moved between three positions: forward, reverse and neutral. The handle can only be inserted and removed when the controller is in the neutral position (ie. when the locomotive is at rest).
This forward/reverse control handle is typically removed from the controller unit when the train is not moving, especially when the train is "parked", thereby preventing the mistaken or unauthorized operation of the locomotive. The handle must be re-inserted before the locomotive can be operated. A significant problem exists with this system in that these handles are occasionally lost, misplaced and/or stolen, and may be used by unauthorized personnel, disgruntled employees and even joy riders and vagrants to move trains. This is not a trivial concern, since a significant number of such handles go missing every year.
A locking device is accordingly desired which can be lockedly inserted into the chamber normally occupied by the controller handle thereby preventing the insertion of an unauthorized handle. This disables the control unit and prevents unauthorized operation of the locomotive. Preferably, such a device would be small and lightweight, easily carried by those members of a train crew authorized to disable the locomotive. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Catalytic hydroprocessing of distillate or lube oil boiling range feedstocks typically involves use of a catalyst having supported Group VIII and/or Group VI metals. In many situations, the supported metals represent a substantial portion of the cost of the catalyst. Due to the large volume of catalyst required to load a typical hydroprocessing reactor, lower cost catalysts are a desirable feature for any refinery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,848 provides a method for treating a hydrocarbon feedstock by first exposing the feedstock to a high activity hydrotreating catalyst to reduce the levels of, for example, nitrogen, sulfur, and aromatics. The hydrotreated feed is then dewaxed using a dewaxing catalyst, such as ZSM-23, ZSM-35, or ZSM-48.
What is needed is an improved method for hydroprocessing of hydrocarbon feedstocks that provides reduced cost of operation. | {
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In order to achieve safe driving of a vehicle, research and development on a device which automatically controls steering, accelerator and brake of a vehicle to detect a dangerous event around the vehicle and to avoid the detected dangerous event are being conducted, and such a device has been already mounted on some vehicles. Among them, a system that detects an obstacle such as vehicles or pedestrians in front of a vehicle with a camera mounted on the vehicle and gives warning to the driver or an automatic brake is effective in view of improving safety of the vehicle.
In a system which detects obstacles around an automobile from an image of a camera mounted on the automobile, it is particularly important to detect a pedestrian having a possibility of collision with the automobile in terms of the pedestrian protection. In particular, in order to improve safety, it is important to detect pedestrians jumping out of the shadow at an early stage and to perform braking control for preventing collision with pedestrians. Collision prevention performance against pedestrians jumping out of the shadow is also planned to be incorporated into a safety performance determination reference for European Euro-NCAP. Examples of a detecting sensor include a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar and a camera, but a method of using a camera, particularly a stereo camera, is described in PTL 1.
The contents described in PTL 1 disclose the invention in which a distance measuring unit based on monocular information and a distance measuring unit based on stereo information are used when an obstacle is detected by a stereo camera, a distance measuring unit based on the stereo information is used in the obstacle detection of a portion close to the vehicle, a distance measuring unit based on the monocular information is used in the obstacle detection in a portion remote from the vehicle, the two measuring units are switched by the detected distance, and particularly when there is a risk of a degradation of the accuracy, the distance which applies the distance measuring unit based on the stereo information is set to be longer. | {
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} |
Current automotive catalysts for exhaust treatment of gasoline-powered vehicles include three way catalysts (TWCs) or four way catalysts (FWCs™). Such catalysts utilize palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh) as active species for conversion of hydrocarbons, CO, and NOx pollutants into harmless CO2, N2 and H2O. Pd is an active component for oxidation of hydrocarbons and CO into CO2, and Rh is the most efficient component for conversion of NOx into N2. Accordingly, both Pd and Rh are generally required for simultaneous high conversion of these three pollutants into harmless products. One of the main challenges in TWC design is how to most effectively use Rh. H. S. Gandhi et al., Journal of Catalysis, 2003, 216, 433-442, p. 435 provides a comprehensive overview of scenarios of Rh deactivation in TWCs. Rh deactivation mechanisms include rhodium aluminate formation, dissolution of Rh into alumina support material, encapsulation of the Rh by alumina, and spreading and interaction of Rh oxide over the alumina support surface. When Rh is utilized in the presence of Pd under oxidizing conditions up to temperatures of about 1000 K, Pd—Rh alloys can form and the Pd can form PdO that covers the surface of the Pd—Rh alloys, which can strongly suppress NOx conversion. To avoid undesirable formation of Pd—Rh alloys, current Pd/Rh three way catalyst formulations often use “fixation” of Pd and Rh on separate support phases (H. S. Gandhi et al., Journal of Catalysis, 2003, 216, 433-442, p. 437). However, even if Pd and Rh are loaded on separate support phases, formation of Pd—Rh alloy particles with an average size of >100 nm can still be observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization. G. W. Graham et al., Catalysis Letters, 2002, 81, 1-7 (showing such particles after redox aging of a bimetallic Pd- and Rh-containing catalyst at 1050° C. for 12 h and noting that the surface of the Pd—Rh alloy particles was enriched with Pd, which is thought to be undesirable).
M. Rassoul et al., Journal of Catalysis, 2001, 203, 232-241 describe a bimetallic Pd—Rh/Al2O3 catalyst prepared by co-impregnation or stepwise impregnation of alumina from solutions of RhCl3 and H2PdCl4. Furthermore Rassoul et al. teach that Rh2O3 and PdO particles on the surface of catalysts obtained by the co-impregnation technique behave like respective monometallic catalysts. On the other hand, when the catalyst was prepared by stepwise impregnation, some Rh2O3 and PdO oxide particles were in strong interaction. While the addition of Rh by a stepwise impregnation technique improved the thermal stability of PdO, the majority of the Rh was lost in the bulk of the support. Rassoul et al. does not provide any indication of formation of bimetallic palladium-rhodium nanoparticles. Another example of a Pd—Rh/Al2O3 catalyst prepared by co-impregnation of Pd and Rh solutions on high surface area alumina support is described by Y. Reneme et al., Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2014, 160-161, 390-399.
Nunan et al. in SAE Meeting Paper (ISSN 0148-7191) N.950258 (1995) describe the impact of Pt—Rh and Pd—Rh interactions on the performance of bimetal catalysts. Under laboratory aging conditions, Nunan et al. conclude that nonalloyed Pt—Rh and Pd—Rh catalysts were “dominated by the Rh activity, whereas the alloyed Pd—Rh catalyst's performance was similar to that of the single-metal Pd catalyst. Pt—Rh or Pd—Rh alloying strongly impaired high-temperature hydrocarbon conversion or NO(sub)x conversion, respectively.” Nunan et al. determined that superior performance is achieved when Pd and Rh catalysts are prepared so as to prevent alloying.
Goto et al. disclose that formation of a Pd—Rh core-shell structured alloy with Rh in its core has a large negative impact on NOx performance. SAE Technical Paper 2014-01-1503, 2014, doi:10.4271/2014-01-1503. Examples in Goto et al. discuss the formation of homogeneously dispersed Pd and Rh particles on La/Al2O3 support material using a proprietary fixation method and partial formation of Pd—Rh alloyed nanoparticles was observed after aging at 1000° C. in size ranges of 20 to 50 nm. The paper states that there are benefits of a strategically-designed coexistence of Pd and Rh. According to the paper, an optimal Pd/Rh ratio is 1.2 in a top layer, which achieved better light-off activity compared to a Pd/Rh ratio of 2.4 where no Pd was in the Rh layer.
A. A. Vedyagin et al. describe a Pd—Rh alloy catalyst prepared by impregnation of alumina support with dual complex salt [Pd(NH3)4]3[Rh(NO2)6]2 in Topics in Catalysis, 2013, 56, 1008-104 and in Catalysis Today, 2014, 238, 80-86.
J. R. Renzas et al. disclose an examination of bimetallic 15 nm Pd-core Rh-shell Rh1-xPdx nanoparticles deposited on Si wafers for CO oxidation by O2 and CO oxidation by NO, respectively in Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2011, 13, 2556-2562 and in Catalysis Letters 2011, 141, 235-241.
Tao et al. describe that heterogeneous catalysts containing bimetallic nanoparticles may undergo segregation of the metals, driven by oxidizing and reducing environments. Science, 2008, 322, 932-934
In U.S. Patent Appin. No. 2012/0263633 metal oxide support materials containing nanoscaled iron-platinum group metal particles having a particle size from 0.5 to 10 nm are disclosed, originating from precursor soluble salts, wherein at least 70% of the nanoscaled iron-platinum group metal particles are located on an outside surface layer of the metal oxide support material. This application further teaches that a uniform distribution of the PGMs located in the innermost layer of alumina is undesirable, since PGMs in the innermost layer of the alumina are not accessible for catalysis. There is a continuing need in the art to provide catalytic particles that provide excellent catalytic activity, thermal stability, and/or efficient use of a rhodium component. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a read-only memory which provides a security circuit built in itself.
2. Description of the Related Art
The read-only memory is abbreviated as ROM later. Herein, the term ROM includes a Programmable ROM.
In order to prevent a program or data written in a ROM from being stolen by an adversary, a security circuit has been traditionally provided between a central processing unit (abbreviated as CPU) and the ROM. The security circuit serves to code-convert select signals sent from the CPU to the ROM such as an address signal, a chip enable signal CE, an output enable signal OE and a chip select signal CS, or to code-convert the data output read out of the ROM. The writing order of data onto the ROM is changed according to the code conversion system given by the security circuit.
The foregoing security remedy, however, needs a considerable time for designing a security circuit. When designing the system having a ROM built in itself, it further requires a designer to consider both the system and the security circuit for designing the overall program. It results in disadvantageously consuming a long time in handling the additional function such as a security circuit and more often creating defective circuit arrangement and program. Hence, more burden is given to the designer.
As another disadvantage, the overall system becomes more costly, because the addition of an additional function such as a security circuit makes the overall circuit more large-scaled, and troubles may more often take place about the circuit arrangement and program when changing the specifications of the security system.
As one remedy for solving those disadvantages, a general-purpose security integrated circuit can be considered. The content of such a security integrated circuit may be made public for a short period. Hence, the circuit has a shortcoming that it requires the system specification to be very often re-designed for security protection. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a computer system and, more particularly, to a computer system including a combining structure for a power supplying unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multi-functional computer has been developed, and hardware therefor has been steadily improved. Change is required for not only software but also hardware. Thus, the structure of a computer is so designed as to meet needs of an end user and needs of a manufacturer.
A power supplying unit provided in a general desktop computer and supplying electric power to every hardware component of the general desktop computer is spaced from a main board by a predetermined distance and placed at an inner upper part of a rear plate in a casing by means of a fastening screw. Thus, the power supplying unit for the desktop computer does not encumber the hardware components such as the main board to be repaired or exchanged. However, there have been shortcomings that the desktop computer occupies a relatively large space and a procedure of assembling and disassembling the casing of the desktop computer is complicated.
Korean Patent Application No. 2001-27046 proposes a desktop computer occupying a relatively small space and having a casing which is simply assembled and disassembled, to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional desktop computer. The desktop computer of Korean Patent application No. 2001-27046 includes a casing including a fixed casing and a movable casing equipped with at least one hardware component, and a movable member locking and unlocking the movable casing to the fixed casing. Therefore, such desktop computer has a relatively small casing, compared with the casing of the general desktop computer.
However, in the desktop computer of Korean Patent application No. 2001-27046, it can be inconvenient to exchange or repair the hardware components, such as a main board, because a power supplying unit fastened on the casing by means of fastening screws must be removed every time the hardware components are exchanged or repaired. Moreover, it is not easy to cable the hardware components for electric power because the hardware components are hidden by the power supplying unit.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above-described user""s need, and an object, among other objects, of the present invention is to provide a computer system including a combining structure for a power supplying unit, in which hardware components can be easily cabled, exchanged, and repaired.
In this regard, the present invention provides a computer system including a casing and a power supplying unit, the power supplying unit being combined to an inside of the casing, including: a pair of guiding projections respectively extending from opposite sides of the power supplying unit; a pair of guiding members including a pair of sliding guides for guiding the power supplying unit from a released position to a combined position with the casing, the pair of guiding members for accommodating the pair of guiding projections; a stopper provided in at least one of the guiding members for preventing the power supplying unit from separating from the casing beyond the released position; and a supporter, together with the stopper, for supporting the power supplying unit, when the casing is open in an open position and the power supplying unit has rotated through a predetermined angle in or at the released position.
The supporter includes a wall of the casing and supports a bottom of the power supplying unit when the casing is opened and the power supplying unit has rotated through a predetermined angle in the released position.
Preferably, the computer system further includes at least one of the sliding guides being a curved sliding guide including a plurality of curves at the released position, the stopper being formed by the curved sliding guide of at least one of the sliding guides.
Further, at least one of the sliding guides includes a slot provided on a corresponding one of the guiding members.
Preferably, the computer system further includes at least one fastening bracket provided on the power supplying unit; and an aperture provided on the casing, the aperture being located at a position corresponding to a position of the fastening bracket for combining the casing with the fastening bracket by a fastening means, such as a fastening screw, at a combining position for the power supplying unit and the casing.
Preferably, the computer system further includes a power supplying unit holder positioned on an inside of the casing in spaced relation from the guiding members by a distance corresponding to the size of the power supplying unit for preventing the power supplying unit from moving when combined with the casing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a contact bar of textile machines, including a plurality of bar shaped bodies extending parallel to each other, which bar shaped bodies are insulated against each other and are connected to a power source and extend collectively through the contact slots of a plurality of drop wires arranged on the warp ends, which bar shaped bodies are insulated against each other and will be connected electrically by a drop wire upon a break of a warp end such to trigger a stopping of the machine, of which bar shaped bodies one is divided in longitudinal direction thereof into portions which are electrically insulated against each other allowing a localizing of the drop wire which triggered the stopping of the machine in one of the mentioned portions.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The bar shaped bodies of known apparatuses of this kind for the electrical warp stop motion consist of an outer bar having a U-shaped cross-section and an inner bar located therewithin in an insulated manner which, however, is divided into portions which are electrically insulated against each other. The outer bar is connected to the one pole of a power source and the portions of the inner bar which are insulated against each other are connected in parallel to the other pole of the power source via a main line and a series of distribution points as well as the branch lines which are branched off thereof. A control lamp is located at every respective bar partition area between adjacent portions and the lamps are respectively connected electrically to the adjoining distribution points, whereby due to the electrical circuit the two lamps at the ends of mentioned portion will be illuminated upon a drop of the drop wire onto said portion such that a detection can be made of that portion where which a warp has broken. An apparatus of this kind is disclosed in the German Utility Model DE-GM No. 80 10 814.
In a further apparatus of this kind as disclosed in the German Patent Specification DE-PS No. 32 10 333 the monitoring lamps allocated to the individual partition areas of the bar portions are not connected to parallel, there rather are provided light emitting diodes bridging the partition areas and connected electrically in series. Furthermore, a partition area and an allocated light emitting diode are located at the begin of the bar, such that the drop of a drop wire in this section, too, may be detected by the illumination of the first diode.
The drawback of these known apparatuses is the necessity of providing connections for lines to the control lamps or light emitting diodes, resp. at all partition area between the portions of the bar. In view of the rough operation of a textile mill and of the vibrations which the equipment for the warp stop motion must experience the arranging of lamps or light emitting diodes along a plurality of contact bars, having a length of several meters and located adjacent of and parallel to each other in an apparatus for the warp stop motion is quite unsuitable. If the light emitting diodes or the lamps are not installed directly above the contact bar but rather at a different location, it is necessary to lead lines from all bar portions and bridging the partition areas to the light emitting diodes located at a more distant or better protected, resp. location. Lines leading from the individual bar portions form also no advantageous solution, they rather cause such an apparatus or arrangement, resp. to be still more prone to disturbances. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Due to aortic stenosis and other heart valve diseases, thousands of patients undergo surgery each year wherein the defective native heart valve is replaced by a prosthetic valve, either bioprosthetic or mechanical. When the valve is replaced, surgical implantation of the prosthetic valve typically requires an open-chest surgery during which the heart is stopped and patient placed on cardiopulmonary bypass (a so-called “heart-lung machine”). In one common surgical procedure, the diseased native valve leaflets are excised and a prosthetic valve is sutured to the surrounding tissue at the valve annulus. Because of the trauma associated with the procedure and the attendant duration of extracorporeal blood circulation, some patients do not survive the surgical procedure or die shortly thereafter. It is well known that the risk to the patient increases with the amount of time required on extracorporeal circulation. Due to these risks, a substantial number of patients with defective valves are deemed inoperable because their condition is too frail to withstand the procedure. By some estimates, about 30 to 50% of the subjects suffering from aortic stenosis who are older than 80 years cannot be operated on for aortic valve replacement.
Because of the drawbacks associated with conventional open-heart surgery, percutaneous and minimally-invasive surgical approaches are garnering intense attention. In one technique, a prosthetic valve is configured to be implanted in a much less invasive procedure by way of catheterization. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,552 to Andersen et al. describes a collapsible valve percutaneously introduced in a compressed state through a catheter and expanded in the desired position by balloon inflation. Although these remote implantation techniques have shown great promise for treating certain patients, replacing a valve via surgical intervention is still the preferred treatment procedure. One hurdle to the acceptance of remote implantation is resistance from doctors who are understandably anxious about converting from an effective, if imperfect, regimen to a novel approach that promises great outcomes but is relatively foreign. In conjunction with the understandable caution exercised by surgeons in switching to new regimens of heart valve replacement, regulatory bodies around the world are moving slowly as well. Numerous successful clinical trials and follow-up studies are in process, but much more experience with these new technologies will be required before they are completely accepted. One question that remains unanswered is whether the new expandable valves will have the same durability as conventional prosthetic heart valves.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device and associated method of use wherein a prosthetic valve can be surgically implanted in a body channel in a more efficient procedure that reduces the time required on extracorporeal circulation. It is desirable that such a device and method be capable of helping patients with defective valves that are deemed inoperable because their condition is too frail to withstand a lengthy conventional surgical procedure. The present invention addresses this need. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coated agricultural chemicals or formulations which can exhibit sufficiently high efficiency even at a concentration lower than that of conventionally used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, there have widely been used such heavy metal compounds as cupreous agents, mercurials and arsenicals; organochlorine agricultural chemicals and organophosphorus agricultural chemicals as formulations of agricultural chemicals. However, all of these agricultural chemicals are not only harmful to human body and animals but also contaminate the soil which leads to environmental pollution developed into a severe social problem accompanied by the use of effective amount thereof.
Under such circumstances, Japanese Patent Publication for Opposition Purpose (hereunder referred to as "J. P. KOKOKU") No. 57-48525 teaches that a fungicide mainly composed of an ester of an aliphatic polyol and an aliphatiac acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate shows a prevention effect on various blight of plants and those observed during storing fruits and is highly safe with respect to human body, animals and plants.
However, the agricultural chemicals prepared according to such a method must be used in a high concentration in order to achieve a desired efficiency when they are used in an amount comparable to that of the conventional ones and on the contrary, if the concentration thereof is limited to a low level, a desired efficiency is attained only when they are used in a large amount.
To eliminate such disadvantages, the inventors of this invention developed a formulation of agricultrual chemicals (see Japanese Patent Unexamined Published Application (hereunder referred to as "J. P. KOKAI") No. 63-233902). However, such a formulation is not still satisfied since it provides a desired effect only when the concentration of the effective component is relatively high, and when the state of blight occurrence is severe, its effect becomes low. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to photodiode fabrication, and in particular but not exclusively, relates to avalanche photodiode image sensor fabrication.
2. Background
Image sensors have become ubiquitous. They are widely used in digital still cameras, cellular phones, security cameras, as well as, medical, automobile, and other applications. The technology used to manufacture image sensors, has continued to advance at great pace. For example, the demands of higher resolution and lower power consumption have encouraged the further miniaturization and integration of these image sensors.
One type of photodetector that may be used in an image sensor or in a light detector is a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD). A SPAD (also referred to as a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GM-APD)) is a solid-state photodetector capable of detecting a low intensity signal, such as a single photon. SPAD imaging sensors are semiconductor photosensitive devices made up of an array of SPAD regions that are fabricated on a silicon substrate. The SPAD regions produce an output current pulse when struck by a photon. The SPAD regions have a p-n junction that is reverse biased above the breakdown voltage such that a single photo-generated carrier can trigger an avalanche multiplication process that causes current at the output of the photon detection cell to reach its final value quickly. This avalanche current continues until a quenching element is used to quench the avalanche process by reducing the bias voltage. The intensity of the photon signal received by the image sensor is obtained by counting the number of these output pulses within a window of time.
Among the challenges faced when sensing photons is achieving high blue detection efficiency with back side illuminated (BSI) SPADs. For instance, in a BSI image sensor, the back surface may include implants that have defects that require laser annealing. These defects can cause a SPAD device not to sustain the required electric fields. In addition, SPAD devices with these defects may be noisy and consequently suffer from poor performance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates generally to transfer devices for use with large containers and more specifically to a new and novel bulk container transfer device which permits the safe repositioning of heavy filled bulk containers from one moving direction to another moving direction ninety degrees from it's original traveling direction.
Large bulk containers, used for the movement of bulk material from one location in a plant to another location, have capacities ranging from twenty cubic feet up to seventy-cubic feet and may weigh from 700 to 3,300 pounds or more. With the introduction of these large capacity bulk containers such as bulk bags, boxes and heavy pallets, former methods of changing the direction of the large containers from one position to a position ninety degrees from their original position, as in a transfer line, became difficult.
Since a large filled bulk bag can weigh as much as 3,300 pounds, prior art ninety degree turning and transfer devices could encounter long term mechanical problems in lifting the large loads and then repositioning the load ninety degrees. The continued lifting of a heavy bulk container can be very detrimental to the various components used in the transfer device, especially the mechanical components. Prior art transfer devices are generally known as pop-up transfer conveyors which often use pneumatic or hydraulic devices as well as other mechanical devices to accomplish the lifting of the large bulk container prior to repositioning it.
The prior art lifting of the large bulk container can also cause rough operation of the transfer device mechanisms due to the heavy forces needed to raise the large bulk bag upwardly before repositioning it ninety degrees and moving it off of the transfer device. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Each day, hundreds of millions of internet messages are sent between mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, mobile terminals, etc.) by users of the internet. Thus, there exists an opportunity for a search engine provider or agent to engage with the users of these mobile devices. For example, if a search engine provider or agent could engage the users by providing a search box embedded in the message, then the search engine provider could solicit hundreds of millions of new search page views each day. Yet, legacy standards and legacy implementations of mobile-to-mobile messaging does not support searching from within the message itself.
Instead, a user is encumbered with having to switch applications (e.g., to a browser) and type in the search parameters, and etcetera.
What is needed are a techniques to embed a search box inside a message, and deliver the message over the internet to the user's mobile device, who in turn can see the search box when viewing the message using a native messaging client (e.g., email client, SMS client, etc.).
The legacy implementations provide native email and SMS clients on various mobile terminals (e.g., Android phones, iPhones, etc.), yet such legacy implementations offer only legacy experiences to users. To improve the user experience, techniques for inserting a search box into a mobile terminal message is needed.
Other features and advantages will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, and from the detailed description that follows below. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to embedded business apparatuses including a Web server function, and more particularly to an embedded business apparatus including a Web server function in that a port to use can be registered by using a port identification uniquely identifying a port corresponding to a network protocol and in that a Web application can change a port number independently of the port number.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, a copier, a printer, or a like provides information or conducts a process through a network.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 10-173890 discloses that a user can send an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) request from a Web browser of a terminal and can operate a facsimile transmission function with respect to the image forming apparatus including a facsimile function through the network.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2002-236627 discloses that regarding security for a computer connecting to the network, in a case of connecting the computer having a firewall to the network due to a data transmission, a service port number of a server application can be dynamically changed before conducting a socket process. As a mechanism for dynamically changing a port number, it is offered to determine a service port number by changing for each communication by using a random number that is unique along a time series. In this mechanism, a client terminal connecting to such computer determines the service port number. Thus, the client can communicate with the computer by using the same service port number as the service port number determined by the computer.
Currently, in a field of the business apparatus such as the image forming apparatus, since a Web server function is implemented for the business apparatus, the user can refer to or set a status of the business apparatus by using the Web browser of the terminal of the user not only inside an office but also outside the office, through the Internet.
As a protocol in a case of accessing the business apparatus though the Internet, an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is generally used. A port number to use for an HTTP communication is “80” which is well-known as a regular port number to use for the HTTP communication.
However, since the port number “80” as a regular use is widely well-known, the port number “80” can be a target for an ill-disposed third party to attack. Thus, as a purpose to improve security, it is needed to change a port number used in the HTTP communication.
However, if the Web browser does not indicate a port number of the Web server to connect in the HTTP communication, automatically “80” is used for the port number for the HTTP communication. Thus, if a port number different from “80” is used, the user is required to manually indicate a specific port number. Accordingly, it is needed to have all users know a new port number when the Web server changes the port number to use for the HTTP communication other than “80”.
In a general Web server providing contents for any user through the Internet, it is practically impossible to have all users know the change of the port number.
On the other hand, in a case of a general business apparatus which is assumed to be used by only the specific small number of users within an office or through the Internet, it may be considered that it is possible to have all these specific users know the change of the port number.
However, in a conventional business apparatus, since a protocol daemon (httpd) encompasses the port number for use in-house only, it is not possible to easily change contents concerning the port number.
Moreover, in the future, considering the security, in order to prevent the Web application from an attack coming from an unexpected port, a port is registered to the Web server for each Web application in the Web server of the business apparatus. In a method for registering a port number directly to the Web server, it is difficult to promptly associate with a change of the port number. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to communications in computer networks. More specifically, it relates to a method addressing of passive network hosts in a in a data-over-cable system.
Cable television networks such as those provided by Comcast Cable Communications, Inc., of Philadelphia, Pa., Cox Communications of Atlanta Ga., Tele-Communications, Inc., of Englewood Colo., Time-Warner Cable, of Marietta Ga., Continental Cablevision, Inc., of Boston Mass., and others provide cable television services to a large number of subscribers over a large geographical area. The cable television networks typically are interconnected by cables such as coaxial cables or a Hybrid Fiber/Coaxial (xe2x80x9cHFCxe2x80x9d) cable system which have data rates of about 10 Mega-bits-per-second (xe2x80x9cMbpsxe2x80x9d) to 30+ Mbps.
The Internet, a world-wide-network of interconnected computers, provides multi-media content including audio, video, graphics and text that requires a large bandwidth for downloading and viewing. Most Internet Service Providers (xe2x80x9cISPsxe2x80x9d) allow customers to connect to the Internet via a serial telephone line from a Public Switched Telephone Network (xe2x80x9cPSTNxe2x80x9d) at data rates including 14,400 bps, 28,800 bps, 33,600 bps, 56,000 bps and others that are much slower than the about 10 Mbps to 30+ Mbps available on a coaxial cable or HFC cable system on a cable television network.
With the explosive growth of the Internet, many customers have desired to use the larger bandwidth of a cable television network to connect to the Internet and other computer networks. Cable modems, such as those provided by 3Com Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., Motorola Corporation of Arlington Heights, Ill., Hewlett-Packard Co. of Palo Alto, Calif., Bay Networks of Santa Clara, Calif., Scientific-Atlanta, of Norcross, Ga. and others offer customers higher-speed connectivity to the Internet, an intranet, Local Area Networks (xe2x80x9cLANsxe2x80x9d) and other computer networks via cable television networks. These cable modems currently support a data connection to the Internet and other computer networks via a cable television network with a data rate of up to 30+ Mbps which is a much larger data rate than can be supported by a modem used over a serial telephone line.
However, most cable television networks provide only unidirectional cable systems, supporting only a xe2x80x9cdownstreamxe2x80x9d data path. A downstream data path is the flow of data from a cable system xe2x80x9cheadendxe2x80x9d to a customer. A cable system headend is a central location in the cable television network that is responsible for sending cable signals in the downstream direction. A return data path via a telephone network, such as a public switched telephone network provided by ATandT and others, (i.e., a xe2x80x9ctelephony returnxe2x80x9d) is typically used for an xe2x80x9cupstreamxe2x80x9d data path. An upstream data path is the flow of data from the customer back to the cable system headend. A cable television system with an upstream connection to a telephony network is called a xe2x80x9cdata-over-cable system with telephony return.xe2x80x9d
An exemplary data-over-cable system with telephony return includes customer premise equipment (e.g., a customer computer), a cable modem, a cable modem termination system, a cable television network, a public switched telephone network, a telephony remote access concentrator and a data network (e.g., the Internet). The cable modem termination system and the telephony remote access concentrator together are called a xe2x80x9ctelephony return termination system.xe2x80x9d
The cable modem termination system receives data packets from the data network and transmits them downstream via the cable television network to a cable modem attached to the customer premise equipment. The customer premise equipment sends response data packets to the cable modem, which sends response data packets upstream via public switched telephone network to the telephony remote access concentrator, which sends the response data packets back to the appropriate host on the data network.
When a cable modem used in the data-over-cable system with telephony return is initialized, a connection is made to both the cable modem termination system via the cable network and to the telephony remote access concentrator via the public switched telephone network. As a cable modem is initialized, it will initialize one or more downstream channels (i.e., downstream connections) to the cable modem termination system via the cable network or the telephony remote access concentrator via the public switched telephone network.
As a cable modem is initialized in a data-over-cable system, it registers with a cable modem termination system to allow the cable modem to receive data over a cable television connection and from a data network (e.g., the Internet or an Intranet). The cable modem forwards configuration information it receives in a configuration file during initialization to the cable modem termination system as part of a registration request message.
Many data-over-cable systems in the prior art use a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (xe2x80x9cDHCPxe2x80x9d) as a standard messaging protocol to allocate network addresses such as Internet Protocol (xe2x80x9cIPxe2x80x9d) addresses. The network addresses are allocated to network devices such as cable modems, customer premise equipment (e.g., customer computers) and other network devices that have a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol stack. As is known in the art, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a protocol for passing configuration information such as network addresses to network devices on a network. IP is an addressing protocol designed to route traffic within a network or between networks.
There are several problems with using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol to obtain a network address in a data-over-cable system. Many passive network devices (e.g., a printer, facsimile machine, customer computer, etc.) used in a data-over-cable system do not have a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol stack. As a result, such devices are not able to obtain a network address (e.g., an IP address) via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This limits the type of network devices that can be used in a data-over-cable system. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol could be extended or modified to handle non-Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol network devices. However, this may not be desirable for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, which was originally designed for a specific purpose. In addition, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol extensions would require upgrading existing network devices (e.g., cable modems, cable modem termination systems, etc.) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol servers including these on a large number of third party platforms. This would take a considerable amount of time and be very expensive to implement. It is desirable to use passive network devices without a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol stack in a data-over-cable system.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, some of the problems associated with allocating network addresses to passive network devices in a data-over-cable system are overcome. A method for addressing passive network devices in a data-over-cable system is provided. A passive network device is a network device such as a printer, facsimile machine, customer computer or other passive network device that does not have a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol stack. The method allows passive network devices be used in a data-over-cable system.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceed with references to the accompanying drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for loosening and freezing previously heat processed cereals in the form of separate grains in a raw state and exhibiting agglutinating properties after heat processing.
2. Related Art Statement
Certain known devices for freezing and preserving boiled rice make use of a liquefied gas, such as liquefied nitrogen, as a source of heating and chilling the rice. With these devices, in view of generally elevated costs required for freezing the boiled rice, a so-called air blast system has made its debut, in which chilled air is blown on to the boiled rice.
However, when the boiled rice grains are frozen by the air blast system, the rice tends to form lumps or blocks which need be separated into individual rice grains by some loosening device. If the loosening device is of poor quality and does not operate properly, the rate of the crushed or broken rice grains in the ultimate boiled and frozen rice product is increased, so that the quality of the ultimate product is lowered. | {
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Automotive electrical wire located under the hood in the engine compartment has traditionally been insulated with a single layer of high temperature insulation disposed over an uncoated copper conductor. Thermoplastic polyesters, cross linked polyethylene and halogenated resins such as polyvinyl chloride have long filled the need for the high temperature insulation needed in this challenging environment that requires not only heat resistance, chemical resistance, flame retardance, and flexibility.
Thermoplastic polyester insulation layers with outstanding resistance to gas and oil, are mechanically tough and resistant to copper catalyzed degradation but can fail prematurely due to hydrolysis. The insulation layers in thermoplastic polyester insulated electrical wires have also been found to crack when exposed to hot salty water and have failed when subjected to humidity temperature cycling.
There is an increasing desire to reduce or eliminate the use of halogenated resins in coverings due to their negative impact on the environment. In fact, many countries are beginning to mandate a decrease in the use of halogenated materials. However, as much of the wire coating extrusion equipment was created based upon the specifications of halogenated resins such as polyvinyl chloride, any replacement materials must be capable of being handled in a manner similar to polyvinyl chloride.
Cross linked polyethylene has largely been successful in providing high temperature insulation but this success may be difficult to sustain as the requirements for automotive electrical wire evolve. The amount of wiring in automobiles has increased exponentially, as more electronics are being used in modern vehicles. The dramatic increase in wiring has motivated automobile manufacturers to reduce overall wire diameter by specifying reduced insulation layer thicknesses and specifying smaller conductor sizes. For example, ISO 6722 specifies, for a conductor having a cross sectional area of 2.5 square millimeters, that the thin wall insulation thickness be 0.35 millimeters and the ultra thin wall insulation thickness be 0.25 millimeters.
The reductions in insulation wall thickness pose difficulties when using crosslinked polyethylene. For crosslinked polyethylene the thinner insulation layer thickness result in shorter thermal life, when aged at oven temperatures between 150° C. and 180° C. This limits their thermal rating. For example, an electrical wire having a copper conductor with an adjacent crosslinked polyethylene insulation layer having a 0.75 millimeter wall thickness is flexible and the insulation layer does not crack when bent around a mandrel after being exposed to 150° C. for 3,000 hours. But a similar electrical wire having a crosslinked polyethylene insulation layer with a 0.25 millimeter wall thickness the insulation layer becomes brittle after being exposed to 150° C. for 3,000 hours. The deleterious effects created by these extremely thin wall requirements have been attributed to copper catalyzed degradation, which is widely recognized as a problem in the industry.
It is possible to coat the copper core with, e.g., tin, in order to prevent the copper from contacting the crosslinked polyethylene but the additional cost of the coating material and the coating process are expensive. In addition, many automotive specifications require that the copper conductor be uncoated. It is also possible to add stabilizers, also known as metal deactivators, to the insulation material but it is recognized that stabilizers yield only partial protection for electrical wire having thin wall thicknesses.
It has been proposed to employ bilayer or trilayer insulation materials wherein a protective resin based layer is disposed between the crosslinked polyethylene and the copper conductor. However, manufacture of bilayer and trilayer insulation materials is complex, requires increased capital expenditure and the multi layer material presents new issues of inter layer adhesion.
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for electrical wires having a halogen free covering that are useful in the automotive environment. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic transmitter for radiating ultrasonic waves, an ultrasonic transceiver for radiating ultrasonic waves and receiving echoes of the radiated ultrasonic waves, and a sounding apparatus including an ultrasonic transceiver for detecting objects using ultrasonic waves.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, ultrasonic sounding apparatuses, such as scanning sonars, are widely used for detecting underwater objects (targets). A scanning sonar for detecting underwater objects in all surrounding directions has a generally cylindrical transducer. The scanning sonar forms an ultrasonic transmitting beam oriented in all directions around the transducer by activating vibrating elements arranged on a cylindrical surface of the transducer. Also, the scanning sonar forms a receiving beam oriented in a particular horizontal direction using a specific number of vertically arranged sets, or columns, of vibrating elements centered on that horizontal direction. Typically, this receiving beam is rotated around the transducer to detect underwater objects in a full-circle area by successively switching the columns of vibrating elements.
An ultrasonic transceiver of the aforementioned type of scanning sonar usually includes full-bridge circuits, each including four switching devices, for driving individual vibrating elements. Such an ultrasonic transceiver employs a pulse-duration modulation (PDM) control method which uses a signal having the same frequency as frequency (transmitting frequency) fs of an ultrasonic signal as drive signals for driving the switching devices.
FIG. 8 is an equivalent circuit of a full-bridge circuit used in an ultrasonic transceiver, and FIGS. 9A-9C are diagrams showing a driving pulse signal generated by the full-bridge circuit of FIG. 8 and drive signals supplied to individual switching devices Q1-Q4 of the full-bridge circuit.
Referring to FIGS. 8, 9A-9C, designated by GQ1-GQ4 are gates of the switching devices Q1-Q4, respectively, designated by XD is a vibrating element, designated by C1 and C2 are capacitors for isolating direct-current (dc) components, designated by VB is a driving voltage, and designated by VXD is a load voltage across the vibrating element XD.
As shown in FIG. 8, the full-bridge circuit includes a circuit in which a source of the switching device Q1 is connected to the driving voltage VB, a drain of the switching device Q1 is connected to a source of the switching device Q2, and a drain of the switching device Q2 is grounded and a circuit in which a source of the switching device Q3 is connected to the driving voltage VB, a drain of the switching device Q3 is connected to a source of the switching device Q4, and a drain of the switching device Q4 is grounded. In this full-bridge circuit, the drain of the switching device Q1 is connected to one of terminals of the vibrating element XD via the dc-isolating capacitor C1 and the drain of the switching device Q3 is connected to the other terminal of the vibrating element XD via the dc-isolating capacitor C2.
The drive signals having a frequency fs as shown in FIG. 9B are supplied to the switching devices Q1, Q4 and the drive signals having the same frequency fs as shown in FIG. 9C are supplied to the switching devices Q2, Q3, whereby the aforementioned driving pulse signal having the load voltage VXD as shown in FIG. 9A is produced and fed into the vibrating element XD. The driving pulse signal causes the vibrating element XD to oscillate and radiate the ultrasonic signal into a surrounding environment. The amplitude of oscillation (vibration) of the vibrating element XD can be adjusted by varying an on-duty ratio which is the ratio of the sum of ON periods of the driving pulse signal, or the sum of periods when the load voltage VXD is equal to VB or −VB during a given time duration, to the sum of ON and OFF periods during the same time duration. An example of an ultrasonic transmitter employing the aforementioned type of full-bridge circuit is found in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-343913, for instance.
An ultrasonic transmitter employing the aforementioned type of full-bridge circuit has a problem in that the number of components increases due to the need for four switching devices in each full-bridge circuit and circuit configuration becomes complicated, resulting in an eventual increase in product cost.
One approach to the resolution of the aforementioned problem is to employ a half-bridge circuit including a pair of switching devices Q1, Q2 as shown in FIG. 10 in an ultrasonic transceiver.
FIG. 10 is an equivalent circuit of the half-bridge circuit, and FIGS. 11A-11C are diagrams showing a driving pulse signal generated by the half-bridge circuit of FIG. 10 and drive signals supplied to the individual switching devices Q1, Q2 of the half-bridge circuit.
Referring to FIGS. 10, 11A-11C, designated by GQ1, GQ2 are gates of the switching devices Q1, Q2, respectively, designated by XD is a vibrating element, designated by C is a capacitor, designated by VB is a driving voltage, and designated by VXD is a load voltage across the vibrating element XD.
As shown in FIG. 10, the half-bridge circuit is a circuit in which a source of the switching device Q1 is connected to the driving voltage VB, a drain of the switching device Q1 is connected to a source of the switching device Q2, a drain of the switching device Q2 is grounded, and the drain of the switching device Q1 is connected to one of terminals of the vibrating element XD via the capacitor C.
The drive signals as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B are supplied to the switching devices Q1 and Q2, respectively, whereby the aforementioned driving pulse signal having the load voltage VXD as shown in FIG. 11A is produced by the PDM control method and fed into the vibrating element XD. The driving pulse signal causes the vibrating element XD to oscillate and radiate the ultrasonic signal to the exterior. The amplitude of oscillation (vibration) of the vibrating element XD is regulated by varying the on-duty ratio as in the full-bridge circuit.
In the aforementioned circuit configuration in which the vibrating element XD is driven by the half-bridge circuit using the PDM control method, however, there occur harmonics as shown in FIGS. 12A-12C, 13A-13C.
FIG. 12A shows the waveform of a driving pulse signal obtained when an ultrasonic signal is produced at maximum output power by using the half-bridge circuit, FIG. 12B is a frequency spectrum of the driving pulse signal observed at the same time, and FIG. 12C is a frequency spectrum of the ultrasonic signal.
FIG. 13A shows the waveform of a driving pulse signal obtained when an ultrasonic signal is produced at output power reduced to a specific level (−20 dB) by using the half-bridge circuit, FIG. 13B is a frequency spectrum of the driving pulse signal observed at the same time, and FIG. 13C is a frequency spectrum of the ultrasonic signal. Shown in FIGS. 12A-12C, 13A-13C are examples in which the frequency fs of the ultrasonic signal is 81 kHz.
When the vibrating element XD is driven at the maximum output power using the half-bridge circuit, there occur harmonics of which frequencies are odd multiples of the frequency fs (i.e., multiples of the transmitting frequency fs by 3, 5, etc.) as shown in FIGS. 12A-12C. The odd-numbered harmonics, which also occur when the full-bridge circuit is used, can be suppressed by inserting a low-pass filter in an output stage connected to the vibrating element XD.
In a case where the output power is reduced by using the half-bridge circuit, there occur harmonics having all integral multiples of the transmitting frequency fs (i.e., multiples of the frequency fs by 2, 3, 4, etc.) as shown in FIGS. 13A-13C. While almost all of these harmonic components can be suppressed by using a low-pass filter, the second harmonic component can only be removed by use of an additional filter having a high Q factor, rendering circuit design extremely difficult. This is because the second harmonic has a frequency component very close to the transmitting frequency fs of the ultrasonic signal. (In the example of FIG. 12C, the frequency fs of the ultrasonic signal is 81 kHz so that the frequency 2 fs of the second harmonic is 162 kHz.) In addition, the levels of the harmonics vary so little compared to the level of the ultrasonic signal that it is necessary to use a filter having a remarkably large attenuation factor. It is extremely difficult to configure a system which satisfies all these requirements. Even if it is at all possible to design such a system, a series of complicated adjustments would be necessary in manufacturing the system, causing an increase in work load.
One approach to the solution of the above problem would be to employ a pulse-width modulation (PWM) control method in the half-bridge circuit instead of the PDM control method. The term “pulse-width modulation”, or “PWM”, as used in this Specification is a form of pulse-duration modulation, in which the vibrating element XD is driven by a driving pulse signal having a higher frequency fa than the transmitting frequency fs of the ultrasonic signal so that there is output a signal containing multiple pulses having a period Ta within a period Ts of the transmitted ultrasonic signal to pulse-duration-modulate a signal based on the sum of durations of these multiple pulses within the period Ts. When such a driving pulse signal for PDM control operation is supplied to the vibrating element XD, the vibrating element XD resonates at the transmitting frequency fs, and not at the frequency fa of the driving pulse signal, thereby emitting the ultrasonic signal at the transmitting frequency fs. The pulselength of these pulses is determined by comparing a sawtooth-shaped ramp signal having a frequency fc (=fa) higher than the frequency fs of the ultrasonic signal with an analog control signal having the same waveform as the ultrasonic signal, wherein the sawtooth-shaped ramp signal and the analog control signal are synchronized with each other.
When the PDM control method is used with the half-bridge circuit, there occur multiple pulses within the period Ts of the ultrasonic signal even when the output power is reduced. Thus, extremely narrow pulses are not generated within the period Ts so that the half-bridge circuit does not produce such spurious emissions (e.g., the second harmonic) that are difficult to remove.
However, because the frequency fc of the ramp signal and the frequency fa of the driving pulse signal determined by the ramp signal are higher than the frequency fs of the ultrasonic signal, output efficiency decreases as a result of an increase in power loss due to heat generation by the switching devices Q1, Q2 when the half-bridge circuit is operated at the maximum output power. | {
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The present invention relates to data processing systems and methods for processing pixel data, such as pixel format transformations.
Pixel data is stored with varying representations of the data depending upon the device that is used to display the pixel data or the device that is used to acquire the pixel data. The devices used to acquire and to display pixel data typically vary by industry and/or scientific domain. The range of possible uses and the range of devices that use pixel data is very large.
Pixel data is maintained in some format. This format can include a number of components, such as color channels in the pixel data, the depth or number of bits per component, the order of the components, whether the data has a floating decimal point or a fixed decimal point, whether the data is signed or unsigned, etc.
An example of a typical pixel data format is pixel data in the RGB format with 8 bits per each of the color components (red, green and blue).
In order for pixel data to be exchanged between devices of different capabilities, pixel data is often transformed to a format that is amenable to the device that operates on it. For example, pixel data in an RGB format with 8 bits per color channel (8/8/8) may need to be transformed to pixel data in a BGR format having 4 bits per channel (4/4/4). The set of possible image transforms is proportional to the square of the number of possible formats (N) less the number of possible formats; in other words, the set of possible image transforms is equal to (N×N)−N. Conservatively speaking, there are 50 commonly used pixel formats and hence there are about 2,450 possible pixel format transforms.
Format transformations are only one common type of pixel processing. Consider that if other types of pixel transformation/modulations are done, it has a multiplying effect on the number of transformation modules that must be maintained. Examples of some common pixel transformation or modulation functions are scale and bias, multiplication by a color matrix, application of a lookup table, color space conversions and many others. Consider the addition of just one of these operations to pixel processing transformation: scaling the pixel values. To create an optimally performing module, without conditional testing (branching), one would need to create a module with scaling enabled and another one without. In this way, one could invoke the module that is tailored to the desired operation (the module with scaling, or the one without). In effect, the result of adding scaling as a feature of a system's pixel format transformation logic has created twice the number of modules to write and maintain. Add three more stages to this pixel processing, such as bias, color matrix, and a lookup table, and the number of branch free modules that would have to be maintained would be multiplied by 5. This combinitoric explosion scenario can be extended ad-infinitum for as many pixel transformations/modulation routines the user may wish to apply.
The logic required to transform and modulate pixels in one format to pixels in another format is different for each possible combination of input and output format and type of modulation. Building and maintaining a dedicated logical module for every possible transform and modulation requires a great deal of time and effort. A common solution which attempts to avoid this problem is to construct a module that iterates over the pixel data, and within each iteration, selects the input format, output format, and modulation logic to perform the transformation. This latter approach requires testing the format and modulation parameters to determine a logical path and then conditionally branching for each pixel processed in the loop. This conditional testing results in a great deal of overhead and stalling on modern computer processors. The first approach, which involves building individual custom transforms, has significantly better performance than the second approach, which includes conditional branching within the pixel data processing loop. However, because of all of the combinitoric state involved, building the individual custom transforms typically requires an enormous effort to develop and maintain this large number of functional modules. | {
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The Stockholm Convention aims to protect human health and the environment from Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). These synthetically made compounds are extremely harmful materials which since many decades have spread in the environment, poisoning the atmosphere, the surface water, the soil and the groundwater. Currently there are twelve chlorine containing POPs on the list of the Convention. Most of them are pesticides (Aldrin, Chlordene, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene, Mirex, Toxaphene), agents against malaria vectors (DDT), compounds used in industry (polychlorinated biphenyls) and materials released during industrial activities (Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, Hexachlorobenzene).
As a result of the inventory of the stocks, the export and import of such pollutants, the most serious problem turned out to be the annihilation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) oils containing PCBs like used transformer and hydraulic oils, lubricants, etc.
The polyhalogenated hydrocarbons, especially the aromatics, produced during decades are chemically very stable and persistent materials. There are 209 PCB congeners.
The utilization field of polychlorinated aromatics became much wider (cement and paint softeners, stabilizer additives for PVC, used as insulators in electric wires, fire retardants, cutting oils, lubricating oils, hydraulic oils, floor polishing materials, sealing compounds, vacuum oils, etc.). Their production peaked in the sixties. A large amount thereof entered the environment and thereby polluted soil, groundwater, rivers, lakes, oceans and air. As their natural biological decomposition is very slow, the elimination of the used polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons stored as wastes is a worldwide problem. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for fabricating a flash memory with recessed floating gates, and more particular, to a method for fabricating a more reliable flash memory characterized in that the bird beak is eliminated and the buried bit line region is uniformly doped.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The basic configuration of a flash memory, in general, is composed of two major portions: the memory cell array and the peripheral circuit. The memory cell array for data storage is constructed by a plurality of memory cells regularly arranged in an array based on the intersected word lines and bit lines. The peripheral circuit provides the flash memory with functions such as power supply and data processing during operation. Flash memories can be classified according to the gate electrode structures. In a flash memory with stacked control gates, a floating gate is capacitively coupled to a control gate that is stacked above it.
In the prior art, for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,265 discloses a high-density shallow trench contact less nonvolatile memory. Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 8, in which the method for fabrication is schematically illustrated. To begin with, there is provided a semiconductor substrate 2, on which a silicon oxide layer is formed as a pad oxide 4 and a silicon nitride layer 6 is formed as a mask for oxidation. By using a photoresist layer 8, the buried bit line region is defined by a standard photolithography process. An anisotropic etching follows to etch the silicon layer and then the n+impurity ions are implanted to form bit line regions 10 using the patterned photoresist 8 as a mask.
After stripping the photoresist layer 8, a high temperature steam oxidation process (also known as LOCal Oxidation of Silicon, LOCOS) is used to grow a thick field oxide 12 using the silicon nitride layer as a mask, and the doped ions are activated and driven in to form the buried bit lines 10 simultaneously. The masking silicon nitride layer 6 and the pad oxide layer 4 are then removed, and the silicon substrate 2 is recessed by using the field oxide 12 as an etching mask. After rounding the trench corners by using thermal oxidation and etching back processes, a thin silicon oxynitride film 14 is regrown over the substrate 2.
Finally, an insitu doped polysilicon film is deposited to refill the trench region and then etch back by using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to form the floating gates 16 adjacent to the buried bit lines.
However, it is transparent that the bird beak occurs during the formation of the field oxide 12 by the high temperature steam oxidation process (LOCOS), leading to a non-uniform doping in the doped bit line regions 10. On the other hand, the lateral diffusion due to the bird beak also irregularly reduces the effective width of the floating gates to be formed. Therefore, the prior art has the problems such as complexity in fabrication, low yield and high cost due to poor fabrication reliability.
Therefore, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a flash memory with recessed floating gates, which is used to overcome the problems in the prior art and improve, the reliability of the flash memory.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating a flash memory with recessed floating gates so that the bird beak is eliminated, the complexity in fabrication is reduced and the reliability is improved.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating a flash memory with recessed floating gates, in which a two-step trench formation process is employed so as to obtain uniformly doped buried bit line regions.
In order to achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a flash memory with recessed floating gates, comprising the steps of:
providing a semiconductor substrate, on which a pad oxide layer and a first dielectric layer are formed in turn;
patterning said first dielectric layer by anisotropic etching, so as to form a plurality of trenches for recessed floating gates;
implanting ions into said semiconductor substrate, so as to define a plurality of bit line regions;
filling said plurality of trenches for recessed floating gates by depositing a second dielectric layer, which is to be planarized by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP);
removing said first dielectric layer;
forming a plurality of trenches by etching by using said second dielectric layer as an etching mask;
forming a tunnel dielectric layer on the top surface of said semiconductor substrate and said plurality of trenches; and
filling said plurality of trenches by depositing a first conductive layer, which is to be planarized by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), so as to form recessed floating gates.
The present invention provides a method for fabricating a flash memory with recessed floating gates, further comprising the steps of:
depositing a third dielectric layer;
depositing a second conductive layer; and
patterning said second conductive layer, so as to form control gates. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vises and particularly to vise jaws and accessories thereto, specifically jaw plates and work piece holders used in combination with the plates.
2. Prior Art
It is known in the art to have general purpose vises with vise jaws appurtenant thereto with opposing flat surfaces for generally securing flat objects therebetween. Such vises are routinely used with mills, grinders, lathes, and machining centers.
Machining often requires accuracy to within 0.001xe2x80x3 or less, requiring the vise to secure an object reliably to an accuracy of less than that tolerance. However, it is often difficulty to reliably secure an object that does not have at least one flat surface that can be secured against a vise while the object is oriented as necessary for the machine work. Heretofore, the capability to support a work piece in a preferred orientation in a vise remained unavailable, especially for irregularly-shaped objects.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a versatile vise jaw reconfigurable to secure a variety of shapes and sizes of work pieces in an advantageous orientation.
This object is achieved in a pair of opposing jaw plates each with front and back flat sides typical of vise jaws, the improvement in each comprising a precise uniform orthogonal pattern of holes in their front (opposing) sides. The holes are dual-purpose in receiving an unthreaded dowel or a threaded shoulder bolt, including a first unthreaded portion suitable for securely receiving a dowel closely therein. For securing the dowel in the unthreaded portion without wobble, the hole depth is twice its diameter. The hole terminates in a threaded portion immediately following the unthreaded portion and having a diameter less than that of the unthreaded portion diameter allowing bolt threads to pass through the unthreaded portion and engage the threads of the hole threaded portion. Thus, a bolt, such as a shoulder bolt, can be threaded into the hole threaded portion therein providing a positive attachment of the work piece holder to the plate. Typically, the unthreaded portion is sized to closely receive standard {fraction (5/16)}-inch dowel pins to a hole depth of ⅝-inch.
Another object is to provide that work piece holders with at least two dowels or bolts employed to secure the holder to a plate may be positioned on the plate at any advantageous position. This object is achieved in centers of the at two dowels or bolts being spaced apart a set distance, d, and with respective plate holes spaced apart from centers of vertical and horizontal neighboring plate holes said distance, d.
A further object is to provide a number of versatile jaw work piece holders as accessories to the versatile vise jaw plates, each with at least one dowel pin or shoulder bolt for insertion in the plate holes. Typically, two or more work piece holders advantageously selected from a collection of work piece holders are employed in concert with each other and in combination with the jaw plates to secure a work piece between the vise jaws. The work piece holders can be employed on one or both plates as may be dictated by the shape of the work piece.
Work piece holders include a plurality of dowels extendable in the holes beyond the jaw front side. Thus, for example, dowels placed in a first line of holes in the jaw together with dowels placed in a second line of holes orthogonal to the first line present a rectangular support for an object to be supported at 45-degrees in the jaw. Similarly, a dowel placed in the jaw may cooperate with another dowel or another different work piece holder, such as a sine bar, for example, elsewhere in the jaw to define a line for supporting an object at an angle. Likewise, two or more pins may serve to support curvilinear surfaces, such as a round, between the pins.
For other unusual shapes, such as an object with acute-angled surfaces to be secured, an different selective member from the collection of work piece holders can be employed, such as a pivot bar which comprises an elongated member with a flat longitudinal side with a dowel in its back side for engaging the jaw. The pivot bar then pivots on the dowel to match the angle of the object being secured in the vise. A pair of pivot bars or a pivot bar in concert with another work piece holder, such as a dowel, may be advantageously employed together to secure the object.
A sine bar is also provided in an elongated member having a hole on a pivot end through which a shoulder bolt passes into a jaw hole and on which the bar pivots. It can be tightened into a positive secured position on the plate by threading the shoulder bolt tightly into the jaw hole threads. Typically, the hole includes a concentric countersunk hole for receiving the bolt head within the work piece. The other end, or free end, of the elongated member is supported at a bar support pin by one from a set of blocks of calculated height intended to rest on the vise or by a selected work piece, such as an angle block or a cam block, described below. The support block or other work piece holder is then chosen that supports the free end at the desired height equal to the bar length.
A xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d block is useful for holding curvilinear objects vertically or horizontally, depending on its orientation. With a hole centered on the xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d and another on each side spaced apart to match those of the vise jaw, a dowel between the xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d block and jaw mounts the xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d block to the jaw. A single dowel mounted in the center hole allows the block to pivot to accommodate nonstandard shapes at any desired angle. A dowel in each of the outside block holes allows a vertical or horizontal orientation.
Yet another work piece holder is a spring-loaded parallel keeper, designed to hold parallels in place during machining operations, mounted to the versatile jaw with bolts passing through a mounting hole in a keeper mounting bar and entering jaw threaded holes from the jaw back. | {
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The field of the invention is in the high frequency radio receiver art and more particularly that of radar receivers having frequency measuring capability.
The conventional Instantaneous Frequency Measurement (IFM) receiver is a radio frequency (RF) receiver used primarily in electronic warefare (EW). Its basic function is to measure the frequency of pulsed signals radiated from hostile radar. Although some IFM receivers have the capability of measuring pulse amplitude, pulse width, and time of arrival, this invention is only concerned with the frequency measurement capability of the receiver.
Generally, it may be said that IFM receivers measure the frequencies of incoming RF signals utilizing interferometric techniques by detecting the phase shift magnitudes produced in multiple, calibrated delay lines. For instance, the received RF signal is divided and simultaneously introduced into a non-delayed path and a delay line of known length .tau.. Since the phase differences between the delayed and non-delayed receiver paths are functions of the input signal frequency, conversion of the phase difference signals to video provides signals whose amplitudes are related to the phase delay. These video signals typically take the form sin .omega..tau. or cos .omega..tau., where .omega. is the angular frequency of the processed input signal. The sin .omega..tau./cos .omega..tau. signals are delivered to the encoding network which makes amplitude comparisons of the signals, determines the numerical value of .omega., and generates the digital frequency descriptive word.
Characteristically, to achieve wide, unambiguous bandwidths and fine frequency resolution, it is necessary for the IFM receiver to have multiple delay lines, correlators and comparators to accomplish the frequency measurement. The delay between the leading edge of the RF pulse and the strobe to encode the sin .omega..tau./cos .omega..tau. video signals can be no shorter than the length of time it takes for the signal to transition the longest delay line, correlator and encoding network. As a general rule, the strobe to encode a sample occurs less than 120 nsec after the leading edge of the first RF pulse.
An IFM receiver has many attractive features necessary for EW applications, such as small size, light weight, wide instantaneous bandwidth, and fine frequency resolution. Unfortunately, a conventional IFM receiver has inherent signal detection problems when presented with time coincident received pulse signals. It is fairly common for many modern radars to simultaneously emit pulse signals of two or more frequencies, resulting in their arriving simultaneously at an intercept receiver. If the time difference between the leading edges of the two RF incoming pulses is greater than the time needed to complete the strobe encoding process (i.e., 120 nsec), the receiver will detect and frequency encode the leading RF signal without any problem. However, if the two RF pulses overlap with a time between leading edges less than the time to complete an encode strobe, one of three conditions will result. Either the first signal will be correctly encoded, or the second signal will be correctly encoded, or the receiver will encode ambiguous data (erroneous frequency data). Consequently, an IFM receiver can convey ambiguous frequency data when near-simultaneous RF pulses are received.
The probability of obtaining erroneous frequency data from an IFM receiver is also influenced by the relative power difference between the incoming RF pulses. The effects of amplitude differences are best understood with reference to the plots presented in FIGS. 1 and 2 representing actual results from a tested IFM receiver. FIG. 1 indicates the probability of encoding erroneous data (which is defined as more than 10 MHz away from either input signal) with respect to the power difference in two RF signals when there is zero time delay between their leading edges, namely, simultaneous RF pulses. In FIG. 1, the erroneous frequency data produced in the worst case is about 23%. FIG. 2 shows the effects of a 40 nsec lag between the leading edges of the first and second pulses. In FIG. 2, the worst case is about 25%.
Recognizing that even a small percent of erroneous frequency data can cause the signal processor following the IFM receiver to measurably slow or completely malfunction, it is essential that the existence of simultaneous or near-simultaneous RF pulses of different frequencies be detected. Once the concurrence is detected, the encoded frequency measurement can be disregarded or flagged for special handling.
The best known prior art is that contained by U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,411 to patentee James which discloses an IFM system which includes a technique to actually measure pulse signals emitted simultaneously. This technique utilizes a dispersive delay line which is not utilized in the present invention. A potential disadvantage exists with this technique when a series of input pulses is received which though separated at the input of the dispersive delay line, actually becomes simultaneous at the output. The James patent also does not flag the simultaneous pulse data as having a probability of erroneous data.
A patent application Ser. No. 176,434 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,541, was filed on Aug. 8, 1980, by James Tsui et al on a Simultaneous Signal Detection Circuit for an Instantaneous Frequency Measurement Receiver. The circuit in that application will detect simultaneous signals when the leading edges of the two signals are separated more than 20 nsec. When the leading edges of the two signals are time coincident or less than 20 nsec, the detection circuit does not sense the simultaneous signals. Clearly, a need exists to detect simultaneous signals with leading edge separation less than 20 nsec. | {
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The present invention relates to a new and distinctive soybean cultivar, designated 0127563. There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. These important traits may include higher seed yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stems and roots, tolerance to drought and heat, and better agronomic quality.
Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and the type of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F1 hybrid cultivar, pureline cultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superior individual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective, whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based on mean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of related plants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection, and recurrent selection.
The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method. Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes for a highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach has been used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Various recurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.
Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation of the efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria vary depending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain from selection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard, overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successful cultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollar expended, etc.).
Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared to appropriate standards in environments representative of the commercial target area(s) for three or more years. The best lines are candidates for new commercial cultivars; those still deficient in a few traits may be used as parents to produce new populations for further selection.
These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, usually take from eight to 12 years from the time the first cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.
A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that are genetically superior, because for most traits the true genotypic value is masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performance relative to other experimental plants and to a widely grown standard cultivar. If a single observation is inconclusive, replicated observations provide a better estimate of its genetic worth.
The goal of plant breeding is to develop new, unique and superior soybean cultivars and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crosses two or more parental lines, followed by repeated selfing and selection, producing many new genetic combinations. The breeder can theoretically generate billions of different genetic combinations via crossing, selfing and mutations. The breeder has no direct control at the cellular level. Therefore, two breeders will never develop the same line, or even very similar lines, having the same soybean traits.
Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to the next generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and different geographical, climatic and soil conditions, and further selections are then made, during and at the end of the growing season. The cultivars which are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is because the breeder""s selection occurs in unique environments, with no control at the DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures), and with millions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. A breeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resulting lines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion. The same breeder cannot produce the same cultivar twice by using the exact same original parents and the same selection techniques. This unpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of research monies to develop superior new soybean cultivars.
The development of new soybean cultivars requires the development and selection of soybean varieties, the crossing of these varieties and selection of superior hybrid crosses. The hybrid seed is produced by manual crosses between selected male-fertile parents or by using male sterility systems. These hybrids are selected for certain single gene traits such as pod color, flower color, pubescence color or herbicide resistance which indicate that the seed is truly a hybrid. Additional data on parental lines, as well as the phenotype of the hybrid, influence the breeder""s decision whether to continue with the specific hybrid cross.
Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used to develop cultivars from breeding populations. Breeding programs combine desirable traits from two or more cultivars or various broad-based sources into breeding pools from which cultivars are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new cultivars are evaluated to determine which have commercial potential.
Pedigree breeding is used commonly for the improvement of self-pollinating crops. Two parents which possess favorable, complementary traits are crossed to produce an F1. An F2 population is produced by selfing one or several F1""s. Selection of the best individuals may begin in the F2 population; then, beginning in the F3, the best individuals in the best families are selected. Replicated testing of families can begin in the F4 generation to improve the effectiveness of selection for traits with low heritability. At an advanced stage of inbreeding (i.e., F6 and F7), the best lines or mixtures of phenotypically similar lines are tested for potential release as new cultivars.
Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations of either self- or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variable population of heterozygous individuals is either identified or created by intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selected based on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellent combining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a new population in which further cycles of selection are continued.
Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genes for a simply inherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivar or inbred line which is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait to be transferred is called the donor parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After the initial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parent are selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrent parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent.
The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to planting a segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, and using the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When the population has been advanced from the F2 to the desired level of inbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace to different F2 individuals. The number of plants in a population declines each generation due to failure of some seeds to germinate or some plants to produce at least one seed. As a result, not all of the F2 plants originally sampled in the population will be represented by a progeny when generation advance is completed.
In a multiple-seed procedure, soybean breeders commonly harvest one or more pods from each plant in a population and thresh them together to form a bulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation and part is put in reserve. The procedure has been referred to as modified single-seed descent or the pod-bulk technique.
The multiple-seed procedure has been used to save labor at harvest. It is considerably faster to thresh pods with a machine than to remove one seed from each by hand for the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seed procedure also makes it possible to plant the same number of seeds of a population each generation of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvested to make up for those plants that did not germinate or produce seed.
Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used for different traits and crops can be found in one of several reference books (e.g., Allard, 1960; Simmonds, 1979; Sneep et al., 1979; Fehr, 1987).
Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level of superiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition to showing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivar that is compatible with industry standards or which creates a new market. The introduction of a new cultivar will incur additional costs to the seed producer, the grower, processor and consumer; for special advertising and marketing, altered seed and commercial production practices, and new product utilization. The testing preceding release of a new cultivar should take into consideration research and development costs as well as technical superiority of the final cultivar. For seed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible to produce seed easily and economically.
Soybean, Glycine max (L), is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding soybean cultivars that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are obviously to maximize the amount of grain produced on the land used and to supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the soybean breeder must select and develop soybean plants that have the traits that result in superior cultivars.
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean cultivar, designated 0127563. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 0127563, to the plants of soybean 0127563 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing the soybean 0127563 with itself or another soybean line, and the creation of variants by mutagenesis or transformation of soybean 0127563.
Thus, any such methods using the soybean variety 0127563 are part of this invention: selfing, backcrosses, hybrid production, crosses to populations, and the like. All plants produced using soybean variety 0127563 as a parent are within the scope of this invention. Advantageously, the soybean variety could be used in crosses with other, different, soybean plants to produce first generation (F1) soybean hybrid seeds and plants with superior characteristics.
In another aspect, the present invention provides for single or multiple gene converted plants of 0127563. The transferred gene(s) may preferably be a dominant or recessive allele. Preferably, the transferred gene(s) will confer such traits as herbicide resistance, insect resistance, resistance for bacterial, fungal, or viral disease, male fertility, male sterility, enhanced nutritional quality, and industrial usage. The gene may be a naturally occurring soybean gene or a transgene introduced through genetic engineering techniques.
In another aspect, the present invention provides regenerable cells for use in tissue culture of soybean plant 0127563. The tissue culture will preferably be capable of regenerating plants having the physiological and morphological characteristics of the foregoing soybean plant, and of regenerating plants having substantially the same genotype as the foregoing soybean plant. Preferably, the regenerable cells in such tissue cultures will be embryos, protoplasts, meristematic cells, callus, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, flowers, seeds, pods or stems. Still further, the present invention provides soybean plants regenerated from the tissue cultures of the invention.
In the description and tables which follow, a number of terms are used. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms, the following definitions are provided:
Allele. Allele is any of one or more alternative forms of a gene, all of which alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cell or organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding loci on a pair of homologous chromosomes.
Backcrossing. Backcrossing is a process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybrid progeny back to one of the parents, for example, a first generation hybrid F1 with one of the parental genotypes of the F1 hybrid.
Brown Stem Rot. This is a visual disease score from 1 to 9 comparing all genotypes in a given test. The score is based on leaf symptoms of yellowing and necrosis caused by brown stem rot. A score of 9 indicates no symptoms. Visual scores range to a score of 1 which indicates severe symptoms of leaf yellowing and necrosis.
Cotyledon. A cotyledon is a type of seed leaf. The cotyledon contains the food storage tissues of the seed.
Embryo. The embryo is the small plant contained within a mature seed.
Emergence. This score indicates the ability of the seed to emerge when planted 3xe2x80x3 deep in sand and with a controlled temperature of 25xc2x0 C. The number of plants that emerge each day are counted. Based on this data, each genotype is given a 1 to 9 score based on its rate of emergence and percent of emergence. A score of 9 indicates an excellent rate and percent of emergence, an intermediate score of 5 indicates average ratings and a 1 score indicates a very poor rate and percent of emergence.
Hilum. This refers to the scar left on the seed which marks the place where the seed was attached to the pod prior to the seed being harvested.
Hypocotyl. A hypocotyl is the portion of an embryo or seedling between the cotyledons and the root. Therefore, it can be considered a transition zone between shoot and root.
Iron-Deficiency Chlorosis. Plants are scored 1 to 9 based on visual observations. A score of 9 means no stunting of the plants or yellowing of the leaves and a score of 1 indicates the plants are dead or dying caused by iron-deficiency chlorosis, a score of 5 means plants have intermediate health with some leaf yellowing.
Lodging Resistance. Lodging is rated on a scale of 1 to 9. A score of 9 indicates erect plants. A score of 5 indicates plants are leaning at a 45xc2x0 angle in relation to the ground and a score of 1 indicates plants are laying on the ground.
Maturity Date. Plants are considered mature when 95% of the pods have reached their mature color. The number of days are either calculated from August 31 or from the planting date.
Maturity Group. This refers to an agreed-on industry division of groups of varieties, based on zones in which they are adapted primarily according to day length or latitude. They consist of very long day length varieties (Groups 000, 00, 0), and extend to very short day length varieties (Groups VII, VIII, IX, X).
Oil or oil percent. Soybean seeds contain a considerable amount of oil. Oil is measured by NIR spectrophotometry, and is reported on an as is percentage basis.
Oleic Acid Percent. Oleic acid is one of the five most abundant fatty acids in soybean seeds. It is measured by gas chromatography and is reported as a percent of the total oil content.
Palmitic Acid Percent. Palmitic acid is one of the five most abundant fatty acids in soybean seeds. It is measured by gas chromatography and is reported as a percent of the total oil content.
Phytophthora Tolerance. Tolerance to Phytophthora root rot is rated on a scale of 1 to 9, with a score of 9 being the best or highest tolerance ranging down to a score of 1 which indicates the plants have no tolerance to Phytophthora.
Phenotypic Score. The Phenotypic Score is a visual rating of general appearance of the variety. All visual traits are considered in the score including healthiness, standability, appearance and freedom of disease. Ratings are scored from 1 being poor to 9 being excellent.
Plant Height. Plant height is taken from the top of soil to top node of the plant and is measured in inches.
Pod. This refers to the fruit of a soybean plant. It consists of the hull or shell (pericarp) and the soybean seeds.
Protein Percent. Soybean seeds contain a considerable amount of protein. Protein is generally measured by NIR spectrophotometry, and is reported on an as is percentage basis.
Pubescence. This refers to a covering of very fine hairs closely arranged on the leaves, stems and pods of the soybean plant.
Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL). Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer to genetic loci that control to some degree numerically representable traits that are usually continuously distributed.
Regeneration. Regeneration refers to the development of a plant from tissue culture.
Seed Protein Peroxidase Activity. Seed protein peroxidase activity is defined as a chemical taxonomic technique to separate cultivars based on the presence or absence of the peroxidase enzyme in the seed coat. There are two types of soybean cultivars, those having high peroxidase activity (dark red color) and those having low peroxidase activity (no color).
Seed Yield (Bushels/Acre). The yield in bushels/acre is the actual yield of the grain at harvest.
Seeds per Pound. Soybean seeds vary in seed size, therefore, the number of seeds required to make up one pound also varies. This affects the pounds of seed required to plant a given area, and can also impact end uses.
Shattering. The amount of pod dehiscence prior to harvest. Pod dehiscence involves seeds falling from the pods to the soil. This is a visual score from 1 to 9 comparing all genotypes within a given test. A score of 9 means pods have not opened and no seeds have fallen out. A score of 5 indicates approximately 50% of the pods have opened, with seeds falling to the ground and a score of 1 indicates 100% of the pods are opened.
Single Gene Converted (Conversion). Single gene converted (conversion) plant refers to plants which are developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to the single gene transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique or via genetic engineering. | {
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This invention relates to a process for making a granular detergent product and the product of the process. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for preparing detergent compositions which are useful in automatic dishwashing machines.
Detergent compositions comprising, in combination, alkaline salts such as sodium silicate and sodium carbonate, an alkaline polyphosphate such as sodium tripolyphosphate, a surfactant and a chlorine containing compound that provides hydrochlorite ion in solution have particular utility for machine dishwashing. The formulation of such compositions made of agglomerates of the ingredients has been generally accomplished by the addition of an aqueous sodium silicate solution and liquid surfactants to a mixture of dry ingredients. Compositions prepared in such manner, however, are characterized by a tendency to cake in their cartons during storage and can also have a tendency to cake in the dispenser cups of dishwashing machines. A number of process modifications have been suggested to control the agglomeration process and reduce the caking tendency of detergent compositions prepared using silicate solutions and liquid surfactants as agglomerating agents. U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,916 discloses an order of addition in which the chlorine containing compound, chlorinated trisodium phosphate, is added to the composition only after the aqueous silicate has been added to the polyphosphate. The benefit is said to result from a more rapid hydration of the sodium tripolyphosphate in the absence of chlorinated trisodium phosphate. U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,904 discloses the preparation of a protected granule by addition of an aqueous solution of a nonionic surfactant of dry components including polyphosphates before addition of a silicate solution.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,247,118; 3,520,815; 3,600,317; and 3,888,781 also disclose the effect of process variations such as order of ingredient addition on the physical characteristics of a granular detergent product.
Typical automatic dishwashing product compositions contain from about 1/2% to about 3% of nonionic surfactants, generally in combination with a suds control agent. As disclosed in copending commonly assigned U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 849,132 and 902,577, incorporated herein by reference, the use of relatively higher surfactant levels is particularly beneficial in compositions containing less than about 35% sodium tripolyphosphate. In the conventional process of agglomerating sodium tripolyphosphate with aqueous sodium silicate solutions, it is convenient and satisfactory to spray on or otherwise add a liquid nonionic surfactant at any time during the agglomeration process. It has been found, however, that addition of levels of a liquid alkoxylated nonionic surfactant above about 4% in the conventional manner results in either a complete inability to produce the product or in unacceptable product physical properties, particularly with respect to carton caking after exposure to elevated temperatures or caking in dishwashing machine dispenser cups. The physical properties of an agglomerated granular detergent composition containing sodium tripolyphosphate is closely related to the complex hydration characteristics of sodium tripolyphosphate which is in turn dependent on particle size, water content and temperature conditions during manufacture.
A so-called Form I is produced if the process of manufacture includes a relatively high temperature calcination step. A Form II results when lower temperatures are employed. Form I is characterized by relatively rapid hydration characteristics. Form II, particularly in the absence of any substantial level of Form I material is slow to hydrate, but has a greater immediate solubility. Commercially available sodium tripolyphosphate is generally a mixture of Form I and Form II. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,622,068; 2,961,409 and 2,961,410, incorporated herein by reference disclose the characteristics of Form I and Form II sodium tripolyphosphate in the manufacture of spray-dried detergents.
The processes known in the prior art have not proven to be entirely satisfactory for the production of agglomerated granular detergents containing relatively high levels (i.e., from about 4% to about 20%) of alkoxylated nonionic surfactants, particularly when the surfactant is liquid at ambient temperatures and more particularly for compositions containing less than about 35% sodium tripolyphosphate on an anhydrous basis.
It has now been found that an agglomeration process for producing detergent compositions containing at least about 10% sodium tripolyphosphate, from about 4% to about 20% of an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant, an alkali metal silicate and optionally a compound providing hypochlorite ions in aqueous solution can be optimized if part of the nonionic surfactant is added to the tripolyphosphate and part is added to dry ingredients other than polyphosphate.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to produce agglomerated granular detergent compositions containing from about 4% to about 20% of an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant with improved physical properties.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and examples. | {
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This invention relates to novel, light sensitive, photoresist materials which are used in the photo-engraving process or in the production of the phosphor screens of color picture tubes.
Light sensitive photoresist compositions which change their solvent solubility on exposure to light, are used for precision processing in the photo-engraving process or in the production of the phosphor screens of color picture tubes.
These light sensitive photoresist compositions are roughly divided in two types, namely the water-insoluble type and the water-soluble type, the choice between which depends on the intended use.
Water-insoluble light sensitive photoresist compositions require the use of organic solvents, and, in view of the cost and toxicity of these organic solvents, they recently tend to be replaced by water-soluble light sensitive photoresist compositions.
A typical example of a well-known water-soluble light sensitive photoresist composition is a mixture comprising a water-soluble polymer, such as gelatin and polyvinyl alcohol, and a dichromate such as ammonium dichromate. This mixture becomes water-insoluble on exposure to light. However, this light sensitive photoresist composition undergoes chemical changes at room temperature even with no exposure to light. It is therefore, defective in that its light sensitive characteristics are diminished when it is stored for a long time.
As a means of overcoming this defect, it has been proposed that an azide compound be used instead of the dichromate. A mixture of a water-soluble polymer and an azide compound is characterized in that it is quite stable in the dark and in that it can be stored for a long time without diminishment of the light sensitive characteristics.
Among the azide compounds that can be used as one component of the light sensitive photoresist composition, disodium 4,4'-diazidostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate is especially suitable for use in combination with a water-soluble polymer and is widely used in the way.
When a mixture of this azide compound and a water-soluble polymer is exposed to light rays of a suitable wavelength, the azide compound absorbs the light energy and decomposes. The decomposition product cross-links the polymer molecules to render the polymer water-insoluble. This insolubilization reaction does not occur at room temperature unless the mixture is exposed to light.
However, the azide compound only absorbs light rays at a wavelength of about 300 to 360 nm. Therefore, a photoresist composition comprising a mixture of this azide compound and a water-soluble polymer does not have too high of a sensitivity to light.
Furthermore, this azide compound is unreactive to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) which has excellent physical properties, such as adhesion, when coated onto a suitable support material.
As for the known azide compounds that show a higher light sensitivity than the above-mentioned azide compound, there can be cited, for examples, the condensation products of p-azidobenzaldehyde with an aliphatic or an aromatic ketone such as acetone or cyclohexanone. However, these azide compounds are insoluble in water. Accordingly, it may be stated that no water-soluble light sensitive photoresist compositions can be obtained by mixing these condensed azide compounds with water-soluble polymers. | {
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Since the invention of the integrated circuit (IC), the semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to continuous improvements in the integration density of various electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from repeated reductions in minimum feature size, which allows more components to be integrated into a given area.
These integration improvements are essentially two-dimensional (2D) in nature, in that the volume occupied by the integrated components is essentially on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Although dramatic improvements in lithography have resulted in considerable improvement in 2D IC formation, there are physical limits to the density that can be achieved in two dimensions. One of these limits is the minimum size needed to make these components. Also, when more devices are put into one chip, more complex designs are required.
In an attempt to further increase circuit density, three-dimensional (3D) ICs have been investigated. In a typical formation process of a 3D IC, two dies are bonded together and electrical connections are formed between each die and contact pads on a substrate. For example, one attempt involved bonding two dies on top of each other. The stacked dies were then bonded to a carrier substrate and wire bonds electrically coupled contact pads on each die to contact pads on the carrier substrate. This attempt, however, requires a carrier substrate larger than the dies for the wire bonding.
More recent attempts have focused on through-silicon vias (TSVs). Generally, a TSV is formed by etching a vertical via through a substrate and filling the via with a conductive material, such as copper. A dielectric liner, typically tetra-ethyl ortho-silicate (TEOS), is formed along the sidewalls of the via prior to filling the via with the conductive material. The dielectric constant of TEOS, however, is about 4.2, thereby creating a potentially large capacitance. This large capacitance in turn may adversely affect the performance of a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit.
Accordingly, there is a need for a better structure of and method of forming TSV structures. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods of efficiently recovering and reproducing substrates and methods of efficiently producing semiconductor wafers. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods of recovering and reproducing a first substrate having a semiconductor layer formed thereon and methods of producing semiconductor wafers including the steps of sticking a second substrate on the semiconductor layer and separating the first substrate from the semiconductor layer.
2. Description of the Background Art
To grow a group III nitride semiconductor such as AlxGayIn1-x-yN, wherein 0≦x, 0≦y, and x+y≦1, a sapphire substrate is currently, generally used (see Group III Nitride Semiconductor, edited by Isamu Akasaki, Kabushiki Kaisha Baifukan, Dec. 8, 1999, pp. 93-102, or Naoki Shibata, “Fabrication of LED Based on III-V Nitride and its Applications”, Journal of the Japanese Association for Crystal Growth, JACG, vol. 29, No. 3, 2002, pp. 283-287). A sapphire crystal and a group III nitride crystal, however, do not match in lattice constant, and to use a sapphire substrate to epitaxially grow a group III nitride semiconductor layer it is necessary to initially deposit a group III amorphous layer on the sapphire substrate as a low-temperature deposited buffer layer and subsequently deposit the group III nitride semiconductor layer on the buffer layer, which results in reduced production efficiency.
If the above substrate is a group III nitride substrate, then the group III nitride semiconductor layer can epitaxially grown directly on the group III nitride substrate. (See S. Porowski et al., “Thermodynamical properties of III-V nitrides and crystal growth of GaN at high N2 pressure”, Journal of Crystal Growth 178, Elsevier Science B. V., 1997, pp. 174-188). The group III nitride substrate, however, is difficult to grow in liquid phase, and accordingly need to be grown in vapor phase. This cannot provide a large bulk crystal and is significantly costly. | {
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to valve assemblies, and more particularly to a disk valve assembly having a perforated bellows to reduce operational noise.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Flow induced hydraulic valve noise can be attributed to the noise produced during the shifting of the valve (such as a disk valve) from the closed to the open position, the noise produced when the valve is fully opened, and the noise produced when the valve is closed. The noise generated during the opening and closing of a valve under pressure has often been identified as the greatest flow induced noise.
When a valve is opened, noise can be attributed to the sudden pressure rise downstream of a valve which results in three possible noise events. The first of these noise events is the pressure transient itself that impacts the piping and excites flexural vibration modes. The second is the possible cavitation of the fluid through the valve orifice, i.e., the high initial flow velocity through the orifice plate causes a pressure drop below the fluid vapor pressure. The third possible noise event is the high velocity turbulent flow through the valve that occurs when it is initially opened. The fluctuating pressures associated with the turbulent boundary layer can excite flexural vibrations of the piping.
When a valve is suddenly closed, the momentum of the fluid is absorbed by the expansion of the upstream piping. The sudden load will also transmit a pressure wave through the piping (known as water hammer) and possibly excite flexural modes of the piping. A second source of noise at closure is cavitation. Just downstream of the valve, cavitation can occur due to the sudden drop in static pressure from the momentum of the downstream fluid mass being rapidly retarded. | {
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This application relates to greeting cards, and particularly relates to greeting cards which spew confetti when opened.
In the past, it has been known to provide greeting cards with confetti which falls out when the card is opened. A typical card of this design is usually provided in a kit containing a greeting card and a separate confetti supply. After the purchaser personalizes the card, such as by signing his name on an inside leaf, the confetti supply is emptied into the fold of the card, and the card is carefully placed inside an envelope, which is then sealed.
Such cards, while providing a card which will spill confetti when opened by the recipient, have the disadvantage that confetti often spills out when the card is removed from its envelope, or while the front of the card is being read, and the intended surprise effect is thereby lost.
It has also been known to attempt to overcome the above disadvantage by placing confetti in a tissue pouch which is then glued on each side between the leaves of a greeting card. This has the benefit of encapsulating the confetti until the card is opened, which tears the pouch. This approach, however, prevents the card from being personalized in the usual manner, since any opening of the card by the giver will destroy this pouch. Also, in the known embodiment of this design, the added thickness of the pouch resulted in a distorted shape to the card, arousing suspicion that the card contained something inside its fold, typically resulting in slow, cautious opening of the card and slow and only partial rupturing of the tissue pouch. | {
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Providers of secure user accounts, such as bank accounts, credit card accounts, and/or other secure accounts, may provide phone-based services to their users. For example, users wishing to set up new accounts may call a phone number to speak with an automated account system and/or a live representative. In another example, account holders may call a phone number to speak with an automated account system and/or a live representative in order to resolve issues with their account and/or access account features and/or functions. In another example, users may receive phone calls from the provider, for example when potential account fraud is detected and/or to offer account services. Because the user accounts may be related to sensitive information such as user identity information and/or access to user funds and/or credit, account providers may provide a variety of security measures to safeguard against fraud. In some situations, it may be useful to evaluate whether a caller is who they claim to be. | {
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The present invention relates to a catheter for draining bodily fluids, e.g. from the bladder. Urinary catheters are e.g. used by a large group of persons for intermittent catheterization, which is a daily-life procedure, taking place several times a day. Typically catheters for intermittent catheterization are used by patients suffering from urinary incontinence or by disabled individuals like para- or tetraplegics. Using an intermittent catheter, the bladder may be drained through a natural or artificial urethra. Many catheters for intermittent catheterization are provided with a hydrophilic coating or the like, providing a smooth and slippery surface for safe and comfortable insertion in the urinary canal.
To this end, catheters should preferably be designed to enable easy handling and introduction into the urethra, even for users having reduced dexterity. Further, in order to reduce the risk of e.g. urinary tract infections, the catheters should preferably be handled in a clean manner, without directly touching the insertable part of the catheter with the hands, in order to avoid contamination prior to use.
Catheters, such as urinary catheters, are normally produced in large volumes, having standardized lengths and standardized connector designs. However, it is sometimes requested to have large connector ends, in particular for short, female catheters, in order to improve maneuverability. However, provision of large assortment of different catheters, having different connector lengths, connector designs, catheter lengths, etc, makes the production costly. Typically catheters are designed for one-time use and accordingly the costs for producing, packing and sterilizing a catheter is an important issue. There is therefore a need for a simple and cost-effective way of modifying a pre-produced standard catheter to various specific needs, such as improved gripping possibilities.
An alternative approach to obtain improved usability of catheters is disclosed in US 2005/0070882, which discloses a urinary catheter with a cuff loosely arranged over the connector end. This loosely arranged cuff can be moved along the catheter, for use when handling the catheter. However, this approach requires a relatively skilled user, and is e.g. complicated to for users with reduced dexterity, and is also difficult to use with short catheters, such as female urinary catheters.
Further, US 2007/0066963 discloses a catheter assembly comprising a detachable catheter handle, which is connected to the rearward end of the catheter before use, in order to provide an enlarged handle for easier manipulation. Still further, US 2006/0142737 discloses a catheter assembly, including a catheter with a long connector end, for improved manipulation. However, both these prior art solutions are related to relatively complex catheter products, which are difficult and expensive to produce.
In other products the contamination problem of the handle portion has been addressed by providing a handle formed separately from the catheter for attachment to the catheter prior to the insertion. Unfortunately, handles which are separate from the catheter imply other problems both with respect to the manufacturing costs and with respect to handling of two separate components when attaching the handle to the catheter. In addition, separation of the catheter into two separate components implies an increased risk of contamination, in particular, if the handle part is reused. Furthermore, division of the catheter into a handle part separate from an insertable part does not solve the problems of complicated unpacking.
In conclusion there is still a need for catheters, which may be designed for simple and clean use, even for users with a reduced dexterity, and which can be produced in a cost-efficient manner. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Image sensors find applications in a wide variety of fields, including machine vision, robotics, astronomy, navigation, as well as consumer products. While complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology has provided the foundation for advances in low-cost, low-power, reliable, highly integrated systems for many consumer applications, charge coupled devices (CCDs) have been, until recently, the primary technology used in electronic imaging applications. CCDs, however, are high capacitance devices that require high voltage clocks, consume large amounts of power, provide only serial output, and require specialized silicon processing that is incompatible with CMOS technology.
The availability of sub-micron CMOS technology and the advent of active pixel sensors (APS) have made CMOS technology more attractive for imaging applications. Active pixel sensors have transistors within a pixel unit cell to provide amplification and use manufacturing processes that are compatible with CMOS processes. Small pixel sizes, low noise, high speed, and high dynamic range have been demonstrated in such CMOS imagers using a variety of designs. The expected scaling of MOS devices to even smaller geometries will improve the operation and application of CMOS-based integrated circuits, but such scaling can adversely affect the performance of imagers. For example, the scaling of MOS devices in imagers requires a continued increase in channel doping and lower operating voltages, thus leading to significantly reduced depletion widths on the order of less than 0.1 μm. Photoelectrons generated within a depletion region are efficiently collected while photoelectrons generated outside the depletion region are collected only inefficiently, and can diffuse into adjacent pixels. Because silicon has an indirect band gap, absorption lengths in silicon tend to be long.
For photons having a wavelength in the range of 400–800 nm, the photon absorption depth in silicon varies from about 0.1 μm to about 16 μm. For example, at a wavelength λ=700 nm, a silicon absorption constant α is about 3·103 cm2, corresponding to an absorption length α−1 of about 3.3 μm at room temperature. Even longer absorption lengths, as long as several hundred microns, are associated with photon wavelengths approaching the bandgap of silicon. However, the depth Xd of a depletion layer varies as Xd≈(2εsiΦ/eNA)1/2, wherein Φ is a depleting potential, NA is an acceptor concentration, εs is a permittivity of silicon, and e is electron charge. In a typical 0.5 μm CMOS technology, the depletion widths are less than 0.2 μm. With the exception of light at blue wavelengths, many photons in the visible spectrum are absorbed outside the depletion region. Therefore, CMOS imagers implemented using an unmodified sub-micron CMOS technology generally exhibit a lower quantum efficiency and increased cross-talk compared to imagers implemented with a lower resolution fabrication process. Increased cross-talk can lead to degraded color performance and smear.
The breakdown voltage of MOS structures limits the applied potential, and hence the use of high resistivity silicon (low NA) is required. Using a silicon charge collection region with low doping concentration (e.g., 2*1013/cm3), a 10-μm thick optical cavity can be fully depleted at about 1.8 volts. However, the low NA doping is most often incompatible with conventional CMOS processes.
Another problem in imagers made using bulk-CMOS technology is a rise in photodiode leakage current when exposed to radiation. This rise in leakage current is caused by the use of Local Oxidation of Silicon (LOCOS) processes to create isolation regions. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, an oxide isolation region 702 is configured to separate a photodiode and a MOSFET. A so-called “bird's beak” feature 704 at a transition between a thin-gate oxide region 706 and the isolation region 702 is associated with high electric fields, thereby causing increased trap-generation during exposure to radiation. Although using a radiation-hard fabrication process can reduce leakage currents, such processes are relatively expensive and add to the overall imager cost.
In contrast to bulk-CMOS technology, silicon-on-insulation (SOI) CMOS technologies use SOI wafers that include three layers, a single-crystal layer of silicon, upon which integrated circuits are fabricated, a base silicon substrate and a thin insulator that electrically insulates the single-crystal layer and the substrate. This thin insulator reduces parasitic capacitance typically associated with a circuit device and a substrate in conventional bulk processes. Such SOI process can produce devices that exhibit lower power consumption and higher processing speeds than conventional bulk devices. Device operation in SOI-based devices is similar to that of bulk devices, except that transistors and other circuit elements do not share a common substrate.
While SOI-MOS devices can provide several advantages over bulk-MOS devices, the thin silicon layer of such devices makes them unsuitable for imagers. In particular, the SOI silicon layers are too thin to efficiently absorb visible and near-infrared light. Pain and et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,572 and Zhang et al., “Building Hybrid Active Pixels for CMOS Imager in SOI Substrate,” 1999 IEEE International SOI Conference (1991), disclose active pixel sensors in which photodetectors are formed in a bulk silicon substrate and circuit elements are formed in a SOI silicon layer that is separated from the bulk silicon by a buried oxide layer in a thin silicon film formed on an insulator layer disposed on the substrate. Such devices provide a thick charge collection region, but bulk silicon used for such SOI manufacturing generally is not suited for photodetector manufacture. Furthermore, bulk silicon is difficult to thin for back-illuminated operation. Conventional back-thinning processes require a back-surface implant and activation process that typically requires temperatures above 800° C. Thus, these thinning processes are incompatible with standard CMOS metallization processes, and require complex post-processing techniques that are generally difficult to control.
In view of these and other shortcomings, improved active pixel sensors and manufacturing processes for such sensors are needed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present application claims priority to Application No. 102 01 016.1, filed in the Federal Republic of Germany on Jan. 11, 2002, which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.
The present invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas purification system, in which a rich mode of the internal combustion engine with a rich exhaust gas composition and a lean mode of the internal combustion engine with a lean exhaust gas composition are set alternately, and by the exhaust gas purification system with a rich exhaust gas composition ammonia is synthesized and stored and with a lean exhaust gas composition nitrogen oxides are reduced to form nitrogen by the stored ammonia.
The present invention also relates to an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas purification system for performing the method according to the invention.
Nitrogen oxides in oxygen-rich combustion exhaust gases can be reduced very successfully to form nitrogen with the aid of ammonia. In this context, it is appropriate for the ammonia to be generated in a catalytic converter unit in the vehicle itself. The ammonia-generating catalytic converter unit may be formed, for example, by a three-way catalytic converter which, with a substoichiometric exhaust gas composition, synthesizes ammonia NH3 from nitrogen oxides NOx and hydrogen H2. The ammonia is fed into a downstream nitrogen oxide reduction catalytic converter when the exhaust gas composition is substoichiometric or rich. When the exhaust gas composition is subsequently superstoichiometric, or lean, this ammonia reduces nitrogen oxides to form nitrogen in the nitrogen oxide reduction catalytic converter. The quantity of ammonia generated is dependent on the quantity of nitrogen oxides available during substoichiometric or rich combustion.
The term lean mode denotes a superstoichiometric engine mode, in which excess oxygen, i.e., xcex greater than 1, prevails during the combustion. The term rich mode is understood as meaning a substoichiometric engine mode, in which excess fuel, i.e., xcex less than 1, prevails during the combustion. Accordingly, a lean exhaust gas composition indicates an excess of oxygen in the exhaust gas, and a rich exhaust gas composition indicates an excess of fuel in the exhaust gas.
German Published Patent Application No. 198 20 828 describes an exhaust gas purification system which with a rich exhaust gas composition uses a first catalytic converter unit to generate ammonia from nitrogen oxides and hydrogen present in the exhaust gas and stores the ammonia which is generated in a second catalytic converter unit. With a lean exhaust gas composition, nitrogen oxides which are present in the exhaust gas are subjected to a reduction reaction using the temporarily stored ammonia as reducing agent. To ensure that sufficient nitrogen oxides are present in the exhaust gas even with a rich exhaust gas composition, in order to synthesize a significant quantity of ammonia, a third catalytic converter unit, which with a lean exhaust gas composition temporarily stores nitrogen oxides which are present in the exhaust gas and with a rich exhaust gas composition releases the previously stored nitrogen oxides again, is connected upstream of the first catalytic converter unit, which is intended to generate ammonia with a rich exhaust gas composition.
German Published Patent Application No. 197 50 226 describes an engine control unit for a diesel engine with exhaust gas purification system, which is provided with an adsorption device for nitrogen oxides NOx, which adsorbs nitrogen oxides with a lean exhaust gas composition. To regenerate the adsorber system, a rich exhaust gas composition, in which the exhaust gases have a reducing atmosphere, is required from time to time. To set a rich or lean exhaust gas composition, a quantity of fuel is injected by a preinjection, a main injection and an afterinjection of fuel. The afterinjection of fuel is substantially only evaporated and treated but is only burnt to a small extent, and consequently there is a greatly increased emission of unburned hydrocarbons HC and carbon monoxide CO. When the adsorption device releases the stored nitrogen oxides when there is a rich exhaust gas composition, the reaction products hydrocarbon HC and carbon monoxide CO on the adsorber surfaces are used to convert nitrogen oxides into nitrogen N2.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for operating an internal combustion engine and also an internal combustion engine in which, by influencing the combustion of fuel in the internal combustion engine, a quantity of nitrogen oxides which is sufficient for the synthesis of significant quantities of ammonia is provided even with a rich exhaust gas composition.
The above and other beneficial objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a method and an internal combustion engine as described herein.
The present invention provides a method for operating an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas purification system, in which a rich mode of the internal combustion engine with a rich exhaust gas composition and a lean mode of the internal combustion engine with a lean exhaust gas composition are set alternately, and by the exhaust gas purification system with a rich exhaust gas composition ammonia is synthesized and stored and with a lean exhaust gas composition nitrogen oxides are reduced to form nitrogen by the stored ammonia, in which method the quantity of fuel which is introduced during a combustion cycle of the internal combustion engine is introduced by at least one preinjection, at least one main injection and at least one afterinjection, the at least one preinjection and the at least one main injection are burnt under excess oxygen in order to generate a quantity of nitrogen oxides which is sufficient for the ammonia synthesis, and a rich or lean exhaust gas composition is set by the at least one afterinjection.
By these measures, it is possible to generate a sufficient quantity of nitrogen oxide even in the event of rich combustion throughout the entire combustion operation and a rich exhaust gas composition resulting therefrom, so that a significant quantity of ammonia may be synthesized during rich mode. Since significantly greater quantities of nitrogen oxides are available compared to conventional methods for producing a rich mode for the ammonia synthesis, the duration of the rich-mode phases may be shortened. Furthermore, there may be no need for measures for temporarily storing nitrogen oxides during the lean mode and subsequently releasing them in rich mode.
It may be provided that the at least one afterinjection is at least partially burnt in the combustion chamber and contributes to the engine load.
The total quantity of fuel injected may contribute to the engine load. It is also possible to reach very high exhaust gas temperatures more quickly than with standard diesel engine combustion. Such high exhaust gas temperatures may be required in an ammonia-generating catalytic converter in order to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen.
The combustion of the quantity of fuel introduced during a cycle of the internal combustion engine may occur in rich mode without exhaust gas recirculation.
As a result, the preinjection quantities and the main injection quantity may be converted in the combustion chamber with a very high oxygen excess, with the result that a significantly higher formation of nitrogen oxide in the combustion chamber may occur compared to standard combustion with exhaust gas recirculation. Nevertheless, it is possible to set a rich combustion with a rich exhaust gas composition by the at least one afterinjection.
At least one first afterinjection, which burns in the combustion chamber, and at least one further, offset afterinjection may be provided in order to set a lean or rich exhaust gas composition.
A further, offset afterinjection may allow particularly flexible and at the same time accurate setting of the exhaust gas composition. An accurate setting of the engine load may be effected by the first afterinjection.
The starts of injection of the preinjections in rich mode may substantially correspond to the starts of injection in lean mode. The starts of injection of the main injections in rich mode may substantially correspond to the starts of injection in lean mode.
These measures may allow the transition between lean mode and rich mode to occur without being noticed by a driver of a motor vehicle having the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, this selection of the starts of injection may also promote generation of nitrogen oxides in rich mode.
The problem on which the present invention is based may also be solved by providing an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas purification system for performing the method according to the present invention, in which the exhaust gas purification system is provided with a first catalytic converter unit, which with a rich exhaust gas composition generates ammonia from corresponding exhaust gas constituents, and with a second catalytic converter unit, which is connected downstream of the first catalytic converter unit and with a rich exhaust gas composition temporarily stores ammonia which is generated by the first catalytic converter unit and with a lean exhaust gas composition subjects nitrogen oxides which are present in the exhaust gas to a reduction reaction using the temporarily stored ammonia as reducing agent, in which internal combustion engine an injection system having an arrangement configured to introduce a quantity of fuel by at least one preinjection, at least one main injection and at least one afterinjection, and an arrangement configured to set an excess of oxygen in rich mode during the combustion of the at least one preinjection and at least one main injection in the combustion chamber, and an arrangement configured to alter the time, quantity and duration of the at least one afterinjection in order to set a rich or lean exhaust gas composition.
These measures may make it possible, in the exhaust gas purification system, to dispense with a nitrogen oxide adsorber, which stores nitrogen oxides during a lean mode and releases them again during rich mode, or to reduce the size of a nitrogen oxide adsorber of this type. Since nitrogen oxide adsorbers of this type may also store oxygen, which in the phases with a rich mode may delay the release of the stored nitrogen oxides, dispensing with or reducing the size of a nitrogen oxide adsorber of this type may make it possible to shorten the rich-mode phases and thereby to reduce the increased fuel consumption resulting from these rich-mode phases. To set an excess of oxygen during the combustion of the preinjections and main injections, it is possible, for example, to reduce an injections quantity, open a throttle valve in the intake path and/or close an exhaust gas recirculation.
Further features and aspects of the present invention are described in the following description of an example embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nozzle touch apparatus for an injection molding machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an injection molding machine comprises an injection apparatus and a mold apparatus. The injection apparatus is constructed such that resin heated and melted in a heating cylinder is injected from an injection nozzle. The injected resin is charged into a cavity of the mold apparatus. The molten resin is then cooled and solidified, and the mold apparatus is opened so as to permit removal of a molded article from the mold apparatus.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional injection molding machine, and FIG. 2 is a nozzle touch characteristic chart of the conventional injection molding machine. In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents an amount of deformation x, and the vertical axis represents a nozzle touch force f.
In FIG. 1, numeral 10 denotes an injection apparatus, numeral 11 denotes a heating cylinder, and numeral 13 denotes an injection nozzle provided at the front end (the left end in FIG. 1) of the heating cylinder 11. An unillustrated screw is disposed within the heating cylinder 11 such that the screw can be rotated and can be advanced and retracted by a drive section 12.
The screw extends rearwardly (rightward in FIG. 1) within the heating cylinder 11, and the rear end (the right end in FIG. 1) of the screw is connected to the drive section 12. The screw has a screw head at the front end thereof and a spiral flute formed on the peripheral surface of a metering portion of the screw, so that the flute defines a groove.
In the injection apparatus 10 having the above-described structure, during a metering stage, the drive section 12 is driven in order to retract the screw (rightward in FIG. 1), while rotating the screw in a forward direction. Consequently, pellet-shaped resin within an unillustrated hopper flows into the heating cylinder 11, and is caused to advance (move leftward in FIG. 1) along the groove of the screw. At this time, the resin is heated and melted by an unillustrated heater and accumulated on the front side of the screw head.
Further, during an injection stage, the drive section 12 is driven in order to advance the screw, so that the resin accumulated at the front side of the screw head is injected from the injection nozzle 13 and is charged into an unillustrated cavity of a mold apparatus 14. The mold apparatus 14 is composed of a stationary mold 15 and a movable mold 16. The movable mold 16 is advanced and retracted by an unillustrated mold clamping apparatus in order to bring the movable mold 16 into contact with the stationary mold 15 and separate the movable mold 16 from the stationary mold 15. Thus, mold closing, mold clamping, and mold opening are performed.
Subsequently, when the charging of resin into the cavity is completed, cooling water is caused to flow through an unillustrated cooling passage formed within the molding apparatus 14, so that the resin is cooled. After the resin is solidified, the molding apparatus is opened so as to permit removal of a molded product.
In the injection molding machine, resin may leak from a clearance between the injection nozzle 13 and the stationary mold 15 while the resin is being charge into the cavity, unless the injection nozzle 13 is in contact with the stationary mold 15 with a predetermined pressing force or nozzle touch force.
In order to solve the above-described drawback, a nozzle touch apparatus is provided. The nozzle touch apparatus advances the injection apparatus 10 such that the injection nozzle 13 comes in contact with the stationary mold 15 with a predetermined nozzle touch force. Thus, a nozzle touch operation is completed.
In order to perform the nozzle touch operation, a support member 22 and a motor 25 serving as drive means are fixed to a frame 21 of the injection molding machine; a ball screw shaft 23 is rotatably supported by the support member 22; and a ball nut 24 is in screw-engagement with the ball screw shaft 23. Further, the ball screw shaft 23 is connected to an output shaft 25a of the motor 25, and the ball nut 24 is connected to the injection apparatus 10 via a spring 26. A sensor 28 is disposed to face the spring 26. The sensor 28 senses a displacement of a certain portion of the spring 26 due to deformation of the spring 26 (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cdeforming positionxe2x80x9d) to thereby detect an amount of deformation.
In this case, when the ball screw shaft 23 is rotated through drive of the motor 25, the ball nut 24 is advanced from a retracted position, so that the injection apparatus 10 is advanced. Thus, the injection apparatus 10 reaches a nozzle touch position, and the injection nozzle 13 comes into contact with the stationary mold 15. Subsequently, when the motor 25 is further driven in a state in which the injection nozzle 13 is in contact with the stationary mold 15, the ball nut 24 is advanced against the urging force of the spring 26, so that the spring 26 contracts by an amount corresponding to the distance advanced by the ball nut 24. At this time, the injection nozzle 13 presses the stationary mold 15 with a force corresponding to the amount of deformation of the spring 26. When the deformation amount of the spring 26 is represented by x, and a pressing force that the injection nozzle 13 exerts on the stationary mold 15 or a nozzle touch force is represented by f, a relationship as shown in FIG. 2 exists between the deformation amount x and the nozzle touch force f. Accordingly, the nozzle touch force f can be detected through detection of the deforming position of the spring 26. When the deformation amount x reaches a preset value x1 and thus a proper nozzle touch force f equal to a target nozzle touch force f1 is generated, the motor 25 is stopped.
In the nozzle touch apparatus of the conventional injection molding machine, the injection apparatus 10 is connected to the ball nut 24 via the spring 26. Therefore, if an external force is applied to the injection apparatus 10 due to impact caused by, for example, closing or opening of the molding apparatus 14 or injection of resin, the spring 26 is expanded or contracted, so that the deformation amount x varies.
Therefore, even when the ball nut 24 is accurately positioned, the sensor 28 may erroneously detect the deformation amount x due to expansion or contraction of the spring 26 caused by an external force. In this case, the nozzle touch force f is not accurately detected, with the result that a proper nozzle touch force f equal to the target nozzle touch force f1 cannot be generated. For example, when the spring 26 is contracted, the nozzle touch force f becomes excessively large, resulting in breakage of the mold apparatus 14 and/or nozzle 13. When the spring 26 is expanded, the nozzle touch force f becomes excessively small, resulting in resin leaking from the clearance between the injection nozzle 13 and the stationary mold 15.
Since the spring 26 and the sensor 28 are attached to the injection apparatus 10, the spring 26 and the sensor 28 are accommodated within an unillustrated casing of the injection apparatus 10, which deteriorates ease of maintenance and management of the injection molding machine.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional nozzle touch apparatus for an injection molding machine, to provide a nozzle touch apparatus for an injection molding machine which can accurately detect nozzle touch force, which can generate a proper nozzle touch force, and/or which facilitates work for maintenance and management of the injection molding machine.
A nozzle touch apparatus for an injection molding machine according to one example of the present invention comprises: a frame; an injection apparatus having an injection nozzle, said injection apparatus being disposed to be movable relative to said frame, moving means for moving said injection nozzle of said injection apparatus towards and away from a mold, said injection nozzle thus being movable to abut said mold with a nozzle touch force, and first energy absorption means disposed between said moving means and said frame for absorbing mechanical energy relating to the nozzle touch force.
Other aspects of the invention and their advantages will become apparent with reference to the following description of one detailed example of the invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Recently, with exhaustion of fossil fuels and concern about environmental pollution, there is an increasing interest in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles using electrical energy, but not using fossil energy, and in this context, studies are actively being conducted thereon. To supply power required to operate a driving motor for driving of vehicles and actuate various electric devices, a battery pack including a plurality of secondary battery cells is mounted in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. The plurality of secondary battery cells included in the battery pack need to uniformly maintain the voltage of each secondary battery cell to ensure stability, a long life span, and a high output.
As a method for uniformly balancing the charging voltage of each secondary battery cell included in a battery pack, many methods are being used, for example, a method that increases the voltage of a secondary battery cell having a relatively lower voltage by supplying a charging current to the corresponding secondary battery cell, a method that decreases the voltage of a secondary battery cell having a relatively higher voltage by discharging the corresponding secondary battery cell, a method that sets a target balancing voltage from the voltage of each secondary battery cell, discharges a secondary battery cell having a voltage higher than the target voltage, and charges a secondary battery cell having a voltage lower than the target voltage, and the like.
These cell balancing methods are implemented by a cell balancing circuit connected to each secondary battery cell. The cell balancing circuit includes a switching element for controlling the start and end of a cell balancing operation, and a discharge resistor used when discharging the secondary battery cell voltage.
However, when an abnormal situation occurs while a cell balancing operation is performed using a cell balancing circuit, for example, when overcurrent instantaneously flows in the cell balancing circuit, or when overvoltage higher than an operating voltage is applied to a switching element, or when overheat is generated through a discharge resistor, a component included in the cell balancing circuit is short-circuited or open-circuited, and consequently, the circuit does not operate normally.
When the cell balancing circuit fails to operate normally, voltage of a secondary battery cell connected to the corresponding circuit excessively increases or decreases in comparison to the other secondary batteries, and as a result, severe results may be produced, for example, operation of a load connected to a battery pack may suddenly stop, or in more serious cases, the battery pack may explode.
To overcome this drawback, there is a need for a diagnosis circuit connected to a cell balancing circuit to diagnose an abnormality in the cell balancing circuit. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-085847 discloses an apparatus for detecting an abnormality in a cell balancing circuit, in which a cell balancing circuit including a field effect transistor (FET) and a discharge resistor and a resistor interposed between a source and a drain of the FET are installed at each battery cell, a voltage difference between the source and the drain is measured through the resistor using two comparators to which different levels of reference voltage sources are applied, and whether there is an abnormality in the cell balancing circuit is determined based on a combination of the measured voltage levels (high, low).
However, the above related art needs a separate circuit configuration, that is, the diagnosis circuit to detect an abnormality in the cell balancing circuit, and uses the additional two comparators for each diagnosis circuit, and thus, has a disadvantage of increased manufacturing cost of the apparatus for detecting an abnormality in a cell balancing circuit. Also, the related art can determine whether an abnormality is present in a cell balancing circuit corresponding to each cell, but when an abnormality occurs in all the cell balancing circuits included in the entire cell balancing circuit due to a short or disconnection, the circuit configuration of the related art is inadequate to identify a correct cause of the abnormality in the cell balancing circuit. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor-driven vertical type injection molding apparatus in which a screw is vertically driven by a ball screw mechanism.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 14 illustrates a known vertical driving mechansim for a screw in this type of motor-driven vertical type injection molding apparatus.
As depicted in FIG. 14, a ball screw 270 extending in the perpendicular direction is so provided in an upper base 273 serving as a molding apparatus body as to be unmovable in the axial direction but rotatable. Fixed to the upper end part of the ball screw 270 is a toothed pulley 276 to which a torque of an injection motor (not shown) is transferred. The ball screw 270 is rotated with rotation of the injection motor.
On the other hand, a screw (not shown) extending in the perpendicular direction is held at the lower portion of a screw holding member 258 so provided as to be incapable of rotating. A ball nut 275 screwed to the ball screw 270 is fixed to the upper part of the screw holding member 258.
Based on the construction described above, when the ball screw 270 is rotated by rotating the injection motor, the screw holding member 258 is driven upward and downward through the ball nut 275. On this occasion, when the screw holding member 258 is raised, the ball screw 270 protrudes below the ball nut 275. Hence, a relief portion 258b is formed under the ball nut 275 in the screw holding member 258 so that the ball screw 270 does not impinge on the screw holding member 258 even when the screw holding member 258 is raised.
The above-mentioned molding apparatus has an advantage that it is capable of being installed even in a narrow space because of a small installing area. But, since the molding apparatus has greater height than a horizontal type injection molding apparatus, the molding apparatus described above has a problem that it can not be installed in a low-ceilinged clean room or the like. Particularly, in the above-mentioned vertical driving mechanism for a screw, the ball screw is provided in the molding apparatus body, hence the screw holding member is provided with the ball nut and the relief portion of the ball screw. For this reason, the screw holding member has to increase in height corresponding to the ball nut and the relief portion. As a result, a height of the motor-driven vertical type injection molding apparatus increases. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Remote direct memory access (RDMA) is increasingly utilized to facilitate high throughput, low latency data transfers between computing devices. With RDMA, data can be written directly to, or read directly from, memory of another computing device using a network adapter and without using an operating system or requiring any context switches. Accordingly, data communications can occur relatively quickly and in parallel with other system operations. In one particular example, storage controller computing devices in storage networks can leverage RDMA to perform high speed, low latency data mirroring to facilitate high availability, although there are many other exemplary uses of RDMA in storage networks and other types of computing environments.
Currently, the OpenFabrics Alliance (OFA) distributes an OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution (OFED) software stack that provides a standard software framework and application programming interface (API) that facilitates use of RDMA services by client applications. However, OFED only supports a limited number of transport protocols for communicating data using RDMA, such as InfiniBand, Internet Wide Area RDMA Protocol (iWARP), and RDMA Over Converged Ethernet (RoCE).
Accordingly, only certain specialized hardware RDMA capable devices configured to communicate according to the supported protocols can be used to provide RDMA services in combination with an OFED software stack. In particular, relatively generic DMA capable peripheral component interconnect (PCI) devices, such as non-transparent bridges or non-volatile memory (NVM), cannot be utilized in combination with the OFED stack without significant rewriting of existing RDMA client applications. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A ligament, such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), that has ruptured and is non-repairable, is generally replaced arthroscopically by a tissue graft. The tissue graft can be harvested from a portion of a patellar tendon having so called “bone blocks” at each end, and from the semitendonosis and gracilis. Alternatively, the tissue graft can be formed from synthetic materials or from a combination of synthetic and natural materials.
The replacement tissue graft is implanted by securing one end of the tissue graft in a socket formed in a passage within the femur, and passing the other end of the graft through a passage formed in the tibia. Generally, sutures are used to affix each end of the tissue graft to a fastener (e.g., an interference screw or a post), which is then secured to the bone.
It is also known to use a graft fixation member, e.g., a fixation button, to secure the tissue graft at the femoral cortex, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,301 (“the '301 patent”) hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The graft fixation member is coupled to the tissue graft and a suture, or other pulling means, is used to pull the fixation member/tissue graft combination through the bone tunnel. However, these fixation members can be cumbersome to use, due to the hole and suture loop placements on the member making it difficult to pass the graft through the tunnel. In addition, the member comes in various sizes, which makes it difficult to center the member on the top opening of the femoral tunnel. Furthermore, as the member is being drawn through the bone tunnel, the member frequently rotates off-axis, rather than maintaining a generally longitudinal orientation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric material, a method of manufacturing the piezoelectric material, and a piezoelectric device using the material. More specifically, the present invention relates to a perovskite-type orientation piezoelectric material and a method of manufacturing thereof, in particular, to a lead-free piezoelectric material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Piezoelectric devices are devices for converting electric energy into mechanical energy, i.e., a mechanical displacement, stress or vibration, or is a device for converting in the opposite direction. Piezoelectric devices are used for ultrasonic motors, ink jet heads, and the like.
Many piezoelectric materials which are used for piezoelectric devices are called PZT, and are oxides containing lead (Pb), zirconium (Zr), and titanium (Ti). Therefore, for addressing an environmental problem, a piezoelectric material containing no lead (lead-free piezoelectric material) is being developed.
As a promising lead-free piezoelectric material, there is known a material obtained by domain engineering after controlling orientation of BaTiO3, so that the piezoelectric property is improved (S. Wada, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 46, No. 10B, 2007, pp. 7039-7043). Domain engineering requires a polycrystal in (110) orientation of its micro-grains.
On the other hand, as a promising lead-free piezoelectric material having MPB composition similar to PZT, there is known xBi(Mg1/3Ti2/3)O3-(1-x)BaTi3 (0≦x≦1), which has been synthesized only as a thin-film single crystal (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-98627). The thin-film single crystal has no grains in general, and therefore domain engineering is inapplicable to the same. From a viewpoint of charge balance, as a lead-free piezoelectric material having the same element structure, Bi(Mg1/2T1/2)O3-(1-x)BaTiO3 (0≦x≦1) (hereinafter, also referred to as “BMT-BT”, which also may be written with numerals indicating a composition ratio of BMT to BT) is rather stable, and it is preferred to obtain a BMT-BT bulk material.
However, a solid solution of Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3 and BaTiO3 has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to disperse the raw material powder sufficiently when they are mixed and sintered, and an undesired phase, which may be referred to as a “secondary” phase, other than perovskite may easily be formed. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a bulk material. Thus, there has been no reported example of a bulk material of BMT-BT. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ion source for generating a ribbon-like ion beam (may be referred to as sheet-like or belt-like, the same holds for the following description). The ion beam dimension in the Y direction in a plane substantially orthogonal to a traveling direction is larger than the dimension in the X direction substantially orthogonal to the Y direction, an ion implantation apparatus including the same ion source, and an ion implantation method in the ion implantation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an example of a ribbon-like ion beam 2 whose dimension WY in the Y direction in a plane substantially orthogonal to the traveling direction Z is larger than the dimension WX in the X direction substantially orthogonal to the Y direction.
In JP-A-2002-334662 (Paragraph 0002-0012, FIG. 12), a Bernas-type ion source is described in which filaments and a reflecting electrode are opposed across a longitudinal direction of an ion extraction slit, and in a direction along an axis connecting these (that is, along the longitudinal direction of the ion extraction slit), an applied magnetic field is described. By setting the longitudinal direction of the ion extraction slit of this ion source as the Y direction, it is possible that a ribbon-like ion beam with a larger dimension in the Y direction as described above may be generated.
To realize uniform ion implantation into, for example, a large-sized target by using the above-described ion source, it is necessary that the dimension of the ribbon-like ion beam to be generated (extracted) from the ion source is increased and the uniformity of the beam current density distribution in the Y direction is improved. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the dimension in the Y direction of a plasma generating vessel of the ion source and improve the uniformity of the plasma density distribution in the Y direction in the plasma generating vessel.
However, if the plasma generating vessel becomes larger, the plasma density distribution in the plasma generating vessel inevitably becomes nonuniform, so that it is difficult to extract an ion beam with a uniform beam current density distribution in the Y direction.
If it is attempted to perform control to make uniform the plasma density distribution in the plasma generating vessel by some method, in a related ion source, a magnetic field is applied along the Y direction and the influence of the magnetic field spreads over in the Y direction, so that it is difficult to partially control the plasma density in the Y direction, and therefore, it is difficult to improve the uniformity of the plasma density distribution in the Y direction. In other words, the magnetic field along the Y direction makes it difficult to control the plasma density distribution in the Y direction. However, if the application of the magnetic field is stopped, the electron confinement by the magnetic fields becomes impossible, so that the plasma generation efficiency lowers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projection type image display apparatus EL element such as a projector, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional projection type display normally uses a liquid crystal panel or micromirror device as a light modulation device for switching, projects a light pattern selected by controlling transmission, shielding or deflection of light onto a screen, and thereby displays the image on the screen.
When a liquid crystal panel or micromirror device is used as a light modulation device on the above-described display, it is assumed that shielded light is regarded as unnecessary energy and absorbed by a polarization element or light absorption medium and eliminated. Therefore, to brighten a displayed image, a metal halide or high-pressure mercury lamp is used as a light source, but there are additional problems that a high voltage needs to be used as a light source voltage and the light source produces high heat.
As a method for fundamentally solving such low efficiency of energy usage, there are proposals disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11(1999)-67448(corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,423) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-66301. In the above-described two proposals, an electroluminescence (EL) panel (hereinafter referred to as “organic EL panel”) on which organic electroluminescence elements (hereinafter referred to as “organic EL elements”) are arranged in matrix form is used, light emission of each organic EL element of this organic EL panel is driven based on image signals and light from each organic EL element is projected onto a display target object through a projection optical system to display an image.
Since the organic EL element is a self-light-emitting element, there is no need for any separate illumination light source. Furthermore, the organic EL panel can perform light emission based on image information, and therefore there is no need for a transmission type liquid crystal panel, etc. Therefore, it is possible to use the light obtained for displays effectively. The organic EL element can therefore easily display images with lower power without generating unnecessary light energy. Furthermore, since the organic EL panel alone can output images, the apparatus structure is simple and it is easy to reduce the size and weight of the apparatus.
On the other hand, with respect to the characteristic of a projection lens, the above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11(1999)-67448 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-66301 do not disclose any projection lens which is telecentric toward the light source, which captures a light beam in the direction of the normal line of light beams emitted from emission pixels with emission directivity having maximum emission intensity in the direction perpendicular to the emitting surface of the organic EL element at the center of an incident pupil of the projection lens.
In the case of a liquid crystal panel, in order to prevent contrast of image information from reducing, it is necessary to project images using a projection lens which is telecentric toward the liquid crystal light panel. Furthermore, when a micromirror device is used as a light modulation device, the deflection angles of the respective micromirrors are all the same, therefore to capture the light modulated and reflected it is necessary to project images using a projection lens which is telecentric toward the micromirror device. That is, in these cases, projection lenses characterized by being telecentric toward the modulation panel are necessarily used.
Furthermore, as disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H1(1999)-67448, in the case where a light resonance structure made up of a metal electrode in the organic EL element structure and a multilayer dielectric interference reflecting mirror provided outside a transparent electrode facing this metal electrode is used to enhance directivity of the emission characteristic of light, the emission wavelength changes depending on the angle of emission, and therefore it is essential to capture light using a projection lens which is telecentric toward the organic EL element.
Here, when organic EL element having no such light resonance structure is used as an image modulation light-emitting element, a system which captures light using the projection lens which is telecentric toward the organic EL element may be considered as an ideal system for the purpose of capturing a maximum amount of light emitted from the element.
However, when the actual projection system is constructed, the above-described projection lens having a telecentric characteristic has difficulty in keeping the vignetting factor of the pupil at 100% from the standpoint of the design as the object height from the optical axis, that is, the distance of the light-emitting position of the organic EL element from the optical axis increases. For this reason, a design that decreases the vignetting factor as the object height increases is adopted in pursuit of compactness and low cost of lenses.
With regard to a reduction of vignetting factor, that is, increase of vignetting, it is an actual situation that when the field angle of a projection type image display apparatus is as wide as 20 degrees or wider, the vignetting factor due to increase of vignetting becomes 50% or less.
It is not impossible to design a projection lens with a characteristic having vignetting factor of 100% or higher without producing the vignetting. However, this will increase the size of the lens itself and increase manufacturing cost accordingly. Therefore, using a projection lens telecentric toward the organic EL element does not necessarily mean effectively projecting light emitted from the organic EL element and displaying a bright image.
Furthermore, when the organic EL element is caused to emit light continuously at high brightness, the brightness deteriorates notably. There are various causes for this, but one of major causes is that the current supplied to drive the organic EL element produces heat and when this heat is accumulated, the temperature of the element increases, which changes the structure or characteristic of the organic thin film and the luminance efficiency deteriorates gradually.
Thus, the organic EL element is expected to have improved durability through the development of materials at lower cost and improvements in the structure and driving method, etc.
However, when the organic EL element is used as an image modulation light source for the projection type image display apparatus, it is not necessary to widen the angle of visibility to make the organic EL element directly visible from all directions, and not all isotropic light beams emitted from the organic EL element are required, either. Thus, it is necessary to increase the amount of light captured by the projection leans and projected onto a diffusive object such as a screen. It is therefore possible to increase the ratio of light emitted which is captured by the pupil of the projection lens and reduce the ratio of unnecessary emitted light.
Thus, adopting a structure that consequently requires only a small amount of light emitted from the organic EL element can reduce the amount of charge carriers injected into the organic EL element, reduce the amount of heating of the element, suppress variations in the structure or characteristic of the organic thin film and slow down the speed at which the luminance efficiency deteriorates.
On the other hand, as the one capable of improving only directivity of light emitted from the organic EL element, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-277266 discloses the following proposal. That is, when the organic EL element is used as a flat even illumination light source, the spread of directivity of light emission is suppressed using a prism layer called a “light condensing layer” to improve the directivity of light emission.
However, when the organic EL element is used as an image modulation light emission source, if there is no positional correlation between pixels making up the image and the prism layer, directivities of light emission are not unified into a certain direction. Furthermore, when the luminescent layer is distant from the prism layer, optical crosstalk occurs between pixels, which causes the image to be displayed as multiple images or deteriorates contrast.
Furthermore, when the organic EL element is used as a direct-view type image modulation light emission source, that is, in a system in which light directly enters the eyes from a light source such as a direct-view type display, head up display, head mounted display, etc., a brightness distribution in the light emission direction by a microprism becomes discontinuous, which produces variations in brightness and causes the image to be displayed with glare.
Furthermore, in the actual technological stage, light emission brightness of the organic EL element itself is still insufficient to be used for a display apparatus for enlarged projections when an element with a single-plate two-dimensional structure of three primary colors RGB (red, green, blue) is used. For this reason, it is more realistic to use a method whereby modulations of RGB colors are handled by their respective organic EL elements, three RGB colors are combined to compensate for the amount of light projected. This requires a dichroic wavelength-combining prism having a dichroic waveband separating film (hereinafter referred to as “dichroic film”) to combine RGB three primary color beams (color-combination).
Thus, a cross dichroic prism with a crisscross arrangement of dichroic films is most effective and generally used as a dichroic wavelength-combining prism having a projection lens with shorter back focus, which is effective in increasing brightness of the projection lens and widening the angle of projection.
However, since the organic EL element emits light without directivity by recombination of excitons, the emission characteristic of light emitted out of the film structure which forms the organic EL element has a spherical emission characteristic from the emission plane of the element. For this reason, when beams are combined using a cross dichroic prism with conventional dichroic films orthogonally arranged, the deflecting plane of which has a square section, the light emitted from the emission plane of the organic EL element in an oblique direction is partially reflected on neighboring mutually orthogonal planes of incidence of the cross dichroic prism, enters the projection lens and is likely to be displayed outside the image projection region of an object such as a screen as a ghost image.
Examples of remedial actions for this problem include application of black painting or diffusion treatment to the prism surface or coating of an anti-reflection film to areas that cannot be painted or treated. However, when light is reflected on the neighboring mutually orthogonal planes of the prism body, the angle of incidence is shallow with respect to the plane, and therefore reflectance on the interface is high and treatment of the interface cannot achieve significant ghost prevention effects.
On the other hand, as disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1999-67448, even when directivity of a light emission characteristic is enhanced by a light resonance structure made up of a metal electrode in the organic EL element structure and the multilayer dielectric interference reflecting mirror placed outside the transparent electrode facing the metal electrode, it is characterized in that the emission wavelength varies depending on the emission direction and the half-value angle of emission intensity ranges approximately 30° to 40° at a half angle. Thus, even if a F number of the projection lens is set to approximately 1.5, the angle of incidence captured by the projection lens is a little less than 20°, which does not provide directivity enough to avoid reflections on the neighboring mutually orthogonal planes of the prism. | {
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Rechargeable batteries are being designed for and used in varied applications with different requirements for electrical energy. The rechargeable battery systems comprise rechargeable cells which receive electrical energy during charging operations and supply electrical energy to a load during discharging operations. Rechargeable cells may have different chemistries and may include Lithium Ion cells in one example. The number of rechargeable cells used in different applications is varied depending upon the requirements of the load, and the number of cells may be numerous in some implementations, for example, transportation implementations.
Some rechargeable cells may be subject to failure in the field. The failure may render not only the individual cell inoperable but may also render other cells of the battery inoperable even though the other cells may not have failed. The number of cells which are inoperable may reach a point where the battery fails or is otherwise unable to meet the demands of the load. Depending upon the configuration of the battery, replacement of the inoperable cell(s) may not be possible rendering the battery inoperable.
Aspects of the present disclosure described herein are directed to improved rechargeable batteries, battery systems, and electrical energy storage and supply methods. | {
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Mobile communication devices, such as cellular telephones, two-way pagers, and wireless enabled personal digital assistants, have become mainstream. Through the use of one of these mobile communication devices, a person is accessible for participating in interactive communication as they engage in their daily activities. As a result, people are now more accessible than ever.
However, as a result of being more accessible, people are also now more unavailable for participating personally in interactive communication. In many instances, even though a person is accessible for communication, it is often inconvenient or inappropriate for the person to personally engage in interactive communication. For example, while in a meeting, a person may be accessible via their mobile communication device. However, during the meeting and for any number of reasons, it may be inappropriate or inconvenient for the person to attend personally and interactively to an inbound communication. This may be the case even though it is a telephone call or text message that the person needs to or would like to respond personally and immediately.
Call waiting, call return, voice mail, electronic assistants and unified messaging systems illustrate examples of conventional communication solutions. Such conventional communication solutions are limited in their ability to facilitate an interactive communication activity in a personalized, time-sensitive and dynamic manner when one or more participants associated with the interactive communication activity are precluded from attending personally to the interactive communication activity. Specifically, conventional solutions help with call filtering (e.g., via caller id or electronic communication assistants). These conventional solutions do not address the process of actually communicating with another party beyond facilitating manual intervention on the subscriber's part or call redirection (e.g., call forwarding or divert, follow-me). That is, they may result in a communication being redirected to another device, but do not is interactively and dynamically assist with the actual communication dialog.
Therefore, a method for enabling interactive communication to be facilitated in a manner that overcomes the limitations of such conventional communication solutions would be useful. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer systems and, in particular, to stack-based memory architectures.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A typical computing system includes a processing unit and a memory unit. Most computing systems use a random access memory architecture for the memory unit. However, some computing systems use a stack architecture for the memory unit. For example, FIG. 1 shows a stack-based computing system 100 coupled to a stack 110. A classical stack memory unit uses a last in first out access model. Conceptually, new data entering a stack memory unit is placed on top of the existing data, i.e., in the next available memory location. If data is requested from the stack, the last piece of data "on top of" the stack is retrieved first. For certain applications, stack-based memory architectures provide several advantages over random access memory architectures. For example, a stack memory architecture is well suited for a calculator using RPN notation.
Stack 110 of stack-based computing system 100 is primarily used as a repository of information for methods, e.g., subroutines or threads. At any point in time, stack-based computing system 100 is executing a single method, i.e. the current method. Each method has memory space, i.e., a method frame on stack 110. Stack-based computing system 100 allocates a new method frame, e.g., method frame D 210, upon a method invocation. The new method becomes the current method frame, i.e., the method frame of the current method. Current method frame D 210, as well as the other method frames, may contain various frame components such as object references, incoming arguments, local variables, the invoker's method context, an operand stack, and a return value from the method. The specific frame components in a particular method frame depend on various method invoking situations.
In FIG. 2, object reference, incoming arguments, and local variables are included in arguments and local variables area 211. The invoker's method context is included in execution environment 222, sometimes called frame state, that in turn may include: a return program counter value that is the address of the virtual machine instruction, e.g., JAVA opcode, next to the method invoke instruction; a return frame that is the location of the calling method's frame; a return constant pool pointer that is a pointer to the calling method's constant pool table; a current method vector that is the base address of the current method's vector table; and a current monitor address that is the address of the current method's monitor. Although FIG. 2 depicts each method frame separately, some embodiments of stack-based computing system 100 use overlapping method frames. For example, if method D embodied by method frame D 210 was invoked by method C embodied by method frame C 220, method C would place many of the arguments and local variables for method D on the operand stack of method frame C. Therefore, in some embodiments of stack 110, a portion of the operand stack of one method is also a portion of the arguments and local variables area of another method frame.
The performance of some stack-based computing systems, such as the JAVA virtual machine, improves if the stack-based memory system supports data access to other portions of the stack in addition to the top of the stack. For example, in executing method D variables from arguments and local variables area 211 may often be required. One method to provide access to portions of the stack other than the top of the stack is to use a multi-ported stack cache. For example, a stack cache can be used to store a top portion of the stack. The stack cache then provides standard pushing and popping at the top of the stack as well as an input/output port to access other data in the stack cache. An implementation of a stack cache is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/787,736, entitled "METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR STACK CACHING" naming Marc Tremblay and James Michael O'Connor as inventors, assigned to the assignee of this application, and filed on Jan. 23, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further details of a pipelined stack cache is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/829,105, entitled "PIPELINED STACK CACHING METHOD" naming Sailendra Koppala as inventor, assigned to the assignee of this application, and filed on Mar. 31, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
However, a stack cache has a limited number of memory locations. As programs for stack-based computing systems evolve, methods on stack-based computing systems are becoming more complex. For example, application programs such as word processors are being adapted to the JAVA virtual machine, which is a stack-based computing system. These complex methods may use an operand stack greater than the capacity of the stack cache. Therefore, the arguments and local variables area of the current method frame may not be available in the stack cache. Hence, there is a need for a memory architecture providing benefits of a stack with the ability to provide easy access to multiple locations in the memory architecture. | {
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AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a deadly disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which is a retrovirus. Despite intense research for nearly twenty years, a cure for AIDS has not yet been developed. Present treatments increase the life expectancy of AIDS patients, but extremely high mortality rates continue.
The expression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is controlled by a post-transcriptional mechanism. From a single primary transcript several mRNAs are generated. These RNAs can be divided into three main classes: unspliced 9-kb, singly spliced 4-kb and the multiply spliced 2-kb RNAs. Each of these RNAs is exported to the cytoplasm for translation and, in the case of the 9 kb RNA, for packaging into virions (Kingsman and Kingsman, 1996; the publications and other materials used herein to illuminate the background of the invention or provide additional details respecting the practice, are incorporated by reference, and for convenience are respectively grouped in the appended List of References). Normally, pre-mRNAs must undergo a splicing process to remove one or more introns before being exported to the cytoplasm. HIV overcomes this limitation, allowing singly spliced and unspliced RNA to be exported via interaction with its own encoded Rev protein. Rev is responsible for the expression and cytoplasmic accumulation of the singly spliced and unspliced viral mRNAs by direct interaction with a target sequence (Rev response element or RRE) present in these mRNAs. This regulatory protein binds an RNA stem-loop structure (the RRE) located within the env coding region of singly spliced and unspliced HIV RNAs (Zapp and Green, 1989; Cochrane et al., 1990; D′Agostino et al., 1995; Malim et al., 1990). Binding of Rev to this element promotes the export, stability and translation of these HIV-1 RNAs (Arrigo and Chen, 1991; D′Agostino et al., 1992; Emerman et al., 1989; Feinberg et al., 1986; Felber et al., 1989; Hammarskj old et al., 1989; Lawrence et al., 1991; Schwartz et al., 1992; Malim et al., 1989; Favaro et al., 1999; Hope, 1999). The export process is mediated by the nuclear export signal (NES) of Rev which is a leucine rich region which binds the receptor exportin 1/CRM1 which mediates the export of the viral RNA. It is believed that CRM1 bridges the interaction of Rev with the nucleoporins required for export to the cytoplasm (Hope, 1999).
When Rev and Tat are expressed independently of other HIV transcripts, these proteins localize within the nucleolus of human cells (Cullen et al., 1988; Luznik et al., 1995; Dundr et al., 1995; Endo et al., 1989; Siomi et al., 1990; Stauber and Pavlakis, 1998). The simultaneous presence of a nuclear export signal (NES) as well as a nuclear import/localization signal (NLS) confers upon Rev the ability to shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm (Hope, 1999). The Rev protein preferentially accumulates in the nucleolus in Rev-expressing cells (in the absence of RRE-containing RNA) and in the early phase of HIV infection (Dundr et al., 1995; Luznik et al., 1995). The reason for this specific sub-cellular localization is unknown. One possibility is that the nucleolus functions as the storage site for the Rev protein. Another and more compelling alternative, is that the Rev protein moves from the nucleus to the cytoplasm through the nucleolus. There is evidence that in the nucleolus Rev recruits nucleoporins Nup 98 and Nup 214 via hCRM1 (Zolotukhin and Felber, 1999). These results suggest a Rev-hCRM1-nucleoporins committed or pre-committed cytoplasmic export complex assembles in the nucleolus, and that the nucleolus can play a critical role in the Rev function.
To date, published data concerning nucleolar localization of HIV-1 RNAs are inconclusive. Using electron microscopy and in situ hybridization, Romanov et al. (1997) detected a subgenomic mRNA expressing the HIV-1p37gag (containing the RRE element) in all the subcellular compartments (including the nucleoli) of HL Tat cells. Interestingly, they observed that the expression of Rev induced relocalization of HW RNAs into two nonrandom patterns. One of these, the long track in the nucleoplasm, was radially organized around and in contact with the nucleoli. Other investigators using in situ hybridization analyses performed on mammalian cell lines transfected with different HIV-1 subgenomic or genomic constructs failed to detect HIV-1 RNA in the nucleolus (Zhang et al., 1996; Boe et al., 1998; Favaro et al., 1998; Favaro et al., 1999). The discrepancy in these results might be due to the different HIV-1 constructs, cell lines, and in situ hybridization protocols used by the various investigators. Furthermore, it should be taken into consideration that RNA export is a dynamic process; the rate of export as well as the amount of the HIV-1 RNA passing through the nucleolus can be limiting factors for in situ hybridization-mediated detection of nucleolar localized transcripts.
Ribozymes are RNA molecules that behave as enzymes, severing other RNAs at specific sites into smaller pieces. The hammerhead ribozyme is the simplest in terms of size and structure and can readily be engineered to perform intermolecular cleavage on targeted RNA molecules. These properties make this ribozyme a useful tool for inactivating gene expression, ribozymes being very effective inhibitors of gene expression when they are colocalized with their target RNAs (Sullenger and Cech, 1993; Samarsky et al., 1999). They may be valuable therapeutic tools for repairing cellular RNAs transcribed from mutated genes or for destroying unwanted viral RNA transcripts in the cell. However, targeting ribozymes to the cellular compartment containing their target RNAs has proved a challenge. Now, Samarsky et al. (1999) report that a family of small RNAs in the nucleolus (snoRNAs) can readily transport ribozymes into this subcellular organelle.
Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are small, stable RNAs that stably accumulate in the nucleolus of eukaryotic cells. There are two major classes of snoRNA, each with its own highly conserved sequence motif. Both classes are involved in the post-transcriptional modification of the ribosomal RNA. The C/D box snoRNAs regulate 2′-O-methylation of the ribose sugars of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and the H/ACA box snoRNAs guide pseudouridylation of rRNA uridine bases. A few snoRNAs also participate in processing precursor rRNA transcripts (Lafontaine and Tollervey, 1998; Weinstein and Steitz, 1999; Pederson, 1998). Most snoRNAs are transcribed and processed in the nucleus, although some may be synthesized in the nucleolus (the nuclear site of rRNA synthesis). It has been reported that the C and D boxes are important for stability, processing and nucleolar localization. In particular it has been demonstrated that an artificial RNA bearing the two boxes can be delivered into the nucleolus.
Samarsky et al. chose yeast for their experiments because the requirements for trafficking of a specific snoRNA (called U3) are well understood in this organism. They showed that nucleolar localization of the yeast U3 snoRNA was primarily dependent on the presence of the C/D box motif (Samarsky et al., 1998). The investigators appended a test ribozyme to the 5′ end of U3, and then inserted its RNA target sequence into the same location in a separate U3 construct. So both the ribozyme and its target were expressed in separate, modified U3 snoRNAs. The snoRNA-ribozyme molecule (called a snorbozyme) and its U3-tethered target were transported into the nucleolus. Here the ribozyme cleaved its target RNA with almost 100% efficiency.
Three crucial prerequisites for effective ribozyme action are (i) colocalization of the ribozyme and its RNA target in the same place, (ii) accessibility of the cleavage site in the target RNA to pairing with the ribozyme, and (iii) high levels of ribozyme relative to target RNA (Sullenger and Cech, 1993; Lee et al., 1999). The importance of colocalization was first demonstrated by tethering a ribozyme to the packaging signal (psi) of a murine retroviral vector and showing that copackaging of the ribozyme with a psi-tethered target resulted in greater than 90% reduction in viral infectivity (Sullenger and Cech, 1993).
Samarsky and colleagues used a clever method to assay ribozyme activity based on the rate of appearance of one of the two cleavage products (see the figure in Rossi, 1999a). The RNA target tethered to U3 is stable, with a half-life of over 90 minutes, and its cleavage by the ribozyme generates two products: a short, rapidly degraded 5′ fragment and a 5′ extended form of the U3 snoRNA. The 5′ extension itself gets degraded, leaving intact the U3 hairpin, which is quite stable and easily distinguished from endogenous U3. Taking advantage of the accumulation of this stable product, the investigators were able to measure the kinetics of ribozyme cleavage in vivo. By using similar assay systems, it is possible to analyze ribozyme cleavage kinetics for virtually any ribozyme-substrate combination under physiological conditions.
There are plenty of applications for snorbozymes, particularly as the nucleolus is proving to be more than just the place where rRNA is synthesized. For example, precursor transfer RNAs (Bertrand et al., 1998), RNA encoding the enzyme telomerase, signal recognition particle RNAs, and U6 snRNAs all pass through the nucleolus where they are either processed or receive base and/or backbone modifications (Weinstein and Steitz, 1999). Several RNAs have been reported to pass through the nucleolus for processing, particle assembly, or other modification (Pederson, 1998). These include c-myc, N-myc, and myoD1 mRNAs (Bond and Wold, 1993), the signal recognition particle RNA (Jacobson and Pederson, 1998; Politz et al., 2000), U6 small nuclear RNA (Tycowski et al., 1998), some pre-tRNAs in yeast (Bertrand et al., 1998), and the RNAse P RNA (Jacobson et al., 1997). There is also evidence that telomerase RNA is processed within the nucleolus (Mitchell et al., 1999; Narayanan et al., 1999b). Transcription and replication of the neurotropic Boma disease virus have also been shown to occur within the nucleolus (Pyper et al., 1998). Importantly, the HTLV-1 env RNAs have been demonstrated to be partially localized in the nucleolus (Kalland et al., 1991). HTLV-1 and HIV-1 have a similar posttranscriptional regulation mechanism, and the Rex protein, a functional homolog of HIV-1 Rev, also has nucleolar localization properties. Viral proteins such as HIV's Rev and Tat and HTLV-1's Rex accumulate in this subcellular organelle (Stauber and Pavlakis, 1998; Siomi et al., 1988; Cullen et al., 1988). Rev is a crucial regulatory protein that shuttles unspliced viral RNA from the nucleolus into the cytoplasm. Recent findings show that Rev itself is transported out of the nucleolus by binding to a Rev-binding element in a U16 snoRNA (Buonomo et al., 1999). Using a snoRNA to localize a ribozyme that targets viral RNA to the nucleolus may be an effective therapeutic strategy to combat HIV. Ribozymes, antisense RNAs, and RNA decoys that bind Rev or Tat may be more effective in the nucleolus than in other regions of the nucleus or cytoplasm. SnoRNA chimeras harboring ribozymes or protein-binding elements should prove valuable not only therapeutically but also for elucidating why certain RNAs and proteins traffic through the nucleolus. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and, more specifically, to sun visor covers fitable to any size vehicular sun visor that serves to display personalized ornamental designs for motor vehicle sun visors when placed in a downward positioning.
The present invention concerns itself with the cost effective, personalized, ornamentation of a vehicle's sun visors by employing a sun visor cover that fits any vehicle sun visor, square, rectangular, oval or circular in shape and having personalized ornamental designs on its front surface. The sun visor cover provides elastic strips that allows it to be stretched and slipped over a vehicles sun visor, then the visor material is wrapped around the visor and secured by Velcro means. A sun visor mirror flap is provided, having a pocket that is sealed by means of Velcro. The pocket can be mesh, see through plastic or fabric. To utilize the visor mirror, the flap is separated from its mating Velcro and lifted to reveal the mirror. When attached to a sun visor, the sun visor cover has indicia on at least the front surface which is visible through the windshield of the vehicle when in the down position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other covering devices designed for sun visors. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,114 issued to Peterson on Apr. 5, 1960.
Another patent was issued to Moynihan on Mar. 14, 1972 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,068. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,428 was issued to Cohen on May 7, 1974 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 29, 1997 to Lacy et al as U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,577.
Another patent was issued to Collet et al on Oct. 19, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,587. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,108 was issued to Nicol on May 15, 2001. Another was issued to Whiting et al on Jun. 20, 2002 as U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0074838 and still yet another was published on May 16, 2006 to Schaad as U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,531.
Another patent was issued to Runfola on May 15, 2007 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,918. Yet another Germany Patent No. DE3634937 was issued to Hessling on Apr. 21, 1988. Another was issued to Battaglia on Nov. 10, 1993 as European Patent Application No. EP 0628451 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 13, 1995 to Nerusu as Japan Patent No. JP149178. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective cases for portable electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a protective case for portable electronic devices which can provide a protective function focused on the periphery of a portable electronic device, facilitate the operation of coupling the protective case to the electronic device or removing it therefrom, and reliably maintain its coupled state.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable electronic devices refer not only to smartphones, such as I-phones, Android phones, etc., but also to different kinds of electronic devices, for example, electronic dictionary devices, MP3 players, game players, and so on. Though there are a variety of portable electronic devices, among them, so-called bar-type devices, which have a display panel on the front thereof, have recently been gaining popularity.
The display panels of such portable electronic devices are generally vulnerable to impact, so if the devices drop onto the ground, it may cause problems, for example, of damage to the display panels. Therefore, protective cases are typically used to protect the portable electronic devices from impact.
Such protective cases for portable electronic devices are developing along with the growth of portable electronic devices. Rather than a type that covered the entire area of a portable electronic device as in the past, a bumper style protective case, which wraps the periphery of the portable electronic device while allowing the front surface of the electronic device to be open, has recently been gathering popularity.
Such bumper style protective cases are classified into two kinds: one is made of an elastic material such as rubber or the like and wraps the periphery of a portable electronic device; and the other includes two bodies that are made of a material that is harder than rubber and can be removably coupled to each other.
The former has an integrated structure, making the use thereof easy, but if the elasticity of the rubber becomes weak, it may stretch and not be able to come into close contact with a portable electronic device, thus reducing the lifetime thereof.
On the other hand, the latter can mitigate the problem of rubber being stretched as time goes by, but because it is typically configured such that locking parts are formed at left and right sides on two bodies of the protective case at the same level, the locking of the locking parts is undesirably easily released by a force that is applied to the protective case in the longitudinal direction. In addition, coupling two bodies to each other or separating them from each other is far from convenient.
Therefore, an improved protective case is required, which particularly wraps the periphery of a bar-type portable electronic device to protect the device, and that can not only facilitate coupling the protective case to the device, but can also enhance the durability thereof.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for performing a self diagnosis of a device without the inconvenience caused when manually selecting a self diagnosis item from a computer or a user interface | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a blend of a polyolefin or polyester and a melt processable low molecular weight liquid crystalline compound.
U.K. Published Patent Application 2,008,598 discloses a polymer composition comprising 20 percent or less, based upon the total weight of polymeric material, of a first rigid polymeric material with the balance being a second polymeric material composed substantially of flexible molecular chains. The first polymeric material is dispersed in the second polymeric material in a microscope region of one um. or less. Foreign counterparts of this application include Japanese application No. 54065747, French application No. 2407956, West German application No. 2847782, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,218.
European Patent Application No. 0030417 discloses the addition of a liquid crystalline polymer to at least one other melt processable polymer (e.g., a polyester) to improve the melt processability thereof. British Patent Application No. 8017685 discloses the addition of a liquid crystalline polymer to polytetrafluoroethylene. British Patent Application No. 8035800 describes the addition of a liquid crystalline polymer to a nonliquid crystalline polymer.
It is, however, desirable, to provide a method by which the viscosity of melt processable polymers such as polyolefins and polyesters can be modified while minimizing the effect upon the mechanical properties of the polymer by addition of nonpolymeric compounds thereto. Such viscosity modification will desirably result in processing and/or productivity advantages such as lower processing temperatures and pressures, faster extrusion rates, etc. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for managing failure in an autonomous navigation system, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for managing failure in an autonomous navigation system that enables the autonomous navigation of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among other technologies required by autonomous vehicles that can accomplish a given task in various circumstances, autonomous navigation technology that helps a vehicle move to a destination along a safe and optimal path has been developed. The autonomous navigation technology of an unmanned vehicle is configured as a global path-planning (GPP) and a local path-planning (LPP) based on a detecting area of sensors installed within the unmanned vehicle.
The global path-planning is a deliberate tier which sets a path to a destination in an off-line state, taking into consideration large scale topographic characteristics such as mountains and lakes and risk of a task based on digital elevation map (DEM)/digital surface map (DSM) and feature database (FDB) previously provided. Further, the local path-planning is a more responsive tier which extracts topographic information such as degrees of slopes, roughness and various obstacle information from a world modeling data having a range of tens of meters most recently acquired by various sensors, and sets a path to the next stopover point created in the global path-planning in real-time in view of safety and stability by utilizing the information.
When failure occurs in such an autonomous navigation system, the driving mode may be to manual driving mode. In other words, control may be switched from the autonomous navigation vehicle to a driver to allow the driver to drive the autonomous navigation vehicle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a method for locating and marking the optimum position of the centre of a hole for receiving a stoma in stomal hernia support garment, especially stomal hernia support trousers and a set for use for locating and marking the optimum position of the centre of a hole for receiving a stoma in stomal hernia support garment.
In connection with surgery for a number of diseases in the gastrointestinal tract a consequence is, in many cases, that the colon, the ileum or the urethra has been exposed surgically and the patient is left with an abdominal stoma. Such artificial openings or fistulae cannot be controlled at will and are therefore of necessity incontinent and the effluents or waste products of the body, which are conveyed through these organs, are discharged through the artificial orifice or opening and are collected in a collection bag. Said bag which is usually adhered to the skin by means of an adhesive wafer or plate having an inlet opening for accommodating the stoma. Such appliances may be two-piece or one-piece appliances. In both types of appliances, a body side member is attached to the wearer's abdomen, and a receiving member or bag is attached to the body side ostomy member for receiving exudates from the stoma. Said receiving in case of a two-piece appliance.
In many instances patients having had a surgery resulting in the formation of a stoma, an accompanying condition is formation of a peristomal bulge or hernia, which may complicate the bandaging of the stoma and even require further surgery. Even if further surgery is carried out there is a considerable risk of a permanent condition, which cannot be alleviated.
In such cases, the patient will have to rely on an additional hernia support for a mechanical reposition of the bulge or hernia for reducing the risk of constriction or strangulation calling for urgent surgery and for providing a plane surface around the stoma for application of a collecting appliance in order to secure a proper adherence and sealing. Stomal bulge or hernia supports are commonly known and may e.g. be in the form of a belt of e.g. of leather with buckles or in the form of a support garment made from an elastic fabric being able to apply a sufficient pressure around the stoma.
In the case of a colostomy and in case the ostomate is normally irrigating, a minor cap or collecting bag may be used which enables the use of a firm support belt or tight compression briefs for providing a sufficient pressure around the stoma. For ileostomates or urostomates this procedure is not practicable due to the constant rather high output from the ileum or bladder and for urostomates it may be critical to provide a free flow from the stoma in order to prevent a build-up of a backpressure, which may destroy the kidneys.
In such cases, it is highly desirable or mandatory to give access to a larger collecting volume, which means that the collecting bag itself will have to be situated outside the pressure establishing belt or briefs and that a passageway through the same has to be established.
Determination of the site for placing the stoma is normally carried out prior to the operation after observing the patient in different postures, e.g. sitting, standing and bending over, finding the less critical area. WO 00/67683 discloses a device for use in the determination of the optimum position of a stoma-to-be for the patient in question.
As the placing of a stoma is not standardised but depends on the condition and the topography of the abdominal area of the patient, it is not possible to provide a simple selection of standard bulge or hernia supports having passageways fitting the majority of patients. The passageways must be precisely tailored according to the actual conditions of the individual patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
DK Patent Application No. PA 1999 01559 discloses a stomal hernial support compression garment in the form of a pair of customised compression trousers. The trousers are tailored by determining the dimensions of the patient and the localisation of the stoma for producing a pair of trousers specifically for the patient in question for ensuring a specific compression force. The manufacture of such a hernial support is laborious and expensive as the whole support is made specifically for each patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,520 discloses a variable closure device for an ostomy garment having a pair of criss-cross pocket forming panels configures to lie behind an ostomy device. The crisscross arrangement of pocket panels are created by finished edges which overlap along their lower ends to define an adjustable, elongated, slanted slot.
No devices for an easy location and marking of a hole for receiving a stoma for tailoring a hernia support from a standard support garment is disclosed and there is a need for such device in order to enable a simple, convenient, and cheap tailoring of hernia supports for improving the security against leakage and the quality of life for the patient after this kind of surgery.
The present invention provides a simple device and method for an easy determination and marking of the site for a customised hole in a standard support garment for enabling a free flow of effluents from a stoma to pass the hernia trousers without compromising the hernia supporting properties thereof. The invention also offers a simple, convenient, and reliable method for a decentralised collection of the necessary information and simple transfer thereof to the manufacturer for a centralised manufacture of customised support garments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates generally to a method and device for the loading of trash bags, the device comprising a loading ring of a height less than its diameter and of a height approximately less than one-half the height of the trash bag to facilitate loading the bag in at least two loading stages.
Many people attend to their own lawn and gardening chores, investing in lawn and shrub equipment, fertilizers, weed and insect controls to maintain their properties.
Spring and fall clean-ups often require use of trash containers and bags to remove the refuse from the property because tightening pollution controls often prohibit open burning in many communities. Summertime requires continued effort in property maintenance.
Whether the home dweller has his or her garden and lawn refuse hauled away or transported to a local waste disposal area, disposable plastic trash bags are most commonly used.
The flexible trash bags are often times filled by using a trash container usually of rigid plastic material which serves as a rigid outer support container while the bag is being filled. However, such a system is not only inefficient and time consuming but oftentimes requires the use of a second plastic trash bag liner, and adds to the effort involved in lifting the bag out of the trash container when the bag is filled. Moreover, the loading of refuse into a trash bag without the use of a trash container presents many difficulties in loading the bag without spillage or bag rupture or without assistance in holding open the open top of the bag during filling.
The commercially available throw away plastic trash bags for the disposal of refuse are typically constructed in the form of a thin plastic tube having a closed bottom and open top, shipped flat, and rectangular in shape. The bags are either packaged in continuous tear-off rolls or are cut separately and stacked individually in rectangular cardboard containers, and usually include twist ties. Otherwise the bags may be equipped with bag strings.
Placing such a bag into a round or even a square-shaped trash container makes very inefficient use of the volume capacity of the plastic bag used to line the container, in that refuse such as grass clippings and leaves cannot be readily compacted during the loading process, resulting in the bags being consistently left partially filled. Also, it subjects the bag to tearing as rough objects are forced into the can as it is filled. Moreover, the friction between the bag and the container and the negative pressure produced while lifting the bag out of the container renders the bag removal operation most difficult and tedious. Besides, the gardener must lift the filled bag to about six feet above the ground, assuming a bag height of about three feet and a trash container height of the same dimension.
When the bag is finally lifted out of the trash container, the bag expands to its full volume capacity and the gardener finds the bag only a half or two-thirds filled. It becomes difficult to efficiently add refuse to the bag to make use of the unused space except with the assistance of another person to hold the bag open while filling is completed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Pharmacological properties are often dependent on a particular stereochemistry and thus the resolution of a racemic mixture is a useful chemical process.
Ibuprofen, a well know analgesic, is a racemic mixture of carboxylic acids of formula (I): ##STR1## However, although ibuprofen is marketed as the racemic mixture, the (S)-enantiomer is known to be the active agent. If (S)-ibuprofen is to be sold commercially there exists a need for an efficient preferential resolution of racemic ibuprofen. Furthermore it would be desirable for the resolution process to lead directly to an amino acid salt of (S)-ibuprofen since such salts are more soluble and thus may offer pharmaceutical advantages over the carboxylic acid.
There are two classical routes to the resolution of racemic mixtures such as (R)(S)-ibuprofen.
The first requires finding a chiral amine which, when reacted with the (R)(S)-ibuprofen, will form diastereomeric salts the solubilities of which are so different from each other that the diastereomers may be separated, one from the other, by simple crystallization.
The above procedure has two disadvantages: chiral amines, such as (S)-alpha-methylbenzylamine, are expensive reagents, and the product of the separation is not (S)-ibuprofen, but its amine salt. Thus the separation process must be supplemented with procedures to free the (S)-ibuprofen from its amine salt, recover the chiral amine, and, if desired, convert the (S)-ibuprofen to a preferred salt such as an amino acid salt.
The second classical resolution route is preferential crystallization. However, (R)(S)-ibuprofen as such cannot be resolved by preferential crystallization, or any other crystallization technique, because as a crystalline material it takes the form of a racemic compound rather than a mixture of crystals of (R)-ibuprofen and crystals of (S)-ibuprofen. Thus, to use preferential crystallization requires finding a derivative of ibuprofen which does not crystallize in the form of a racemic compound. Non-chiral amines, such as tert-butylamine and diethylamine are suitable for this purpose. However, except for amine costs, preferential crystallization via these amine salts shares the disadvantages cited for the chiral amine route described above. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Graphical devices utilizing an input signal corresponding in time to the location of an object are finding increased application in such fields as facsimile transmission, computer data input devices, type compositor and layout systems, computer graphics for the preparation of engineering and architectural drawings, and handwriting verification and analysis. The application of such position-determining systems, however, has been limited by cost and performance considerations: systems with high resolution and high accuracy are so expensive as to preclude their use in many applications. Even in applications where a high degree of accuracy is not a requirement, the relative high cost of available systems may limit or prohibit their use.
There have been many varieties of position-determining systems making use, in some cases, of waves transmitted through air and, in other systems, of waves transmitted by a solid medium. For example a stylus or cursor, whose position is to be determined, may include a spark generator that produces an acoustic shockwave that is received by a pair of linear transducers positioned in fixed coordinate planes. In such a system the accuracy is limited by such factors as the finite size of the spark and the jitter or change in spark location between succesive energizations of the gap, and the variations in the speed of transmission through the air between the source and the receptor because of drafts and temperature changes.
Another arrangement makes use of an array of wires embedded in a subsurface along perpendicular coordinates. A magnetic field is generated at the location of a cursor which is picked up at the location of the nearest coordinate intersection of the embedded wires and carried along the wires to receptors located at the respective ends of the wires. Such a system is expensive to manufacture, for the wires must be permanently embedded in precise locations to avoid substantial reading errors and many wires must be provided and connected to achieve acceptable resolution.
Systems are also manufactured using such embedded wires to transmit vibrational pulses introduced magnetostrictively by a magnetic field at the cursor. With all of these constructions, the problems of cost and accuracy continue to limit the practical applications.
The present invention overcomes many of these difficulties and permits the construction of a low-cost position-determining system that is capable of high resolution and high accuracy. A series of shock-waves generated by one or more linear transducers are transmitted through the air, reflected by the object whose position is to be determined and received by the same or other transducers. The bi-directional sound path permits accurate performance independent of the presence of strong air drafts. One or more calibration reflectors are used to further minimize errors caused by variations in the propagation velocity of the waves through the air. The particular arrangement of transducers and the calibration paths are dependent upon the application and the accuracy that is required.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and method for determining the position of an object with improved accuracy and at lower cost.
It is an object also to provide such a system that is highly versatile and suitable for a wide range of applications including signature verification and computer graphics as well as many other applications.
It is an object to provide a system in which versatility and simplicity of application are enhanced by the use of a passive wireless cursor whose position is determined by the reflection of air-borne waves.
A practical system of the kind described here must also be capable of measuring with considerable accuracy the position of an object of relatively small size, such as a hand-held stylus and which may move to within a short distance from the transducer. It is thus another object to provide an improved Sell-type transducer, suitable for both transmission and reception of ultrasonic shockwaves, that has increased sensitivity and is practical in a system based on the reflection of acoustic waves from a cursor or hand-held stylus.
Another object is to provide a Sell-type transducer having improved sensitivity coupled with rapid recovery time after the transmission of an acoustic shockwave. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to a speed change gear apparatus for an automobile transmission.
An engine on an automobile is subject to oscillations either vertically, longitudinally or rotationally relative to a car body as a result of oscillations of the engine itself during its operation as well as accelerations and decelerations of the automobile, which oscillations may cause a failure of gear meshing engagement or may be imparted to a shift lever to produce an uncomfortable feeling to a driver.
Various mechanisms which are intended to prevent the oscillations of the shift lever from occurring have been proposed as exemplified by Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 39,408/1973, 40,205/1973, Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 40,203/1973, 43,525/1973 and 44,340/1973. In a conventional change gear apparatus for transmission, use is made of an oscillation isolating member such as rubber bushing on the opposite ends of a support rod in an attempt to prevent oscillations and noises from the engine system from being transmitted to the floor through a support rod, a shift lever housing and a support link, but these prior art structures have failed to provide a satisfactory oscillation isolating effect which assures an improved feeling during a shift operation. This gave rise to need for the interposition of additional isolating members between the support rod and the floor, thereby increasing the number of parts used, but still failing to provide an improved feeling during the operation of the shift lever. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Quadruplexes can form in certain purine-rich strands of nucleic acids. In duplex nucleic acids, certain purine rich strands are capable of engaging in a slow equilibrium between a typical duplex helix structure and in unwound and non-B-form regions. These unwound and non-B forms can be referred to as “paranemic structures.” Some forms are associated with sensitivity to S1 nuclease digestion, which can be referred to as “nuclease hypersensitivity elements” or “NHEs.” A quadruplex is one type of paranemic structure and certain NHEs can adopt a quadruplex structure. Considerable circumstantial evidence suggests that quadruplex structures can exist in vivo in specific regions of the genome, including the telomeric ends of chromosomes and oncogene regulatory regions. (Han, et al., Trends Pharm. Sci. (2000) 21:136-142). Thus, quadruplex forming regions of DNA may be used as molecular targets for anticancer agents. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a pointer device for use in a digitizer system. More particularly, this invention relates to a digitizer stylus having improved ergonomic features for improving gripping characteristics of the pointer for a user.
Pointer devices for use in digitizer systems are known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,028,745; 5,055,831; 5,109,141; and 5,004,871. Each of these references discloses a pointer (e.g. stylus) for use with the digitizer system including a digitizer tablet.
Unfortunately, each of these pointers has an exterior shape which is ergonomically inefficient in design. Digitizer pointers are used by graphic artists for drawing pictures via digitizer systems on a more and more frequent basis. The above-identified pointers were designed without regard to the issue of finger/hand fatigue and drawing accuracy of potential users.
In view of the above, there exist a need in the art for an improved digitizer pointer which is designed so as to reduce finger/hand stress and allow pictures to be drawn more easily by users via a corresponding digitizer tablet.
It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill the above-described needs in the art, as well as other needs which will become apparent to the skilled artisan from the following detailed description of this invention.
Generally speaking, this invention fulfills the above described needs in the art by providing a digitizer pointer comprising:
an elongated housing;
a tip at a first end of said housing;
a mid point of said housing located equidistant between said first end and a second end of said housing;
a tapered portion of said housing at least partially located between said first end and said mid point, said tapered portion being thinner than said mid point of said housing, and wherein said tapered portion includes a thinnest part thereof;
a finger flare located between the thinnest part of said tapered portion and said tip, and wherein said finger flare flares outwardly relative to said tapered portion to a degree sufficient to reduce the amount of user finger force required to manipulate the pointer.
This invention further fulfills the above described needs in the art by providing a digitizer pointer for use with a digitizer system, the digitizer pointer comprising:
a housing;
a tip, wherein a mid-point of the pointer is located equidistant between said tip and a rear end of the pointer;
said housing defining an outer surface including an elongated rear portion, and a grip area located between the elongated rear portion and said tip;
wherein a selected cross section of said grip area defines an area substantially greater than a selected cross section of said rear portion and substantially greater than a selected cross section of said tip;
wherein a substantial part of said grip area is located between said mid point of the pointer and the tip;
wherein said grip area defines an apex which is defined as the part of the grip area positioned farthest from a first axis of the pointer; and
wherein a first slope on a first side of said apex and a second slope on a second side of said apex are non-symmetrical relative to said apex in that the first and second slopes are shaped differently as they slope away from said apex. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to an arrangement including a plasma display screen.
Currently marketed television sets having plasma display screens require a substantial investment as regards the shielding of electromagnetic fields. They require inter alia a solid aluminum or metal housing in combination with a metal-coated front plate in order to enable the statutory requirements as regards electromagnetic compatibility to be met. These shielding measures are expensive and, moreover, they increase the weight of the sets.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the circuits and power leads for driving such a plasma display screen in such a manner that the emission of electromagnetic waves is reduced and additional shielding measures are superfluous.
According to the invention the object is achieved in a first manner in that in an arrangement including a plasma display screen having cells for the generation of pixels between a transparent plate facing the viewer and a rear wall and having electrical contacts for contacting the cells in the areas of opposite outer edges of the rear wall, which contacts are connected to electronic circuits, arranged on the outer side of the rear wall which faces the cells, by means of current supply leads which extend substantially parallel, in such a manner that the current supply leads end, electrically isolated, in a narrow contact area, where electrical contact is established between the current supply leads, on the one hand, and the electrical circuits, on the other hand.
Thus, by a modified arrangement of the circuits for driving the plasma display screen, the current routing between the display boards and the electrodes of the pixels of the display screen is changed in such a manner that the emission is reduced. For this purpose, the current supply leads to the connections of the electrodes of the plasma display screen are not only present in the peripheral areas, as customary until now, but they are present over the entire back side of the plasma display screen and end, coming from both sides, in a narrow contact area, which extends perpendicularly to the current supply leads. This area of the plasma display screen precludes an antenna-like emission of electromagnetic fields, because the current supply leads coming from both sides end, electrically isolated, directly adjacent one another. Moreover, as a result of such an arrangement the electromagnetic fields emitted by the current supply leads to the electrodes on principle combine with the fields emitted by the current supply leads that extend on the inner side of the rear wall and cancel one another in the ideal case. Thus, an expensive and weight-increasing shielding as in conventional plasma display screens is superfluous. Since both the connections for the electrodes disposed on the front plate and for the electrodes disposed on the rear wall can be led out and arranged at the periphery of the rear wall, this enables all the electrodes to be connected to the current supply leads and to be led to the contact area.
By means of a printed conductive connection as defined in claim 2 the current supply leads can be manufactured cost-effectively and simply from the point of view of production engineering, in that they are deposited on the rear of the plasma display screen.
The embodiment as defined in claim 3 enables the use of the known connections via flexible leads to be continued in order to obtain a shielding in accordance with the invention as defined in claim 1.
The present object is achieved in a second manner with the aid of the subject matter of claim 4. Thus, the current paths to the contact areas of the electrodes can also be shortened in that the circuits for driving the pixels are arranged directly on the outer side of the rear wall of a plasma display screen. This once again shortens leads to the electrode connections. Moreover, common buffer capacitors shorten the current paths between the electronic circuits for the driver stages of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes. In combination with the embodiment as defined in claim 1 this enables a particularly effective suppression of the emission of electromagnetic waves. At the same time, a solution using common buffer capacitors is substantially cheaper than one using separate buffer capacitors for each driver stage.
With the embodiment as defined in claim 5 the advantages of the invention are obtained in an end product such as a television set or a monitor, which can consequently be manufactured more cheaply. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a cushion tire, especially intended for industrial or construction vehicles such as a forklift truck, in which the ride is softened while durability and driving stability are maintained.
In general, heavy duty tires for industrial vehicles such as forklift truck tires require anti-abrasion and anti-cut charcteristics because they are used at comparatively low speed but with heavy load on a road on which nails, stones, wood splinters and the like lie.
Therefore, for such uses there has been used a solid tire of a two-layered construction, in which a tread rubber layer with anti-abrasion and high anti-cut characteristic is used as a radially outer part of the tire to provide a durable treading surface, and a base rubber layer with high modulus of compression elasticity is used as an inner part of the tire to increase the pressure of insertion into the rim, whereby each layer contributes at least partially to the required characteristics.
Recently, in view of the drivers' health care, such tires also require a soft ride, and accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, there is proposed a solid tire of a triple-layered structure, in which a soft rubber layer C with a high cushion quality is disposed between the base rubber layer A and the tread rubber layer B.
Such triple-layered tire, however, involves the following problems: as an inevitable consequence of the modern tendency of providing low profile tire, the intermediate soft rubber layer C has become thinner thereby reducing its cushion effect. If the soft rubber layer is made thicker, then the volume of the base rubber layer must become smaller thereby decreasing the rigidity thereof. If the pressure of insertion between the tire and the rim is reduced as rim slipping may occur. Also, the soft rubber layer not only improves the ride comfort but also reduces driving stability and durability.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a cushion tire, which is improved in ride comfort while maintaining anti-abrasion and anti-cut characteristics, driving stability and the pressure of insertion to the rim at the same level as that of former two-layered solid tires. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a locking arrangement for releasably securing two members. The locking arrangement of the present invention is particularly useful for adapting wear plates to equipment, such as utilised in the mining industry, in washeries, or, for crushing, etc.
1. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention provides advantages over the locking arrangement described in the Applicant's Australian Patent Application No. 52082/90, the specification of which should be considered to be incorporated entirely within the current disclosures.
The Applicant's Australian Application No. 52082/90, in summary, relates to a locking arrangement for locking a plurality of plate members to a base surface, the base surface being provided with a plurality of locking anchors provided in spaced apart relationship thereon, each of said plate members being provided with at least one anchor receiving member thereon, each of said anchor receiving members being adapted to engage one of said anchors, such that, the edges of each said plate members are adapted to abut with the edges of adjacent plate members, with the outer plate members being adapted to abut retaining members being affixed to said base surface, such that, each of said plate members is thereafter prevented from disengagement from said anchors.
It has been discovered that a composite arrangement can be provided, eliminating the necessity to utilise "retaining members" to hold the plate members together and to the equipment. This is achieved by using a "keeper" which is described more fully hereinafter.
2. Summary of the Invention
In one broad form, the present invention provides a locking arrangement for releasably securing two members,
a first of said members having anchor means projecting from a surface thereof, with a lip portion extending transversely from the extremity of at least a portion of said anchor means; PA1 a second of said members having a cutout in a surface thereof, to receive said anchor means, at least a portion of said cutout having a tongue around the opening thereof, shaped to be positioned underneath said lip portion of said anchor means, PA1 wherein, in use, said surfaces of said members are aligned by positioning said anchor means within said cutout and sliding one member relative to the other to engage said tongue under said lip portion, at least one keeper then being placed in at least part of said cutout not housing said anchor means, and secured to said first member, such that any movement between said members is impeded. PA1 providing a recess on one side of said keeper portions; and PA1 providing a protruding member on the other of said keeper portions, said protruding member being normally biased within said recess.
Preferably, the locking arrangement is embodied whereby the engagement of said lip portion and said tongue substantially prevent movement in any direction throughout a 180.degree. range, the direction of engaging said tongue under said lip being substantially intermediate said range.
Preferably, said keeper is secured by screws, bolts, adhesive and/or welding or the like.
Preferably, each said keeper comprises releasable interlocking keeper portions.
Also preferably, each said keeper comprises two keeper portions, wherein, when interlocked, two opposed sides thereof taper outwardly towards their lowermost surface, and wherein at least one of said keeper portions is provided with a tool engaging portion to effect removal thereof relative to the other of said keeper portions.
In a preferred form, said tool engaging portion is adapted to receive a crow bar or like tool.
Preferably, said keeper portions are provided with a locking means to releasably retain said keeper portions together.
In a most preferred form, said locking means comprises:
Most preferably, said protruding member is embodied as a steel rod, and said recess is embodied as a curved recess to receive a longitudinal portion of said steel rod, and wherein said steel rod is biased by a resilient means.
Alternatively, but also said keepers are shaped, formed by joining solid members and a hardenable resin-type material.
Also preferably, said solid members are shaped, such a jig-saw shaped to facilitate joining with said hardenable resin.
Also, preferably, one of said members is attached or configured as the underside of an earthmoving, mining, washery or crushing equipment, and the other member has wear plates attached thereto.
In a most preferred form of the invention, said anchors are of substantially moon-shaped or semi-circular configuration, wherein said lip portion covers substantially the entire outer edge thereof.
A preferred form of the invention is wherein both of said members are cut from a single sheet of material. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in acoustic transport members used for transmitting sound waves utilized in an acoustic keyboard system to provide information representative of a key selected. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in the acoustic transport member over the construction disclosed in U.S. applications identified by: Ser. No. 087,854 entitled "Acoustic Encoding Apparatus", filed Oct. 24, 1979 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 853,778 filed Nov. 21, 1977 now abandoned; Ser. No. 892,814 entitled "Multi-Bar Encoding Apparatus Utilizing Acoustic Energy", filed Apr. 3, 1978, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,356 both invented by Vincent P. Jalbert, and particularly a copending application Ser. No. 246,820 invented by Raymond A. Pajer et al entitled "Encoding Apparatus Utilizing Acoustic Waves of Controlled Polarity", filed on even date herewith. The three above mentioned applications have the same assignee as the present application. To the extent appropriate to the present invention, the disclosures of the above-identified U.S. applications are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Keyboards of the acoustic type have been demonstrated to be a successful advancement in the art, especially those keyboards used in conjunction with an encoding apparatus. Generally, acoustic keyboards employ sound inducing key means that operate to launch sound waves within an acoustic transport member assembled in the acoustic keyboard. These sound waves provide information e.g., elapsed time measured by circuitry and used to produce a discrete coded representation of the selected key. Examples of acoustic systems having keyboard input are fully outlined in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,356, applications U.S. Ser. No. 087,854, and simultaneously filed copending application of Raymond A. Pajer et al, (hereinafter referred to as prior U.S. applications I, II and III, respectively). Another example of an acoustic system using a member for transporting sound waves is disclosed in United Kingdom Pat. No. 1,386,070, granted to Roger Bennison, published Mar. 5, 1975 and entitled "Pressure Actuated Signalling Means". These acoustic systems all employ a form of an acoustic member capable of transporting sound waves. Yet, in the art there is a continued search to improve the reliability of these acoustic systems, particularly in the development of an acoustic member fabricated to retain the quality (intensity) of the sound wave signals over the distance traveled within the acoustic member as pointed out below.
In prior copending application I and the British Patent of Roger Bennison, the acoustic transport member disclosed is an elongated continuous cylindrical rod. The disclosed straight rod successfully transports sound waves, however lacks structure defining discrete impact points from which sound waves are emitted in response to key actuation. A well-defined impact point is necessary for ensuing encoding circuitry to accurately determine the key position selected along the rod. Accordingly, these two acoustic systems are sensitive to the lateral positioning of the sound inducing keys along the member. It has been found that sideways displacement of the sound inducing device with respect to the rod changes the intended impact location along the member and thereby introduces an acoustical variable in the system.
In prior application II, there is disclosed a different acoustic system based on sensing sound waves transmitted through a plurality of acoustic transport members. The acoustic principle disclosed in this system improves on the accuracy and reliability of known acoustic systems, however it is more complex and costly to implement. The acoustic members in prior application II are structured to include distinct impact points in the form of tabs pre-positioned along the member. Each acoustic member is generally a bar supporting the tabs in a longitudinal relationship according to the spacing of sound inducing strikers. These tabs provide the necessary structure on the member to afford lateral stability with respect to the strikers contacting the bar at precisely the same location along the bar with each actuation.
While the acoustic member with tabs (prior application II) is a considerable improvement over the previously straight rod members, in terms of laterally fixing the impact points in relationship with one another along the member, the multiple tabbed bars have been found to produce sound wave signals lacking in intensity compared to those generated within the straight rod over the same distance.
Copending application III discloses an acoustic transport member fabricated with specially-shaped teeth or dissimilar tabs that generate sound waves having a particular polarity combination different among adjacent impact points (tabs). As a result, the disclosed acoustic system is afforded a set of signals from a single acoustic member that are readily and accurately distinguishable for proper functioning by encoding devices even in the presence of acoustic variables effecting the quality of the sound waves when received by sound wave sensing and converting transducers coupled on the member.
In using the toothed member of copending application III, it was discovered that sound waves originating from near one end of the member produced a set of sound waves that when received by their respective transducer were significantly different in intensity levels based on the distance each is required to travel. In other words, the wave traveling the shorter distance is much higher in intensity than the wave forced to travel to the far end of the member. The reason for dissimilar intensity levels is attributed to dispersion or a scattering of the wave form in passage (lengthwise) through the member. Dispersion is believed to be primarily caused by the propagating waves entering enlarged areas represented by the tabs and being reflected off discontinuously orientated surfaces presented by the tab ends with respect to the intended direction of wave movement towards the transducers. Though the acoustic system repeatedly functioned properly with dissimilar wave intensities when tested in a laboratory environment, it is felt that this condition could cause marginal operation of the encoding device over a period of time and in consideration of high volume production. Accordingly, there is a need for improving the toothed acoustic transport member in an effort to equalize sound wave intensity sensed at each end of the member for safety sake. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling a plurality of continuous paper printing machines, number printing machines or the like, which are connected to each other in series, and have individual motive power sources.
2. Description of the Related Art
Continuous paper printing machines, which are connected to each other in series in a printing process and have individual motive power sources, must rotate at the same speed. If the rotational speed of an upstream continuous paper printing machine is higher than that of a downstream continuous paper printing machine, slack will appear in the continuous printing paper web between the printing machines and will increase until the paper overflows between them. If the rotational speed of the upstream printing machine is lower than that of the downstream printing machine, the tension of the paper between the printing machines will increase until the paper tears. In the prior art, the rotational speeds of the continuous paper printing machines have been made equal to each other by using an electric motor or the like. However, since use of a motor or the like is expensive, the cost of the printing machines and that of printing are increased. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Redundant arrays of inexpensive or independent storage devices (RAID) are being employed by the mass storage industry to provide variable capacity storage. RAID systems use interconnected disk drives to achieve the desired capacity of mass storage. With this approach, a disk drive of one capacity may be manufactured and packaged with the same or different capacity drives to provide the required storage capacity. RAID systems eliminate the need to manufacture disk drives individually designed to meet specific storage requirements. Each disk drive in a RAID system is usually housed in an individual module for handling and installation. The modules slide into and out of an enclosure that houses the array of disk drives and provides the sockets, plug-ins and other connections for the electrical interconnection of the drives. Controllers orchestrate the interconnection and control access to selected disk drives for data reading and writing operations.
Disk drives are high precision electro-mechanical devices in which the read/write heads fly on an air bearing at the surface of the disks. The flight height of the head is only a few microns from the disk surface. This and other sensitive aspects of the disk drives make them vulnerable to data storage defects, operational disturbances and physical damage in all but the most gentle environments. It has been observed that even the slight clearances between modules and the enclosure housing into which they slide can be the source of operational disturbances and, perhaps, damage. These clearances allow the modules to "crash" into the enclosure's rigid support structures when the enclosure is exposed to non-operational shock and vibration. The shock mounting systems typically used for mounting the disk drives in the modules are not always effective to protect the disk drives from the high frequency inputs associated with the module crashing against the enclosure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Cache memory is used to optimize computer system performance by temporarily storing data in memory devices that allow for high speed access, in comparison to data retrieval from low speed memory such as disks or tapes. Cache memory is used to mirror the data in the low speed memory so that each access to the data is effected as an access to the high speed cache memory, thereby avoiding the latency associated with an access to the low speed memory. The initial access to the data incurs the latency time loss to access the data from the low speed memory, but once the data is stored in the cache, subsequent accesses to the data are via the high speed cache access. The cache is structured to mirror a block of memory, so that subsequent access to data in proximity to the initially accessed data is also via the high speed cache access. Cache memory is conventionally structured to provide access to multiple blocks of memory. As shown in FIG. 1, blocks C0, C1, C2, and C3 form cache memory areas within a cache memory 130.
FIG. 1 represents a conventional processing system with indexed cache memory. The client process 110 accesses data contained in the memory 100 via the memory access system 120. The client process 110 communicates a stream of data commands 115 via the command bus 112, and the data associated with the command stream 115 is communicated via the data bus 111.
The memory access system 120 contains a cache memory 130 partitioned into cache locations C0, C1, C2, and C3. Each of these cache locations is capable of storing a copy of a block of memory A, B, C, etc. of memory 100. The cache memory 130 has a speed of access, which is substantially greater than the speed of access of memory 100. By storing copies of the blocks of memory 100 in the cache memory 130, substantial access speed improvements can be achieved when multiple accesses to the data within a block occur.
The data commands from the client process 110 are received by the operation generator 140 within the memory access system 120. The client data commands direct a transfer of data to or from a memory address, such as a read or write of data, or a combination, such as read-modify-write of data. The operation generator 140 generates a series of commands applicable to the memory control 160 and the memory 100 to accomplish each client data command. The operation generator interprets the data command to determine which memory block A, B, C, etc. of memory 100 includes the requested memory address. It also determines whether a copy of the identified memory block is already contained in the cache memory 130. If the memory block is in the cache memory, the operation generator identifies which cache location C0, C1, etc. contains the copy of the memory block, and formulates a command to effect the data command with this identified cache location.
If the memory block is not contained in the cache memory, the operation generator allocates one of the cache locations to this memory block. Typically, the allocated cache location will have been allocated to another memory block prior to this data command. Therefore, the operation generator must determine whether some action must be taken with regard to the data currently stored in the identified cache location. If, for example, the copy of the data in the cache location had only been used for reading the data contained in a memory block, no action need be taken, and the new memory block data will merely overwrite the prior data. If, however, new data had been written to this cache location, intending to be written to the associated memory block, the copy of the data in the cache location must be written to the memory block before the new memory block data is read into this cache location. Thus, in this case, the operation generator will formulate a command to write the data in the cache location to its previously associated memory block, followed by the command to read the new memory block into this cache location. The command to write data from the cache location to the memory is termed a "flush" of the cache location; the command to read data into the cache location from the memory is termed a "fill" of the cache location.
When the cache memory is full and another request arrives, the operation generator allocates one of the cache locations to the new request. A variety of allocation algorithms can be applied to determine which cache location is to be reallocated, such as least recently used algorithms, indexed algorithms, and others. Before the operation generator reallocates one of the cache locations, it first determines that the data contained in the cache location is no longer needed. Typically, the data will be needed if it has been modified and the modifications have not been written back to memory. If the data has not been written back to the memory, the new data request cannot be processed in the cache location until the modified data has been written back to the memory. While this writing occurs, the processing of the data request is halted, which, depending on the nature of the data, may completely halt the processing of the computer system.
There are several techniques to minimize the occurrence of a processing halt. For example, in a pipeline process, memory access requests are provided a few stages ahead of when the data is needed. But, if the data is not available when it is to be processed, the process is halted until the data is available. By providing stages between the request and the data availability, the memory access system is provided time to obtain the data from the slower memory, and therefore, the likelihood of the client process having to be halted is reduced.
Another technique is to "spawn", as sub-processes, current and subsequent commands before they are completed. The asynchronous nature of spawned processes, however, requires control in the sequencing of the spawned commands. Consider, for example, a command to flush modified data, followed by a command to fill from the same memory block. If the fill and flush commands are processed asynchronously and in parallel, the fill may occur before the flush. If the fill occurs before the flush, the modified data in the cache location will be overwritten by the data filled from memory, and will be incorrect. To avoid the potential errors caused by spawned processes, the commands and data must be processed in a coherent manner.
A direct means of assuring data consistency is to force a strict ordering of the sequencing of commands, and precluding the execution of a command until the preceding command has been completed. This purely sequential processing, however, is inefficient, because not all commands are dependent upon one another. For example, if a read command follows a flush command, there is no need to delay the execution of the read command until the flush command completes.
The processing of commands, even with dependency checks, must still occur sequentially, to avoid to memory deadlocks. That is, for example, when all the cache location are allocated and a new read request arrives, the dependency check will hold the read pending until one of the cache locations is flushed. The flushing of a cache location is held pending until the completion of the read or write requests to this cache location. Unless tight controls are placed on the ordering and processing of read, write, fill, and flush operations, the flushing of a cache location can become dependent upon the completion of a read request which is pending dependent upon the completion of this flushing, thereby resulting in a deadlock situation, precluding subsequent processing.
In a conventional cache system of FIG. 1, the command buffer 170 is a first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer, thereby assuring the proper sequencing of commands, the dependency checks are applied to each command as it is removed from the FIFO. If a command is dependent on a preceding command, the memory controller merely waits until the preceding command completes before commencing the execution of the subsequent command.
The sequential nature of the FIFO command buffer 170, however, introduces performance penalties upon all the commands within the FIFO. That is, while the command buffer 170 pauses to wait for the completion of a command, none of the commands in the command buffer are being executed, even if they could be executed without affecting the data coherency. When these commands arrive at the output of the FIFO, they will be immediately executed, but in the meantime they have incurred the delay caused by the dependent previous commands. Additionally, as is evident in the above description, the specific sequencing of commands is determined by the sequence of the arriving commands from the client process. As such, sequences which may provide for a more optimal memory access cannot be realized.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus that maintains the necessary order and control on the processing of commands to assure data consistency, but does not impose a cumulative delay on the processing of commands, and does not cause memory access deadlocks. A need also exists for a method and apparatus, which allows for command processing optimization without regard to the particular ordering of commands from the client process. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present disclosure relates generally to the field of enclosures for an electrical system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the field of enclosures suitable for metering and instrumentation transformers for power distribution.
Enclosures are structures which separate contents from the surrounding environment. Some enclosures contain electrical or electronic equipment. These enclosures may provide for mounting of the electrical or electronic equipment for preventing electrical shock to equipment users, and for protecting the equipment from the environment.
One application for electrical enclosures is to house transformers for metering and instrumentation applications. In such an application, the enclosure may be located in an industrial or commercial environment or residential neighborhood and receive “line” electrical cables from a utility power company. The enclosure may also receive “load” electrical cables from the utility or electricity consumers (e.g., stores, factories, or houses).
One continuing challenge in the field of metering transformer enclosures is in installation and replacement of transformers. Utility metering transformers may weigh eighty pounds. When installing or removing hanging transformers, lifting equipment may be required to support the transformers weight. Inserting lifting equipment into an enclosure can increase the risk of accidents. Therefore, there is a need for an enclosure that will support heavy electrical equipment, such as a transformer, daring installation and removal. There is also a need for an enclosure that facilitates installation and removal of heavy electrical equipment without the use of lifting equipment. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), the cause of which remains as yet unknown.
xe2x80x9cMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease of young adults with a prevalence in Europe and North America of between 20 and 200 per 100,000. It is characterized clinically by a relapsing/remitting or chronic progressive course, frequently leading to severe disability. Current knowledge suggests that MS is associated with autoimmunity, that genetic background has an important influence and that xe2x80x9cinfectiousxe2x80x9d agent(s) may be involved. Indeed, many viruses have been proposed as possible candidates but as yet, none of them has been shown to play an aetiological role.
Many studies have supported the hypothesis of a viral aetiology of the disease, but none of the known viruses tested has proved to be the causal agent sought: a review of the viruses sought for several years in MS has been compiled by E. Norrby (1) and R. T. Johnson (2).
The discovery of pathogenic retroviruses in man (HTLVs and HIVs) was followed by great interest in their ability to impair the immune system and to provoke central nervous system inflammation and/or degeneration. In the case of HTLV-1, its association with a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease in man (48) led to extensive investigations to search for an HTLV1-like retrovirus in MS patients. However, despite initial claims, the presence of HTLV-1 or HTLV-like retroviruses was not confirmed.
Recently, a retrovirus different from the known human retroviruses has been isolated in patients suffering from MS (3, 4, and 5).
In 1989, the authors described the production of extracellular virions, associated with reverse transcriptase (RT) activity, by a culture of leptomeningeal cells (LM7) obtained from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with MS (3). This was followed by similar findings in monocyte cultures from a series of MS patients (5). Neither viral particles nor viral RT-activity were found in control individuals. Furthermore, the authors were able to transfer the LM7 virus to non-infected leptomeningeal cells in vitro (26). The molecular characterization of the xe2x80x9cLM7xe2x80x9d retrovirus was a prerequisite for further evaluation of its possible role in MS. Considerable difficulties arose from the absence of continuously productive retroviral cultures and from the low levels of expression in the few transient cultures. The strategy described here focused on RNA from extracellular virions, in order to avoid non-specific detection of cellular RNA and of endogenous elements from contaminating human DNA. A specific retroviral sequence associated with virions produced by cell cultures from several MS patients has been identified. The entire sequence of this novel retroviral genome is currently being obtained using RT-PCR on RNA from extracellular virions. The retrovirus previously called xe2x80x9cLM7 virusxe2x80x9d corresponds to an oncovirus and is now designated MSRV (Multiple Sclerosis-associated RetroVirus).
The authors were also able to show that this retrovirus could be transmitted in vitro, that patients suffering from MS produced antibodies capable of recognizing proteins associated with the infection of leptomeningeal cells by this retrovirus, and that the expression of the latter could be strongly stimulated by the immediate-early genes of some herpesviruses (6).
All these results point to the role in MS of at least one unknown retrovirus or of a virus having reverse transcriptase activity which is detectable according to the method published by H. Perron (3) and qualified as xe2x80x9cLM7-like RTxe2x80x9d activity. The content of the publication identified by (3) is incorporated in the present description by reference.
Recently, the Applicant""s studies have enabled two continuous cell lines infected with natural isolates originating from two different patients suffering from MS to be obtained by a culture method as described in the document WO-A-93/20188, the content of which is incorporated in the present description by reference. These two lines, derived from human choroid plexus cells, designated LM7PC and PLI-2, were deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 and Jan. 8, 1993, respectively, under numbers 92072201 and 93010817, in accordance with the provisions of the Budapest Treaty. Moreover, the viral isolates possessing LM7-like RT activity were also deposited with the ECACC under the overall designation of xe2x80x9cstrainsxe2x80x9d. The xe2x80x9cstrainxe2x80x9d or isolate harboured by the PLI-2 line, designated POL-2, was deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under No. V92072202. The xe2x80x9cstrainxe2x80x9d or isolate harboured by the LM7PC line, designated MS7PG, was deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under No. V93010816.
Starting from the cultures and isolates mentioned above, characterized by biological and morphological criteria, the next step was to endeavour to characterize the nucleic acid material associated with the viral particles produced in these cultures.
The portions of the genome which have already been characterized have been used to develop tests for molecular detection of the viral genome and iunmunoserological tests, using the amino acid sequences encoded by the nucleotide sequences of the viral genome, in order to detect the immune response directed against epitopes associated with the infection and/or viral expression.
These tools have already enabled an association to be confirmed between MS and the expression of the sequences identified in the patents cited later. However, the viral system discovered by the Applicant is related to a complex retroviral system. In effect, the sequences to be found encapsidated in the extracellular viral particles produced by the different cultures of cells of patients suffering from MS show clearly that there is coencapsidation of retroviral genomes which are related but different from the xe2x80x9cwild-typexe2x80x9d retroviral genome which produces the infective viral particles. This phenomenon has been observed between replicative retroviruses and endogenous retroviruses belonging to the same family, or even heterologous retroviruses. The notion of endogenous retroviruses is very important in the context of our discovery since, in the case of MSRV-1, it has been observed that endogenous retroviral sequences comprising sequences homologous to the MSRV-1 genome exist in normal human DNA. The existence of endogenous retroviral elements (ERV) related to MSRV-1 by all or part of their genome explains the fact that the expression of the MSRV-1 retrovirus in human cells is able to interact with closely related endogenous sequences. These interactions are to be found in the case of pathogenic and/or infectious endogenous retroviruses (for example some ecotropic strains of the murine leukaemia virus), and in the case of exogenous retroviruses whose nucleotide sequence may be found partially or wholly, in the form of ERVs, in the host animal""s genome (e.g. mouse exogenous mammary tumor virus transmitted via the milk). These interactions consist mainly of (i) a trans-activation or coactivation of ERVs by the replicative retrovirus (ii) and xe2x80x9cillegitimatexe2x80x9d encapsidation of RNAs related to ERVS, or of ERVsxe2x80x94or even of cellular RNAsxe2x80x94simply possessing compatible encapsidation sequences, in the retroviral particles produced by the expression of the replicative strain, which are sometimes transmissible and sometimes with a pathogenicity of their own, and (iii) more or less substantial recombinations between the coencapsidated genomes, in particular in the phases of reverse transcription, which lead to the formation of hybrid genomes, which are sometimes transmissible and sometimes with a pathogenicity of their own.
Thus, (i) different sequences related to MSRV-1 have been found in the purified viral particles; (ii) molecular analysis of the different regions of the MSRV-1 retroviral genome should be carried out by systematically analyzing the coencapsidated, interfering and/or recombined sequences which are generated by the infection and/or expression of MSRV-1; furthermore, some clones may have defective sequence portions produced by the retroviral replication and template errors and/or errors of transcription of the reverse transcriptase; (iii) the families of sequences related to the same retroviral genomic region provide the means for an overall diagnostic detection which may be optimized by the identification of invariable regions among the clones expressed, and by the identification of reading frames responsible for the production of antigenic and/or pathogenic polypeptides which may be produced only by a portion, or even by just one, of the clones expressed, and, under these conditions, the systematic analysis of the clones expressed in the region of a given gene enables the frequency of variation and/or of recombination of the MSRV-1 genome in this region to be evaluated and the optimal sequences for the applications, in particular diagnostic applications, to be defined; (iv) the pathology caused by a retrovirus such as MSRV-1 may be a direct effect of its expression and of the proteins or peptides produced as a result thereof, but also an effect of the activation, the encapsidation or the recombination of related or heterologous genomes and of the proteins or peptides produced as a result thereof; thus, these genomes associated with the expression of and/or infection by MSRV-1 are an integral part of the potential pathogenicity of this virus, and hence constitute means of diagnostic detection and special therapeutic targets. Similarly, any agent associated with or cofactor of these interactions responsible for the pathogenesis in question, such as MSRV-2 or the gliotoxic factor which are described in the patent application published under No. FR-2,716,198, may participate in the development of an overall and very effective strategy for the diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic monitoring and/or integrated therapy of MS in particular, but also of any other disease associated with the same agents.
In this context, a parallel discovery has been made in another autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which has been described in the French Patent Application filed under No. 95/02960. This discovery shows that, by applying methodological approaches similar to the ones which were used in the Applicant""s work on MS, it was possible to identify a retrovirus expressed in RA which shares the sequences described for MSRV-1 in MS, and also the coexistence of an associated MSRV-2 sequence also described in MS. As regards MSRV-1, the sequences detected in common in MS and RA relate to the pol and gag genes. In the current state of knowledge, it is possible to associate the gag and pol sequences described with the MSRV-1 strains expressed in these two diseases.
The present patent application relates to various results which are additional to those already protected by the following French Patent Applications:
No. 92/04322 of 03.04.1992, published under No. 2,689,519;
No. 92/13447 of 03.11.1992, published under No. 2,689,521;
No. 92/13443 of 03.11.1992, published under No. 2,689,520;
No. 94/01529 of 04.02.1994, published under No. 2,715,936;
No. 94/01531 of 04.02.1994, published under No. 2,715,939;
No. 94/01530 of 04.02.1994, published under No. 2,715,936;
No. 94/01532 of 04.02.1994, published under No. 2,715,937;
No. 94/14322 of 24.11.1994, published under No. 2,727,428;
and No. 94/15810 of 23.12.1994; published under No. 2,728,585.
The present invention relates, in the first place, to a viral material, in the isolated or purified state, which may be recognized or characterized in different ways:
its genome comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from the group including the sequences SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:83, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with the said sequences SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:83, respectively, and their complementary sequences;
the region of its genome comprising the env and pol genes and a portion of the gag gene, excluding the subregion having a sequence identical or equivalent to SEQ ID NO:1, codes for any polypeptide displaying, for any contiguous succession of at least 30 amino acids, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a peptide sequence encoded by any nucleotide sequence chosen from the group including SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:83 and their complementary sequences;
the pol gene comprises a nucleotide sequence partially or totally identical or equivalent to SEQ ID NO:53 or SEQ ID NO:87, excluding SEQ ID NO:1.
the gag gene comprises a nucleotide sequence partially or totally identical or equivalent to SEQ ID NO:82.
As indicated above, according to the present invention, the viral material as defined above is associated with MS. And as defined by reference to the pol or gag gene of MSRV-1, and more especially to the sequences SEQ ID NOS 47, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 82, 83, 87, 128, 129, 130, 131, 135, 136, 137 and 138, this viral material is associated with RA.
The present invention also relates to a nucleic material, in the isolated or purified state, having at least one of the following definitions:
a nucleic material comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group including sequences SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 60% homology with said sequences SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138, and their complementary sequences, excluding HSERV-9 (or ERV-9); advantageously, the nucleotide sequence of said nucleic material is selected from the group including sequences SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 70% and preferably at least 80% homology with said sequences SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138, and their complementary sequences;
a nucleic material, in the isolated or purified state, coding for any polypeptide displaying, for any contiguous succession of at least 30 amino acids, at least 50%, preferably at least 60 %, and most preferably at least 70% homology with a peptide sequence encoded by any nucleotide sequence selected from the group including SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138 and their complementary sequences;
a nucleic material, in the isolated or purified state, of retroviral type, comprising a nucleotide sequence identical or similar to at least part of the pol gene of an isolated retrovirus associated with multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis; advantageously, said nucleotide sequence is 80% similar to said at least part of the gene pol;
a nucleic material comprising a nucleotide sequence identical or similar to at least part of the pol gen of an isolated virus encoding a reverse transcriptase having a enzymatic site comprised between the amino acid domains LPQG-YXDD, having a phylogenic distance with HSERV-9 of 0.063xc2x10.1, and preferably 0.063xc2x10.05; the phylogenic distances are calculated on the basis of a reference sequence according to UPGM tree option of the Geneworks(trademark) Software (INTELLIGENETICS); By enzymatic site, we understand the amino acids domain(s) conferring the specific activity of a given enzyme.
The present invention also relates to different nucleotide fragments each comprising a nucleotide sequence chosen from the group including:
(a) all the genomic sequences, partial and total, of the pol gene of the MSRV-1 virus, except for the total sequence of the nucleotide fragment defined by SEQ ID NO:1;
(b) all the genomic sequences, partial and total, of the env gene of MSRV-1;
(c) all the partial genomic sequences of the gag gene of MSRV-1;
(d) all the genomic sequences overlapping the pol gene and the env gene of the MSRV-1 virus, and overlapping the pol gene and the gag gene;
(e) all the sequences, partial and total, of a clone chosen from the group including the clones FBd3 (SEQ ID NO:42), t pol (SEQ ID NO:47), JLBc1 (SEQ ID NO:48), JLBc2 (SEQ ID NO:49) and GM3 (SEQ ID NO:52), FBd13 (SEQ ID NO:54), LB19 (SEQ ID NO:55), LTRGAG12 (SEQ ID NO:56), FP6 (SEQ ID NO:57), G+E+A (SEQ ID NO:83), excluding any nucleotide sequence identical to or lying within the sequence defined by SEQ ID NO:1;
(f) sequences complementary to the said genomic sequences;
(g) sequences equivalent to the said sequences (a) to (e), in particular nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with the said sequences (a) to (d), provided that this nucleotide fragment does not comprise or consist of the sequence ERV-9 as described in LA MANTIA et al. (18).
The term genomic sequences, partial or total, includes all sequences associated by coencapsidation or by coexpression, or recombined sequences.
Preferably, such a fragment comprises:
either a nucleotide sequence identical to a partial or total genomic sequence of the pol gene of the MSRV-1 virus, except for the total sequence of the nucleotide fragment defined by SEQ ID NO:1, or identical to any sequence equivalent to the said partial or total genomic sequence, in particular one which is homologous to the latter;
or a nucleotide sequence identical to a partial or total genomic sequence of the env gene of the MSRV-1 virus, or identical to any sequence complementary to the said nucleotide sequence, or identical to any sequence equivalent to the said nucleotide sequence, in particular one which is homologous to the latter.
In particular, the invention relates to a nucleotide fragment comprising a coding nucleotide sequence which is partially or totally identical to a nucleotide sequence chosen from the group including:
the nucleotide sequence defined by SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:58 or SEQ ID NO:83;
sequences complementary to SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:58 or SEQ ID NO:83;
sequences equivalent, and in particular homologous to SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:58 or SEQ ID NO:83;
sequences coding for all or part of the peptide sequence defined by SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:59 or SEQ ID NO:84;
sequences coding for all or part of a peptide sequence equivalent, in particular homologous to SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:59 or SEQ ID NO:84, which is capable of being recognized by sera of patients infected with the MSRV-1 virus, or in whom the MSRV-1 virus has been reactivated.
The invention also relates to a nucleotide fragment (called fragment I) having at least one of the following definitions:
a nucleotide fragment comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group including SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138, their complementary sequences, and their equivalent sequences, in particular nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 60% homology with said sequences and their complementary sequences, said group excluding SEQ ID NO:1, said nucleotide fragment not comprising nor consisting of the sequence HSERV-9 (or ERV-9); preferably the nucleotide sequence of said fragment is selected from the group including SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138, their complementary sequences, and their equivalent sequences, in particular nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 70% and preferably at least 80% homology with said sequences and their complementary sequences;
a nucleotide fragment comprising a coding nucleotide sequence which is partially or totally identical to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group including:
SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138; their complementary sequences; their equivalent sequences, in particular homologous to SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, SEQ ID NO:128, SEQ ID NO:129, SEQ ID NO:130, SEQ ID NO:131, SEQ ID NO:135, SEQ ID NO:136, SEQ ID NO:137, SEQ ID NO:138;
sequences encoding all or parts of the peptide sequence defined by SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:132, SEQ ID NO:133, SEQ ID NO:134, SEQ ID NO:139, SEQ ID NO:140, SEQ ID NO:141;
sequences encoding all or parts of a peptide sequence equivalent, in particular homologous to SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:132, SEQ ID NO:133, SEQ ID NO:134, SEQ ID NO:139, SEQ ID NO:140, SEQ ID NO:141, which is capable of being recognized by sera of patients infected with the MSRV-1 virus, or in whom the MSRV-1 virus has been reactivated.
The invention also relates to any nucleic acid probe for the detection of virus associated with MS and/or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is capable of hybridizing specifically with any fragment such as is defined above, belonging or lying within the genome of the said pathogenic agent. It relates, in addition, to any nucleic acid probe for detection of a pathogenic and/or infective agent associated with RA, which is capable of hybridizing specifically with any fragment as defined above by reference to the pol and gag genes, and especially with respect to the sequences SEQ ID NOS 36, 47, 52, 55, 56, 57, 58, 83 and SEQ ID NOS 35, 59 and 84.
The invention also relates to a primer for the amplification by polymerization of an RNA or a DNA of a viral material, associated with MS and/or RA, comprising a nucleotide sequence identical or equivalent to at least one portion of the nucleotide sequence of any fragment such as is defined above, in particular a nucleotide sequence displaying, for any succession of at least 10 contiguous monomers, preferably 15 contiguous monomers, more preferably 18 contiguous monomers and even most preferably 20 contiguous monomers, at least 70% homology with at least the said portion of the said fragment. Preferably, the nucleotide sequence of such a primer is identical to any one of the sequences selected from the group including SEQ ID NO:15 to SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:43 to SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:76, SEQ ID NO:80, SEQ ID NO:93 to SEQ ID NO:99, SEQ ID NO:142, SEQ ID NO:143, SEQ ID NO:144, and SEQ ID NO:145.
Generally speaking the invention also encompasses any RNA or DNA, and in particular replication vector, comprising a genomic fragment of the viral material such as is defined above, or a nucleotide fragment such as is defined above.
The invention also relates to the different peptides encoded by any open reading frame belonging to a nucleotide fragment such as is defined above, in particular any polypeptide, for example any oligopeptide forming or comprising an antigenic determinant recognized by sera of patients infected with the MSRV-1 virus and/or in whom the MSRV-1 virus has been reactivated. Preferably, this polypeptide is antigenic, and is encoded by the open reading frame beginning, in the 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 direction, at nucleotide 181 and ending at nucleotide 330 of SEQ ID NO:1.
The invention also encompasses the following polypeptides:
a)
a polypeptide encoded by any open reading frame belonging to a nucleotide fragment, fragment I, as defined above;
a polypeptide, characterized in that the open reading frame encoding it, is comprised, in the 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 direction, between nucleotide 18 and nucleotide 2304 of SEQ ID NO:87;
a polypeptide, having a peptide sequence comprising a sequence partially or totally identical to SEQ ID NO:89;
b)
a polypeptide, recombinant or synthetic, having a peptide sequence which comprises a sequence identical or equivalent to SEQ ID NO:90; in particular said polypeptide exhibits an enzymatic activity consisting of proteolytic activity;
a polypeptide, recombinant or synthetic, characterized in that the open reading frame encoding it begins, in the 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 direction, at nucleotide 18 and ends at nucleotide 340 of SEQ ID NO:87;
a polypeptide having an inhibitory activity on the proteolytic activity of a polypeptide as defined according to b);
c)
a polypeptide, recombinant or synthetic, having a peptide sequence which comprises a sequence identical or equivalent to SEQ ID NO:91; in particular said polypeptide exhibits a reverse transcriptase activity;
a polypeptide having a peptide sequence which comprises a sequence identical or equivalent to SEQ ID NO:92; in particular said polypeptide exhibits a ribonuclease activity;
a polypeptide, recombinant or synthetic, characterized in that the open reading frame encoding it begins, in the 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 direction, at nucleotide 341 and ends at nucleotide 2304 of SEQ ID NO:87;
a polypeptide, recombinant or synthetic, characterized in that the open reading frame encoding it begins, in the 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 direction, at nucleotide 1858 and ends at nucleotide 2304 of SEQ ID NO:87.
a polypeptide having an inhibitory activity on the reverse transcriptase activity of a polypeptide as defined according to c) or on the ribonuclease H activity of a polypeptide as defined according to c).
In particular, the invention relates to an antigenic polypeptide recognized by the sera of patients infected with the MSRV-1 virus, and/or in whom the MSRV-1 virus has been reactivated, whose peptide sequence is partially or totally identical or is equivalent to the sequence defined by SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:81, SEQ ID NO:89, SEQ ID NO:90, SEQ ID NO:91, SEQ ID NO:92, SEQ ID NO:132, SEQ ID NO:133, SEQ ID NO:134, SEQ ID NO:139, SEQ ID NO:140 and SEQ ID NO:141; such a sequence is identical, for example, to any sequence selected from the group including the sequences SEQ ID NO:37 to SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:59 and SEQ ID NO:81.
The present invention also encompasses mono- or polyclonal antibodies directed against the MSRV-1 virus, which are obtained by the immunological reaction of a human or animal body or cells to an immunogenic agent consisting of an antigenic polypeptide such as is defined above.
The invention next relates to:
reagents for detection of the MSRV-virus, or of an exposure to the latter, comprising, at least one reactive substance selected from the group consisting of a probe of the present invention, a polypeptide, in particular an antigenic peptide, such as is defined above, or an anti-ligand, in particular an antibody to the said polypeptide;
all diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic compositions comprising one or more peptides, in particular antigenic peptides, such as are defined above, or one or more anti-ligands, in particular antibodies to the peptides, discussed above; such a composition is preferably, and by way of example, a vaccine composition.
The invention also relates to any diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic composition, in particular for inhibiting the expression of at least one virus associated with MS or RA, and/or the enzymatic activities of the proteins of said virus, comprising a nucleotide fragment such as is defined above or a polynucleotide, in particular oligonucleotide, whose sequence is partially identical to that of the said fragment, except for that of the fragment having the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:1. Likewise, it relates to any diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic composition, in particular for inhibiting the expression of at least one pathogenic and/or infective agent associated with RA, comprising a nucleotide fragment such as is defined above by reference to the pol and gag genes, and especially with respect to the sequences SEQ ID NOS 36, 47, 52, 55, 56, 57, 58 and 83.
According to the invention, these same fragments or polynucleotides, in particular oligonucleotides, may participate in all suitable compositions for detecting, according to any suitable process or method, a pathological and/or infective agent associated with MS and with RA, respectively, in a biological sample. In such a process, an RNA and/or a DNA presumed to belong or originating from the said pathological and/or infective agent, and/or their complementary RNA and/or DNA, is/are brought into contact with such a composition.
The present invention also relates to any process for detecting the presence or exposure to such a pathological and/or infective agent, in a biological sample, by bringing this sample into contact with a peptide, in particular an antigenic peptide such as is defined above, or an anti-ligand, in particular an antibody to this peptide, such as is defined above.
In practice, and for example, a device for detection of the MSRV-1 virus comprises a reagent such as is defined above, supported by a solid support which is immunologically compatible with the reagent, and a means for bringing the biological sample, for example a sample of blood or of cerebrospinal fluid, likely to contain anti-MSRV-1 antibodies, into contact with this reagent under conditions permitting a possible immunological reaction, the foregoing items being accompanied by means for detecting the immune complex formed with this reagent.
Lastly, the invention also relates to the detection of anti-MSRV-1 antibodies in a biological sample, for example a sample of blood or of cerebrospinal fluid, according to which this sample is brought into contact with a reagent such as is defined above, consisting of an antibody, under conditions permitting their possible immunological reaction, and the presence of the immune complex thereby formed with the reagent is then detected.
Before describing the invention in detail, different terms used in the description and the claims are now defined:
strain or isolate is understood to mean any infective and/or pathogenic biological fraction containing, for example, viruses and/or bacteria and/or parasites, generating pathogenic and/or antigenic power, harbored by a culture or a living host; as an example, a viral strain according to the above definition can contain a coinfective agent, for example a pathogenic protist,
the term xe2x80x9cMSRVxe2x80x9d used in the present description denotes any pathogenic and/or infective agent associated with MS, in particular a viral species, the attenuated strains of the said viral species or the defective-interfering particles or particles containing coencapsidated genomes, or alternatively genomes recombined with a portion of the MSRV-1 genome, derived from this species. Viruses, and especially viruses containing RNA, are known to have a variability resulting, in particular, from relatively high rates of spontaneous mutation (7), which will be borne in mind below for defining the notion of equivalence,
human virus is understood to mean a virus capable of infecting, or of being harbored by human beings,
in view of all the natural or induced variations and/or recombination which may be encountered when implementing the present invention, the subjects of the latter, defined above and in the claims, have been expressed including the equivalents or derivatives of the different biological materials defined below, in particular of the homologous nucleotide or peptide sequences,
the variant of a virus or of a pathogenic and/or infective agent according to the invention comprises at least one antigen recognized by at least one antibody directed against at least one corresponding antigen of the said virus and/or said pathogenic and/or infective agent, and/or a genome any part of which is detected by at least one hybridization probe and/or at least one nucleotide amplification primer specific for the said virus and/or pathogenic and/or infective agent, such as, for example, for the MSRV-1 virus, the primers and probes having a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO:15 to SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:27 to SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, and their complementary sequences, under particular hybridization conditions well known to a person skilled in the art,
according to the invention, a nucleotide fragment or an oligonucleotide or polynucleotide is an arrangement of monomers, or a biopolymer, characterized by the informational sequence of the natural nucleic acids, which is capable of hybridizing with any other nucleotide fragment under predetermined conditions, it being possible for the arrangement to contain monomers of different chemical structures and to be obtained from a molecule of natural nucleic acid and/or by genetic recombination and/or by chemical synthesis; a nucleotide fragment may be identical to a genomic fragment of the MSRV-1 virus discussed in the present invention, in particular a gene of this virus, for example pol or env in the case of the said virus,
thus, a monomer can be a natural nucleotide of nucleic acid whose constituent elements are a sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base; in RNA the sugar is ribose, in DNA the sugar is 2-deoxyribose; depending on whether the nucleic acid is DNA or RNA, the nitrogenous base is chosen from adenine, guanine, uracil, cytosine and thymine; or the nucleotide can be modified in at least one of the three constituent elements; as an example, the modification can occur in the bases, generating modified bases such as inosine, 5-methyldeoxycytidine, deoxyuridine, 5-(dimethylamino)deoxyuridine, 2,6-diaminopurine, 5-bromodeoxyuridine and any other modified base promoting hybridization; in the sugar, the modification can consist of the replacement of at least one deoxyribose by a polyamide (8), and in the phosphate group, the modification can consist of its replacement by esters chosen, in particular, from diphosphate, alkyl- and arylphosphonate and phosphorothioate esters,
xe2x80x9cinformational sequencexe2x80x9d is understood to mean any ordered succession of monomers whose chemical nature and order in a reference direction constitute an item of functional information of the same quality as that of the natural nucleic acids,
hybridization is understood to mean the process during which, under suitable working conditions, two nucleotide fragments having sufficiently complementary sequences pair to form a complex structure, in particular double or triple, preferably in the form of a helix,
a probe comprises a nucleotide fragment synthesized chemically or obtained by digestion or enzymatic cleavage of a longer nucleotide fragment, comprising at least six monomers, advantageously from 10 to 1000 monomers, preferably 10 to 30 monomers and more preferably 18 to 30, and possessing a specificity of hybridization under particular conditions; preferably, a probe possessing fewer than 10 monomers, but preferably fewer than 15 monomers is not used alone, but is used in the presence of other probes of equally short size or otherwise; under certain special conditions, it may be useful to use probes of size greater than 100 monomers; a probe may be used, in particular, for diagnostic purposes, such molecules being, for example, capture and/or detection probes,
the capture probe may be immobilized on a solid support by any suitable means, that is to say directly or indirectly, for example by covalent bonding or passive adsorption,
the detection probe may be labelled by means of a label chosen, in particular, from radioactive isotopes, enzymes chosen, in particular, from peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase and those capable of hydrolyzing a chromogenic, fluorogenic or luminescent substrate, chromophoric chemical compounds, chromogenic, fluorogenic or luminescent compounds, nucleotide base analogues and biotin,
the probes used for diagnostic purposes of the invention may be employed in all known hybridization techniques, and in particular the techniques termed xe2x80x9cDOT-BLOTxe2x80x9d (9), xe2x80x9cSOUTHERN BLOTxe2x80x9d (10), xe2x80x9cNORTHERN BLOTxe2x80x9d, which is a technique identical to the xe2x80x9cSOUTHERN BLOTxe2x80x9d technique but which uses RNA as target, and the SANDWICH technique (11); advantageously, the SANDWICH technique is used in the present invention, comprising a specific capture probe and/or a specific detection probe, on the understanding that the capture probe and the detection probe must possess an at least partially different nucleotide sequence,
any probe according to the present invention can hybridize in vivo or in vitro with RNA and/or with DNA in order to block the phenomena of replication, in particular translation and/or transcription, and/or to degrade the said DNA and/or RNA,
a primer is a probe comprising at least six monomers, and advantageously from 10 to 30 monomers, and preferably from 18 to 25 monomers, possessing a specificity of hybridization under particular conditions for the initiation of an enzymatic polymeirzation, for example in an amplification technique such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction), in an elongation process such as sequencing, in a method of reverse transcription or the like,
two nucleotide or peptide sequences are termed equivalent or derived with respect to one another, or with respect to a reference sequence, if functionally the corresponding biopolymers can perform substantially the same role, without being identical, as regards the application or use in question, or in the technique in which they participate; two sequences are, in particular, equivalent if they are obtained as a result of natural variability, in particular spontaneous mutation of the species from which they have been identified, or induced variability, as are two homologous sequences, homology being defined below,
xe2x80x9cvariabilityxe2x80x9d is understood to mean any spontaneous or induced modification of a sequence, in particular by substitution and/or insertion and/or deletion of nucleotides and/or of nucleotide fragments, and/or extension and/or shortening of the sequence at one or both ends; an unnatural variability can result from the genetic engineering techniques used, for example the choice of synthesis primers, degenerate or otherwise, selected for amplifying a nucleic acid; this variability can manifest itself in modifications of any starting sequence, considered as reference, and capable of being expressed by a degree of homology relative to the said reference sequence,
homology characterizes the degree of identity of two nucleotide or peptide fragments compared; it is measured by the percentage identity which is determined, in particular, by direct comparison of nucleotide or peptide sequences, relative to reference nucleotide or peptide sequences,
this percentage identity has been specifically determined for the nucleotide fragments, clones in particular, dealt with in the present invention, which are homologous to the fragments identified, for the MSRV-1 virus, by SEQ ID NO:1 to NO:9, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:47 to SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:87, as well as for the probes and primers homologous to the probes and primers identified by SEQ ID NO:17 to SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:27 to SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:45, SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:72, SEQ ID NO:76, and SEQ ID NO:93 to SEQ ID NO:99; as an example, the smallest percentage identity observed between the different general consensus sequences of nucleic acids obtained from fragments of MSRV-1 viral RNA, originating from the LM7PC and PLI-2 lines according to a protocol detailed later, is 67% in the region described in FIG. 1,
any nucleotide fragment is termed equivalent or derived from a reference fragment if it possesses a nucleotide sequence equivalent to the sequence of the reference fragment; according to the above definition, the following in particular are equivalent to a reference nucleotide fragment:
a) any fragment capable of hybridizing at least partially with the complement of the reference fragment,
b) any fragment whose alignment with the reference fragment results in the demonstration of a larger number of identical contiguous bases than with any other fragment originating from another taxonomic group,
c) any fragment resulting, or capable of resulting, from the natural variability of the species from which it is obtained,
d) any fragment capable of resulting from the genetic engineering techniques applied to the reference fragment,
e) any fragment containing at least eight contiguous nucleotides encoding a peptide which is homologous or identical to the peptide encoded by the reference fragment,
f) any fragment which is different from the reference fragment by insertion, deletion or substitution of at least one monomer, or extension or shortening at one or both of its ends; for example, any fragment corresponding to the reference fragment flanked at one or both of its ends by a nucleotide sequence not coding for a polypeptide,
polypeptide is understood to mean, in particular, any peptide of at least two amino acids, in particular an oligopeptide, or protein, and for example an enzyme, extracted, separated or substantially isolated or synthesized through human intervention, in particular those obtained by chemical synthesis or by expression in a recombinant organism,
polypeptide partially encoded by a nucleotide fragment is understood to mean a polypeptide possessing at least three amino acids encoded by at least nine contiguous monomers lying within the said nucleotide fragment,
an amino acid is termed analogous to another amino acid when their respective physicochemical properties, such as polarity, hydrophobicity and/or basicity and/or acidity and/or neutrality are substantially the same; thus, a leucine is analogous to an isoleucine.
any polypeptide is termed equivalent or derived from a reference polypeptide if the polypeptides compared have substantially the same properties, and in particular the same antigenic, immunological, enzymological and/or molecular recognition properties; the following in particular are equivalent to a reference polypeptide:
a) any polypeptide possessing a sequence in which at least one amino acid has been replaced by an analogous amino acid,
b) any polypeptide having an equivalent peptide sequence, obtained by natural or induced variation of the said reference polypeptide and/or of the nucleotide fragment coding for the said polypeptide,
c) a mimotope of the said reference polypeptide,
d) any polypeptide in whose sequence one or more amino acids of the L series are replaced by an amino acid of the D series, and vice versa,
e) any polypeptide into whose sequence a modification of the side chains of the amino acids has been introduced, such as, for example, an acetylation of the amine functions, a carboxylation of the thiol functions, an esterification of the carboxyl functions,
f) any polypeptide in whose sequence one or more peptide bonds have been modified, such as, for example, carba, retro, inverso, retro-inverso, reduced and methylenoxy bonds,
(g) any polypeptide at least one antigen of which is recognized by an antibody directed against a reference polypeptide,
the percentage identity characterizing the homology of two peptide fragments compared is, according to the present invention, at least 50% and preferably at least 70%.
In view of the fact that a virus possessing reverse transcriptase enzymatic activity may be genetically characterized equally well in RNA and in DNA form, both the viral DNA and RNA will be referred to for characterizing the sequences relating to a virus possessing such reverse transcriptase activity, termed MSRV-1 according to the present description.
The expressions of order used in the present description and the claims, such as xe2x80x9cfirst nucleotide sequencexe2x80x9d, are not adopted so as to express a particular order, but so as to define the invention more clearly.
Detection of a substance or agent is understood below to mean both an identification and a quantification, or a separation or isolation, of the said substance or said agent. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A memory tester performs a test on memory devices by supplying a sequence of addresses and data patterns to the device under test (DUT), by reading the output from the DUT consisting of a series of test signals which create a test signal pattern and thereby determining if the DUT passed or failed the test. The output pin of the DUT is coupled to the receiver circuitry of the device tester which compares the test signal pattern on the output pin of the DUT with a reference test signal pattern stored within the tester to determine whether the DUT passed or failed the test.
Memory devices are available with various configurations and various numbers of outputs. For example, the one megabit dynamic random access memory (1M DRAM) device TMS4C1024 manufactured by Texas Instruments has a one megabit by one data I/O pin configuration, while the 1M DRAM TMS44C256 also manufactured by Texas Instruments has a 256 kilobit by four data I/O pins (256K.times.4) configuration. Even though the configuration and number of data I/O pins of these two devices is dissimilar, both of these devices are 1 MB DRAM devices.
For example, a memory tester may have four transceiver circuits and requires the connection of a separate transceiver circuit to each memory device data input/output pin to perform a device test. Therefore, one tester transceiver circuit is required to test a memory device having the 1M.times.1 configuration. A total of four memory devices in the 1M.times.1 configuration can be tested at once on this device tester which contains four transceiver circuits. Comparatively, testing a 1 MB DRAM in the 256K.times.4 configuration requires the use of four tester transceiver circuits per memory device, which therefore occupies the entire tester. In summary, because this device tester has only four receiver circuits, four 1M.times.1 configuration devices or only one 256K.times.4 configuration device can be tested at once. As a result, the number of devices a tester can test in parallel decreases with increasing number of data input/output pins on each device.
Using current tester design methodologies, many testers are incapable of economically testing wide I/O devices. The cost of redesigning a tester to add more receivers is cost prohibitive as receivers are complex and therefore very expensive. Tester manufacturers invest one to two years of design effort to double a particular tester's throughput capability through redesigning the memory algorithm generator.
There is a problem in finding a way to economically test wide data I/O memory devices. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In a reaction of oxidizing an organic substrate, such as an amine, a hydrocarbon, an aldehyde, a ketone, or an alcohol with oxygen, use of a variety of catalysts has hitherto been studied, and reported. As such a catalyst, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a catalyst comprising a hydrazyl radical or a hydrazine compound and a transition metal compound, the catalyst being used in a reaction of oxidizing an amine with oxygen, and Patent Document 2 describes a catalyst comprising an N-hydroxy cyclic imide and a transition metal compound, the catalyst being used in a reaction of oxidizing a hydrocarbon, an aldehyde, a ketone or an alcohol with oxygen. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention pertains to dental instruments, more specifically, to a means for protecting the operator""s eyes from high intensity lights which are commonly used in dentistry.
Dentists are restoring many tooth cavities with restorative compositions which polymerize and harden when exposed to selected bright lights. Appropriate bright light is available from the distal end of a portable light wand. However, reflections of such bright light from a mouth often reach the dentist""s eyes where they are intense enough to be irritating. The portion of the light which is most effective as a stimulus for the viscous restorative is the blue wave lengths which are traumatic for the operator""s eyes. Never-the-less, it is imperative that the operator view the treatment area clearly with adequate light. Also, if a polymerizing light is held too far from the restorative the intensity and effectiveness of its beam will decrease. Further, the light wand should not be close enough to contact the restorative since contact from a wand assembly will damage the surface form of the restoration. Thus, protective shields have been proposed to protect the operator""s eyes from such harmful reflected radiation.
Available shields exhibit detrimental features. Many shields are designed as cones or parabolic forms which are cumbersome because they require more space and weight. Thus they tend to contact the restorative composition which is likely to cause damage. Prior shields also reflect randomly and generate secondary reflections from glossy mouth tissues. This shield provides a see-through segment with reduced intensities and filtration of blue light for safe viewing of the treatment field but others do not enable adequate monitoring of the treatment field.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,858 to Johnson (1984) describes a frustro-conical shield affixed to a fiber optic light wand with a reflective underside. Its conical reflective surface will direct light in arbitrary, unfocused patterns and it is made of opaque polymers which do not provide an adequate view treatment field.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,679 to Wyatt (1986) details a frustro-parabolic attachment for a light wand which does not reflect or focus extraneous light. It is formed of a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate which will not provide an adequate view of the treatment field.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,685 to Croll (1987) discloses a paddle to be held between a field of treatment and an operator""s eyes. No provision is made to reflect or concentrate stray light. Usually, an operator holds and directs a light wand in one hand and uses the other to deflect lips, tongue and cheeks to permit accessibility. However, it is cumbersome and difficult to control the wand and tissues and also hold the paddle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,842 to Croll (1987) shows a device which purports to obviate the need for a third hand by attaching a paddle to a finger ring. It is made of orange plastic as a light filter, but is awkward and does not adequately collect or redirect reflected light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,353 to Nevin (1987) offers a syringe with an opaque outer veneer to protect the operator""s eyes and a light bearing plunger to activate the hardening of the composition injected by the syringe. The orifice of the cavity tends to be obscured by the opaque cylinder and to make a disruptive contact with a formed restorative composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,253 to Landis (1990) discloses pigments affixed to a dental mirror which are intended to modify damaging light rays. Because of its limited dimensions, such a mirror will modify some, but neither all nor most of the light reflected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,231 to Kuehn (1994) shows a flat shield of crystalline styrene plastic with crossing slits through which a light wand may be inserted. It offers no light collecting or redirecting advantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,800 to Cunningham (1996) shows a flat, pigmented and transparent planar device with no collecting or reflecting characteristics.
Additionally, operators have used eyeglass covers and pigmented eyeglass lenses to protect their eyes, but such covers and lenses will not adequately reflect the reflected light.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are:
1. to provide a way to protect an operator""s eyes from bright lights used in dental procedures,
2. to provide a means to collect, redirect and utilize reflected light which would otherwise be wasted and
3. to provide a device to focus the primary beam to a limited area.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The invention is directed to a mowing apparatus for mowing of stalk-like harvest commodities especially corn, the mowing being performed independently of rows whereby the mowed crop is conveyed to a chopper through draw-in rollers arranged in a draw-in box. Several rotating mowing rollers with rigid entrainment devices are assigned to the draw-in box and cooperate with additional rollers due to overlapping of tip paths of the respective entrainment devices.
Such a mowing apparatus is known from the DE-OS 32 26 876, wherein four mowing- and feed or draw-in rollers are arranged across a working width of approximately three meters. The outer mowing- and feed or draw-in rollers guide herein the mowed harvest commodity in a wide arc at first towards the outside along a compartmentation arc supporting the cut-off stalks towards the inner mowing and draw-in roller, which then further conveys the outer stalks by means of long radial entrainment devices together with the inner stalks. Herein guides constitute a respectively separate draw-in channel, in which the stalks of the outer draw-in roller are kept separate from those of the inner draw-in roller. These guides concentrically embracing the draw-in and mowing rollers assume the support of the stalks during their conveyance especially when transmitting the stalks to the inner roller.
Apart from the long conveyance travel because of the redirection towards the external side, the increased construction cost is disadvantageous, since each compartmentation or separation tip must be equipped with the guidance brackets respectively projecting beyond the next separation or compartmentation tip. Furthermore, it is disadvantageous that because of the shown twin flow conveyance, the external mowing roller is arranged far from the inner mowing roller and thus in case of a longer working period there results a high nose heaviness and a large overhang towards the front.
Furthermore, a mowing apparatus is known from the DE-OS 34 06 551, in which the rigid entrainment devices have been replaced by controlled entrainment fingers. This permits operation without countersupports for the mowed cornstalks, since these can be sufficiently well retained in the hook-shaped entrainment devices during the lateral conveyance and are released for the transfer to the draw-in box.
Also, in this case, the increased constructional expense for the plurality of bearing points for the swivelable tines is disadvantageous, as well as the far forward overhang of the draw-in drum in case of greater working widths. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
End users have more electronic device choices than ever before. A number of prominent technological trends are currently afoot (e.g., more computing devices, thinner lighter devices, etc.), and these trends are changing the electronic device landscape. One of the technological trends is a growing demand for extremely light and thin keyboards to reduce the bulk and weight. Another trend is to deliver a good touch typing experience. However, as conventional key heights are lowered to provide thinner keyboards, the profile of a user's thumbs becomes an issue. For some users, the thumb's typical posture of being parallel to the typing surface often causes the thumb to bridge the space bar on thin keyboards (or the depressions that represent the space bar), resulting in no pressure being applied to the designated space key area. In addition, there are several options for controlling a cursor on a display, however, nearly all of these cause gaps in the users thought flow as the user must move their finger or the entire hand between typing and controlling the cursor on the display. This often causes touch typers to reposition their fingers between typing and controlling the cursor. Hence, there is a desire for an improved space bar area as well as an improved means for controlling the cursor.
The FIGURES of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as their dimensions can be varied considerably without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Patent Document 1 identified below exists as an example of background art information relating to this type of container. In the case of the container disclosed in this Patent Document 1, when the bottom face of the container is pressed from above with the container under a posture of orienting the lid member downwards being set to a bottom portion of a setting space present upwardly of a dilution bottle, the pressure inside the container body increases to cause detachment of a portion of the annular seal portion from the flanged face, whereby the contents are discharged into the dilution bottle.
Therefore, if a liquid of concentrated beverage ingredient is used as the contents of the container, beverage of an appropriate concentration can be obtained by introducing water or the like into the dilution bottle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Acoustic wave devices are used in a variety of sensing applications. For example, acoustic delay lines can be used to sense environmental factors such as temperature and pressure, and can be used to measure variables such as mass, viscosity and density. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay lines have been employed to sense vapors in air by applying a surface film that preferentially binds the vapor to a surface of the SAW device. The surface film traps the vapor, causing a mass increase that changes the phase or amplitude of acoustic waves propagating along a piezoelectric substrate of the device. A surface transverse wave (STW) delay line may be used to sense the concentrations of chemicals in aqueous solutions by immobilizing antibodies on the surface of the STW device, whereupon the net surface mass increases as the antigen that is complementary to the antibodies is captured from the solutions. Again, phase shifts and/or changes in signal amplitude can be monitored to obtain a determination regarding the captured antigen.
Increasing the sensitivity of acoustic wave devices is an ever-present goal in the design of the various types of the devices. In practice, the maximum sensitivity is at least partially determined by the acoustic attenuation of wave propagation. That is, the same components of wave motion that cause an increase in sensitivity increase the attenuation that is experienced by the device. For example, a surface grating of fingers that is used to trap an acoustic wave to an STW device may be increased in thickness in order to improve sensitivity, but the thicker grating will increase the attenuation that results from a surface film or from a fluid to be analyzed.
Eventually a limit is reached at which changes to factors such as the thickness of a preferential surface film cannot be used to increase sensitivity. The limit cannot surpass that point at which increased film thickness will result in a film that causes wave attenuation that renders the device substantially unaffected by any chemical interaction. This limit at which monitoring the output of the device would make it appear that interaction of the device with a substance of interest will not increase wave attenuation is referred to herein as the "attenuation limit." While the attenuation limit has been described with reference to an acoustic wave device having a grating of wave-trapping fingers and a preferential surface film, the importance of the attenuation limit to maximizing the sensitivity of an acoustic wave device applies equally to all other types of acoustic wave devices and applies to the various sensing environments, e.g., the detection of a vapor within air and the determination of the viscosity of a liquid in which the device is immersed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an acoustic wave device and a method of operating the device that allow further improvements to sensitivity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,095 describes one embodiment of light valve array of the kind referred to above, as employed in electronic imaging apparatus. In this embodiment the electro-optic modulator panel comprises a plurality of spaced address and reference electrodes formed on one surface of PLZT material to form a linear array of selectively addressable light control portions. The ingress and egress polarizers, sandwiching the panel, are disposed with their directions of polarization at 90.degree. to one another, at 45.degree. to the line direction of the linear array of light control portions and at 45.degree. to the direction of the electric field that is selectively applied between adjacent address and reference electrodes. When a light control portion is not addressed by a transverse electric field, light from the ingress polarizer passes through that control portion unmodulated and is thereafter blocked by the egress polarizer. When a transverse addressing electric field is applied, the light polarization state is changed by the electro-optic element to an extent that it will pass the egress polarizer.
The above-described approach for electronic imaging has been found quite useful and has been the subject of various refinements. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,892 describes techniques for optimizing the addressing potentials, applied across the light control portions, to obtain transmission uniformity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,573 and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 780,873, filed Sept. 27, 1985 by J. Mir, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,081, describe techniques for forming in-depth electrodes which improve the effectiveness of the addressing electric field, by directing it more precisely perpendicular to the direction of light propagation through the panel (and at 45.degree. to that light's entry direction of polarization.) | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to scupper joints for ships. More particularly, the present invention relates to a scupper joint provided at a lower lateral portion of a ship hull, wherein the scupper joint is connected with a pumping plant installed in the ship hull for allowing water drawn by the pumping plant to be discharged out of the ship hull through the scupper joint.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, on a ship, a plurality of scupper joints 1 provide at a lower lateral portion of a ship hull are connected with a pumping plant in the ship. The pumping plant serves to draw water from a bottom tank or a cooling system of the ship and discharge the water out of the ship through the scupper joints 1.
The conventional scupper joint, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a tubular body 10 and a locking ring 11 that is mounted around and thereby coupled with the body 10. The body 10 is axially, centrally formed with a through hole 101. The body 10 is also peripherally formed with a flange 12, a threaded segment 13 and a connecting segment 14. Another threaded segment 111 is formed at an inner periphery of the locking ring 11 for getting coupled with the threaded segment 13 of the body 10. By screwing the locking ring 11, the locking ring 11 is tightened and moves along the threaded segment 13 of the body 10 so that adjacent surfaces 122, 112 of the flange 12 and the locking ring 11 pressingly abut against an inner lateral 191 and an outer lateral 192 of a hull 19 of the ship, respectively. Some protrusions 141 are formed at an outer periphery of the connecting segment 14 for facilitating combination between the connecting segment 14 and an external plastic pipe 15. When the plastic pipe 15 is further communicated with a pumping plant, water pumped by the pumping plant can be discharged out of the ship through the hole 101 of the body 10.
For preventing rust thereon, the body 10 and the locking ring 11 are usually made of stainless steel through a casting process and then processed to have the aforementioned threaded segments and protrusions. Since the casting process requires a long production cycle in addition to expensive modules, for satisfying buyers' unscheduled component demands, the manufacturing may have to produce for inventory, thus adding burden to inventory turnover and management. Besides, while being hedged about the availability of existing modules, provision of the products is far from flexible. On the other hand, through the casting process, it is difficult, if not impossible, to make the body 10 have a wall thickness less than 2 mm without causing a high defective rate.
Consequently, the resultant scupper joint is bulky and heavy, thus requiring increased packing and transporting costs.
Moreover, the body 10 made of stainless steel can still rust after long-term contact with water. As a result, the rust scales can block the hole 101 and significantly weaken the discharging capacity of the scupper joint, rendering a shortened service life of the scupper joint. In view of this, some known approaches have suggested further preventing rust by making the parts with anticorrosive metal materials, such as titanium alloy. However, the expensive materials make the products become too expensive to be classed as economical. Other processes, such as vacuum casting and powder metallurgy, have been proposed as alternative approaches to make the wall thickness of the body 10 thinner than 2 mm. Nevertheless, theses processes require remarkable costs in modules and operation as compared with the aforesaid casting process does. As a result, the expensive processes make the products become too expensive to be classed as economical. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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