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The invention relates to a method of determining a target spatial coordinate using an apparatus comprising a movable hand-held probe, having a pointing element for pointing the target spatial coordinate, and a portable base unit provided with line-of-sight distance coupling means, wherein the hand-held probe is coupled to the base unit by means of the line-of-sight coupling means via an attachment point, and wherein the base unit is provided with sensors providing measuring signals for measuring length or a change in length of the line-of-sight distance coupling means and rotation of the line-of-sight distance coupling means in at least one degree of freedom, and computer-controlled processing means communicatively connected to the sensors for processing measuring signals delivered by the sensors.
An apparatus of the above mentioned type is known from EP patent 1,226,401, which can be used for measuring the shape or contour of two-dimensional or three-dimensional objects, such as small objects to be placed on a measuring table, or relatively large objects disposed in a room.
The known apparatus is equipped with a cord or a wire, for connecting the movable hand-held probe to the portable base unit via an elongated arm provided with the base unit. Therefore, only a single sensor suffices for determining the length or change in length of the cord or the wire.
A second sensor in the apparatus is used in order to enable accurate determination of the angle or angular displacement of the cord caused by a change in position of the measuring probe. The second sensor is arranged to measure the rotational displacement of the arm in, for example two dimensions or three dimensions.
In an example, the sensors for measuring length or a change in length of the cord or the wire and rotation of the arm in at least one degree of freedom are understood to be sensors in the form of pulse generators, wherein the number of pulses delivered during use is proportional to a change in length or angular displacement of the cord or the wire or of the arm coupled thereto. Another option is to use potentiometers for measuring the rotation of the arm, and the change in length of the cord or the wire.
The computer-controlled processing means are arranged for processing the measuring signals delivered by the sensors, i.e. the angle or angular displacement of the line-of-sight distance coupling means or change in length of the line-of-sight distance coupling means, into position data of the hand-held probe.
EP patent 1,226,401 provides an example in which the coordinates of the attachment point and the target spatial coordinate are the same because the cord or wire is attached to the end of the pointing element, which pointing element is used for pointing the target spatial coordinate.
However, in such an example, a problem arises in case a spatial coordinate is to be measured which is not in direct line-of-sight with the base unit. In order to accurately determine the spatial coordinate, the cord or wire needs to be directly spanned in a straight line between the base unit and the hand-held probe without obstacles or obstructions. In case the spatial coordinate is not in direct line-of-sight with the base unit, the computer-controlled processing means will unavoidably include inaccuracies in the determination of the spatial coordinate. The above is, for example, important for measuring a target spatial coordinate behind an object.
The inventors of the present invention further noticed that in practice situations the target spatial coordinate can not always be directly, physically pointed at, due to obstacles, obstructions, narrow passages, or the like. In such a case, the apparatus of EP 1,226,401 will introduce offset inaccuracies as the intended spatial coordinate, i.e. the target spatial coordinate, does not equal the attachment point of the line-of-sight distance coupling means, i.e. a cord or a wire.
Consequently it is an object of the invention to provide for an improved method and apparatus for accurately determining a target spatial coordinate in more versatile situations. | {
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Reverse-Brayton cryocoolers use a recuperative heat exchanger to cool the high pressure gas with the cold, low pressure gas returning from the cold end. In typical reverse-Brayton cryocoolers having plate-fin design, the energy transfer in the heat exchanger is an order of magnitude or more greater than the overall cryocooler input power. Therefore, losses in the heat exchanger have a strong influence on the total input power required.
Input power reduction can be achieved by increasing the thermal effectiveness (ratio of temperature difference between the incoming and outgoing first fluid streams to temperature difference between incoming first and second fluid streams) of the heat exchanger. Unfortunately, with known plate-fin heat exchangers, it is difficult to achieve effectiveness levels in excess of about 96-97%. By increasing effectiveness to 99% or more and reducing the pressure drop ratio (pressure loss divided by system pressure) to 0.02, the input power to the cryocooler could likely be reduced by a factor of 2. In plate-type heat exchangers, it is known to form multiple concavo-convex structures, i.e., "dimples," in the sheets of material used to manufacture fluid channels in the heat exchanger. See, for example, the heat exchangers in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,281,754 to Dalzell and 2,596,008 to Collins. These dimples provide mechanical integrity to the fluid channels. In addition, these dimples are provided for the purpose of inducing turbulent flow in the fluid channels so as to enhance convective heat transfer.
Plate-type heat exchangers have fluid channels arranged so that different fluids in adjacent channels flow in the same direction (i.e., have parallel flow fluid paths), flow in opposite directions (i.e., have counterflow fluid paths), flow in transverse directions (i.e., transverse flow fluid paths) or have a combination of these fluid flow paths. In yet another class of plate-type heat exchangers, different fluids are transported in a circumferential flow about a central axis. U.S. Pat. No. 840,667 to Speed et al. describes a circumferential, counterflow heat exchanger, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,209 describes a circumferential flow heat exchanger featuring both parallel flow and counterflow fluid paths.
Known recuperative plate-type heat exchangers typically include structures such as fins and plates made from a material, e.g., aluminum, having a relatively high thermal conductivity. Such structures are often configured and positioned so as to provide a relatively low resistance thermal conductivity path between inlet and outlet for a given fluid circuit. In view of these attributes of known plate-type heat exchangers, heat exchange effectiveness is typically not as high as desired.
For a given heat exchanger application, a number of design parameters, such as fluid path height and length, need to be addressed in designing an appropriate heat exchanger. When fluid properties change significantly during travel through the heat exchanger, it may be necessary to change one or more of these design parameters at various regions of the heat exchanger to maintain optimal performance. Together, these factors virtually necessitate original design of a heat exchanger for a given application, particularly when simultaneous high heat transfer effectiveness and low pressure losses are desired. Such original design adds to the time and cost associated with implementing a heat exchanger in a given application. | {
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The invention relates to an inline roller skate.
Inline roller skates are known in the most varied versions. The object of the invention is to devise an inline roller skate which allows the rollers to be changed quickly, easily, and without a tool. | {
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This invention relates to a device for capturing insects or other small pests. The invention further involves a method of use of the device which is particularly effective for the manual capture of insects when an individual is faced with a personal and proximate encounter.
Many, if not most, people have had experiences dealing with a personal encounter with insects or other pests where the insect is discovered either crawling on or near one's person. The presence of an insect or pests is particularly undesirable when found within one's home, automobile or other confined space. Common insects and other pests which are frequently encountered may include ticks, spiders, ants, flies, bees, wasps, scorpions, crickets, beetles and grasshoppers. Consumers would welcome a device which would enable them to catch and restrain such insects and pests without having to physically touch or handle the insects directly. Direct contact with such insects and pests is undesirable because they may bite or sting. Moreover, insects and pests may serve as carriers of disease or harmful germs. Brushing insects off or dropping the insect onto the floor is unsightly, does not restrain the insect and does not address the disposal problem. Swatting insects is often undesirable because the action will frequently leave a residue of the insect on the surface and also makes the disposal of the insect inconvenient. Furthermore, in circumstances where in the insect or pest is not resting on a hard surface, swatting the insect may not be effective. Swatting an insect may also leave a residue, such as blood, from the insect on the flyswatter which is also undesirable. The use of insecticides is likewise disfavored because of the hazardous nature of the chemicals used and the possible adverse health and environmental effects associated with pesticides.
According to the invention, insects are manually captured by attachment to a pressure responsive adhesive which has been provided on a pliable and compressible substrate in a sheet form. The sheet material has enveloping abilities which enables it to be folded over on itself so that a captured insect may be wrapped up and then appropriately disposed. The sheet according to the invention is constructed to be a convenient size for carrying and handling. After the insect is restrained and wrapped up in the sheet, it can then be conveniently and properly disposed of in the same manner as any other article of garbage. The insect may also be saved for inspection by a physician or other professional if there is concern that it is a poisonous or otherwise dangerous insect or pest.
The substrate can be made in a variety of sizes and configurations depending on the particular insect targeted. For example, in some parts of the country ticks are increasingly becoming a health problem, particularly in the Eastern United States. In this regard, certain ticks are potentially dangerous to humans and animals may carry harmful diseases including spotted fever and lyme disease. Often a user will want to be able to identify the species of the tick but there is no convenient and safe manner to trap and restrain the tick for further observation and identification by experts. Likewise, some regions of the United States experience heavy infestations of ants upon the change of seasons and, particularly in areas where food is prepared, the use of insecticides is undesirable. The substrate can thus be configured for the optimal capture of ants.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a manually manipulated capturing device that employs pressure sensitive adhesive for the capture of insects or other small pests.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device which has an adhesive coated sheet with restraining capability only after the said adhesive portion of the sheet is pressed firmly against an intended insect, compressing and adhering the insect onto the adhesive.
A further object of the invention is to provide a manual insect capturing device which includes a pad of disposable stacked adhesive sheets with tabs allowing easy sheet separation, as intended insects are captured and restrained, the sheets being further used as a medium for wrapping the captured insect in preparation for its proper disposal.
A further object of the invention is to provide a manual insect capturing device that is absorbent and can collapse in response to the insects body thus reducing the smashing or squashing effect that occurs when an insect is sandwiched between a rigid article and a hard surface.
A further object of the invention is to provide the material or pad holder on the end of an elongate rod, such as a fly swatter handle, thereby providing a means for extension of the device's reach, greatly increasing the versatility of the device in the pursuit and apprehension of the intended insect or pest.
A further object of the invention is to provide means to post the manual insect capturing device in the user's home, car, or other convenient location.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a manual insect capturing device that can be conveniently carried by the user, in places such as pockets, backpacks and purses, enabling the device to be readily accessible for those times when, unexpectedly, insects are discovered crawling on or around ones person, their children or pets.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a manual insect capturing device that requires a minimum of skill and training to use and manipulate is inexpensive and effective.
A further object of the invention is to provide a manual insect capturing device that makes available a safe sanitary method for insect handling and disposal and to make the device available to the consumer in various sheet sizes and densities to accommodate different types, sizes and quantities of which are likely to be encountered by the user in their particular environment.
These and other various objectives and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings. | {
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In a digital color imaging system, a color image is represented as a set of color picture elements ("pixels"). Each pixel has associated with it a set of color values which describe the color (hue, saturation and lightness) for that position in the image. The color values correspond to the color coordinates in some given color space. There are many different color spaces (e.g. RGB, CIE tristimulus (XYZ), CIELAB, CIELUV, CMY(K), etc.) which are commonly used. Some color spaces, such as XYZ, CIELAB, and CIELUV are device independent and will therefore give an absolute measure of the color for each pixel in the image. Others, such as RGB and CMY(K), are device dependent and can only be related to an absolute color value if the spectral characteristics of the colorants produced by a specific device are known.
For many applications it is necessary to take color image data from one device having given spectral characteristics and display, manipulate, and/or print it on another device which may have very different spectral characteristics. For this reason, it is often necessary to be able to take image data in one color space, and convert it to a different color space. For example, it may be required to take RGB data from an input scanner and convert it to a device independent space such as CIELAB. This data in the device independent color space Can then be used by a variety of different output devices. The digital image data in the device independent color space is converted to the output device dependent color space for display on the output device. The various devices need to be calibrated so that the image will have the same color appearance regardless of what output device is used. As used herein, the term "calibrate" means to form a color transformation that converts color image data to an output device dependent color space.
To compute color transformations such as this, it is necessary to model the color reproduction characteristics of the input and output devices. For some types of devices, such as computer video displays, the models may involve fairly simple mathematical equations. However, for other devices such as color printers, the behavior may be quite complex and can be best characterized by printing a series of color patches with known input control values, and measuring the color which is produced.
Typically, a regular lattice 10 of device control values (e.g. CMY values) as shown in FIG. 1, is sent to the output device to generate an array of color patches. The color patches are then measured by a colorimeter or spectrophotometer to obtain measured color values. The measured color values will form a new lattice of points 12 in the desired calibration color space (such as CIELAB) as is shown in FIG. 2. The measured data points can then be used to approximate the device response for intermediate control values which were not measured using various interpolation techniques, such as tri-linear interpolation, or convex interpolation as is shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 068,823, filed May, 1993 in the names of Shijie J. Wan, Rodney L. Miller and James R. Sullivan for "Method for Convex Interpolation for Color Calibration". The measured data points in combination with an interpolation method as described above are referred to as a "Device Model". Device models like this which convert from the device control signal space (e.g. cyan, magenta, and yellow--CMY) to some device independent color space (such as CIELAB) are referred to herein as "forward models". The volume enclosed by the lattice of points 12 in FIG. 2 represents the colors which can be reproduced on the device, and is referred to as the color gamut of the device. The term gamut boundary refers to the surface of this color gamut volume.
Device models which compute the device control signals necessary to produce some particular device independent color value are often referred to as "inverse models". For 3-color devices, there is generally a one-to-one mapping between colors in the device control signal space, and colors in the device independent (output) color space. As a result it is possible to uniquely determine an inverse model for some device for colors which are inside the gamut of printable colors. Various inverse interpolation techniques have been developed to compute inverse models for 3-color devices from the measured device characteristics. One common method is to break each "cube" 14 in the lattice of input control values for the measured data up into six tetrahedrons 16. One common geometry used to form the tetrahedrons is shown in FIG. 3. Corresponding tetrahedrons are also formed in the lattice of output color values. A list of these tetrahedra are stored in a data structure containing the input and output color values corresponding to each corner of the tetrahedra. To determine the inverse mapping for a given output color, the data structure is searched for the tetrahedron in the output color space which contains the specified output color. The corresponding input color value can then be determined by interpolating between the input color values for the corresponding tetrahedron in the input control value space. Since the search process involved with this method can be somewhat time-consuming, it is often desirable to use this technique to determine the inverse mapping for a regular lattice of color values in the output color space to form an inverse Look-up Table (LUT). Simpler interpolation techniques, such as tri-linear interpolation, can then be used to process large numbers of image pixels through the inverse LUT quickly.
For four-color (e.g. cyan, magenta, yellow and black-CMYK) output devices, the problem of determining an inverse LUT is complicated due to the fact that many sets of input control values may map to a single output color. FIG. 4 shows a typical color gamut 18 of a 4-color device for several different black levels. The total color gamut comprises a plurality of gamut volumes, one for each black level. For example, the gamut volume 20 represents no black, the volume 22 represents 50% black, and the volume 24 represents full black. The vertices of the no black gamut volume are labeled with the initial of the subtractive primary color(s) C,M,Y that produced the color value at the vertex.
Each of the gamut volumes is similar to the color gamut of a 3-color device, and is generated by holding the black level constant and varying the cyan, magenta, and yellow colorant levels over their full range. Although, only 3 black levels are shown in this figure, there will usually be 256 or more black levels available to the device. The union of the color gamut volumes for all of the available black levels will represent the overall color gamut 18 of the device.
FIG. 5 shows the overall color gamut 18 for the example given in FIG. 4 where the vertices are labeled by the primary color C,M,Y,K or combination thereof that produced the color value at the vertex. Colors on the surface of the gamut can only be reproduced with a unique combination of CMYK colorant levels, but colors in the interior of the gamut can be reproduced using a variety of CMYK combinations corresponding to different black levels. There is therefore no unique solution to the inverse problem where it is desired to find the colorant levels necessary to produce a given output color. A number of methods have been developed to determine appropriate combinations of colorant levels to produce the desired output color value. Generically, these methods are referred to as "black strategies". In the graphic arts field, they are also known as gray-component removal (GCR) or under color removal (UCR) methods. The methods vary widely in speed, accuracy, and complexity and represent various trade-offs between these properties. Typical examples of these methods include interactive search techniques, global polynomial fits of measured device data, and empirical relationships which involve computing CMY colorant levels for a 3-color device and replacing some of the colorants with black when all three colorants are present.
The basis of many black component strategies for 4-color printers is the determination of the minimum and/or maximum black levels which can be used to produce the desired output color. Most prior art methods for determining these values are either iterative in nature and as a result computationally slow, or involve a polynomial fit or some other type of approximation to the known device characteristics.
Thus it can be seen that there is presently a need for a new calibration method for 4-color CMYK devices which is simultaneously fast, simple, accurate, and supports a variety of black strategies. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor storage device for rewritably storing data to each of unit blocks into which a memory cell array is divided. Particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor storage device having a configuration in which a row of sense amplifiers including a plurality of sense amplifiers is used each a cache memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a general configuration of a semiconductor storage device such as DRAM, such a configuration in which a memory cell array is divided into a plurality of banks and each bank is further divided into a plurality of unit blocks has been well known. Data is stored and held in memory cells formed at intersections between a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines in each unit block. In conventional DRAM, a row of sense amplifiers including a plurality of sense amplifiers is arranged on each of both sides of the unit block. A configuration in which switches are provided between the unit block and the row of sense amplifiers has been also proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-103657). If the configuration in which the row of sense amplifiers is arranged on each unit block is employed, data read out from the memory cells is held in the row of sense amplifiers by selectively activating an arbitrary word line. Thus, the row of sense amplifiers of each unit block can be used as a cash memory (hereinafter referred to as sense amplifiers cash).
Generally, refresh operation needs to be performed at a predetermined time interval in order to hold data stored in DRAM. This refresh operation is so controlled that after bit lines connected to the row of sense amplifiers is pre-charged, a word line selected to be refreshed is activated, data on the bit lines read out from memory cells on a selected word line is amplified by the sense amplifiers and rewritten into the memory cells. Then, if the refresh operation of the unit block connected to a row of sense amplifiers used as a sense amplifiers cache is performed, data held in the row of sense amplifiers at that time is destroyed in the pre-charge prior to the refresh operation. Therefore, a time in which data can be held in the sense amplifiers cache is under restriction of a refresh interval. Usually, in DRAM, data in the sense amplifiers cache needs to be updated each time a refresh takes place because the refresh operation is performed by selecting the word line in succession at a short interval of some micro seconds. As a consequence, the sense amplifiers cache cannot be used effectively, and cache hit rate drops, which is a problem to be solved. | {
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1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to arithmetic processing systems, and more particularly relates to look-up tables used to obtain function values, such as seed values for iterative refinement division or square root.
In an exemplary embodiment, the invention is used to provide table look-up of reciprocal seed values for a conventional multiplicative division implementation.
2. Related Art.
Floating point units (and other arithmetic processors) commonly use multiplier based algorithms for division. These division algorithms initially employ a seed reciprocal of the divisor.
The seed reciprocals have a selected number of bits of accuracy. Iterative multiplies are performed to iteratively increase the accuracy of the reciprocal approximation until a final quotient value of predetermined accuracy can be obtained.
The seed reciprocals are typically obtained from a ROM reciprocal look-up table, or equivalent PLA (programmed logic array). The number of table input index bits and table output bits of the seed reciprocals determines the size of the look-up table --more input bits allowing more bits of accuracy in the seed reciprocals reduces the necessary number of iterative multiply cycles, reducing division time albeit at the cost of exponential growth in the reciprocal table size.
Without limiting the scope of the invention, this background information is provided in the context of a specific problem to which the invention has application: for a floating point unit design, achieving reciprocal table compression to improve the design trade-off between division time (i.e., the number of necessary interative multiply cycles) and reciprocal table size. A collateral design problem is establishing, for a desired accuracy in reciprocal table output, what is the minimum table size required.
Current day designs of IEEE standard floating point units for PC's and workstations generally have substantial design effort and chip area devoted to providing a multiplier with at most a couple of cycles latency. In addition to special function computations, this multiplier resource is typically exploited to obtain faster division. Moreover, if multiplicative division is used, it is common to also use a multiplicative square root algorithm.
Newton-Raphson, convergence, prescaled, and short reciprocal division are multiplier based iterative division algorithms that have been employed in recent floating point unit implementations. These multiplicative division algorithms each provide speedups by factors of 2 to 4 over the traditional shift-and-subtract iterative division algorithms such as non-restoring and SRT. However, for these multiplicative division algorithms, note that division time relates to multiplier latency, not throughput, because pipelining through the multiplier cannot be employed for the iterative dependent multiplications required for reciprocal refinement.
Each of the multiplicative division algorithms initially employs a seed (approximate) reciprocal of the divisor obtained (such as by table look-up) with a certain precision measured by the number of bits of accuracy. In general, the precision of an approximate reciprocal of an input argument measured in bits of accuracy is given by the negative base 2 logarithm of the relative error between the approximate reciprocal and the infinitely precise reciprocal of the input argument.
To illustrate the affect of the accuracy of the seed reciprocal on the division time of the multiplicative division algorithm, consider Newton-Raphson division, which uses a reciprocal refinement algorithm that converges quadratically. Initially a seed (approximate) reciprocal of the divisor is obtained with a certain precision measured by the number of bits of accuracy. Iterative multiplier operations are used to compute successive refined reciprocal approximations of the divisor to a desired precision. Specifically, each Newton-Raphson iteration effectively doubles the precision of the reciprocal approximation, i.e. doubles the number of accurate bits. Thus, the precision of the seed reciprocal directly determines the number of such iterations to obtain a final reciprocal approximation with a desired precision.
The final reciprocal approximation is then multiplied by the dividend to produce an approximate quotient. The quotient is multiplied by the divisor and subtracted from the dividend to obtain a corresponding remainder. Note that no part of the quotient is generated until the multiplication of the dividend by the refined reciprocal in the last step.
The Newton-Raphson division algorithm for Q=N/D is:
1.Initialize: x.sub.0 .apprxeq.1/D PA1 2.Iterate: x.sub.i+1 =x.sub.i .times.(2-D.times.X.sub.i) PA1 3.Final: Q=X.sub.last .times.N R=N-(Q.times.D) PA1 D.times.X.sub.i =1+.epsilon.such that
X.sub.i .apprxeq.1/D can be written as x.sub.i .apprxeq.(1/D)(1+.epsilon.)
where .epsilon. is the relative error in the approximation (assumed to be small). Thus, in the iterative step:
2-D.times.X.sub.i =1-.epsilon.So that, for the next iteration ##EQU1## That is, for each iteration, the relative error as measured by the number of accurate bits doubles.
Consider the application of this algorithm to obtain the double precision (53 bits) quotient Q where N and D are double precision dividend (numerator) and divisor respectively. N and D are normalized (1.ltoreq.N, D<2), such that the reciprocal of D must fall in the interval (1/2, 1!, where "()" indicate exclusive bounds and "!" indicate inclusive bounds.
If a single value of the seed reciprocal X.sub.0 .apprxeq.1/D is used for any 1.ltoreq.D<2 then X.sub.0 .apprxeq.2/3 is the most accurate seed reciprocal, accurate to about 1.585 bits. With X.sub.0 =2/3, the Newton-Raphson division requires 6 iterations (12 multiplications) to attain the desired number of bits of accuracy for a double precision quotient (1.53612244853+).
Notice that it takes three iterations (6 multiplications) to increase the accuracy to over 7 bits. These initial iterations can be conveniently replaced by a look-up table to provide a seed reciprocal accurate to 7 bits, specifically requiring 7 leading bits of D for table look-up to provide a seed reciprocal X.sub.0 accurate to 7.484 bits. With this small reciprocal table having 128 entries, the algorithm requires only 3 iterations (6 multiplications) for a double precision quotient (7142853+). Thus, using a seed reciprocal table of 2.sup.7 .times.7 bits=896 bits, the number of multiplications is cut in half.
More bits of accuracy in the seed reciprocal further reduces the number of necessary multiply cycles. Consider the seed reciprocal X.sub.0 to be accurate to 14 bits. Then the above algorithm requires only 2 iterations (4 multiply cycles) for a double precision quotient (142853+). However at least 14 leading bits of D are needed for input to a conventional reciprocal table to provide a seed reciprocal accurate to 14 bits. Such a table requires 2.sup.14 .times.14 bits=230 Kbits a size that is prohibitive for current technology.
The limitation of conventional reciprocal tables is that increasing the accuracy of the seed reciprocal by one bit results in more than doubling the reciprocal table size. Because there are no obvious efficient techniques for improving the rate of convergence beyond the current quadratically converging multiplicative division algorithms, such as Newton-Raphson, the critical design trade-off is between table size (and therefore area) and division cycle time.
Table compression can be obtained by applying conventional interpolation techniques to the table output. However, interpolation has the disadvantage of requiring the added cost of a multiplication and/or addition to effect the interpolation Fa 81, Fe 67,Na 87!.
A collateral issue to table size is to specifically define the accuracy that can be obtained from a table of a given size --stated another way, for a desired accuracy of the seed reciprocal, the design problem is to determine what is the minimum table size. For current reciprocal table designs, rather than pursue the exhaustive investigation of minimum table size at the bit level, the design approach has often been to employ oversized tables.
The proper accuracy measure of a reciprocal table to be optimized depends on the division algorithm being implemented and the size and architecture of the multiplier employed. In general, two principal accuracy measures have been used for reciprocal tables: precision and units in the last place (ulps). In particular, if table output is guaranteed accurate to one ulp for all inputs, then the table is termed faithful. A third approach to measuring the accuracy of a reciprocal table is the percentage of inputs that yield round-to-nearest output.
Reciprocal tables are typically constructed by assuming that the argument is normalized 1.ltoreq.X <2 and truncated to k bits to the right of the radix point --1.b.sub.1 b.sub.2. . . b.sub.k. These k bits are used to index a reciprocal table providing m output bits which are taken as the m bits after the leading bit in the m+1 bit fraction reciprocal approximation --0.1b.sub.2' b.sub.3'. . . b.sub.m+1 '. Such a table will be termed a k-bits-in m-bits-out reciprocal table of size 2.sup.k' .times.m bits.
Regarding the precision measure of table accuracy, the maximum relative error for any k-bits-in m-bits-out reciprocal table denotes the supremum of the relative errors obtained between 1/x and the table value for the reciprocal of x for 1.ltoreq..times.<2. The precision in bits of the table is the negative base two logarithm of this supremum. A table precision of .alpha.bits (with a not necessarily an integer) then simply denotes that the approximation of 1/x by the table value will always yield a relative error of at most 1/2.sup..alpha.. For Newton-Raphson (and other convergence division algorithms), the precision of the table determines the number of dependent (i.e., non-pipelined) multiplications to obtain the quotient of desired accuracy.
The following Table gives the precision in bits of the k-bits-in m-bits-out reciprocal table for the most useful cases 3.ltoreq.k, m.ltoreq.12, facilitating evaluating tradeoffs between table size and the number of reciprocal refinement iterations to achieve a desired final precision. This Table appears in DM 94!.
__________________________________________________________________________ bits in/ 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 __________________________________________________________________________ bits out 3 3.540 4.000 4.000 4.000 4.081 4.081 4.081 4.081 4.087 5.087 4 4.000 4.678 4.752 5.000 5.000 5.000 5.042 5.042 5.042 5.042 5 4.000 4.752 5.573 5.850 5.891 6.000 6.000 6.000 6.022 6.022 6 4.000 5.000 5.850 6.476 6.790 6.907 6.950 7.000 7.000 7.000 7 4.081 5.000 5.891 6.790 7.484 7.775 7.888 7.948 7.976 8.000 8 4.081 5.000 6.000 6.907 7.775 8.453 8.719 8.886 8.944 8.974 9 4.081 5.042 6.000 6.950 7.888 8.719 9.430 9.725 9.852 9.942 10 4.081 5.042 6.000 7.000 7.948 8.886 9.725 10.443 10.693 10.858 11 4.087 5.042 6.022 7.000 7.976 8.944 9.582 10.693 11.429 11.701 12 4.087 5.042 6.022 7.000 8.000 8.974 9.942 10.858 11.701 12.428 __________________________________________________________________________
Regarding the faithfulness measure of table accuracy, reciprocal table output is faithful if it is accurate to one ulp (unit in the last place), i.e. the table output always has less than one ulp deviation from the infinitely precise reciprocal of the infinitely precise input argument. The general measure of accuracy is the determination of the worst case error in ulps --although a sufficiently large number of input guard bits allows a worst case error bound approaching one half ulp, the useful and computationally tractable threshold of one ulp accuracy is a conventional standard for transcendental functions where infinitely precise evaluation is not tractable.
Regarding the faithfulness measure of accuracy, for both the prescale and short reciprocal division algorithms, the size (length in bits) of the reciprocal affects the size of the circuitry employing the reciprocal BM 93, EL 94, Na 87, WF 91!. Many compelling arguments can be made in favor of providing that the final results of function approximation should both (a) satisfy a one ulp bound (faithfulness), and (b) uniformly attempt to maximize the percentage of input arguments that are rounded to nearest AC 86, BM 93, FB 91, Ta 89, Ta 90, Ta 91!. One approach is to have the table result itself be the round-to-nearest value of the infinitely precise reciprocal, providing a useful metric for those platforms where a reciprocal instruction is provided in hardware. This requires that the table input be the full argument precision, which is currently prohibitive in table size even for single precision arguments (23 bits).
A robust reciprocal table construction algorithm that is appropriately optimal for each of the two principal accuracy measures, precision and faithfulness (ulp), is the midpoint reciprocal algorithm described in DM 94!. The midpoint reciprocal methodology generates tables such that the relative error for each table entry is minimized, thereby uniformly maximizing table output precision. This table design methodology further generates minimum sized tables to guarantee faithful reciprocals for each table entry, and for faithful tables maximizes the percentage of input values obtaining round-to-nearest output.
The midpoint reciprocal design methodology generates tables that have maximum table precision. For such k-bits-in m-bits-out tables, the design methodology generates a k-bits-in, k-bits-out table with precision at least k+0.415 bits for any k, and more generally with g guard bits that for the m=(k+g)-bits-out table the precision is at least k+1 -log.sub.2 (1+1/2.sup.g+1) for any k. To determine extreme-case test data, and to compute the precision of a reciprocal table without prior construction of the full reciprocal table, the midpoint reciprocal design methodology only requires generation and inspection of a small portion of such a table to identify input values guaranteed to include the worst case relative errors in the table.
The precision and faithfulness (ulp) measures of lookup table quality, and the midpoint reciprocal algorithm for generating optimal conventional lookup tables regarding these metrics, establish a benchmark for the size and accuracy of conventional tables. This benchmark can be used in assessing the quality of any table compression methodology in terms of accuracy versus table size. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadband chip antenna, and more particularly to a super broadband chip antenna with first and second electrode patterns serving as radiation elements as well as a power-feeding element and a ground element, respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, development trends of mobile communication terminals have been directed toward miniaturization and light weight. In order to satisfy these trends, internal circuits and components of the mobile communication terminal have been developed to be miniaturized. Therefore, an antenna of the mobile communication terminal has also been miniaturized. A planar inverted F-type antenna (referred to as a xe2x80x9cPIFAxe2x80x9d) is suitable for the miniaturization of the antenna of the mobile communication terminal, thus widely being used.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional chip antenna, i.e., a PIFA 10. With reference to FIG. 1, the PIFA 10 comprises a radiation patch 12 as a planar rectangular form, and a dielectric block 11. The dielectric block 11 includes a short-circuit pin 14 and a power-feeding pin 16. The short-circuit pin 14 and the power-feeding pin 16 are connected to the radiation patch 12. This configuration of the PIFA 10 is designed so that the radiation patch 12 is fed with a power via an electrical connection between the power-feeding pin 16 and the radiation patch 12 or an EM (Electro-Magnetic) feeding system, and a part of the radiation patch 12 is electrically connected to a ground portion (not shown), thereby being suitable for a resonant frequency or an impedance matching of the antenna 10. The PIFA 10 shown in FIG. 1 is operated by a system in which the current is induced on the radiation patch 12 with an electrical length to resonate at a designated frequency band range via the power-feeding pin 16.
However, this configuration of the PIFA has a problem of having a narrow frequency bandwidth.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) of the PIFA of FIG. 1. The narrow band characteristics of the PIFA of FIG. 1 are described with reference to the graph showing VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) of the chip antenna for BT (Blue Tooth) band as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the PIFA for BT band has a bandwidth of approximately 180 MHz at frequency band of 2.34-2.52 GHZ with the VSWR of less than 2:1. This bandwidth seems to satisfy the BT band (approximately 2.4-2.48 GHZ), but actually it does not. That is, the actual frequency band of the antenna is changed by the form of the mobile communication terminal set employing the antenna. More particularly, the actual frequency band of the antenna is shifted by environmental influence acting on the mobile communication terminal such as a contact with a human body. As a result, it is difficult to have a usable frequency band satisfying a desired frequency band. The aforementioned narrow frequency band problem is an important drawback of a miniaturized chip antenna.
In order to solve the problem, in designing the chip antenna, the shifting of the resonant frequency and the impedance must be considered, thereby lengthening the development period and increasing the production cost of the chip antenna.
Further, in order to solve the narrowband characteristics, a distribution circuit such as a chip type LC device may be additionally connected to the antenna, thereby adjusting the impedance matching and obtaining a comparatively broad frequency band. However, this method of using an external circuit in adjusting the frequency of the antenna may cause another problem of deteriorating antenna efficiency. Alternatively, in order to obtain the broadband characteristics, the size of the antenna may be increased. However, since the increase of the size of the antenna does not satisfy the miniaturization trend, this method is not preferred.
Accordingly, a new PIFA structure, which satisfies the miniaturization trend, is usable at various frequency bands, and improves the narrow band characteristics, has been demanded.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a chip antenna comprising an electrode pattern formed on entire surfaces of a first surface, a second surface, and two opposite side surfaces disposed between the first and second surfaces of a dielectric block, and slits individually formed on the first and second surfaces, thereby dividing the electrode pattern into a first electrode pattern including a feeding port area and a second electrode pattern including a ground port area.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a chip antenna comprising: a dielectric block including a first surface, a second surface being opposite to the first surface, and side surfaces being disposed between the first and second surfaces; a first electrode pattern extending from a feeding port area formed on the first surface to the second surface via the adjacent side surface; and a second electrode pattern extending from a ground port area formed on the first surface to the second surface via the adjacent side surface, wherein a first slit is formed as an open area for connecting two opposite sides of the first surface so as to electrically separate the feeding port area of the first electrode pattern from the ground port area of the second electrode pattern, and a second slit is formed in the same direction as the first slit as another open area for connecting two opposite sides of the second surface so as to form an electromagnetic coupling between the first and second electrode patterns.
Preferably, the first and/or second electrode pattern(s) may extend so that a length of its one side adjacent to the first slit is substantially the same as a length of its the other side adjacent to the second slit.
Further, preferably, various tuning factors may be applied to adjust resonant frequency characteristics of the chip antenna. The resonant frequency characteristics of the chip antenna may be adjusted by varying an extending length L1 of the first electrode pattern and/or an extending length L2 of the second electrode pattern. Further, the resonant frequency characteristics of the chip antenna may be adjusted by varying a width of the second slit.
Yet, preferably, the chip antenna of the present invention may further comprise at least one supplementary slit formed on the first or second electrode pattern in order to separate the first or second electrode pattern into two electrode pattern areas. In this case, the resonant frequency characteristics of the chip antenna may be adjusted by varying a position and a form of the supplementary slit.
Still, preferably, at least one open area may be formed on the first or second surface. The resonant frequency characteristics of the chip antenna may be adjusted by forming the open area.
The first and second slits may be formed on the first and second surfaces so that the first electrode pattern extends from the feeding port area of the first surface to the second surface, and the second electrode pattern extends from the ground port area of the first surface to the second surface. Thus, the first and second electrode patterns may serve as radiation elements as well as a power-feeding element and a ground element, respectively. Since the power feeding and the radiation are successively achieved via the first and second slits, the chip antenna of the present invention has a much broader bandwidth.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chip antenna comprising: a dielectric block including a upper surface, a lower surface, and side surfaces being disposed between the upper and lower surfaces; an electrode formed on the entire surfaces of the upper and lower surface, and two opposite side surfaces; and slits for connecting opposite sides of two side surfaces without the electrode and dividing the electrode to a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern, each of the slits being formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric block, wherein the slit formed on the lower surface of the dielectric block at least separates a feeding port area from a ground port area, and the other slit formed on the upper surface of the dielectric block connects the first electrode pattern to the second electrode patterns by an EM(Electro-Magnetic) coupling. | {
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Neuromuscular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obese hypoventilation patients often suffer from chronic respiratory failure. Said patients need regular treatment of their respiratory failure at home. Hypoxemic patients are treated by oxygen therapy (mostly without ventilator support), while treatment by Invasive Ventilation (IV) or Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) with environmental air helps bringing the high carbon dioxide blood gas level of hypercapnic patients back to an acceptable level. The efficacy of the ventilation is checked by measuring the base-line and the trends in the arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide levels during nocturnal ventilation.
Arterial blood gas measurements form the golden standard. Before starting ventilation treatment at home, patients stay at the hospital to optimize ventilator settings and monitor arterial blood gas values. Depending on disease severity and stability, patients have to return more or less regularly to the hospital for checks. A respiratory nurse can also visit the patient at home to check the ventilator and to install equipment that enables non-invasive monitoring of blood gas partial pressures. At home, blood gas levels are monitored typically during a night and data are stored together with ventilator and respiratory data for later analysis at the hospital.
The state of the art in non-invasive blood oxygenation monitoring, is by measuring the arterial oxygen saturation, which relates to the partial oxygen pressure via the oxygen dissociation curve. Pulse oximetry (SpO2) is an optical method for non-invasive monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation in a patient and has become one of the most commonly used technologies in clinical practice. Pulse oximetry is a reasonably low cost technology and is easy to use. It is the preferred method for blood oxygenation monitoring at home.
The state of the art in non-invasive monitoring of the partial pressure of CO2 is by means of capnography or by transcutaneous CO2 (PtcCO2) monitoring. For intubated patients with a healthy lung the end-tidal CO2 (etCO2) value obtained by capnography offers a good indication of the arterial CO2 value. However, in case of non-invasive ventilation where air leaks between mask and face are usually present and the patients have severe respiratory diseases capnography is often not a reliable method. In most hospitals a combination is used of capnography for trend monitoring and analysis of an arterial blood sample to obtain an occasional accurate value.
Transcutaneous CO2 monitoring is not disrupted by air-leaks and respiratory diseases but requires trained personal to obtain reliable values and shows some inaccuracy due to variation in skin properties among adults. At home non-invasive CO2 blood gas monitoring is less frequently used than oximetry despite its high relevance for patients receiving ventilation.
The current transcutaneous CO2 sensor is based on a 40 year old concept of a thermostatically controlled heater to increase blood perfusion and gas-permeability of the skin, a fluid layer between skin and sensor membrane, a gas-permeable membrane covering the sensor, an electrolyte solution between membrane and sensor, a sensor comprising an electrochemical pH sensor and reference electrode, and an algorithm to compensate for temperature effects and skin metabolism.
To derive the transcutaneous CO2 value from the measured—cutaneous—partial CO2 pressure, the difference between the sensor temperature and the arterial blood temperature of 37° C. has to be taken into account. Furthermore, an offset is subtracted from the measured value to compensate for the skin metabolism that varies somewhat with skin temperature.
Arterialization of the skin is essential for transcutaneous blood gas measurements to obtain a transcutaneous value that is close to the arterial CO2 blood gas level. The existing technology is based on arterialization by heating the skin below the sensor surface. In currently available transcutaneous systems the minimal sensor temperature for arterialization is 42° C. and the required heating power is ˜500 mW at maximum, mainly needed to compensate for the cooling effect of the blood flow.
In order to come up with a low-cost, non-invasive PaCO2 monitoring solution chemo optical sensing technology has been applied for transcutaneous CO2 detection.
FIG. 1 shows a typical principle of operation of a chemo optical sensor for transcutaneous CO2 detection. A sensor spot with a gas-permeable layer 13 (e.g. silicone membrane+TiO2), which is transparent to gas and reflective to light, is in contact with a patient's skin. The gas-permeable layer 13 facilitates gas diffusion (e.g. CO2) from the skin into a sensing layer 12 (e.g. silicone membrane+reference dye+indicator dye), which is transparent to gas, incorporates an indicator dye which is pH sensitive and a reference dye which is insensitive to gas concentrations. An optically transparent carrier 11 covers the sensing layer 12. The optically transparent carrier 11 may have a thickness d1 of about 0.2 mm, the sensing layer 12 may have a thickness d2 of about 0.1 mm, and the gas-permeable layer 13 may have a thickness d3 of about 0.1 mm. A diameter of the sensor spot x1 may be about 5 mm.
A predetermined radiation 100 is irradiated onto the sensor spot and in particular the sensing layer 12. The predetermined radiation 100 may have a wavelength of about 470 nm (blue-green LED). The indicator and reference dye emit radiation 200 in response to an excitation caused by the predetermined radiation 100. The characteristics of said radiation 200 (optical response) depend on the amount of CO2 gas that is present in/has diffused into the sensing layer 12. Accordingly, by analyzing the radiation 200, a gas concentration in the sensing layer and thus, in the skin, can be determined.
At first sight the properties of these sensor spots look unmistakably advantageous for the design of a transcutaneous sensor device for the home market in terms of dynamic range, pre-calibration/compensation for deviating temperature, stability and cost-effectiveness.
In order to dissolve the polar indicator dye into the hydrophobic polymer sensing layer a lipophilic phase transfer agent is added, which lipophilic phase transfer agent also serves as an internal buffer to provide water for production of carbonic acid. However, the water content in the sensor spots is known (and experimentally validated) to display a strong cross-sensitivity towards osmotic differences, which makes the control of the osmotic properties of the surrounding fluid between tight constraints inevitable. This is well feasible in certain application fields of these sensor spots but is cumbersome or impossible for others. In theory, sensitivity to osmolality can be reduced at the cost of a trade-off on the shelf-life and response time of the sensor spots.
Furthermore, temperature affects the excited states and chemical balance inside the dye and shifts the detection curve. Luminescence changes due to variations in the lightpath are effectively suppressed by using a Dual-Lifetime Referencing technology. By balancing the temperature sensitivity and photo-bleaching of the indicator- and reference-dye also these effects can be suppressed. In the end the sensor signal can be (partly) compensated by a-priori knowledge of the temperature coefficients.
As mentioned above, said CO2 sensor spots are designed for in-fluid measurements where temperature and osmotic pressure is uniform. When shifting from this (intended) application towards a transcutaneous sensor an additional problem arises, namely:
A temperature gradient across the membrane of the sensor spot occurs, in particular in a direction perpendicular to the sensing plane, causing relevant gradient-dependent signal drift, most likely caused by fluid pumping and related osmotic changes. Generally speaking this phenomenon is known as thermal creep or thermal transpiration and was first utilized by M. H. Knudsen (1910) for gas pumping. It is also related to thermo phoresis and thermo diffusion. It is a new and highly relevant problem in chemo-optical sensor spots applied for transcutaneous sensing, as thermal gradients are inevitably present.
WO 2012/045047 discloses a non-invasive transcutaneous blood gas sensing system for determining information on arterial blood gas in a mammal, comprising a combined diffusion and measurement chamber comprising at least one gas permeable surface adapted to allow transcutaneous diffusion of analytes from a mammal when the gas permeable surface is in contact with the mammal, at least one optical chemical sensor positioned in the combined diffusion and measurement chamber that is adapted to chemically interact and/or physically react with a respective analyte, and an optoelectronic system positioned outside the combined diffusion and measurement chamber for remotely detecting the chemical interaction and/or the physical interaction of the at least one optical chemical sensor. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to harnesses for carrying articles and in particular to a device having a shoulder strap and a clasp.
2. Description of Related Art
People often need to carry a large number of items when visiting the beach, shopping, skiing or engaging in any number of activities. Often the objects to be carried are cumbersome and a lightweight product is needed to facilitate such transportation.
For example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,584 a strap has on one end a loop for encircling the shoulder of an archer. The opposite end of the strap has an adjustable buckle and a quick release buckle leading to a Velcro band for encircling and holding a bow. This carrying device is dedicated to carrying a bow and is not easily adapted to carrying a variety of objects on either end of the strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,074 shows a strap with two forked ends employing Velcro fasteners to wrap around a pair of skis so they can be carried on a skier's shoulder. This device is dedicated to carrying skis and cannot be readily adapted for carrying a variety of articles such as large, bulky articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,417 shows another ski carrier that can be reconfigured after the skis are delivered and worn around the skier's waist. See also the ski carrying device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,875.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,867,359 and 4,953,768 show a network of shoulder straps and adjustable loops for carrying such articles as a golf bag or ski boots. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 435,101; 4,911,347; 4,978,044; 5,119,910; and 5,143,266.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple and lightweight device for carrying articles with a shoulder strap and employing loops that are easily adjusted and readily undone. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The proliferation of mobile computing devices (such as smart phones and tablet computers, etc.), has spurned development of various attachable hardware devices to provide expanded functionality. One such example is an attachable magnetic card reader device, used for reading credit or debit card information to facilitate the receipt and processing of payments. Some such reader devices can be physically and communicatively coupled to an associated mobile device using a standard 3.5 mm audio plug when inserted into the headphone port of the mobile device (e.g., smart phone). For conventional card reader devices, only unidirectional (reader device to mobile device) communication is typically supported. As such, conventional card reader devices often lack the ability to receive information from the mobile computing device, including instructions for implementing software or firmware updates. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus which supplies a liquid to a liquid ejection head through a tube or the like and ejects the liquid from the liquid ejection head and relates to an attachment assembly thereof.
Description of the Related Art
As an inkjet printing apparatus, there is known a tube supply type inkjet printing apparatus which supplies an ink from a main tank provided outside a carriage to a sub-tank mounted on the carriage through a tube and causes a liquid ejection head to eject the ink supplied to the sub-tank. Such a tube supply type inkjet printing apparatus that supplies an ink to a sub-tank is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-307713. In the inkjet printing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-307713, a needle-shaped ink supply member is inserted into a small hole and the ink is supplied from a tube into the sub-tank through the ink supply member.
In the inkjet printing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-307713, the small hole into which the supply member supplying the ink to the sub-tank is inserted is formed in an outer wall forming the sub-tank. Thus, a position of the small hole is limited and the small hole is formed so that the position is not simply displaced. For that reason, high positioning precision is needed in the supply member when the supply member is inserted into the small hole. In accordance with this configuration, the inkjet printing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-307713 includes a mechanism used to position the supply member and the small hole. However, when there is an attempt to improve the positioning precision, the configuration becomes complex and hence the manufacturing cost of the inkjet recording apparatus (liquid ejection apparatus) may increase. Further, it is desirable to suppress the leakage of the ink (liquid) even when a positional deviation occurs between the supply member and the small hole due to a certain reason. | {
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This invention relates to a medical image recording apparatus, a medical image correcting method and recording media.
Generally, when a diagnosis of a medical image obtained from an image creating apparatus such as CR(Computed Radiography) apparatus, FPD(Flat Panel Detector), CT(Computed Tomography) and MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is carried out, a method of observing hardcopies of record of medical information recorded on transmission record media or reflection record media is often used. As an image recording apparatus recording medical images by forming them on recording media, the method of recording by laser exposure on transmission recording media employing silver salt recording material to form an image is often used. As an image recording apparatus, there is known a dry process type image recording apparatus, which conducts photosensitive heat developing image recording by using a photosensitive heat-developable recording material and a photo-thermosensitive recording material as well as an image recording apparatus using a silver salt recording material which needs a conventional wet type process. These recording materials (heat developable photosensitive ones) will be called films hereafter.
Regarding the abovementioned image recording apparatus, in order to output an image having a good gradation, wedge patterns (test pattern) of plural densities are exposed on the film when films are loaded or at constant intervals, and based on the result of the measurement of the density of the obtained pattern image by a densitometer, a calibration is carried out to correct the relationship between an input image data and the exposure amount of laser. For example, there is considered a structure which automatically corrects dispersion of photosensitive characteristics of heat developable photosensitive film and change of development characteristics of an apparatus (for example, see Patent Document 1).
The density of developed film is affected by the quantity of added heat by a heat roller to the exposed film and by timing of cooling. Especially it is known that the density is unstable on the leading edge and the trailing edge of a film because of the structure of film transportation of the heating means. Therefore, there is considered the structure, wherein a film on which a patch of single density is recorded in the center is used, and the rotating speed of heat roller is adjusted based on the result of the density measurement of the patch carried out to every film so as to correct dispersion of the sensitivity characteristics of the film (for example, see Patent Document 2).
[Patent Document 1] TOKKAIHEI6-233134
[Patent Document 2] TOKAI2003-136782
However, the conventional calibration can not carry out simultaneously the correction of tone characteristics by wedge patterns having plural density levels and the density correction of the leading edge and/or the trailing edge of a film. | {
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(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device using a Group II-VI compound semiconductor, and more particularly it pertains to a light-emitting diode using a ZnSe compound semiconductor crystal.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Group II-VI compound semiconductor crystals (hereinafter to be referred to briefly as Group II-VI crystals) are crystals whose carrier transition is of the direct transition type, and there are several kinds of Group II-VI compound semiconductor crystals having an energy band gap (E.sub.g) greater than that of Group III-V compound semiconductor crystals.
Among Group II-VI crystals, especially ZnS (E.sub.g =3.6 eV), ZnSe (E.sub.g =2.67 eV) and CdS (E.sub.g =2.5 eV) have an energy band gap greater than that of GaP (E.sub.g =2.25 eV) which has an energy band gap greater than that of Group III-V compound semiconductor crystals (hereinafter to be referred to briefly as Group III-V crystals).
Accordingly, if a pn junction diode can be made using a ZnS, ZnSe or CdS crystal to fabricate an LED, there may be expected an LED which emits light in a wavelength region shorter than the LED fabricated with a GaP crystal.
Most of the Group II-VI crystals obtained using the prior art crystal growth methods which mostly employ the so-called melt growth technique, however, are of the n type, excluding ZnTe crystal. It is the present state of the art that no control of the conductivity type of these crystals can be made, much less controlling their carrier concentrations. As such, the outstanding features of these Group II-VI crystals have not been fully realized.
Hereunder will be explained the reasons why crystals of the p type conductivity cannot be obtained in these Group II-VI crystals.
When a comparison is made between Zn atoms and Se atoms, which are the two elements constituting a ZnSe crystal, it is noted that both elements have high vapor pressures, and also that Se atoms have a vapor pressure which is about one order higher than that of Zn atoms at the same temperature. Accordingly, when a crystal of ZnSe is grown by the conventional methods, deviation from stoichiometric composition in the grown ZnSe crystal can easily develop. The pattern of this deviation assumes the tendency such that Se atoms having a higher vapor pressure escape out of the crystal to cause a shortage of Se atoms in the crystal. This tendency appears more intensively for higher growth temperatures as those represented typically by the Bridgman method.
Se vacancies which are generated due to the shortage of Se atoms in the ZnSe crystal form a donor level within the crystal, so that most of the crystals grown by the conventional method shows n type conductivity. As stated above, it will be noted that n type crystals can be obtained either in the form of their natural occurrence, or by intentionally doping an n type impurity. If, therefore, one intends to obtain merely n type crystals, this purpose can be achieved with relative ease. In contrast thereto, it is very difficult to obtain a p type ZnSe crystal. This fact and its reasons will be described hereunder.
Even when atoms of an impurity serving as an acceptor are doped into the crystal in order to provide a crystal of p type, or more concretely even by doping a p type impurity during the growth of a crystal, or by doping a p type impurity into an n type crystal by relying on the diffusion technique thereby with the intent to alter a portion of this crystal into p type, or by relying on the alloying technique, the n type crystal will still remain an n type crystal, or even when the crystal has turned successfully into a p type crystal, the resulting crystal will have a very high resistivity, and thus practically no useful p type region could have been obtained in the past.
The reasons therefor are as follows. When an acceptor impurity is doped into a crystal in order to obtain a p type crystal, there will generate, within the crystal, defects which are mainly Se vacancies and which serve as a donor, in accordance with the amount of the acceptor impurity doped, as a natural trend of the crystal to become thermodynamically stable. Thus, the acceptor carriers are compensated, which is called the self-compensation effect.
The defects within the crystal which act as a donor are comprised mostly of Se vacancies as stated above, and in addition these defects are considered to also represent a complex of these Se vacancies and the impurity atoms.
As stated above, with such a prior crystal growth method in which no consideration has been paid to the matter of deviation from the stoichiometric composition of the crystal, it has been extremely difficult to obtain a Group II-VI crystal with a controlled conductivity type, especially p type while satisfying practical purposes. Thus, the state of art may be said to be that it has been technically impossible to obtain a functional device having a pn junction from a Group II-VI compound semiconductor material represented typically by ZnSe crystal. | {
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Server computers often include one or more input/output (I/O) devices. For example, a server computer may include one or more I/O adapter devices for communicating with a network. Each I/O device may communicate over multiple, possibly asynchronous interfaces, such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) and/or Ethernet. For example, the host server computer may send I/O transactions over a PCIe bus to the I/O adapter device, and the I/O adapter device may send those I/O transactions over an Ethernet cable for processing by another server.
In some instances, one or more virtual machines may be running on the host server computer which can send data over the PCIe bus to the I/O adapter device. For example, the virtual machines may send the data via the I/O adapter device to multiple network destinations for further processing, e.g., storage, data processing and warehousing, archive and many other tasks. In some instances, a virtual machine running on the host server computer may perform data mirroring to send the replicated data to multiple network destinations. For example, the virtual machine may send multiple copies of the same data over the PCIe bus to the I/O adapter device for sending to the multiple network destinations for fault tolerance purposes. Sending each copy of the data over the PCIe bus from the host memory to the I/O adapter device may not only consume lot of bandwidth between the host server computer and the I/O adapter device but may also slow down the performance of the host server computer for other important tasks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a device for feeding and distributing material which is loose or in single pieces to a plurality of collection parts.
More particularly it sets out to distribute to collection parts arranged peripherally to the device predetermined and controlled quantities of a material which is fed loose in a central point of the device itself.
The present device also aims at solving the problem of distribution of sticky material, such as for example fruit and vegetable products, which, by adhering to the surface of known distribution apparatus, have a suction effect on the walls, slowing down or blocking the flow of the product and jeopardising the correct operation of the apparatus.
The object of the present invention is that of providing a device for the distribution to a plurality of peripheral collection parts of predetermined and controlled quantities of a material, fed at random in a predetermined point of the device itself, and wherein the product is transferred to said peripheral collection points by means of corresponding radial transfer channels.
Another object of the present invention is that of providing a device which avoids the disadvantageous clogging of the routes of the product which occur in distributors known hitherto when the latter deal with sticky material.
A further object is that of providing a distributor device which has a simple construction with easy preparation and maintenance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to an electric power tool with a plurality of operational component groups accommodated in separate housings, wherein the individual housings are axially coupled in series to one another.
Such an electric power tool is disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,833. In accordance with this patent, a motor housing is coupled with a transmission housing of an electric power tool through a screw connection. Screw connections require relatively high mounting expenses. The housings which accommodate different operational component groups of an electric power tool are conventionally composed of synthetic plastic, since the synthetic plastic provides the advantage of lighter weight and easier manufacture. The electric power tools are often subjected to high mechanical loads. In the case when the electric power tool with a height from 1 m to 2 m holds, in certain conditions the housing in which the drive spindle of the power tool is supported, it does not withstand the occurring transverse forces. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Ordinarily, a board work machine is provided with a conveyance device for conveying a circuit board, and the conveyance device has a conveyor belt. Then, the circuit board is placed on the conveyor belt, and the circuit board is conveyed toward the downstream side by the conveyor belt being rotated. As described in the patent literature below, a protruding section is formed on a placement face of a circuit board on a conveyor belt, and the circuit board is reliably pushed out toward the downstream side by the protruding section. PTL 1: JP-A-05-039124 | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to an amplifier. Amplifiers that use transistors are known in the art. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-9564 discloses a variable gain device including a cascode amplifier circuit, an input matching circuit, and an output matching circuit. The cascode amplifier circuit includes a common-source first field effect transistor and a second field effect transistor. The source of the second field effect transistor is connected to the drain of the first field effect transistor, and the gate of the second field effect transistor is supplied with a gain control signal. The input matching circuit is connected between an input terminal for a high-frequency input signal and the gate of the first field effect transistor and can provide impedance that maximizes gain. The output matching circuit is connected between the drain of the second field effect transistor and an output terminal for a high-frequency output signal and sets the impedance seen from the drain of the second field effect transistor to a value that makes the phase deviation of a passing high-frequency signal substantially constant over a variable voltage range of the gain control signal. The disclosed variable gain device can keep the deviation of the passing phase substantially constant over a variable gain range. The disclosed variable gain device is low in power consumption, easy to reduce in size, and suitable for use in an IC.
The gain of an amplifier needs to be adjusted in accordance with the level of the signal to be input and it is desirable to linearly adjust the gain.
In the variable gain device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-9564, the gain is controlled in accordance with the voltage value of the gain control signal applied to the gate of the second field effect transistor. However, the range of voltage values of the gain control signal over which the gain can be controlled is limited to a linear area within which the current flowing through the second field effect transistor changes. For a voltage value that falls out of the linear area, the gain is not controllable. Therefore, in the variable gain device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-9564, if the voltage applied to the second field effect transistor falls below a certain value, the gain decreases excessively. As a result, it is difficult to finely adjust the attenuation of the gain. | {
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Since the issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,365 in April of 1962, aromatic polycarbonate has become well known and accepted as a thermoplastic resin suitable for a wide variety of uses including injection molding, extrusion and film formation. The chemistry, synthesis, properties and applications of these polycarbonates are extensively discussed in Chemistry and Physics of Polycarbonates by Schnell, Interscience, 1964 and Polycarbonates by Christopher and Fox, Reinhold, 1962. Although polycarbonates have some inherent flame resistance, being self-extinguishing, ever more demanding requirements of flame-resistance have spawned numerous attempts to increase this property. Two general approaches have been followed.
One approach has been to add substantial amounts of halogen, particularly bromine or chlorine, to polycarbonate compositions. The halogen can be carried by polycarbonate polymer chains as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,751,400 and 3,334,154 or by a monomeric compound as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,207.
However, the presence of substantial amounts of halogen has been found to be detrimental to the properties of the polycarbonate and numerous additives such as those proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,647,747 and 3,733,295 have been proposed to overcome these detrimental effects.
Flame retardant polycarbonate compositions containing polytetra-fluoroethylene (PTFE) are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,935 discloses such compositions which also include certain salts. U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,871 disclosed a process for producing molding compositions containing PTFE and a thermoplastic polymer entailing blending the thermoplastic polymer with a latex of the PTFE to produce a dispersed, substantially homogeneous mixture of the PTFE and a thermoplastic polymer and recovering the composition by removing the volatiles therefrom. Among the polymers polycarbonates are listed at col. 3, lines 6–8. The disclosed compositions are said to offer advantages in terms of impact strength, melt index, coefficient of friction, low water permeability and increased HDT.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,795 discloses compositions containing PTFE resin in a form of finely divided microfibrous and submicrofibrous particles. Polycarbonates are disclosed at col. 3, lines 18–19 as suitable matrix.
The usage of any of a variety of salts—notably perfluoroalkane sulfonate salts of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal—with and without PTFE as a flame retardant for polycarbonate has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,775,367; 4,469,833; 4,626,563; 4,626,563; and 4,649,168. Alkali metal salts of sulfonic acids were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,833 to be flame retardant additives in the context of polycarbonate compositions containing structural units derived from thiodiphenol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,583 disclosed flame retardant polycarbonate compositions containing partially fluorinated polyolefin and organic salts of alkali metal or alkaline earth metals. The salts include the ones disclosed in the following publications:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,734 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of either monomeric or polymeric aromatic sulfonic acids, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,851 that discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of either monomeric or polymeric aromatic sulfonesulfonic acids, or mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,908 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of sulfonic acids of aromatic ketones, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,167 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of heterocyclic sulfonic acids, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,618 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of a halogenated non-aromatic carboxylic acid or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,490 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of sulfonic acids of aromatic sulfides, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,396 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of either monomer or polymeric aromatic ether sulfonic acids, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,100 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of aliphatic and olefinic sulfonic acids, and mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,024 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of either monomeric or polymeric phenol ester sulfonic acids, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,201 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of unsubstituted or halogenated oxocarbon acids, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,399 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of sulfonic acids of monomeric and polymeric aromatic carboxylic acids and esters, and mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,559 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of halocycloaliphatic aromatic sulfonic acids. U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,910 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of either monomeric or polymeric aromatic amide sulfonic acids, or mixtures thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,366 which discloses a flame retardant polycarbonate composition comprising an admixture of an aromatic polycarbonate and a flame retardant additive which can be the metal salts of either monomeric or polymeric aromatic sulfonic acids, or mixtures thereof.
German published specification DE-OS 33 22 260 discloses PTFE co-precipitated with ABS and added to polycarbonate. Related technologies are disclosed in EP-OS 0,154,138 which disclosed a system entailing ABS and PTFE, DE-OS 34 17 476 which discloses the system of polyamides and PTFE and DE-OS 34 18 750 which concerns the system of ABS co-precipitated with PTFE. Also of relevance are DE-OS 34 20 002, DE-OS 34 22 862, DE-OS 35 12 638 (equivalent to EP-OS 0,174,493), DE-OS 29,48 439 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,489.
Also relevant in the present context is U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,994 which disclosed flame retardant polycarbonate compositions containing a co-precipitate of polycarbonate and fluoropolymer. Also relevant is EP 899 303 for its disclosure of a flame retardant polycarbonate composition which contains fluoropolymer resin particles that are encapsulated by thermoplastic SAN copolymer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,493 is noted here for its disclosure of a method of dispersing additives such as PTFE in a thermoplastic polymer and the use of the product of the inventive method in preparing molding compositions.
Translucent and flame-retardant polycarbonate compositions containing polycarbonate, a partially fluorinated polyolefin, and an organic alkali (or alkaline earth) metal salt were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,583.
EP-A-0,166,187 describes a powder composition containing PTFE. The powder is obtained by mixing a dispersion of PTFE with latex of grafted polymer, for example an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene grafted polymer, filtering and drying in order to obtain a powder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,654 disclosed PTFE containing powder and free flowing PTFE that is at least partially encapsulated by a polymer or copolymer. Polycarbonate compositions that contain the PTFE and any of several flame-retardants additives have been disclosed. | {
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This invention relates to EL(electroluminescent) panels that are particularly suited for use as illuminated instrument panels for aircraft, automotive vehicles and the like. This invention relates also to a novel method of producing such panels.
It is customary to illuminate automotive dashboard and aircraft panels primarily to backlight any nomenclature on the faces thereof, and to outline their various instruments and gages. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,545,110 and 3,621,595, for example, disclose a method of manufacturing instrument panels which utilize an EL (electroluminescent) light source for illuminating selected areas on the face of the panel.
As taught by these two patents, a sheet of light transmissive plastic material is vacuum formed over a die plate, which forms in the sheet a plurality of recesses for accommodating a variety of instruments. A plurality of EL lamps are then mounted in the back of the formed sheet with their illuminable surfaces surrounding the instrument recesses and facing the inside of the formed sheet. The back of the sheet, which is surrounded by a flange, is then filled with a potting compound, which covers the EL lamps and secures them against movement relative to the formed sheet. Thereafter openings are formed in the bottoms of the recesses and instruments are secured in the recesses with their faces fronting on the openings to be surrounded by the EL lamps that are embedded in the potted sheet. This completes the instrument panel, which can then be secured in place in an aircraft or automotive vehicle, after which the leads or the EL lamps are connected to a power supply selectively to be illuminated thereby.
Among the major advantages of EL panels of the type described is that they can be readily shaped into plane or curved surfaces; and they also can utilize a relatively low power source for energizing the various EL lamps in the panel. Among the disadvantages of these prior art panels, however, is that the potting material, which is flowed into the back of the panel to secure the EL lamps in place, adds considerably to the overall weight and cost of the panel. It is therefore most desirable to be able to reduce the quantity of potting material employed, but without altering the quality of the finished instrument panel. Moreover, because of the differences in the rates of contraction and expansion of the plastic sheet and the potting material, respectively, the possibility of distortion of the finished panel in response to extreme temperature changes, such as during curing of the potting material, is reduced as the quantity of potting material is reduced.
Heretofore efforts have been made to reduce the overall weight of panels of the type described by using a milling machine for hogging out portions of the potting material at the rear of the panel. The disadvantage of this procedure, of course, is that it adds considerably to the overall cost of the panel, and does not solve the problem of panel distortion which may occur during curing.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved EL panel of the type described which utilizes substantially less potting material than prior such panels, and therefore is substantially lighter in weight and less expensive to manufacture.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for minimizing the amount of potting material required to be used during the fabrication of the EL panels.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: | {
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This invention relates to a plant monitoring system for displaying a process variable of a plant as a pictorial image on a display unit to thereby supervise or monitor the process variable.
For example, in a power generation plant, monitoring controls using a CRT display unit are widely adopted with the view of reducing the load on an operator and/or for improvement in the monitoring efficiency. For the content to be monitored, importance is attached to the monitoring of an operating process where the plant is in an unstable state, e.g., from startup of the power generation plant to ordinary operation thereof and/or from ordinary operation to shutdown of generation. Accordingly, there are provided many monitor screens for the unit of events or unit of systems adapted to the operating process. Such a monitoring system is exclusively directed to support of an operator with a view to stably operating the plant. In the event that any abnormal condition occurs, the investigation of the cause is ordinarily conducted by analyzing data such as plant data, afterwards. It is the present state of the art that detailed supervision up to such a level to investigate the cause on-line simultaneously with supervisory control of the operation cannot be carried out. Particularly, in a thermal power plant, as the profile of the power demand changes, plants in which daily startup and shutdown (DSS) use must be conducted for adjustment of the difference between power consumptions in the daytime and at night are increasing. In such plants, the states where plants become most unstable, such as startup and shutdown must be frequently repeated. Thus, more careful supervision than ever before becomes necessary. Such more careful supervision implies the feasibility of supervision having adaptability, or supervision capable of supporting abnormal cause diagnosis in an abnormal condition. To realize this, it is required to analyze one object to be supervised or monitored from every point of view, to conduct supervision while comparing individual objects to be supervised. Thus, the contents set for the monitor screen would increase and reach detailed levels.
The improvement in the ability of computers makes it possible to immediately analyze a great deal of data and to cope with an increase in the volume of data handled. However, unless an operator can effectively use such information, it will be dead or ineffective information. According as more careful supervision is required to a great extent, analysis of data becomes indispensable. In some cases, professional knowledge at the analytical level also becomes necessary. It is predicted that such supervision using analytical data will be increasingly needed in future. For effectively using such data on-line by an operator in the same manner as in conventional supervision, how such data is to be presented is a problem. Namely, data which is abundunt and of detailed levels cannot be effective information until an operator comprehends it and handles it in conformity with the operation of the plant. | {
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Bad weather affected sequences annoy the human viewer and degrade the perceptual image quality. The challenging weather conditions also degrade the performance of various computer vision method which uses feature information such as object detection, tracking, segmentation and recognition. Thus it is very difficult to implement these computer vision methods robust to weather changes. Based on the type of the visual effects, bad weather conditions are classified into two categories; steady (viz. fog, mist and haze) and dynamic (viz. rain, snow and hail). In steady bad weather, constituent droplets are very small (1-10 μm) and steadily float in the air. Individual detection of these droplets by the camera is very difficult. In dynamic bad weather, constituent droplets are 1000 times larger than those of the steady weather. Due to this large size, these droplets are visible to the video capturing camera.
Rain is the major component of the dynamic bad weather. Rain drops are randomly distributed in 3D space. Due to the high velocity of the rain drops their 3D to 2D projection forms the rain streaks.
It is known in the art that rain effect not only degrades the perceptual video image quality but also degrade the performance of various computer vision algorithm which uses feature information such as object detection, tracking, segmentation and recognition. Thus there has been the need for removal of rain to enhance the performance of these vision algorithms.
There are substantial numbers of research works to find a solution on this subject before this present invention. Earlier technique removes rain effects by adjusting the camera parameters. In which exposure time is increased or depth of field is reduced. Earlier technique is not effective in scenes with heavy rain and fast moving objects that are close to camera.
In past few years many methods have been proposed for the removal of the rain. These methods require certain number of consecutive frames to estimate the rain affected pixels. For removing rain during acquisition Garg and Nayar [K. Garg and S. K. Nayar, When does camera see rain?, IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision, 2:1067-1074, 2005] proposed a method by adjusting the camera parameters. Here exposure time is increased or the depth of field is reduced. However, this method fails to handle heavy rain and fast moving objects which are close to the camera.
Garg and Nayar [K. Garg and S. K. Nayar, Vision and Rain, International Journal of Computer Vision, 75(1):3-27, 2007 & Detection and removal of rain from videos, IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 1:528-535, 2004] assumed that raindrops affect only single frame and very few raindrops affect two consecutive frames. So if a raindrop covers a pixel then intensity change due to rain is equal to the intensity difference between the pixel in current frame and in the later or previous frame. This produces lot of false detection. To reject the false rain pixels it is assumed that raindrops follow the linear photometric constraints. But in heavy rain, raindrops could affect the same position in two or more consecutive frames. Photometric model assumes that raindrops have almost same size and fall at same velocity. It is also assumed that pixels that lie on the same rain streak have same irradiance because the brightness of the drop is weakly affected by the background. It is found that the variation of the size and velocity of raindrops violate the assumptions of the photometric model. This method fails to discriminate between rain pixels and moving objects pixels when rain becomes heavier or lighter in the video or if rain is distributed over a wide range of depth. Thus all the rain streaks do not follow the photometric constraints. Thus gives a lot of miss detection. This method requires 30 consecutive frames for the removal of rain.
Zhang et al [Xiaopeng Zhang, Hao Li, Yingyi Qi, Wee Kheng Leow, and Teck Khim Ng, Rain removal in video by combining temporal and chromatic properties, IEEE international conference on multimedia and expo, 2006] proposed a method based on the chromatic and temporal properties. Chromatic property states that changes of intensities in R, G, and B color components due to the raindrops are approximately same. In practice, these variations across the color components are bound to a small threshold. Temporal property states that a particular pixel position is not always covered by the raindrops in all frames. It is found that slow moving objects also follow this chromatic property. This method uses k-means clustering to estimate the non-rain affected pixel value to inpaint the rain affected pixels. This clustering method is effective only in removing rain from static background when there is no moving object. This method uses all the frames available in a sequence for the removal of the rain.
Barnum et al [Peter Barnum, Takeo Kanade, and Srinivasa G Narasimhan, Spatio temporal frequency analysis for removing rain and snow from videos, Workshop on Photometric Analysis For Computer Vision (PACV), in conjunction with ICCV, 2007 & P. Barnum, S. G. Narasimhan, and T. Kanade, Analysis of Rain and Snow in Frequency Space, International Journal of Computer Vision (IJCV), 2009] proposed a method for the detection and removal of rain streaks by using frequency information of each frame. Here a blurred Gaussian model is used to approximate the blurring produced by the raindrops. This model is suitable when the rain streaks are prominent, but this blurred Gaussian model fails to detect the rain streak when it is not sharp enough.
Liu et al [Peng Liu, Jing Xu, Jiafeng Liu, and Xianglong Tang, Pixel Based Temporal Analysis Using Chromatic Property for Removing Rain from Videos, Computer and information science, 2(1):53-50, 2009] proposed a method for the removal of rain by using chromatic based properties in rain affected videos. It fails to detect all possible rain streaks. The reason could be that chromatic property is not satisfied in practice as described in previous discussion. This method requires at least three consecutive frames for the removal of rain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,513 provides a method and device for measuring and processing light whereby laser light is irradiated onto positions of an organism which has been injected with a fluorescent substance having a strong affinity for tumors, the fluorescence and the reflected light produced by this irradiation are detected, and the detected intensity of the fluorescence is calculated and analyzed by means of the intensity of the reflected light.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a device and method for measuring and processing light which goes far in eliminating the uncertain factors which interfere with quantification of the fluorescence excited and which are caused, for example, by power fluctuations of the laser light for excitement or by fluctuations of the relative positions of the irradiating and detecting fibers and the organism's tissues.
In order to achieve the aforementioned purpose, the method and device according to said prior art comprise a method and device for measuring and processing light in which laser light for producing fluorescence is irradiated onto predetermined positions of an organism which has previously been injected with a fluorescent substance having a strong affinity for tumors, and the intensity of the fluorescence thus produced is detected. The device consists of a light-irradiating device which irradiates the organism with the aforementioned laser light, a light-detecting device which detects and outputs the fluorescence produced by the organism upon excitement by the aforementioned laser light as well as the aforementioned laser light reflected from the organism, and an analyzer unit into which the output signals of this light-detecting device are input and the intensity of the aforementioned fluorescence is calculated and analyzed in terms of the intensity of the reflected light. This method involves calculates and analyzes the intensity of the detected fluorescence based on the intensity of the detected light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,097 provides an image analyzing apparatus for television information signals are supplied concurrently to a display device for reproduction and to a converter network which converts the analogue television information signals into digital signals. The digital signals are then stored in the memory of a computer. To compare the stored signals with the developed television signals, means are provided for retrieving the computer-stored digital words, converting the signals into analogue signals and supplying the converted signals and the developed signals simultaneously to a display device. To correct or modify any portion of the reproduction of the converted signals in relation to the reproduction of the developed signals, a correction circuit is provided for altering the digital bits corresponding to the desired portion of the reproduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,211 provides an atmospheric visibility measuring apparatus comprises a light projection means for projecting a beam of light into the atmosphere along a prescribed beam path, an optical detection means arranged to respond to light scattered by particles in the atmosphere from within another beam path surrounding an optical axis of the detector, and control apparatus for turning the light beam and the optical axis of the detection means in unison about a horizontal axis which extends substantially from the projection means to the detection means. The light projection means and the optical detection means are relatively mounted so that the optical axis of the detection means always intersects the light beam at a constant angle and at a constant range from the detection means. The control apparatus may comprise a rotatable horizontal shaft supporting the light projection means and the optical detection means. Alternatively a fixed light projector and detector may be arranged to co-operate with two mirrors provided on a rotatable horizontal shaft the mirrors being arranged to direct the light beam into the prescribed beam path and to reflect the scattered light onto the detector. The projection means and the detection means, or just the mirrors which form a part thereof, may be mounted separately and maintained in relative alignment by a follow-up servo system.
According to the said prior art there is provided apparatus for measuring the visibility conditions of the atmosphere including projection means for projecting a beam of light along a first beam path, detection means responsive to light incident on it from within a second beam path, the projection means and the detection means being relatively mounted so that the first and second beam paths will intersect at a predetermined angle and so that the detection means will receive light scattered from the part of the beam where the two beam paths intersect and which is at a predetermined constant range from the detection means, and including control means for rotating the said two beam paths in unison.
The art suggests possible involvement of two mirrors, mounted on opposite ends of a horizontal rotatable shaft at an acute angle to the axis of the shaft, projection means for projecting a beam of light via one mirror, and detection means for detecting scattered light via the other mirror. The projection means may comprise a lamp also mounted on the shaft.
This apparatus is for measuring the visibility conditions of the atmosphere comprising projection means for projecting a beam of light along a first beam path.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,660,517 provides a systems and methods for reducing rain effects in images. The invention is applicable to both still cameras and video cameras, and they are also applicable to both film and digital cameras. In general, they are applicable to any camera system where camera settings can be adjusted before or while images are being acquired.
It is an analytical model for the effects of dynamic weather on acquired images based on the intensity fluctuations caused by such weather. It also provides a method of adjusting camera settings to reduce the visibility of rain with minimal degradation of the acquired image. This method uses one or more inputs from a user to retrieve settings for an image acquisition device from a data repository. These settings are then used to adjust corresponding camera settings. The input from a user can be, at least, the heaviness of the rainfall, the motion of objects in the scene, the distance, of an object to be acquired from the camera, or the near and far distance of the scene. Camera settings that can be adjusted are, at least, the exposure time, the F-number, the focal plane, or the zoom. Although post processing is preferably not required to reduce the visibility of dynamic weather, such as rain, when the present invention is implemented, post-processing may still be applied if camera settings are ineffective, will cause too much image degradation, or to further improve the acquired image. Additionally, automatic detection of certain scene features, such as the heaviness of rainfall, can be performed to partially or totally replace user inputs. With automatic detection of scene features, the entire process of adjusting camera settings can be automated.
A rain gauge may also be provided in accordance with this invention. Camera settings may be adjusted to enhance the visibility of rain. The acquired images are then analyzed to determine the number and size of raindrops, which can be used to compute the rain rate. This method for measuring rain rate is advantageous in that it provides finer measurements, is inexpensive, and is more portable that other types of rain rate measurement devices.
Here exposure time is increased or the depth of field is reduced. However, this method fails to handle heavy rain and fast moving objects which are close to the camera.
It would be clearly apparent from the above state of the art that the presently available systems suffers from some inherent limitations such as assuming the shape and size of the raindrops and working on all the three color components, which adds to the complexity and execution at tiles. There is further known problems of huge buffer size and delay, and more importantly problems of the real time implementation of the algorithm. | {
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Scintillation vials are employed to contain specimens which are analyzed in equipment known as scintillation counters. A scintillation counter measures radiation in a particular vial. Scintillation counting is relatively rapid and numerous analyses can be conducted in a short period of time. The preparation of samples requires multiple segregated vials (called scintillation vials) which are filled with specimens, solvents, and a filtration disc onto which cell components are deposited. Typically, scintillation vials are supported in trays having a certain alignment, for example, eight rows of twelve samples each. The trays are filled with fresh scintillation vials (sometimes glass, but normally plastic cylindrical bottles). The tray containing multiple scintillation vials is placed into a machine called a cell harvester which dispenses the filter disc, a particular reagent or solvent or specimen into a group of the vials. Repetitive advances of the tray and dispensing of the material into a next group of the vials occurs; the tray advances then again dispensing new discs into a further group of vials, etc., until all of the vials have received a pre-determined quantity of the materials. Sometimes the filled scintillation tray is introduced into a dispensing machine which deposits scintillation fluid into each of the scintillation vials in a similar step-wise multiple vial filling process.
Existing scintillation vial trays are fabricated from metal plates having multiple aligned circular openings and having a bottom shelf. The operators individually fill the multiple openings of the existing scintillation vial trays manually and introduce the filled metal trays into the described dispersing equipment for vial filling.
After the vials have been analyzed in the scintillation counter, the vials are discarded in a container for ultimate disposal as radiation hazardous materials. The scintillation vial tray which is a non-hazardous, is recovered for refilling and reuse. The existing scintillation vial trays are relatively expensive, require substantial manual effort of skilled professional operators. | {
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Compared to conventional half duplex communication in which time or frequency resources are divided orthogonally, full duplex communication doubles a system capacity in theory by allowing a node to perform transmission and reception simultaneously.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of a UE and a Base Station (BS) which support Full Duplex Radio (FDR).
In the FDR situation illustrated in FIG. 1, the following three types of interference are produced.
Intra-device self-interference: Because transmission and reception take place in the same time and frequency resources, a desired signal and a signal transmitted from a BS or UE are received at the same time at the BS or UE. The transmitted signal is received with almost no attenuation at a Reception (Rx) antenna of the BS or UE, and thus with much larger power than the desired signal. As a result, the transmitted signal serves as interference.
UE to UE inter-link interference: An Uplink (UL) signal transmitted by a UE is received at an adjacent UE and thus serves as interference.
BS to BS inter-link interference: The BS to BS inter-link interference refers to interference caused by signals that are transmitted between BSs or heterogeneous BSs (pico, femto, and relay) in a HetNet state and received by an Rx antenna of another BS.
Among such three types of interference, intra-device self-interference (hereinafter, self-interference (SI)) is generated only in an FDR system to significantly deteriorate performance of the FDR system. Therefore, first of all, intra-device SI needs to be cancelled in order to operate the FDR system. | {
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The dramatic increase of popularity of the Internet has led to a corresponding dramatic rise in the popularity of textual communications such as e-mail and instant messaging. Increasingly, browsing of the World Wide Web of the Internet and textual communications are being performing using reduced keypads such as those found on mobile telephones.
Use of such reduced keypads for entering text in the Roman alphabet is manageable since there are only 26 letters in the Roman alphabet. Accordingly, generally three (3) or four (4) letters are mapped to each of eight (8) numerical keys as can be seen printed on numeric keypads on the vast majority of telephones sold in the United States. By having so few letters associated with each key, multi-tap systems provide useable but less than convenient text entry functionality for users of the Roman alphabet. Briefly, multi-tap systems determine a number of repeated presses of a key to disambiguate multiple letters associated with a single key. For example, pressing the “2” key once represents the letter “a”; pressing the “2” key twice represents the letter “b”; pressing the “2” key thrice represents the letter “c”; and pressing the “2” key four (4) times represents the numeral “2”. The number of presses of a particular key is typically delimited with a brief pause.
While feasible, entering textual data of the Roman alphabet using multi-tap is cumbersome and time-consuming. However, text entry for other written languages which include many more symbols is even more difficult. In particular, Chinese is written using as many as 10,000 distinct characters, Japanese is written using 7,100 or more distinct characters, and Korean is written using roughly 11,000 distinct characters. Mapping so many distinct characters to ten (10) numeric keys of a telephone keypad would require approximately 70 to 110 distinct characters per key. Accordingly, multi-tap is not feasible to disambiguate among so many distinct characters mapped to a single keypad key.
Japanese and Korean written languages mitigate this problem to some degree as written Japanese can be accomplished using approximately seventy-five (75) distinct symbols associated with the Japanese “fifty-sounds table” and written Korean symbols (called hanguls) are composed using approximately forty (40) sub-symbols (called jamos). Even so, mapping 40–50 distinct written symbols to the ten (10) numeric keys of a standard telephone keypad makes multi-tap approximately twice as complex and inconvenient as multi-tap is for the Roman alphabet.
Some attempts have been made to use predictive interpretation of key presses to disambiguate multiple written symbols associated with various keys. Such predictive interpretation is described by Zi Corporation at http://www.zicorp.com on the World Wide Web and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,352 to Robert B. O'Dell (hereinafter the O'Dell Patent). Predictive interpretation is generally effective and greatly simplifies text input using reduced keypads and very large collections of written symbols. However, predictive interpretation has difficulty with words used in proper nouns, slang, and neology as such words might not be represented in a predictive database.
What is needed is an improved mechanism for disambiguating among multiple symbols associated with individual keys of a reduced keypad. | {
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} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a vehicle-use control device including both an automatic transmission and a throttle control.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years there has been a strong desire expressed for a vehicle control system featuring an automatic transmission (hereinafter referred to as "AT") that minimizes fuel consumption volume (hereinafter referred to as "fuel consumption") while satisfying the driving needs of the vehicle's driver.
Existing vehicle control devices featuring an AT to minimize fuel consumption (or fuel consumption rate) have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho. 62-199534 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho. 63-46931.
Japanese Patent application Laid-Open No. Sho. 62-199534 discloses a device for controlling engine torque and the speed reduction ratio of a stepless transmission from the engine's throttle opening, speed and torque so that the fuel consumption rate is minimum. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho. 63-46931 discloses a device for monitoring the speed reduction ratio of a stepless transmission to achieve minimum fuel consumption during normal driving and to control engine operation to minimize fuel consumption.
However, the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho. 62-199534 achieves the minimum fuel consumption (fuel consumption rate) per unit torque. This does not always correspond to achieving the minimum fuel consumption per unit time.
For example, if the fuel consumption rate is f (g/PS.h), the engine torque is TE (kg.m) and the engine rotational speed is N.sub.e (rpm), the fuel consumption F (g/h) can be expressed by the following equation: ##EQU1## where K is a constant. As this equation shows, by taking a combination in which the product of the fuel consumption rate f and the engine torque TE and the engine rotational speed N.sub.e is minimum, fuel consumption is minimized. In other words, rather than obtaining the minimum fuel consumption rate (f, TE, N.sub.e), a combination in which the fuel consumption rate f is not necessarily minimized but in which the engine torque TE and engine rotational speed are low (f, TE, N.sub.e) can produce a lower product. As a result, it is not necessarily the case that a fuel consumption rate f which is minimized combined with the engine torque TE and the engine rotational speed N.sub.e produces the minimum fuel consumption.
Also, because the needs of the driver are mainly satisfied in terms of speed and acceleration, even if the target engine torque is achieved, the needs of the driver are not necessarily satisfied. With the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-46931, although it is possible to achieve minimum fuel consumption, because there is only control of the speed reduction of the transmission, there is the problem that, with changes in the speed reduction ratio, there is acceleration and speed reduction generated against the will of the driver (i.e., even when the driver is not operating the accelerator pedal). There is the additional problem that, during driving times other than normal driving (e.g., when accelerating or decelerating), there is no control of fuel consumption and thus no improvement of fuel consumption during acceleration and deceleration. | {
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An artificial olfactory system is a device that is capable of detecting a wide variety of analytes in fluids such as vapors, gases and liquids. The device comprises an array of sensors that in the presence of an analyte produces a response. The device produces a unique signature output for a particular analyte. Using pattern recognition algorithms, the output signature, such as an electrical response, can be correlated and compared to a particular analyte or mixture of substances that are known. By comparing the unknown signature with the stored or known signatures, the analyte can be detected, identified and quantified.
There are many instances where it is desirable to measure trace amounts of analytes. However, in certain instances, the analytes are found at levels that are too low to register a robust signal by direct exposure to currently available sensors. In headspace analysis of applications in agricultural, wine, tobacco, perfume, plastics, and the food industries, the detection and classification of trace levels of gases are present in the sub part per million (ppm) range, making detection difficult. Moreover, in residue analysis of pesticides on crops, the trace levels of certain herbicides must meet federal guidelines. For certain crops, these residues are present on the crops in the part per billion levels (ppb).
Another potential application wherein the detection of trace levels of analytes is important is the diagnosis of patients' conditions from an analysis of their breath. Marker gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, which are important in diagnosing the presence of oral or lung conditions from the breath of human patients, often exist in concentrations of 0.01-1 parts per million (or lower). However, the threshold detection levels of currently known sensors are in the range of 1-100 parts per million.
Currently, the most widely used device for detecting oral malodors is the Halimeter, which is commercially available from Interscan Corp. (Chatsworth, Calif.). Using an electrochemical cell that is sensitive to volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), the device can oxidize the VSC at the anode according to the following reactions: EQU H.sub.2 S.fwdarw.S+2H.sup.+ +2e.sup.- EQU 2CH.sub.3 --SH.fwdarw.CH.sub.3 --S--S--CH.sub.3 +S+2H.sup.+ +2e.sup.- EQU CH.sub.3 --S--CH.sub.3 +2H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.2CH.sub.3 OH+S+2H.sup.+ +2e.sup.-
However, one obvious drawback is that the Halimeter cannot distinguish between volatile sulfur compounds. Similarly, other volatile substances can interfere with the readings of the VSC.
A second device for the detection of breath and odors associated therewith is based on zinc-oxide thin film semiconductor technology and has recently been developed for measuring VSC (see, Shimura M et al., J Periodontol. 67:396-402 (1994)). New Cosmos Electric Co. (Osaka, Japan) manufactures this device. This device, however, is limited because it is susceptible to interference from organic vapors unrelated to oral malodor (see, Yaegaki K, In Rosenberg, "Bad Breath: Research Perspectives," Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Oral Malodor, Ramot Publishing, Tel Aviv University pp. 41-54 (1993)) 87-108 (1995)).
Another analysis for breath detection is a test based on the enzyme substrate benzoyl-DL-arginine-naphthylamine (BANA) (see, Loesche et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 28:1551-1559 (1991); and Loesche et al. J Periodontol., 61:189-196 (1991)). This test is marketed under the brand name Peroscan and is available from Oral-B Laboratories (Redwood City, Calif.). Scrapings from the tongue, saliva, or plaque samples are deposited directly on a reagent card. Following substrate addition, a blue spot develops if anaerobes are present. Studies have shown that BANA results are not highly correlated with VSC measurements and that the test is often detecting other analytes (see, Kozlovsky et al., J Dent. Res., 73: 103-1042 (1994)).
It has been estimated that at least 50% of the population suffers from chronic oral malodor (see, Bosy, J. Can. Dent. Assoc. 63:196-201 (1997)). A significant fraction of the population is worried about bad breath, even though there is usually no underlying disease (see, Iwakura et al, J. Dent. Res. 7:1568-1574 1 (1994)). Food, of course, is another cause of oral malodors. However, there are many people who have an unwarranted phobia of bad breath. The size of the market for breath fresheners, chewing gums, and mouth rinses is an indicator of this propensity.
In addition to mammalian breath measurements, respiratory devices for anesthetic and respiratory gas mixtures must be monitored at very low concentrations of analytes. Medical devices mix the anesthetic with breathing gas prior to delivery to the patient. In an anesthetic device, it is imperative that the concentration of the anesthetic, gas flow and amounts of the mixture and starting gases be known with certainty. In most instances, the anesthetic amounts are at very low concentration levels.
One approach to increase sensitivity to certain analytes is to use selective filters or membranes. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,021, which issued to De Castro et al., discloses an electrochemical gas sensor that has a catalytically active sensor electrode, a reference electrode and a permselective filter or membrane layer. The filter is made of a material that provides for molecular specificity of certain gases, such as carbon monoxide. The membrane allows the sensors to be selective to the chemical analyte of interest. The filter only allows the analytes of interest to contact the sensor. By removing interfering substances through filtration, the sensor becomes more selective and thus sensitive to the analyte of interest.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,436, which issued to Ball, discloses a method and apparatus for detection of toxic gases, such as ammonia, using a metal oxide semiconductor and an electrochemical sensor. Disposed between the two sensors is an absorber having an absorbent that reacts with ammonia.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed in the art is a vapor concentrator for an array of sensors, especially for an electronic nose sensor array. In addition, methods are needed to detect odors and diagnose medical conditions. The present invention fulfills these and other needs. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method of removing a photoresist layer.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
A typical ion implantation process utilizes a photoresist layer as an ion implantation mask when fabricating a semiconductor device. For instance, a dual poly gate process uses a photoresist layer as an ion implantation mask.
FIGS. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views showing a typical dual poly gate process.
Referring to FIG. 1A, a substrate 11 is defined into an N-channel metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) region and a P-channel metal-oxide semiconductor (PMOS) region. A device isolation structure 12 is formed in the substrate 11. A gate oxide layer 13 is formed over the substrate 11 and the device isolation structure 12. A gate polysilicon layer 14A and an N-type doped polysilicon layer 14 are formed over the gate oxide layer 13. In more detail, a gate polysilicon material layer is formed over the gate oxide layer 13. N-type impurities are implanted into a portion of the gate polysilicon material layer in the NMOS region by an ion implantation process N+ IMP using a first photoresist pattern 15 to form the N-type doped polysilicon layer 14A. The first photoresist pattern 15 exposes the NMOS region and covers the PMOS region. A remaining portion of the gate polysilicon material layer in the PMOS region is referred to as the gate polysilicon layer 14.
Referring to FIG. 1B, the first photoresist pattern 15 is removed. A photoresist layer is formed over the resultant substrate structure. The photoresist layer is patterned by performing photo-exposure and developing processes to form a second photoresist pattern 16. The second photoresist pattern 16 exposes the PMOS region and covers the NMOS region. P-type impurities are implanted into the gate polysilicon layer 14 in the PMOS region by an ion implantation process P+ IMP using the second photoresist pattern 16 to form P-type doped polysilicon layer 14B.
Referring to FIG. 1C, the second photoresist pattern 16 is removed. Tungsten silicide layers 17 are formed over the resultant substrate structure. A gate patterning process is performed onto the substrate structure to form an N+poly gate 14C in the NMOS region and a P+ poly gate 14D in the PMOS region. The N+ poly gate 14C includes N-type doped polysilicon and the P+ poly gate 14D includes P-type doped polysilicon.
In the aforementioned typical method, different impurities, i.e., phosphorus (P) and boron (B), are implanted into the gate polysilicon material layer to embody a dual poly gate configured with the N+ poly gate 14C and the P+ poly gate 14D. The impurities are implanted using a high density ion implantation process at high dose ranging from approximately 1×1015 cm−2 to approximately 1×1016 cm−2. In the typical method, a gas including oxygen and nitrogen (O2/N2 chemistry) is used to remove the first and the second photoresist patterns 15 and 16 after the ion implantation process is performed.
However, the high density ion implantation process at high dose causes substantial hardening of the first and the second photoresist patterns 15 and 16. Thus, the first and the second photoresist patterns 15 and 16 may not be removed easily. Photoresist residues may remain after the removal of the first and the second photoresist patterns 15 and 16. The oxygen (O2) used during the removal of the first and the second photoresist patterns 15 and 16 reacts with impurities existing in the first and the second photoresist patterns 15 and 16, i.e., arsenic (As), phosphorus (P), and boron (B), to form an impurity oxide layer, e.g., As2O3, P4O6, and B2O3, covering surfaces of the first and the second photoresist patterns 15 and 16.
Thus, abnormal oxidation may occur in the tungsten silicide layers 17 during a subsequent process due to the remaining photoresist residues. Also, an interface defect may occur between the poly gates and the tungsten silicide layers may generate a source of lifting or particle after the gate patterning is performed. Photoresist may not be completely removed when a doping level of an ion implantation process is high. The process time lengthens in order to remove the remaining photoresist, and thus, mass-producibility decreases.
FIG. 1D is a micrographic view of photoresist residues generated by the typical method. | {
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A conventional harmonic current compensator is connected in parallel with a harmonic generating load to a system power supply. The conventional harmonic current compensator detects a load current input to the harmonic generating load and extracts a harmonic component contained in the detected load current. The conventional harmonic current compensator generates a compensation current for compensating for the extracted harmonic component by controlling ON and OFF states of a switching device.
The conventional harmonic current compensator has a function of, when an instantaneous value of the compensation current reaches a predetermined value or greater, determining that excess current (hereinafter referred to as an overcurrent) flows and coming into a stopped state.
Examples of the conventional harmonic current compensator include a harmonic current compensator that addresses harmonics without impairing harmonic compensation, by limiting a compensation instruction for reactive power of a fundamental wave when an instantaneous value of a compensation current is a predetermined value or greater (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). | {
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Transmission bandwidth demands in telecommunication networks (e.g., the Internet) appear to be ever increasing and solutions are being sought to support this bandwidth demand. One solution to problem is to use optical networks, where wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) technology is used to support the ever-growing demand for higher data rates. Commonly used optical components include Bragg gratings.
Bragg gratings can be implemented in optical fibers (i.e., also known as fiber Bragg gratings or FBGs) or in integrated circuits (i.e., also known as waveguide Bragg gratings or WBGs). WBGs are considered to be one of the key components for future WDM systems and networks.
WBGs are typically realized as surface corrugated grating structures. Typical surface corrugated WBGs have relatively large spectral sidelobes. Conventional solutions to reduce spectral sidelobes in surface corrugated WBGs include using e-beam lithography to form cascaded uniform gratings, each uniform grating having a different fixed duty-cycle. However, e-beam lithography is relatively costly and complex. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems for testing coaxial cable networks. More particularly, it relates to systems for testing the shielding effectiveness of coaxial cable plant so that defects may be identified and repaired.
2. Description of Prior Art
Cable systems currently in use typically allow two way communications between the headend or distribution hubs and many remote points that may be defined as homes and coaxial drop wires to the homes. A headend is a collection point for both upstream and downstream signals. A distribution hub, which is sometimes used in large systems, is an intermediate point between the headend and the fiber nodes where the downstream signals from the headend are split and the upstream signals are combined. For the sake of this patent, the terms headend and distribution hub may be used interchangeably. One frequently employed architecture is hybrid fiber-coax (HFC). Forward direction, or downstream, signals are transmitted from the headend via optical fibers to fiber nodes. At the fiber node, the downstream transmission is converted from an optical signal to an electrical signal. The signal is distributed from the fiber node to a plurality of remote points, which may be homes, via coaxial cable by splitting. Amplification overcomes the losses of the cable and splitting devices. This portion of the network is referred to as a tree-and-branch system. The downstream frequency range is typically 54 to 550 MHz. This downstream system works well because a high quality signal, which consists of many channels, is produced in the headend. The processes of splitting and amplification can produce many high quality replicas of the headend signal. Downstream signals have traditionally been analog television (TV) carriers. Digital carriers, such as digital audio, digital TV, cable telephone, and computer data, are increasingly being transported by the downstream system.
In the return direction, or upstream, signals are transmitted from the remote points in the 5 to 30 MHz frequency band to the fiber node. The same passive devices that acted as splitters for downstream signals act as combiners for upstream signals. At the fiber optic node, the combined upstream electrical signals are converted to an optical signal for transmission to the headend. Forward and return signals typically travel inside the same coaxial cable in opposite directions. The use of diplex filters allows bidirectional travel inside a single coaxial cable. In the fiber optic bundle, forward and return signals commonly travel in opposite directions in different optic fibers.
The upstream system is problematic because noise that is introduced into one branch can contaminate the signals on all branches because the return signals are combined. This problem is commonly referred to as noise funneling. The use of 5-30 MHz for the return band makes the noise funneling problem even more acute, since man-made electrical noise is strong in this frequency band.
It has been discovered that the most common form of return band impairment is high speed bursts of noise that are typically short but powerful. The noise bursts typically last less than 10 microseconds and have most of their energy content concentrated between 5 and 15 MHz. The noise bursts are sometimes powerful enough to distort, or drive, return active devices into a non-linear mode. The common sources of return noise bursts are the switching of electrical devices, such as inductive loads, or motors with brushes. The switching action creates noise bursts which get onto the electrical utility power lines. Electrical utility power lines are commonly connected to the cable lines at bonding points for safety reasons. Some of the energy of the noise bursts on the power lines are transferred onto the coaxial cable lines at the common bonding points. Because of skin effect, the braided shields on flexible cable lines are low resistance paths for burst energy. The noise burst travels on the sheaths of the cable lines until they are radiated away, dissipated by resistive losses, find their way to ground, branch off, encounter a break in the coaxial cable or are otherwise dissipated. At a break in the coaxial shield, some of the burst noise energy enters the inside of the coaxial cable and travels to the fiber node where it causes interference with return transmissions.
Other signal sources, such as broadcast or two-way ham or citizens band radio traffic also present problems if the plant has a shield break.
Breaks in coaxial cable shields inside homes are caused by poor installation practices, mechanical damage, corrosion, and other causes. Another entry point for noise into the cable system is at consumer electronic devices, such as TVs, video cassette recorders (VCRs) and FM band radios. These devices sometimes have poor tuner isolation, so that noise on the cable shield can enter the inside of the coax at the points in the network where these devices are connected. Consumer electronic devices can be frequency selective by allowing noise in one frequency band into the cable at a higher level than noise in other frequency bands
Typical causes of poor shielding integrity in outdoor plant are corrosion, animal chews, screw-on connectors that are not tightened, and housings with loose bolts.
There are multiple failure modes for the shielding integrity of coaxial cable, and shielding effectiveness may be degraded moderately or severely. For the sake of description, any degradation in coaxial cable plant shielding integrity will be referred to as a "shield break".
For a faulty shield upstream transmission problem to occur, two conditions must be simultaneously met. First, a source of undesirable energy must be present on the coaxial sheath. Second, the coaxial sheath must be defective or open at the instant the impairment arrives. Frequently, the coaxial sheath has intermittent continuity and the burst noise source intermittently produces interference. This makes the shield's break point difficult to uncover by observation or passive testing. Additionally, the combining of upstream noise and signals makes it difficult to discover which path the noise burst took to the fiber node.
The traditional method of finding shield breaks is by measuring radiated signal strength from a special narrow bandwidth downstream test signal that is typically located at the high end of the FM radio band. This test method does not adequately find all shield breaks that affect return transmissions. Devices have been recently introduced that can be used to detect shield breaks or shield problems inside homes. One device requires the technician to bring a sensor within a few meters of the break, which mandates entry into the home. Another new device is a reflectometer that allows the technician to stand outside the home and measure the cable's return loss. This device provides distances to discontinuities. This test method does not necessarily provide a distinction between return loss problems caused by bad splitters, missing terminators, consumer electronics devices with poor return loss, staples through cables and shield breaks. If the technician is searching for shield breaks, the other information about conditions inside the cables is confusing and irrelevant. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to reinforced concrete floor structures, and more particularly to reinforced concrete floor structures incorporating an underfloor wire distributing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Concrete-framed buildings, particularly those which are cast-in-situ, utilizing wire distributing raceway systems are known. Such systems incorporate single cell ducts or multi-celled units embedded in the concrete floor slabs, to distribute the wiring of various services, such as, power, telephone and computer, to each office building workstation. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,453,791 (FORK), 3,751,567 (KLINKMAN ET AL), 4,030,259 (MECKLER), and 4,194,322 (FORK). The multi-celled units (also known as cellular flooring units) and the ducts (also called underfloor ducts) are non-structural elements, that is, they do not assist in carrying vertical loads.
The use of single skin profiled metal units as a support structure for the reinforced concrete layer is know. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,957 (BASTGEN). Such support structures do not provide for the distribution of electrical wiring.
Other methods of providing a wire distributing function in concrete-framed buildings are either uneconomical or present structural problems. For example, an access or pedestal floor arrangement performs no role other than to create a wiring plenum above the floor slab. The access or pedestal floor is an expensive system requiring extra building height. Poke through wiring systems and other ceiling plenum systems have limited capacity and require core drilling through the concrete slab to access the wiring from the ceiling plenum below the slab. | {
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Conventionally, multi-channel acoustic signal processing devices have been provided which down-mix a plurality of audio signals into a down-mixed signal and divide the down-mixed signal into the original plurality of signals.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of such a multi-channel acoustic signal processing device.
The multi-channel acoustic signal processing device 1000 has: a multi-channel acoustic coding unit 1100 which performs spatial acoustic coding on a group of audio signals and outputs the resulting acoustic coded signals; and a multi-channel acoustic decoding unit 1200 which decodes the acoustic coded signals.
The multi-channel acoustic coding unit 1100 processes audio signals (audio signals L and R of two channels, for example) in units of frames which are indicated by 1024-samples, 2048-samples, or the like. The multi-channel acoustic coding unit 1100 includes a down-mix unit 1110, a binaural cue calculation unit 1120, an audio encoder unit 1150, and a multiplexing unit 1190.
The down-mix unit 1110 generates a down-mixed signal M in which audio signals L and R of two channels that are expressed as spectrums are down-mixed, by calculating an average of the audio signals L and R, in other words, by calculating M=(L+R)/2.
The binaural cue calculation unit 1120 generates binaural cue information by comparing the down-mixed signal M and the audio signals L and R for each spectrum band. The binaural cue information is used to reproduce the audio signals L and R from the down-mixed signal.
The binaural cue information indicates: inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID); inter-channel coherence/correlation (ICC); inter-channel phase/delay difference (IPD); and channel prediction coefficients (CPC).
In general, the inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID) is information for controlling balance and localization of audio, and the inter-channel coherence/correlation (ICC) is information for controlling width and diffusion of audio. Both of the information are spatial parameters to help listeners to imagine auditory scenes.
The audio signals L and R that are expressed as spectrums, and the down-mixed signal M are generally sectionalized into a plurality of groups including “parameter bands”. Therefore, the binaural cue information is calculated for each of the parameter bands. Note that hereinafter the “binaural cue information” and “spatial parameter” are often used synonymously with each other.
The audio encoder unit 1150 compresses and codes the down-mixed signal M, according to, for example, MPEG Audio Layer-3 (MP3), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), or the like.
The multiplexing unit 1190 multiplexes the down-mixed signal M and the quantized binaural cue information to generate a bitstream, and outputs the bitstream as the above-mentioned acoustic coded signals.
The multi-channel acoustic decoding unit 1200 includes an inverse-multiplexing unit 1210, an audio decoder unit 1220, an analysis filter unit 1230, a multi-channel synthesis unit 1240, and a synthesis filter unit 1290.
The inverse-multiplexing unit 1210 obtains the above-mentioned bitstream, divides the bitstream into the quantized BC information and the coded down-mixed signal M, and outputs the resulting binaural cue information and down-mixed signal M. Note that the inverse-multiplexing unit 1210 inversely quantizes the quantized binaural cue information, and outputs the resulting binaural cue information.
The audio decoder unit 1220 decodes the coded down-mixed signal M to be outputted to the analysis filter unit 1230.
The analysis filter unit 1230 converts an expression format of the down-mixed signal M into a time/frequency hybrid expression to be outputted.
The multi-channel synthesis unit 1240 obtains the down-mixed signal M from the analysis filter unit 1230, and the binaural cue information from the inverse-multiplexing unit 1210. Then, using the binaural cue information, the multi-channel synthesis unit 1240 reproduces two audio signals L and R from the down-mixed signal M to be in a time/frequency hybrid expression.
The synthesis filter unit 1290 converts the expression format of the reproduced audio signals from the time/frequency hybrid expression into a time expression, thereby outputting audio signals L and R in the time expression.
Although it has been described that the multi-channel acoustic signal processing device 1000 codes and decodes audio signals of two channels as one example, the multi-channel acoustic signal processing device 1000 is able to code and decode audio signals of more than two channels (audio signals of six channels forming 5.1-channel sound source, for example).
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional structure of the multi-channel synthesis unit 1240.
For example, in the case where the multi-channel synthesis unit 1240 divides the down-mixed signal M into audio signals of six channels, the multi-channel synthesis unit 1240 includes the first dividing unit 1241, the second dividing unit 1242, the third dividing unit 1243, the fourth dividing unit 1244, and the fifth dividing unit 1245. Note that, in the down-mixed signal M, a center audio signal C, a left-front audio signal Lf, a right-front audio signal Rf, a left-side audio signal Ls, a right-side audio signal Rs, and a low frequency audio signal LFE are down-mixed. The center audio signal C is for a loudspeaker positioned on the center front of a listener. The left-front audio signal Lf is for a loudspeaker positioned on the left front of the listener. The right-front audio signal Rf is for a loudspeaker positioned on the right front of the listener. The left-side audio signal Ls is for a loudspeaker positioned on the left side of the listener. The right-side audio signal Rs is for a loudspeaker positioned on the right side of the listener. The low frequency audio signal LFE is for a sub-woofer loudspeaker for low sound outputting.
The first dividing unit 1241 divides the down-mixed signal M into the first down-mixed signal M1 and the fourth down-mixed signal M4 in order to be outputted. In the first down-mixed signal M1, the center audio signal C, the left-front audio signal Lf, the right-front audio signal Rf, and the low frequency audio signal LFE are down-mixed. In the fourth down-mixed signal M4, the left-side audio signal Ls and the right-side audio signal Rs are down-mixed.
The second dividing unit 1242 divides the first down-mixed signal M1 into the second down-mixed signal M2 and the third down-mixed signal M3 in order to be outputted. In the second down-mixed signal M2, the left-front audio signal Lf and the right-front audio signal Rf are down-mixed. In the third down-mixed signal M3, the center audio signal C and the low frequency audio signal LFE are down-mixed.
The third dividing unit 1243 divides the second down-mixed signal M2 into the left-front audio signal Lf and the right-front audio signal Rf in order to be outputted.
The fourth dividing unit 1244 divides the third down-mixed signal M3 into the center audio signal C and the low frequency audio signal LFE in order to be outputted.
The fifth dividing unit 1245 divides the fourth down-mixed signal M4 into the left-side audio signal Ls and the right-side audio signal Rs in order to be outputted.
As described above, in the multi-channel synthesis unit 1240, each of the dividing units divides one signal into two signals using a multiple-stage method, and the multi-channel synthesis unit 1240 recursively repeats the signal dividing until the signals are eventually divided into a plurality of single audio signals.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a structure of the binaural cue calculation unit 1120.
The binaural cue calculation unit 1120 includes a first level difference calculation unit 1121, a first phase difference calculation unit 1122, a first correlation calculation unit 1123, a second level difference calculation unit 1124, a second phase difference calculation unit 1125, a second correlation calculation unit 1126, a third level difference calculation unit 1127, a third phase difference calculation unit 1128, a third correlation calculation unit 1129, a fourth level difference calculation unit 1130, a fourth phase difference calculation unit 1131, a fourth correlation calculation unit 1132, a fifth level difference calculation unit 1133, a fifth phase difference calculation unit 1134, a fifth correlation calculation unit 1135, and adders 1136, 1137, 1138, and 1139.
The first level difference calculation unit 1121 calculates a level difference between the left-front audio signal Lf and the right-front audio signal Rf, and outputs the signal indicating the inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID) as the calculation result. The first phase difference calculation unit 1122 calculates a phase difference between the left-front audio signal Lf and the right-front audio signal Rf, and outputs the signal indicating the inter-channel phase/delay difference (IPD) as the calculation result. The first correlation calculation unit 1123 calculates a correlation between the left-front audio signal Lf and the right-front audio signal Rf, and outputs the signal indicating the inter-channel coherence/correlation (ICC) as the calculation result. The adder 1136 adds the left-front audio signal Lf and the right-front audio signal Rf and multiplies the resulting added value by a predetermined coefficient, thereby generating and outputting the second down-mixed signal M2.
In the same manner as described above, the second level difference calculation unit 1124, the second phase difference calculation unit 1125, and the second correlation calculation unit 1126 output signals indicating inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID), inter-channel phase/delay difference (IPD), and inter-channel coherence/correlation (ICC), respectively, regarding between the left-side audio signal Ls and the right-side audio signal Rs. The adder 1137 adds the left-side audio signal Ls and the right-side audio signal Rs and multiplies the resulting added value by a predetermined coefficient, thereby generating and outputting the third down-mixed signal M3.
In the same manner as described above, the third level difference calculation unit 1127, the third phase difference calculation unit 1128, and the third correlation calculation unit 1129 output signals indicating inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID), inter-channel phase/delay difference (IPD), and inter-channel coherence/correlation (ICC), respectively, regarding between the center audio signal C and the low frequency audio signal LFE. The adder 1138 adds the center audio signal C and the low frequency audio signal LFE and multiplies the resulting added value by a predetermined coefficient, thereby generating and outputting the fourth down-mixed signal M4.
In the same manner as described above, the fourth level difference calculation unit 1130, the fourth phase difference calculation unit 1131, and the fourth correlation calculation unit 1132 output signals indicating inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID), inter-channel phase/delay difference (IPD), and inter-channel coherence/correlation (ICC), respectively, regarding between the second down-mixed signal M2 and the third down-mixed signal M3. The adder 1139 adds the second down-mixed signal M2 and the third down-mixed signal M3 and multiplies the resulting added value by a predetermined coefficient, thereby generating and outputting the first down-mixed signal M1.
In the same manner as described above, the fifth level difference calculation unit 1133, the fifth phase difference calculation unit 1134, and the fifth correlation calculation unit 1135 output signals indicating inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID), inter-channel phase/delay difference (IPD), and inter-channel coherence/correlation (ICC), respectively, regarding between the first down-mixed signal M1 and the fourth down-mixed signal M4.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a structure of the multi-channel synthesis unit 1240.
The multi-channel synthesis unit 1240 includes a pre-matrix processing unit 1251, a post-matrix processing unit 1252, a first arithmetic unit 1253, a second arithmetic unit 1255, and a decorrelated signal generation unit 1254.
Using the binaural cue information, the pre-matrix processing unit 1251 generates a matrix R1 which indicates distribution of signal intensity level for each channel.
For example, using inter-channel level/intensity difference (IID) representing a ratio of a signal intensity level of the down-mixed signal M to respective signal intensity levels of the first down-mixed signal M1, the second down-mixed signal M2, the third down-mixed signal M3, and the fourth down-mixed signal M4, the pre-matrix processing unit 1251 generates a matrix R1 including vector elements R1[0] to R1[4].
The first arithmetic unit 1253 obtains from the analysis filter unit 1230 the down-mixed signal M expressed by the time/frequency hybrid as an input signal x, and multiplies the input signal x by the matrix R1 according to the following equations 1 and 2, for example. Then, the first arithmetic unit 1253 outputs an intermediate signal v that represents the result of the above matrix operation. In other words, the first arithmetic unit 1253 separates four down-mixed signals M1 to M4 from the down-mixed signal M expressed by the time/frequency hybrid outputted from the analysis filter unit 1230.
v = [ M M 1 M 2 M 3 M 4 ] = [ R 1 [ 0 ] R 1 [ 1 ] R 1 [ 2 ] R 1 [ 3 ] R 1 [ 4 ] ] [ M ] = R 1 x [ Equation 1 ] M 1 = L f + R f + C + LFE M 2 = L f + R f M 3 = C + LFE M 4 = L s + R s [ Equation 2 ]
The decorrelated signal generation unit 1254 performs all-pass filter processing on the intermediate signal v, thereby generating and outputting a decorrelated signal w according to the following equation 3. Note that factors Mrev and Mi,rev in the decorrelation signal w are signals generated by performing decorrelation processing on the down-mixed signal M and Mi. Note also that the signals Mrev and Mi,rev has the same energy as the down-mixed signal M and Mi, respectively, including reverberation that provides impression as if sounds were spread.
w = [ M decorr ( v ) ] = [ M M rev M 1 , rev M 2 , rev M 3 , rev M 4 , rev ] [ Equation 3 ]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a structure of the decorrelated signal generation unit 1254.
The decorrelated signal generation unit 1254 includes an initial delay unit 100 and an all-pass filter D200.
In obtaining the intermediate signal v, the initial delay unit D100 delays the intermediate signal v by a predetermined time period, in other words, delays a phase, in order to output the intermediate signal v to the all-pass filter D200.
The all-pass filter D200 has all-pass characteristics that frequency-amplitude characteristics are not varied but only frequency-phase characteristics are varied, and serves as an Infinite Impulse Response (IIR).
This all-pass filter D200 includes multipliers D201 to D207, delayers D221 to D223, and adder-subtractors D211 to D223.
FIG. 6 is a graph of an impulse response of the decorrelated signal generation unit 1254.
As shown in FIG. 6, even if an impulse signal is obtained at a timing 0, the decorrelated signal generation unit 1254 delays the impulse signal not to be outputted until a timing t10, and outputs a signal as reverberation up to a timing t11 so that an amplitude of the signal is gradually decreased from the timing t10. In other words, the signals Mrev and Mi,rev outputted from the decorrelated signal generation unit 1254 represent sounds in which sounds of the down-mixed signal M and Mi are added with the reverberation.
Using the binaural cue information, the post-matrix processing unit 1252 generates a matrix R2 which indicates distribution of reverberation for each channel.
For example, the post-matrix processing unit 1252 derives a mixing coefficient Hij from the inter-channel coherence/correlation ICC which represents width and diffusion of sound, and then generates the matrix R2 including the mixing coefficient Hij.
The second arithmetic unit 1255 multiplies the decorrelated signal w by the matrix R2, and outputs an output signal y which represents the result of the matrix operation. In other words, the second arithmetic unit 1255 separates six audio signals Lf, Rf, Ls, Rs, C, and LFE from the decorrelated signal w.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, since the left-front audio signal Lf is divided from the second down-mixed signal M2, the dividing of the left-front audio signal Lf needs the second down-mixed signal M2 and a factor M2,rev of a decorrelated signal w corresponding to the second down-mixed signal M2. Likewise, since the second down-mixed signal M2 is divided from the first down-mixed signal M1, the dividing of the second down-mixed signal M2 needs the first down-mixed signal M1 and a factor M1,rev of a decorrelated signal w corresponding to the first down-mixed signal M1.
Therefore, the left-front audio signal Lf is expressed by the following equation 4.Lf=H11,A×M2+H12,A×M2,rev M2=H11,D×M1+H12,D×M1,rev M1=H11,E×M+H12,E×Mrev [Equation 4]Here, in the equation 4, Hij,A is a mixing coefficient in the third dividing unit 1243, Hij,D is a mixing coefficient in the second dividing unit 1242, and Hij,E is a mixing coefficient in the first dividing unit 1241. The three equations in the equation 4 are expressed together by a vector multiplication equation of the following equation 5.
L f = [ H 11 , A H 11 , D H 11 , E H 11 , A H 11 , D H 12 , E H 11 , A H 12 , D H 12 , A 0 0 ] [ M M rev M 1 , rev M 2 , rev M 3 , rev M 4 , rev ] [ Equation 5 ]
Each of the audio signals Rf, C, LFE, Ls, and Rs other than the left-front audio signal Lf is calculated by multiplication of the above-mentioned matrix by a matrix of the decorrelated signal w. That is, an output signal y is expressed by the following equation 6.
y = [ L f R f L s R s C LFE ] = [ R 2 , LF R 2 , RF R 2 , LS R 2 , RS R 2 , C R 2 , LFE ] w = R 2 w [ Equation 6 ]
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the down-mixed signal.
The down-mixed signal is generally expressed by a time/frequency hybrid expression as shown in FIG. 7. This means that the down-mixed signal is expressed by being divided along a time axis direction into parameter sets ps which are temporal units, and further divided along a spatial axis direction into parameter bands pb which are sub-band units. Therefore, the binaural cue information is calculated for each band (ps, pb). Moreover, the pre-matrix processing unit 1251 and the post-matrix processing unit 1252 calculate a matrix R1 (ps, pb) and a matrix R2 (ps, pb), respectively, for each band (ps, pb).
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing detailed structures of the pre-matrix processing unit 1251 and the post-matrix processing unit 1252.
The pre-matrix processing unit 1251 includes the matrix equation generation unit 1251a and the interpolation unit 1251b.
The matrix equation generation unit 1251a generates a matrix R1 (ps, pb) for each band (ps, pb), from binaural cue information for each band (ps, pb).
The interpolation unit 1251b maps, in other words, interpolates, the matrix R1 (ps, pb) for each band (ps, pb) according to (i) a frequency high resolution time index n and (ii) a sub-sub-band index sb which is of the input signal x and in a hybrid expression. As a result, the interpolation unit 1251b generates a matrix R1 (n, sb) for each band (n, sb). As described above, the interpolation unit 1251b ensures that transition of the matrix R1 over a boundary of a plurality of bands is smooth.
The post-matrix processing unit 1252 includes a matrix equation generation unit 1252a and an interpolation unit 1252b.
The matrix equation generation unit 1252a generates a matrix R2 (ps, pb) for each band (ps, pb), from binaural cue information for each band (ps, pb).
The interpolation unit 2252b maps, in other words, interpolates, the matrix R2 (ps, pb) for each band (ps, pb) according to (i) a frequency high resolution time index n and (ii) a sub-sub-band index sb of the input signal x of a hybrid expression. As a result, the interpolation unit 2252b generates a matrix R2 (n, sb) for each band (n, sb). As described above, the interpolation unit 2252b ensures that transition of the matrix R2 over a boundary of a plurality of bands is smooth. [Non-Patent Document 1] J. Herre, et al., “The Reference Model Architecture for MPEG Spatial Audio Coding”, 118th AES Convention, Barcelona | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multifunctional computer systems, and more particularly, to a computer system that executes functions of a cordless telephone base unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems have traditionally comprised a system unit or housing which comprises a plurality of electrical components comprising the computer system. A computer system typically includes a motherboard, which is configured to hold the microprocessor and the system memory, and one or more buses used in the computer system. The motherboard typically comprises a plurality of slots to accommodate various peripheral device controller cards, such as a sound card, a graphics card, a communication port controller card, etc. Through the motherboard slots, these controller cards are typically coupled to a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus to facilitate data communications with the microprocessor and the system memory.
More recently, computer systems are evolving toward an integration of functions. Some modem computer systems are capable of performing a variety of advanced communication and signal processing functions, such as voice recognition, interactive data transmission and reception, telephone call routing, telephone communication using the Internet, etc. Internet telephony using a personal computer typically involves a sound card installed on the computer motherboard. The Internet telephony software configures the sound card to function as a telephone handset through its microphone and speaker jacks. The sound card is connected to a telephone line and the user is provided a telephone handset that is connected to the sound card through its microphone and speaker jacks.
A telephone communication may be either in a full-duplex mode, as in the conventional circuit-switched (i.e., traditional) telephone communication, or in a half-duplex mode, as is typically the case with the Internet telephone communication. In the full-duplex operation, the talking and listening can take place at the same time during the telephone communication. In the half-duplex mode, only one function, either talking or listening, may be performed at a given instance to have an intelligible telephone conversation. As the Internet is a packet-switched network, there is a strong possibility of out-of-sequence or delayed arrivals of various data packets containing the audio information. Because of the complexities associated with full-duplex operation, majority of packet-switched communications using personal computer sound cards is not truly full-duplex.
During an Internet telephone conversation, the user may want to switch to his/her cordless telephone handset without interrupting the conversation. If the telephone handset is attached to the user""s computer, this may not be convenient. Further, an external coupling device may be needed to connect the computer sound card with the cordless telephone base station because the base station is now not connected to the telephone line. In addition to this, the user may also want to initiate a regular telephone conversation using the traditional circuit-switched telephone networks and with his/her cordless telephone handset. In that case, the external coupling device may need to be configured to accept the RF signals from the cordless telephone base unit and utilize the telephone line connected to the computer sound card to establish the requisite point-to-point telephone connection. In the absence of such an arrangement, the user may need to first connect the cordless telephone base station with the telephone line before initiating the telephone conversation.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a cordless telephone device that can be operative through the computer system and that can function as a cordless telephone base unit with the help of an external antenna that can be attached to the computer unit or housing. It is further desirable to have this cordless telephone device carry out the Internet (packet-switched) telephony as well as the conventional point-to-point (circuit-switched) telephony. Thus, the computer unit will itself function as a cordless telephone base station. This will eliminate the need to have an external cordless telephone base unit or any other coupling devices. The computer system will thus integrate the cordless telephone base unit, and hence, there will be a reduction in device redundancy.
When two or more users operate a common telephone instrument, as in a typical household, it may be desirable to have a telephone instrument, such as a cordless telephone handset, identify the specific user that is using the instrument at a given instance. This is helpful when each user has his/her personal preference that is different from that of the other. For example, one user may want to have a louder telephone speaker volume setting than the other one. It is therefore more convenient if, in addition to identifying the user, the telephone instrument also recognizes individual user preferences and automatically implements those preferences when the corresponding user is operating the instrument. It is noted that the cordless telephone handset that identifies the user and implements the user-specific preferences may also have a computer system as its corresponding cordless telephone base unit.
It is desirable to configure a personal computer to utilize the cordless telephone device to wirelessly transmit and receive data including text and images. A portable digital photo album is desirable to view transmitted photographs or images on an LCD display, but in a manner similar to viewing actual printed photographs through a photo album. Similarly, a portable electronic book will store the transmitted text and allow the user to read each page of the text in a way similar to reading an actual paper version of the text. Hence, a user will have his/her own personal digital image album or an electronic book, and will be able to conveniently store the information he/she deems interesting. The digital image album and the electronic book will also offer flexibility in user movements by allowing portability in information storage and retrieval.
The computer system according to the present invention includes a cordless telephone device operative through the computer system. The cordless telephone device may, for example, include a cordless telephone card installed in one of a plurality of connector slots on the computer system motherboard. The cordless telephone device is coupled to a sound device, which may be a computer sound card and may also be installed on the computer system motherboard. An external cordless telephone handset is coupled to this cordless telephone device to allow a user to carry out a telephone communication over an external telephone line, which is connected to the sound device. The connection of the telephone line to the sound device also facilitates a telephone communication using the Internet.
The cordless telephone device includes an antenna jack to couple an external RF antenna thereto. This external RF antenna may be installed in an antenna port provided on the computer system housing or may be directly connected to the cordless telephone device through the antenna jack. The cordless telephone device further includes a cordless telephone base unit, a microphone output and a speaker input to allow the cordless telephone device to be coupled to the sound device in the computer system.
In one embodiment, the computer system housing includes a built-in cordless telephone base station. Here, the cordless telephone base station, and not the sound device, is connected to the external telephone line. The computer system here functions as a cordless telephone base station for the regular (circuit-switched) cordless telephone communications only.
The present invention also contemplates a cordless telephone handset that identifies the user operating the handset and automatically configures itself to implement one or more preferences specified by that user. The cordless telephone handset unit includes a speaker recognition unit to ascertain an identity of the handset operator. A programming unit is provided to allow a user to input one or more user-specific preferences. The speaker recognition unit identifies the user and sends a corresponding signal to the programming unit, which, in turn, sends another signal to an operation control unit. The operation control unit, in response, configures the handset unit to implement one or more of the user-specific preferences. A display, such as an LCD display, may be provided to facilitate programming and display of user-specific preferences.
The speaker recognition feature may also be implemented in a traditional, non-cordless telephone instrument. In one embodiment, a non-cordless telephone instrument is contemplated to include speaker recognition unit in its housing. This regular telephone instrument also includes the programming unit and the operation control unit to identify the user and implement that user-specific preferences. The speaker recognition units in the regular telephone as well as in the cordless telephone handset operate on a voice print comparison method. Each telephonexe2x80x94the regular one or the cordless telephone handsetxe2x80x94initially stores a voice print of the user. During a subsequent telephone conversation, the speaker recognition unit periodically samples the telephone operator""s voice to ascertain his/her identity. If the operator""s voice print matches the user""s voice print, then the programming unit notifies the operation control unit of that. Thus, more than one user may conveniently operate a common telephone instrument or a cordless telephone handset that is configured to automatically implement the user""s individual preferences.
A digital image or photo album according to the present invention comprises a housing that includes, for example, an LCD display provided on a face of said housing. The LCD display may be electronically partitioned into two LCD pages to create an impression of a pair of pages of a photo album. The housing also includes an input port to receive a storage medium, such as a compact disc (CD) or a floppy disk. Each of these storage media store one or more photographs in a digital format. The digital photo album includes a command input unit that allows a user to input a number of predetermined commands to select and view the photographs or images. The photographs or images to be displayed on the LCD display are first converted from said digital format into a user viewable format. A file viewer unit in the digital image album performs this conversion, whereas a display control unit ultimately displays the photographs or images, one pair at a time, through the LCD display.
A number of keys may be provided in the housing to allow the user to input one or more of the predetermined commands. Alternately, a touch-screen LCD display may be provided in the housing to achieve the same purpose. A transmit port, a receive port or both may be provided in the housing to allow the digital photo album to perform data communication wirelessly. The earlier mentioned computer system with a cordless telephone device may accomplish such a data transfer using the functionality of the built-in cordless telephone base unit.
In another embodiment, the digital photo album comprises two housings mechanically hinged and electrically coupled with each other. Each housing includes one LCD display to display one photograph. Thus, jointly, the two housings display two photographs creating an impression of the actual paper pages of a photo album. The various electronic circuitry is conveniently distributed between the two housings. One, or both, of the housings may include the input port to receive the storage medium as explained earlier. The user operable keys, if provided, may be distributed between the two housings according to the designer""s choice. Instead, a pair of touch-screen LCD displays may be providedxe2x80x94one on each housing.
The electronic book according to the present invention may either include a single housing or a pair of mechanically hinged housings as earlier described with reference to the digital image album. The electronic book allows a user to view a pair of pages at a time through its display, which may be an LCD display. The LCD display may either be a single continuous display or a single display electronically divided into pages in case of a single housing, or may comprise a pair of displays in case of the pair of mechanically hinged housings. The user can read two pages at a timexe2x80x94as in a paper version of a book. The pages may contain text as well as images. The text is stored in one digital format? and the images are stored in a different digital format to allow for compatibility with present compression schemes.
In one embodiment of the electronic book, an RF port is provided to facilitate a wireless data communication with an external electronic device. The external electronic device may include the earlier described computer system with built-in cordless telephone base unit. In that case, the cordless telephone base unit in the computer system will accomplish the necessary RF communication with the electronic book. Similar to the digital photo album, the electronic book may also have a number of keys provided in the single housing, or distributed over a pair of housings, to allow the user to input one or more of the predetermined commands. The predetermined commands may perform operations such as selection of a text, repagination, deletion of a selected text, etc. Alternately, a touch-screen LCD display may be provided in the housing to perform the same operations. An individualized storage and retrieval of text, images and photographs is thus achieved. | {
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The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can prevent the decrease of the width of an active region.
With the development of semiconductor manufacturing technologies, semiconductor devices are becoming more highly integrated and accordingly, the size of cell transistors are gradually decreasing. As the size of cell transistors decrease, the size of an isolation structure for electrically isolating devices also decreases.
As a result, techniques for effectively forming a small sized isolation structure have been examined in order to raise the integration level of a semiconductor device. That is to say, as the area of the semiconductor device occupied by the isolation structure decreases, techniques for forming an isolation structure capable of maximizing an insulation effect between elements have become increasingly important.
Hereinafter, a method for forming the isolation structure of a semiconductor device according to the conventional art will be schematically described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B.
Referring to FIG. 1A, a hard mask composed of a pad oxide layer 111 and a pad nitride layer 112 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 100 such that the isolation regions of the semiconductor substrate 100 are exposed.
By etching the exposed portions of the semiconductor substrate 100 using the hard mask as an etch mask, trenches 113 are defined in the isolation regions of the semiconductor substrate 100. A sidewall oxide 114, a linear nitride layer 115, and a linear oxide layer 116 are sequentially formed on the surfaces of the trenches 113.
Referring to FIG. 1B, an insulation layer 115 for isolation is filled in the trenches 113 which are formed with the linear oxide layer 116. The isolation structure 123 of the semiconductor device is formed by CMPing (chemically and mechanically polishing) the insulation layer for isolation. The isolation structure 123 is formed higher than the active regions 110 of the semiconductor substrate 100.
However, the isolation structure 123 formed according to the conventional art is likely to be gradually lost in a subsequent cleaning process. As a result, the isolation structure 123 has a height, which is lower than that of the active regions 110 of the semiconductor substrate 100.
FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state in which an isolation structure is lost by implementing a cleaning process.
Referring to FIG. 2, as the isolation structure 123 has a height that is lower than that of the active regions 110 of the semiconductor substrate, a phenomenon, i.e., a moat phenomenon, occurs in which portions of the isolation structure 123 are depressed around the active regions 110. The moat phenomenon causes the oxidation of the sidewalls of the active regions 110 during an oxidation process for forming a gate oxide layer and thereby decreases the width of the active regions 110.
FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a state in which the width of the active region of a semiconductor substrate has decreased.
Referring to FIG. 3, the phenomenon, in which the width of the active regions 110 decreases by a gate oxidation process, serves as a factor that increases the resistance of the semiconductor device.
Meanwhile, after the isolation structure 123 is formed, an SEG (silicon epitaxial growth) process for forming an epi-silicon layer on the active regions 110 is implemented.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are views illustrating states in which epi-silicon layers are formed by an SEG process according to the conventional art.
Referring to FIG. 4, where the SEG process is implemented with the active regions 110 having a narrow width, the epi-silicon layer 160 can be formed into an abnormal shape.
Referring to FIG. 5, where the SEG process is implemented with the active regions 110 having a narrow width, a bridge phenomenon can occur between the epi-silicon layers 160. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system and an endoscope video processor, and more particularly to an endoscope system capable of observing a forward field of view and a lateral field of view independently and simultaneously, and an endoscope video processor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscope systems provided with an endoscope for picking up an image of an object inside a subject, an image processing apparatus for generating an observed image of the object picked up by the endoscope, and the like are widely known in a medical field, an industrial field and the like.
Further, some endoscope systems are capable of observing a subject with a wide field of view in order to prevent a lesion portion from being overlooked. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-66648 discloses an endoscope capable of simultaneously acquiring a forward-field-of-view image and a lateral-field-of-view image and displaying the forward-field-of-view image and the lateral-field-of-view image on a display portion. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the art of replaceable nozzles, and more particularly, to replaceable air blaster nozzles for high temperature environments.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to use blaster nozzles to conduct high pressure air from an air cannon to assist in the pneumatic removal of cloggings and cakings during the transport of particulate matter through hoppers, funnels, silos, enclosed conveyors, rotary kilns, and similar enclosures in cement production processes. The blaster nozzles are oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the interior wall of the enclosure and have proven particularly advantageous in helping to clear cakings and deposits that regularly build up in pipes, heat exchangers, and cyclones so that optimum heat exchange process and efficient transport of clinker and other heated particulate material can be achieved. These blaster nozzles commonly operate in environments having temperatures in excess of 1000° F. and even 2000° F.
Through the course of routine use, the mouthpiece of the blaster nozzle becomes worn or eroded by chemical reactions as a result of the extreme environment in which it operates. Therefore, blaster nozzles need to be periodically replaced. Typically, entry into the inside of the enclosure has been required in order to install the new blaster nozzle. The person performing the maintenance must remove the block material and the old nozzle, weld in a new nozzle and fill the hollow chamber with fireproof cement, resulting in a labor-intensive, high-risk evolution. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a subscriber radio access system. More particularly, it relates to a subscriber radio access system on Ethernet for linking a radio base station and subscriber terminals through a radio transmission line.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has been increased to have chances for using Internet in both of companies and each home because ISDN lines are now widespread among the general public, and providers appear to provide services for Internet with low costs. However, when considering infrastructures for communication in each home, only a telephone line is installed, and therefore, high-speed communications can not be facilitated in each home under the existing condition.
On the other hand, a conception of Fiber to the Home (FTTH) is held among enterprises related to a communication industry. However, a huge infrastructure investment is required, and therefore, it is considered that it will be in about 2010 to completely install the FTTH in each home. In this situation, a subscriber radio access system in which high speed transmission channels can be provided to each home by employing radio transmission channels has been expected much in recent years.
In here, a Point-multi point system for linking one radio base station and a plurality of subscriber terminals is generally employed as the subscriber radio access system. When considering the entire configuration, a cellular zone structure, as used in a mobile telephone system and a cellular phone system, is employed.
When forming a Point to multi-point connection by the use of radio communication, it is general to employ a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system to transmit and receive communication data between the base station and the subscriber terminals with a predetermined frame signal.
In the case of using a TDMA system, it is possible to facilitate communications stably without collision of signals while each subscriber facilitates communications. However, when employing data communication, such as Internet communication in each home, there is much time when the subscriber does not facilitate communications. In this case, each subscriber terminal may keep a certain time interval in a predetermined frame so that transmission speed becomes constant in each subscriber terminal even if a few subscribers facilitate communications.
Accordingly, it is no use because there are many unemployed signal periods on the whole signal transmission. Further, even if the TDMA system can be realized, as it is not standardized currently, each subscriber terminal should be recognized as a special one, thereby increasing the cost and taking much time to expand the system.
To cover the shortage of the above-described problem, a wired LAN is standardized. On Ethernet, which is a bus type network for short distance transmission, i.e., a lower layer protocol in a stack of Transmission Control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), employed as a typical communication method on LAN, it is effective to employ a method for transmitting and receiving a packet only when facilitating communications according to Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) protocol.
However, as Ethernet follows a standard of the wired LAN, there is a limited transmission distance to make it possible to detect data collision even if the packet format has a minimum length. For example, in the case of 10 BaseT, i.e., a data communication speed of 10 Mbps employing a twist cable, the maximum length of the cable is limited to 100 m. Therefore, in the case where a radio transmission link section is longer than the limited length, it becomes impossible to detect data collision, thereby not facilitating the data communication. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pentapeptides which possess pituitary growth hormone releasing activity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Growth hormone, which is secreted from the pituitary, causes growth of all tissues of the body that are capable of growing. In addition, growth hormone is known to have the following basic effects on the metabolic process of the body:
1. Increased rate of protein synthesis in all cells of the body; PA1 2. Decreased rate of carbohydrate utilization in cells of the body; PA1 3. Increased mobilization of free fatty acids and use of fatty acids for energy.
A deficiency in growth hormone secretion can result in various medical disorders, such as some instances of dwarfism.
Various ways are known to release growth hormone. For example, chemicals such as argine, L-dihydroxyphenylamine (L-DOPA), glucagon, vasopressin, and insulin induced hypoglycemia, as well as activities such as sleep and exercise, indirectly cause growth hormone to be released from the pituitary by acting in some fashion on the hypothalmus perhaps either to decrease somatostatin secretion or to increase an unknown endogenous growth hormone-releasing hormone or both.
Compounds which directly act on the pituitary to release growth hormone include prostaglandin E.sub.1 and E.sub.2, theophylline, and cyclic nucleotides. However, these compounds neither specifically release growth hormone nor are they believed to act at the putative growth hormone-releasing hormone receptors in the peripheral membrane of the pituitary cell to initiate growth hormone release.
In addition, under special conditions certain chemically defined peptides, e.g., vasopressin, thyroid-releasing hormone (TRH), luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), .alpha.-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (.alpha.-MSH), glucagon, substance P, neurotensin; Met-enkephelin, .beta.-endorphin, cholera-enderotoxin, and basic myelin protein, act to release growth hormone from the pituitary. However, only TRH acts directly on the pituitary to elicit this response. Furthermore, the above listed peptides release other pituitary hormones and under most experimental conditions do not release growth hormone. For example, TRH does not release growth hormone in normal rats or in normal humans or from pituitaries of normal rats or monkeys. In vitro, TRH releases growth hormone, prolactin, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and in vivo TRH releases these hormones from bovine pituitary.
Vasopressin's induced release of growth hormone is considered to be due to a non-specific response to stress caused by administration of high dosages of vasopressin.
Accordingly it would be highly desirable to have a compound which directly acts on the pituitary under normal experimental conditions to effect the release of growth hormone therefrom. Such peptides would be useful in vitro as unique research tools for understanding how growth hormone secretion is regulated at the pituitary level and would also be useful in vivo to treat symptoms related to growth hormone deficiencies. | {
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Regular dental checkups and periodic professional cleaning of the teeth to remove plaque are very important for good health, in addition to that a regular personal regimen of dental hygiene is essential to maintaining the health and appearance of the teeth and gums. The use of a manual toothbrush having an array of bristles mounted near one end of some form of handle is the most familiar and commonly-used implement for this purpose. It is estimated that about all American brush their teeth at least once a day. In contrast to that only a smaller percentage of the population in the range between 10 and 40% uses dental floss to complement the tooth-brushing with an additional cleaning or gum massaging action. The bristles of the prior art devices are not able to brush deep inside the gums between teeth especially in spaces that are difficult to reach such as in between the molars, close to crowns and bleeding gums.
Regular filament floss are very well know in the art and come in different varieties made either in nylon, silk, or biodegradable polymers. Prior art filaments can also be waxed, or not waxed, flavored, or not flavored, and in some instance disinfecting and cleaning composition are added to the filaments to make them more effective in their cleaning action. Usually prior art dental flosses are commercially available in packages or rolls of 10-50 meters of flexible uninterrupted filament that have a diameter within 0.003 and 1 [mm].
If compared with the brushing action of a toothbrush dental floss have the flexibility to be slided in the space in between the teeth removing food particles in a space that it is not otherwise accessible to a regular toothbrush. The downside of a dental floss with respect of a more conventional brushing apparatus is the fact that it comes just as a filament so does not have any brushing capacity whatsoever.
To overcome this deficiency of prior art dental floss interdental brushes have been developed. Nowadays most periodontologists prefer the use of inter-dental brushes rather than the use of the prior art dental floss because of the lack of brushing capacity of the first one. Inter-dental brushes though are made by plurality of bristles radially projecting from the center of a rigid structure often made by metal or plastic. Said rigid structure may puncture the gums causing bleedings, and its routinary use may in turn weaken the gums around the teeth causing gingivitis and gum disease.
In addition to what discussed so far U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,890 to Thornton discloses and claims a teeth cleaning element containing threading end portions for cleaning relatively large spaces in the teeth consists of from about 400 to about 800 filaments in an elongated bundle that is from about 1,200 to 2,400 about denier. Under the teachings of the Thornton patent said filaments at the mid-portion of the length of the bundle are textured with the crimps and crinkles of the texturing of the several filaments being intermingled and in contact at numerous points and being adhered together at the contact points to form a bulky, longitudinal, longitudinally and laterally resilient mass.
In the Thornton patent, the cleaning part of this dental devise is not an integral part of the filament, so that there are two distinct elements that are assembled together weakening the mechanical strength and resistant of the combination. Additionally under the Thornton patent the bulky, cleaning section is composed of crimps and crinkles of filaments made of synthetics resign that are put together by some sort of adhesive nylon resin. Thus a device assembled under Thornton, may become dangerous if the adhesive resin comes apart and gets stuck between the teeth and inside the gums.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,471 to Harada discloses and claims a dental hygiene device for cleaning enlarged embrasures includes a brush portion having a plurality of bristles projecting from a rigid spine opposed ends of which are secured to lengths of flexible filament such as dental floss. Under the teachings of the Harnada patent said free end of at least one of the filaments may be provided with a stiff pin-like tip useful as a toothpick or in threading the device through gaps between teeth or orthodontic structures.
The Harada patent discloses a device that is not flexible and it is rigid in nature with a stiff pin-like tip. Also in this patent, the brush part of this dental devise is not an integral part of the filament since two distinct elements are put together by several means of attachments, causing in turn potential limitation for harm such as the one described in the Thornton patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,948 to Lloyd discloses and claims a bristled dental floss comprised of a plurality of sub-fibers each having a plurality of bristles secured thereto. Under the teachings of the Lloyd patent said sub-fibers, bristles, or both, may be stiffened with wax, TEFLON, nylon, or like material. The Lloyd patent fails to disclose a flexible assembly as well. In fact Lloyd suggests the use of Wax, Teflon or Nylon material to enhance the rigid character of its device. Also in the Lloyd patent the bristles or brushing, cleaning parts are not an integral part of the filament causing in turn potential limitation for harm such as the one described in the Thornton patent.
The prior art solutions hence are not entirely sufficient to effectively clean all areas especially those adjacent spaces or gaps such as those present between teeth, especially when root surfaces are exposed without causing damage to the gums. | {
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The present invention teaches a process for preparing strip stock from aluminum and aluminum alloys, preferbly Al-Mg-Mn alloys, by means of strip casting machines, wherein the strip exhibits low earing properties and is suitable for use in the manufacture of deep drawn and ironed hollow articles such as cans or the like.
In recent years Al-Mg-Mn alloys, in the form of cold rolled strip, have been successfully processed into beverage cans by deep drawing and ironing. A number of processes are known for the production of aluminum strip for use in these beverage cans. Typically, aluminum is cast by known methods such as horizontal and vertical direct chill casting, or strip casting for further treatment. One such known process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,248 to Setzer et al. and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. The process comprises casting an Al-Mg-Mn alloy, homogenizing this alloy at a temperature of between 455.degree. C. to 620.degree. C. for 2 to 24 hours, hot rolling from a starting temperature of 345.degree. C. to 510.degree. C. with a total reduction in thickness of at least 20%, subsequent rolling, starting from a temperature of 205.degree. C. to 430.degree. C. with reduction of at least 20%, subsequent rolling, starting from a temperature of less than 205.degree. C. with reduction of at least 20%, heating the alloy between 95.degree. C. and 230.degree. C. for at least 5 seconds but no longer than a time determined by the equation T(10+log t)=12,500, T standing for degrees Kelvin and t for maximum time in minutes.
While the process disclosed in the aforenoted patent has been used successfully for making metal strip to be used in the manufacture of cans, it has been found that strip produced by said process is not completely satisfactory in that the material experiences a high degree of earing.
A further known process for the production of strip is disclosed in Light Metal Age, Volume 33, 1975, December, Pages 28-33. In the aforenoted article the strip was prepared by a strip casting process and was thereafter treated so as to be useful in the manufacture of cans. One basic problem which arises in the production of strip via strip casting machines as disclosed in the above-noted article is that the dendritic arm spacing or cell size at the surface of the strip is too large. As a result of this large dendritic arm spacing, the strip exhibits extensive surface porosity which leads to cracks in the final rolled strip. In addition, when the dendritic arm spacing is too large, there is a danger of surface segregation which can lead to poor quality in the final rolled strip which in turn causes difficulties during the drawing and ironing operation.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a process for preparing aluminum alloy strip stock by means of a continuous strip casting machine which exhibits properties favorable for further processing by cold rolling.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved process for cold rolling continuous strip cast stock to thereby improve the earing properties thereof.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the process as aforesaid which enables the aluminum alloy strip to be used in the production of cans and the like.
Further objects and advantages will appear hereinbelow. | {
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To install seats in a vehicle body in an automatic assembly line for manufacturing vehicles, it is generally necessary to insert into a vehicle the vehicle body seats which have been produced through a production line separate from a vehicle body production line.
Seats can have varying specifications for even the same model of vehicle. Therefore, a seat holding apparatus should have a structure that is able to reliably hold seats having different specifications.
The information set forth in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art. | {
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The present invention relates to a protocol for reliable transfer of information in a communications network, and in particular, to a reliable output protocol for sending files from one node to one or more other nodes in a network. | {
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This application claims the priority of German application 196 48 737.4, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a steering apparatus with a user-operated steering angle input system with corresponding steering shaft and with a hydraulic unit for coupling a steering angle setting system to the steering angle input system. The hydraulic unit comprises a piston-and-cylinder unit which is disposed with a long axis running transversely across the steering shaft and whose axially moving piston is coupled mechanically with the rotatory steering shaft and divides the cylinder into two halves each with a working chamber disposed on the opposite side of the steering shaft. The piston is configured as a dual piston and coupled mechanically with the steering shaft by a coupling section situated between its ends defining the working chambers.
DE No. 195 46 942.9 describes a steering apparatus for motor vehicles with a user-operated steering angle input system with corresponding steering shaft and with a hydraulic unit for coupling a steering angle setting system to the steering angle input system. The hydraulic unit comprises a piston-and-cylinder unit which is disposed with the longitudinal shaft running transversely of the steering shaft. An axially moving piston is coupled mechanically with the rotatory steering shaft and divides the cylinder into two halves each with a working chamber. In normal operation, an electrical coupling is active between the steering angle input system and the steering angle setting system. A motor is coupled to the steering shaft and serves to produce a reverse torque. The steering angle setting system contains a hydraulic unit which is operated by a computer unit detecting the steering shaft position and acting upon the steerable wheels of the vehicle. A hydraulic unit serves as a reserve coupling between the steering angle input system and steering angle setting system to increase safety against failure and is active in the event of failure of the electrical coupling. In this known hydraulic unit, the piston-and-cylinder unit is positioned entirely on one side of the steering shaft, and the cylinder is divided by a narrow piston into the two working chambers. The piston is moved by a piston rod which passes frontally through the cylinder from both ends and is coupled at its extremities to return springs which define an equilibrium center position. In its end portion facing the steering shaft, the piston rod is configured as a rack and coupled mechanically to the steering shaft configured as a pinion in a corresponding area. The hydraulic unit so constructed requires in its lengthwise direction a space of at least six times its stroke.
DE application No. 195 46 733.7 discloses a steering apparatus in which, likewise, in addition to an electrical coupling provided for normal operation, a hydraulic unit is provided as a reserve coupling between the steering angle input system and the steering angle setting system. The hydraulic unit comprises a piston-and-cylinder unit with its long axis running parallel to the steering shaft, through both ends of which the steering shaft passes. In the area within the cylinder, the steering shaft is provided with a screw thread which cooperates with an internal thread of a narrow annular piston surrounding the steering shaft to shift it axially. From the working chambers separated from one another in the cylinder by the piston, a rigid hydraulic line runs transversely of the steering shaft. Thus, it is not easily possible to achieve in this steering system the ability of the steering angle input system to turn together with the steering shaft.
A steering apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,615,075. The hydraulic unit contains a connecting line for each working chamber running out from the end part of the particular working chamber which is remote from the steering shaft, away from the steering shaft and then with a bend substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the piston-and-cylinder unit it runs to the steering angle setting system configured as an additional piston-and-cylinder unit.
JP 62-15167 (A) discloses, in a steering apparatus for a motor vehicle, the provision of a hydraulic coupling between the steering angle input system and steering angle setting system as a reserve coupling which is active in the event of failure of an additional, electrical coupling between the steering angle input system and the steering angle setting system.
DE 39 18 987 A1 describes a power assisted steering for motor vehicles in which a steering spindle is connected by a rotary sliding valve to an input member of a steering gear, and a working piston of a hydraulic power boosting device can be fed hydraulic fluid by a servo pump through the control valve in the case of a relative rotation of the steering spindle with respect to the input member. The drive shaft of an electric motor is connected with the rotary valve, and the electric motor can be controlled by a signal from a first sensor responding to a relative rotation of the steering spindle with respect to the input member. Thereby, it produces a counter-force on the rotary valve to counter the rotary movement of the steering spindle. The electric motor thus serves for the production of a reverse torque in the case of active hydraulic coupling of the steering. In addition, the electric motor can be made to boost the steering force in case of failure of the hydraulic power boosting system, i.e., to act as a servo motor.
An object of the present invention is to provide a steering apparatus in which the hydraulic unit requires relatively little space and also is secured against failure and/or is constructed such that, if necessary, it easily permits the steering wheel input system to turn with the corresponding steering shaft.
The foregoing object has been achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a steering apparatus in which each of the two connecting lines runs from an opening thereof out of the corresponding end of the working chamber substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston-and-cylinder unit into an area proximate the steering shaft or the hydraulic unit serves as a hydraulic reserve coupling between the steering angle input system and the steering angle setting system, which is active in the event of failure of an additional, electrical coupling between the steering angle input system and the steering angle setting system, and an electric motor is coupled with the steering shaft to produce, when the electrical coupling between the steering angle input system and steering angle setting system is active, a reverse torque and, when the hydraulic unit is active, to be operable as a servo motor.
In the steering apparatus of the present invention, the piston-and-cylinder unit is disposed horizontally with its long axis transverse to the steering shaft such that its cylinder extends on both sides of the steering shaft. The piston is mechanically coupled with the steering shaft by a coupling section which lies between the piston ends which define the working chamber. Thereby, there is no end opening in the cylinder for the passage of a piston rod protruding therebeyond, so that the space required transversely of the steering shaft is limited to the cylinder length. This length can be limited to approximately four times the piston stroke required for the maximum steering angle. The position of the piston-and-cylinder unit with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the steering shaft additionally facilitates the achievement of a desirable ability of the steering wheel input system to pivot as desired together with the corresponding steering shaft.
Furthermore, the compact construction of the hydraulic unit in accordance with the present invention is further facilitated by running the connecting line for each working chamber from the end of the corresponding cylinder half remote from the steering shaft, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston-and-cylinder unit, into an area close to the steering shaft, where it compactly continues along the steering shaft and/or can merge with a section of line affixed to the vehicle's body.
In the steering apparatus according to the present invention, the hydraulic unit serves especially as a hydraulic reserve coupling for an electrical coupling active in normal operation between the steering angle input system and the steering angle setting system. An electric motor coupled to the steering shaft is provided which, when the electrical coupling is active, produces a reverse torque on the steering shaft and can function as a servo motor when the hydraulic unit is active. This is important especially when the steering angle setting system comprises a hydraulic unit and the latter fails. In such a case, the wheels can then be acted upon directly by the hydraulic unit coupled to the steering shaft, assisted by the servo motor with hydraulic fluid, in order to set the desired steering angle.
In the improved steering apparatus of the present invention, the steering angle input system is mounted for pivoting together with the steering shaft about an axis perpendicular to the latter. The two connecting lines to the working chambers of the piston-and-cylinder unit are led each to a corresponding rotary connecting element disposed near the steering shaft, which is disposed horizontally in the pivot axis for rotation about the latter. Thus, the hydraulic fluid can be transferred through the rotary connecting elements between, on one hand, the working chambers of the piston-and-cylinder unit and, on the other hand, the steering angle setting system, without the latter being in conflict with the pivoting ability of the steering angle input system. | {
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The present invention relates to a bracket for holding one or more clamps for supporting one or more tubular members such as pipes, conduits or cables.
A variety of techniques are employed in modern houses and buildings to support pipes or conduits used as oxygen lines, vent lines, and water supplies for urinals, flush valve water closets, sinks and heaters. One common support device is a bracket having a series of holes for receiving the pipe(s) or conduits(s). The bracket is usually an all metal construction such as copper-coated steel. It can be secured to structural elements by screw, bolt or nail fasteners. In order to accommodate different sized pipes or conduits, the holes in the brackets have different diameters. In some installations, a plastic insert is first placed about the pipe and then snapped into engagement with one of the holes in the support bracket. The plastic insert helps minimize sound transfer and provides noise and physical insulation. The main disadvantage of these brackets is their inability to readily accommodate pipes of all sizes.
Another commonly used device is a single pipe clamp or hanger having a mounting member or bracket associated therewith. The clamp or hanger is typically secured to a structural support such as a wooden beam or a joist by inserting a fastener through the mounting member. U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,655 to Schulpin illustrates one such pipe hanger. The Schulpin hanger has integrally formed ears with holes for receiving the fastener(s) for securing the hanger to the support. U.K. Patent Application Ser. No. 2,130,077A to Wavin BV illustrates a similar hanger having a mounting member capable of rotation relative to the hanger. The primary deficiency of these devices is the fact that they can only support a single pipe, conduit or cable. | {
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Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle, and a rotor having one or more rotor blades. In many wind turbines, the rotor is attached to the nacelle and is coupled to the generator through the gearbox. The rotor and the gearbox are mounted on a bedplate support frame located within the nacelle. More specifically, in many instances, the gearbox is mounted to the bedplate via one or more torque supports or arms. The rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to a generator shaft of the generator. The gearbox may be used to step up the inherently low rotational speed of the turbine rotor for the generator to efficiently convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, which is provided to a utility grid.
Transmission of wind energy from remote locations to load centers or to main transmission backbones necessitates long transmission lines. Series capacitors are a proven and economical transmission solution to address system strength, grid stability, and voltage profile issues of long transmission lines. In some instances, wind turbine generators can be susceptible to sub-synchronous interaction (SSI) problems when the generator is connected to the grid through series-compensated transmission lines.
More specifically, wind turbines can interact with the grid resonances created by the series capacitor compensation, thereby causing wind turbine damage and/or misoperation if such interactions are not addressed. Further, wind generators react to grid transients according to their physical characteristics and control logic. When reacting to the sub-synchronous currents caused by series resonances in the grid, such reactions can affect the damping of the resonance. The phenomenon has been termed sub-synchronous interaction (SSI). SSI is benign in many cases, but in other cases, can lead to an electrical instability. When unstable, the sub-synchronous currents and voltages grow until a nonlinear event occurs.
One commonly used method for studying sub-synchronous interaction is frequency scanning analysis. A typical frequency scanning analysis includes establishing a steady state operating condition of the system under test, injecting a current (or voltage) perturbation signal to the steady state system, subtracting the perturbed system voltage and current by their steady state quantities to acquire the small signal delta change, performing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), calculating the phasor value at the testing frequency, and calculating the system impedance. The steps may be repeated at other frequencies in the range of interest.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the frequency scanning analysis treats the wind turbine generator 12 and the grid network 14 of the circuit 10 as two separate sub-systems. When the two sub-systems 12, 14 are connected together, the outcome is equivalent to summing their respective impedances. As such, a potential instability is indicated by a negative resistance at a resonance frequency (i.e. zero reactance). For example, as shown in FIG. 2, corresponding graphs of resistance versus frequency and reactance versus frequency, respectively, for the circuit 10 are illustrated. More specifically, two resonance frequencies 15, 17 (e.g. at about 10 Hz and about 51 Hz) are identified from the frequency impedance plots generated by the circuit 10. As shown, both resonance frequencies 15, 17 have negative damping as the associated resistances are negative, thereby indicating a potential instability of the system.
Although the above mentioned frequency analysis has been widely used for SSI evaluation, the results of such testing can be misleading due to the deficiencies in the method. For example, one such deficiency is the coupling frequencies effect as illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. More specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a simplified control function that converts a three phase alternating-current (a-c) quantity (e.g. Xabc) into a direct quadrature (d-q) rotating coordinate, multiplies the d-q quantity by two gains (Kd and Kq) separately, and then reversely converts the result back into an a-c quantity (e.g. Yabc). A d-q transformation generally refers to a mathematical transformation that rotates the reference frame of three-phase systems in an effort to simplify the analysis of three-phase circuits. The input Xabc and the output Yabc can be voltage, current, or combinations thereof. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, two tests are run with different values of Kd and Kq using the control function. The ABC-to-DQ and the DQ-to-ABC transformations are based on the fundamental frequency, e.g. 60 Hz. FIG. 4 illustrates a comparison of the input and output in both the time domain and frequency spectrum from a first test, e.g. when Kd=Kq=1.0. As shown, the output equals to the input. In a second test, as shown in FIG. 5, Kd is different from Kq (i.e. the control becomes asymmetric) and the resulting output Yabc contains an additional frequency component 16 that is not in the input.
As shown in FIG. 6, a graph illustrating the effect of the coupling frequencies effect described above is illustrated. As shown, the graph compares the impedance calculated from the two grid conditions. If there is no coupling frequencies effect, the calculation results in the same generator impedance for both conditions such that the curves should overlap. The distinction between the two curves of FIG. 6, however, demonstrates the impact of coupling frequencies. In addition, the resulting frequency impedances of the generator from the two grid conditions render opposite indications to the SSI stability of the system. For example, when the grid connection is stiffer (curve 18), the generator resistance is positive over the whole sub-synchronous frequency range and therefore indicates no SSI instability. In contrast, when the grid connection is weaker (curve 20), the generator resistance is negative in sub-synchronous frequency range, thereby raising a concern of potential SSI instability. As such, the coupling frequencies effect complicates SSI evaluation for wind turbine generators. Further, the coupling frequencies effect contributes to the difficulty of system design as trying to design a stable system for the infinite number of grid scenarios is almost impossible.
In view of the aforementioned, a system and method that improves sub-synchronous interaction (SSI) damping of a wind turbine generator by utilizing symmetric control design would be advantageous. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a radio communication system.
2. Background Art
Technical specifications of Long Term Evolution (LTE) have been developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is the standardization organization of the Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA). LTE is a standard that is further evolved from the High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), which is evolved technology of the W-CDMA. LTE provides high-speed communications, where a downlink transmission rate of 100 Mbps or more is achieved, and an uplink transmission rate of 50 Mbps or more is achieved. LTE improves latency and spectral efficiency.
For LTE, similar to 3G, it is considered to provide a micro base station as a method of establishing a communication area in a home or in a small store.
For example, an LTE femto radio base station (hereinafter, referred to as “the femto base station”) is placed on a steel tower or on a roof of a building, besides in a home or a small store. The femto base station has a limited call area having a radius of approximately several tens of meters. | {
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The present invention relates to an apparatus, a system and method for using same for thermochemically converting carbonaceous solid materials such as petcoke into synthetic fluid fuels such as syngas.
Anthropogenic emissions of green house gases and other pollutants can be significantly reduced or even completely eliminated by replacing fossil fuels with cleaner fuels, e.g. solar fuels. Further, the conversion of solar energy into a chemical energy carrier that can be long-term stored and long-range transported would overcome major drawbacks of solar energy, namely, that solar energy is conventionally a diluted, intermittent, and unequally distributed energy source.
The replacement of fossil fuels with solar fuels is a long-term goal requiring the development of novel technologies. Intermediate progress along this transition would also be desirable. Clearly, the need remains for a more viable process for using solar energy to overcome the limitations mentioned above.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a process whereby solar energy is converted to chemically stored energy.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a process wherein the stored energy is a relatively clean fossil fuel.
Other objects and advantages will appear herein below. | {
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Promotional items include a variety of items decorated in some manner, for example, items decorated with a logo or some other message. The function of these promotional items may include advertisement or promotion of an event, or of products or services offered by one or more vendors. The promotional items may include hats, such as baseball hats, Tee-shirts, collared type shirts including golf shirts, keychains, drinking containers such as coffee mugs and tumblers, and watches.
When applying the decorations to these items, often the criteria as to what types of materials and methods to use includes considerations related to the attractiveness and the durability of the final promotional item. For example, with respect to a decoration such as a company logo applied to a shirt, the logo would generally be applied in such a way and using materials and methods so that the logo would not fade or shrink after either wearing or washing of the shirt, and thus become unattractive or unreadable as the decorated shirt is worn and washed. In most instances, the decoration on the promotional item would be intended to have a lifespan of at least that of the lifespan of the item to which the decoration is applied.
Because the decoration applied to a promotional item is intended to last as long as the item itself, the addition of the decoration may detract from the value of the item to the user. For example, a shirt may be decorated with a logo representing a particular employer event, for example a sales conference. The decoration may include text such as “Sales Conference XXXX,” wherein the “XXXX” represents a particular year. Once the sales event is over, the user may be deterred from wearing the shirt on later occasions due to the logo, wherein the user no longer wishes to promote or be associated with the decoration as it relates to the particular event or time period. In a further instance, the shirt may indicate a particular status to be associated with the user at a particular point in time, for example “Staff” or “Traffic Control,” but wherein the status is not intended to extend beyond a particular event or time period, and therefore the party issuing the shirt may not want the user to retain the indication of the status beyond the designated time period.
Knowing the user will not continue to use the base item after a particular time period, or that the promotional item may be discarded after the particular time period relevant to the promotional item, the base item may be selected to include a low quality or low cost base item. The result may be that the promotional item has limited value to the user receiving the promotional item. In addition, the user, and others exposed to and coming in contact with the promotional item, may view the parties distributing or associated with the promotional item as “cheap” or as providing low quality products and services because of the low quality and low cost of the base item used in creating the promotional item. | {
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As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a general sliding apparatus is provided in which a sliding member 22 having a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section and having arm portions 22c on the right and left sides of a base portion 22b is fitted on a shaft 21 provided on a base member 29, the sliding member 22 is adapted to be slidable reciprocatingly relative to the shaft 21, a loading path 23 composed of first loading grooves 21a provided on both sides of the shaft 21 and second loading grooves 22a provided, respectively, on inner surfaces of right and left arm portions 22c of the sliding member 22 and confronted with the first loading grooves 21a is provided between the shaft 21 and the sliding member 22, and a plurality of rolling members 24 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the loading path 23 so that the rolling members 24 may be rolled and moved in accordance with the sliding movement of the sliding member 22. Incidentally, in the drawings, reference numeral 26 denotes first loading portion forming member provided on the shaft 21 and reference numeral 27 denotes second loading portion forming member provided on the sliding member 22.
By the way, as described above, the sliding member 22 is slidingly moved relative to the shaft 21 together with the rolling movement of the rolling members 24. However, since when the rolling members 24 collide against each other upon rolling movement, this causes the hindrance of the smooth sliding movement of the sliding member 22 or the generation of noises, rolling member retainers 25 in which rolling member aligning windows 25a are formed in a plate member are arranged in the above-described loading path 23 and the rolling members 24 are arranged in the rolling member aligning windows 25a of the rolling member retainers 25 as shown in FIG. 2, whereby the interval between the adjacent rolling members 24 may be kept constant and the collision of the adjacent rolling members 24 may be prevented.
On the other hand, it is known that, in the conventional sliding apparatus, a phenomenon that a relative position among the shaft 21, the sliding member 22 and the rolling member retainers 25 is gradually displaced in accordance with the reciprocating sliding movement of the sliding member 22, i.e., a so-called “micro slip” phenomenon would occur.
The displacement of the rolling member retainers 25 due to the micro slip phenomenon causes the friction between the rolling member retainers 25 and the rolling members 24. This friction prevents the smooth movement of the sliding members 22 or causes the noises. Furthermore, when the displacement becomes remarkable, the rolling member retainers 25 would be broken to cause a serious damage to the instrument into which the sliding apparatus is incorporated.
Therefore, in order to prevent the above-described micro slip phenomenon, for example, as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-315831 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Publication 1) as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-315832 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Publication 2) as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a disc member 32 having a plurality of convex portions 30 is coupled with a rolling member retainer 25, a plurality of concave portions 31 in concave and convex engagement with the convex portions 30 of the disc member 32 are provided in a loading path 23, the convex and concave engagement mechanism composed of the convex portions 30 and the concave portions 31 is caused to work so that the rolling member retainer 25 is moved along the loading path 23, whereby the above-described displacement of the rolling member retainer 25 may be prevented. However, this is complicated in structure and inferior in durability and worse in maintenance property and it is inevitable to increase the cost.
More specifically, Patent Publications 1 and 2 are directed to the structure where the disc member 32 which is discrete from the rolling members 24 to be coupled with the rolling member retainer 25 is provided in a central portion of the rolling member retainer 25. Since this disc member 32 is not subjected to any load from the loading path 23, the convex and concave engagement relationship of the convex and concave engagement mechanism is loose (that is, the convex and concave engagement is not firmly attained). Thus, it is impossible to completely prevent the micro slip phenomenon.
Also, since the disc member 32 is large in size relative to the rolling members 24, an effective stroke length of the sliding member is short. If this effective stroke length is to be elongated, it is necessary to shorten the length of the rolling member retainer 25 correspondingly, so that the rolling members 24 retained by the rolling member retainer 25 are reduced to cause a problem that the loading capacity is reduced.
Furthermore, since the disc member 32 is adapted to be coupled with the rolling member retainer 25, it is necessary to provide a shaft 33 for pivotally retaining the disc member 32. Since this is usually made of resin, the machining thereof is troublesome in precision and rigidity.
Patent Publication 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-315831
Patent Publication 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-315832 | {
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Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Power generation systems may convert chemical and/or mechanical energy (e.g., kinetic energy) to electrical energy for various applications, such as utility systems. As one example, a wind energy system may convert kinetic wind energy to electrical energy.
The use of wind turbines as a means for harnessing energy has been used for a number of years. Conventional wind turbines typically include large turbine blades positioned atop a tower. The cost of manufacturing, erecting, maintaining, and servicing such wind turbine towers is significant.
An alternative to the costly wind turbine towers that may be used to harness wind energy is the use of an aerial vehicle that is attached to a ground station with an electrically conductive tether. Such an alternative may be referred to as an Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT). | {
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In the past number of years there has been a continuously increasing surge of interest in winter sports activities, particularly those activities which need a snow base for operation, e.g., skiing, snowmobiling, snow-shoeing and the like. Unfortunately, in many areas of the world the natural snow fall is not predictable nor sufficient to assure continuous operation during the season of sports areas and resorts having facilities for such winter sports.
In more recent years continuity of operation and a good snow base has been gained by the use of artificial snow-making machines and apparatus. With such equipment snow-based winter sports activities have been continuously operated during the winter season and extended to geographical areas of the United States; for example, as far south as North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee even though there is usually not sufficient natural snow in these areas to permit such sports on a regular basis during the season.
With artificial snow making equipment it is essential only that there be an ambient temperature below about 32.degree. F. (0.degree. C.) for a period sufficient to permit snow making to continue until an adequate depth of snow is deposited on the area, terrain or slope desired to be covered. In areas of North Carolina and Tennessee, for example, during a typical winter sports season there may be only 25 days with good conditions for making artificial snow. Farther north in Ohio 30 to 40 days snow making operation ordinarily can be expected and in Michigan 50 days or more are not uncommon. Therefore, it is important for effective operation that large volumes of snow be made rapidly during those periods when conditions are right for mechanical snow making.
The snow making apparatus and machines which have gained widespread commercial acceptance to date have all suffered from certain drawbacks which have led either to a low quality of snow, e.g., the deposited snow is too wet and/or resulted from a high energy input to low quantity of snow particle generation, thus being of a relatively low efficiency.
Illustrative of such apparatus is that disclosed by Pierce in U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,471. This machine mixes compressed air with water within a spray nozzle to effect particle formation of the water along with a cooling of the water which results from the adiabatic expansion of the compressed air. In commercial practice it has been found that the Pierce machine is highly susceptible to nozzle freezing. Additionally, excluding wind factors, this apparatus depends on the force of the compressed air and water themselves to move the freezing water particles beyond the immediate area of the nozzle. The heat of fusion of the freezing water particles requires considerable energy and results in excessive localized heating of the immediate ambient air when inadequate compressed air is present. Therefore, the volume of compressed air, and accordingly compressor capacity, required per unit volume of deposited snow is relatively quite high. While the examples in U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,471 show less than 1 gallon per minute, it is my understanding that this apparatus as modified since the patent issued and in operation under optimum atmospheric conditions, at a maximum, typically can crystallize about 20 gallons of water per minute, per nozzle, per 200 cubic feet per minute of compressed air. While Pierce, in column 7, alludes to oscillation of nozzles, he does not show oscillation in a manner such that the newly deposited snow is not touched by additional snow produced immediately thereafter. In fact, Pierce nowhere teaches that the battery of nozzles employed in his apparatus actually could oscillate, only that they may be oscillated during operation. Further, even if these were to be made to oscillate together, or independently, there is no way that snow particles resulting from such operation could be deposited on an area different from that struck by the immediately preceding particles. To oscillate the nozzles of the Pierce apparatus at best would provide a fan pattern or overlapping fan shape patterns where the particles generated by the nozzles would always be overlapping with the zone of the immediately preceding particles and contacting the portion of snow which was laid down immediately before. There would be no covering of a location different from that covered by the immediately preceding generated particles.
More recently, as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,164, a different type snow making apparatus has become commercially available. This machine includes a high powered fan for providing a substantially unidirectional high volume of air at substantially atmospheric pressure and in combination therewith an independent water spray providing means downstream from the fan. This water spray means is designed and positioned to provide a water spray which is injected into the high volume air movement from the fan at a rate and in a quantity sufficient to achieve crystallization of a substantial amount of the spray droplets and deposition of these as snow. This machine has the advantage that it operates without requiring the use of compressed air although compressed air can and often is used for nucleation. Other nucleation methods may also be used.
Eustis in U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,991 utilizes the principles of my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,164; i.e., a large fan is employed to move particles away from a spray nozzle, but also provides additionally a system wherein compressed air and water are mixed within a first seeding nozzle as taught earlier by Pierce and water is added to the fan moved air by a second exterior nozzle. The seeding nozzles are disposed within the protective cowling of the fan; this can lead to frozen nozzles and increased mechanical difficulties in cleaning and repair. In commercial operations this apparatus has been shown to convert as much as two hundred to 250 gallons of water per minute into snow under optimum conditions.
Ericson, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,527 have taught another modification of my eariler U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,164 whereby with an 18 or 20 inch fan blade from about 3 to about 140 gallons of water per minute can be converted into snow depending on the rate of rotation of the fan propeller, ambient temperature and relative humidity, and the temperature of the feed water.
Rice, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,815, described a blower projecting air and spraying water particles into the air stream. Hanson U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,164 was not cited in this patent. No significant commercial use of the Rice system is known to me.
A still more recent apparatus for making and depositing snow which has been observed in use comprises in combination a means for providing a substantially unidirectional large volume movement of air at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature below about 32.degree. F., a first nozzle means providing a high velocity water spray directed into the unidirectional air movement at a first angle with respect to the direction of air movement and a second nozzle, distinct from the first nozzle, providing a high velocity air stream or air-water stream directed into the unidirectional air movement at a second angle with respect to the direction of movement of the air. The first and second nozzles are oriented with respect to one another such that during operation the air stream intersects the water spray at a point remote from the first and second nozzles. Operation of this apparatus provides a high dispersion of the water particles throughout the unidirectional air movement with resultant crystallization into snow particles and their deposition.
As indicated hereinbefore, each of these apparatus generates snow, some at higher volumes and rates than others, but all deposit the resultant snow particles on a fixed area, or in the case of oscillation of the Pierce battery of nozzles, over a wider area, but in any event such that substantially all of the generated snow particles fall onto particles that were immediately previously generated. (It is recognized, of course, that because of vagaries of natural air currents and wind some of the resultant snow may blow or drift away from the intended deposition site.) Generally, however, the bulk of the snow is aimed at and strikes a given area and as a predetermined depth is built up over a period of from less than 1/2 hour to 24 hours or more the apparatus is then moved and repositioned to have the snow deposited on a different area. Not only is this operation cumbersome and requires manpower to shut down and bodily move the rig from position to position, but more importantly, the continuous deposition of this still wet snow particles onto previously deposited particles which have not yet completely frozen can lead to icing conditions which are not desired by ski area operators and skiers alike. Alternatively, if the quantity of water put through the machine is reduced, the quantity of snow produced is reduced with the attendant economic disadvantages.
Now, unexpectedly, I have discovered a new and useful improvement in snow making apparatus of the type which operate by introducing water particles, e.g. a water spray, into a large volume unidirectional mechanical movement of air ordinarily generated by a fan or propellor at substantially atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of below 32.degree. F. whereby volumes of water much larger than useable heretofore are converted into high quality snow particles and these effectively directed over a greater area than realized heretofore. Further, the resultant snow product is deposited onto previously deposited snow which has aged or has completely frozen into relatively dry crystalline snow particles, thus producing a particulated snow base of excellent quality.
The present invention will be fully understood from the detailed description presented hereinafter in the specification when read in conjunction with the Figures of the drawing. | {
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(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, more specifically to a thin film transistor liquid crystal display whose black matrix is formed on a thin film transistor substrate.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Most liquid crystal displays include a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate and a color filter substrate. Black matrix is generally formed on the color filter substrate and is used to shield the light leakage in the portions between pixels. However, misalignment between the TFT substrate and the color filter substrate may make it hard to shield the light leakage perfectly. For that reason, a method of forming the black matrix on TFTs, which is called black matrix on TFT (BM on TFT), was recently suggested.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional BM on TFT type TFT substrate.
As shown in FIG. 1, a gate electrode 2 and a storage capacitor electrode 3 are formed on a transparent substrate 1. A gate insulating layer 4 is formed on the gate electrode 2 and the storage capacitor electrode 3. An amorphous silicon layer 5, an etch stopper layer 6 and an n+ amorphous silicon layer 7 are deposited sequentially on the gate insulating layer 4 over the gate electrode 2. A source electrode 8 and a drain electrode 9 are formed on the n+ amorphous silicon layer 7, and the source electrode 8 is connected to a data line (not shown). The gate electrode 2, the gate insulating layer 4, the amorphous silicon layer 5, the n+ amorphous silicon layer 7, the source electrode 8 and the drain electrode 9 form a TFT. A passivation layer 10 is formed on the TFT and the gate insulating layer 4, and a black matrix 11 is formed on the passivation layer 10 over the TFT. A pixel electrode 12 made of ITO (indium tin oxide) is formed on the passivation layer 10 in a pixel region, and connected to the drain electrode 9 through a contact hole in the passivation layer 10.
Because the pixel electrode 12 is close to the data line, coupling capacitance is generated between the pixel electrode 12 and the data line when the liquid crystal display is in operation, and the coupling capacitance distorts the display signal.
Since the black matrix 11 is formed on the TFT, the height difference between the portions near the TFT and the pixel electrode 12 can become larger to make defects of the alignment layer, thereby causing leakage. Although the light leakage may be reduced by increasing the width of the black matrix, in this case, the aperture ratio may decrease.
On the other hand, liquid crystal displays comprise two spaced parallel substrates and a liquid crystal layer therebetween. Spacers are inserted between the substrates to keep the cell gap, which is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer injected between two substrates, to be constant. It is common to use spherical spacers having uniform size, and the spacers are uniformly distributed on the pixel electrode 12. Because of the height difference in the color filter substrate and in the TFT substrate, it may be difficult to make a uniform cell gap. Therefore, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer becomes non-uniform, and display characteristics become worse. Moreover, the spacers on the pixel electrode 12 may cause a defect in the alignment layer and may cause the light from the backlight unit to be scattered, thereby causing the low transmittance of the liquid crystal cell and the light leakage. | {
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According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,934, signal propagation times TA1, TA2, TA3 . . . of respective pin selection paths of a pin selection device that selectively connects output pins of a semiconductor device testing apparatus to a timing measurement device are measured in advance, and the measured values are memorized. At the time of timing calibration, calibration pulses are transmitted to a timing calibrators via respective test pattern signal transmission paths and respective pin selection paths to measure delay time values T1, T2, T3, - - - of respective channels, The known values TA1, TA2, TA3 , - - - are subtracted from the measured values T1, T2, T3, - - - , respectively. A timing calibration is performed by adjusting delay time values of the timing calibrators of the respective test pattern signal transmission paths such that each of the respective differences between the TA1, TA2, TA3, - - - and the measured values T1, T2, T3, - - - become a constant value TC.
Testing the clock timing of read and/or write addressing functions of a memory module is useful to determine if the timing settings need to be retimed to assure the device being tested is in an operational mode with no failure in clock timing. Previous solutions for retiming have included: switchable timing paths of different time domains, which are either hardwire or printed circuits external to the memory module, or redundant input/output pins on a clock or on a memory for switchable selection of such pins to select different timing paths in the clock or in the memory. Alternatively, retiming has been provided by digital phase lock loop (DPLL) feedback controls to retime the address functions and eliminate time domain drift. Such retiming solutions are inefficient for consuming high operating power and semiconductor real estate, and at times has required manufacturing retooling of the semiconductor devices.
Retiming of the read and/or write addressing functions is desirable to obtain optimum timing performance for each clock path. Further, a tuning operation is desirable to shift the retimed performance to the center of a range of permissible performances. Without such tuning, even a slight shift in timing performance (which may be caused by semiconductor processing, ambient atmospheric and applied voltage disturbances) would shift the performance outside of a permissible range, and thereby cause a timing performance failure. | {
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In a large number of electronic control units installed in a vehicle, a network to be connected is determined based on characteristics of an apparatus, required communication speed, and the like. A gateway device is used for communication between different networks.
PTL 1 discloses a communication gateway device that can reduce a delay of transmission and reception of packet data regardless of a difference in speed or the like of the packet data of each network. | {
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1. Field of Invention:
This invention relates generally to household and other hand-held implements which to be used effectively must be securely grasped by the user, and more particularly to a universal handle applicable to such implements to ergonomically render them usable by individuals who, because of physical or other disabilities, have difficulty in firmly grasping a conventional implement handle.
2. Status of Prior Art:
Human factors engineering or ergonomics is an applied science that deals with the interaction between machines or tools and their users, taking into the account the capabilities or limitations of these individuals. It seeks to insure that the nature of the tool or machine is such that it is effectively matched to the physical and cognitive abilities of the user to manipulate it.
Human factors engineering comes into play in the design of cockpits, control handles, seats and other objects which must be accommodated by the size, strength and shape of the user. Thus in designing the handle for a tea kettle, the designer must bear in mind that when the kettle is put to use, it will contain boiling water, and it is important, therefore, that the configuration of the handle and the material of which it is made be such as not only to afford a firm grip, but that it also thermally insulate the hand of the user from the kettle.
While typical household implements such as ladles, potato peelers, bottle openers and cheese knives have handles of metal, plastic or wood, little attention has heretofore been paid to human factors engineering; for whether in flat or round form, or in any other configuration, these handles are normally not difficult to grasp when the user is reasonably strong and his hands are free of impairment. Hence in the past, far greater attention has been paid to the ornamental or aesthetic features of handle design than to its ergonomic aspects.
But in the modern world in which senior citizens represent a substantial portion of the adult population, one is faced with many users of household or other hand-held implements who are advanced in years or physically weak, or who suffer from an arthritic or other condition that makes the simple act of clenching the fingers to form a tight fist difficult and painful. And should the user who has difficulty in forming a fist grasp an implement handle but fail to grip it securely, then the implement can slip from his hand, and in some cases this may have serious consequences. | {
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Wireless network providers conventionally use relatively complex, expensive, private, and inflexible methods for collecting information about the quality of their wireless networks. More particularly, network providers use large vehicles outfitted with custom equipment, such as specialized network monitoring analyzers, which are used to access and monitor a wireless network.
The data collected by network providers generally does not reflect a true user experience because this data is collected using different equipment than what a typical user has available. Frequently, the data collected is theoretical data. In other cases, instead of true user data, the collected data is at best a representation of the results of particular tests executed by the test operator. In addition, the test equipment used is specialized for performing the tests specified by the network provider, and the collected data is often very complex and does not provide information about how users interact with the network. The resulting complex test information is often not available to the end user or to the general public and often does not reflect conditions encountered by the general public. | {
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The present invention relates to an optical pickup device used for reproduction and recording from/into an optical disk such as CD (compact disk), DVD (digital versatile disk), etc., and a connection structure of flexible printed circuits used in optical pickup devices.
Conventionally, a thin optical pickup device (having a thickness of at most 7 mm) used for reproduction and recording from/into an optical disk such as CD, DVD, etc., or an optical disk drive device with a thin optical pickup device incorporated therein is structured as shown in FIG. 8. Parts, such as laser diode, various lenses, mirror, photodetector (not shown), etc., which constitute an optical system, are arranged on an optical pickup case 3 formed by means of die casting or molding, of which main components comprise metal such as Zn, Mg, Al, etc. and a PPS (poly phenylene sulfide) resin, and a Flexible printed circuit 2 is used as means that supplies an electric signal. Accompanying with thinning of optical disk drive device, connectors cannot be used due to height limitations. Therefore, the Flexible printed circuit 2 is structured into an integral form to extend to a portion 8 thereof, which is inserted into a connector of a drive side.
FIG. 10 shows a state, in which an optical pickup device is assembled into an optical disk drive device. An optical pickup device body 1 has an objective lens 5 facing upwardly and the lens 5 is opposed to an optical disk (not shown) through a notched portion of a drive cover 9. The optical pickup device performs information reading and writing while moving between an outer periphery and an inner periphery of the optical disk. All these parts are assembled into an optical disk drive device body 10 to provide a product.
In this manner, while a Flexible printed circuit used in a thin optical pickup is structured in an integral form, portions arranged on an inner side and an outer side of the flexible printed circuit are different from each other in performance required originally, and high density is emphasized on the inner side and flexibility is emphasized on the outer side. Hereupon, means of solution in the Flexible printed circuit 2 made into an integral form has been proposed to select a Flexible printed circuit, which has optimum performances for high density and flexibility, as a method that meets both performances required of a portion of the Flexible printed circuit to be fixed to an optical pickup device and a portion of the Flexible printed circuit to be inserted into the connector of the drive.
On the other hand, various parts cannot but be arranged at a high density in horizontal and vertical directions in a narrow optical pickup device, and therefore, a Flexible printed circuit serving as signal transmission is required to assume a complex configuration. This requires a divided structure for a Flexible printed circuit in terms of cost since necessary configurations obtained from a single original sheet cannot be increased in number and even a portion, for which a simple structure will do, is influenced by a portion, which takes longest time, because of different necessary processes according to portions.
Meantime, the optical pickup device shown in FIG. 8, or an optical disk drive device, into which a thin optical pickup device is assembled, is assembled through a plurality of complex processes. Therefore, there often arises a case in which the optical pickup device or the optical disk drive device is deemed as defective products due to dents, defects, etc. generated in the Flexible printed circuit during assembling process after a process, in which adjustment is accomplished on a laser diode, a photodetector, and various optical parts of the optical disk drive, is performed. In this respect, by adopting division of a Flexible printed circuit into a plural printed circuits and connection of Flexible printed circuits, an increase in yield of products and reduction in cost can be realized (see, for example, JP-A-2005-276263 and JP-A-2006-245514).
Because of a height limitation on an optical pickup, a connector proposed in JP-A-2006-310449 cannot be used for connection of two Flexible printed circuits, and so the printed circuits are connected to each other by means of soldering. In case of adopting division of a Flexible printed circuit and connection of Flexible printed circuits shown in FIG. 9A, when a conductor pattern of a first Flexible printed circuit and a conductor pattern of a second Flexible printed circuit are caused to face and overlap each other, the second Flexible printed circuit is made to define a back surface and a connector side contact 8 is reversed. Hereupon, as shown in FIG. 9B, the connector side contact 8 is directed upward by connecting the other end of the first Flexible printed circuit and the other end of the second Flexible printed circuit so as to have them facing and overlapping each other, and bending the connected ends of the Flexible printed circuits at 90° in a height direction (vertical direction) of the optical pickup device, or fixing the connected end of the first Flexible printed circuit and bending the connected end of the second Flexible printed circuit at 180°.
With the connected structure shown in FIG. 9B, however, stress is liable to be applied on the connection portions of the first and second Flexible printed circuits in a peel direction and a tendency of much decrease in joint strength is shown such that a connection portion 2-d in the connected structure shown in FIG. 9B has an average peel strength of at most 1.5 kgf as compared with an average shear strength of 3 kgf in a connection portion 2-c in the case where the Flexible printed circuits are caused to face and overlap each other as shown in FIG. 9A.
Further, many wires are arranged in a narrow location on a portion of the Flexible printed circuit, in which the Flexible printed circuit extends out of a cover element 4 from the optical pickup device and at which the Flexible printed circuit is dividable and the divided printed circuits are connectable with each other, and a grounding wire having a wide wiring width and signal wires having a narrow wiring width are mixed in the portion, but wires having a narrow wiring width tend to be one-sided. Therefore, wires having a narrow wiring width and a wiring pattern width of at most 100 μm are used as outermost wires in many cases, and in case where the division of the Flexible printed circuit and connection of Flexible printed circuits is employed, a structure of the connected portion becomes such that peeling is liable to occur from an end of the wires having a narrow wiring width, that is, the outermost wires.
Electro solder plating tends to disperse much in thickness depending upon a wiring width. In the case where wires having a narrow wiring width and wires having a large wiring width exist as is in a Flexible printed circuit to be used in an optical pickup device, the dispersion of the plating is much and wires having a narrow width tends to be small in thickness of the electro solder plating as compared with wires having a large width.
On the other hand, when soldering is used to connect Flexible printed circuits, in order to remove a Flexible printed circuit which is in bad order from connection portions of Flexible printed circuits and connect a fresh Flexible printed circuit to the connection portions, there is adopted a method of reheating and melting the solder connection portions to remove the Flexible printed circuit in bad order. In such method, molten solder is moved to the Flexible printed circuit in bad order. Accordingly, it is hard to ensure the quantity of solder required for connection to the Flexible printed circuit in good order and fixed to an optical pickup body and repair connection is difficult.
From the above, a structure readily enabling reinforcement of connection portions and repair connection is needed when a Flexible printed circuit is divided and the divided Flexible printed circuits are connected. | {
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Butanol is an important industrial chemical, useful as a fuel additive, as a feedstock chemical in the plastics industry, and as a foodgrade extractant in the food and flavor industry. Each year 10 to 12 billion pounds of butanol are produced by petrochemical means and the need for this commodity chemical will likely increase.
Methods for the chemical synthesis of isobutanol are known, such as oxo synthesis, catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide (Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 6th edition, 2003, Wiley-VCHVerlag GmbH and Co., Weinheim, Germany, Vol. 5, pp. 716-719) and Guerbet condensation of methanol with n-propanol (Carlini et al., J. Mol. Catal. A: Chem. 220:215-220 (2004)). These processes use starting materials derived from petrochemicals and are generally expensive and are not environmentally friendly. The production of isobutanol from plant-derived raw materials would minimize green house gas emissions and would represent an advance in the art.
Isobutanol is produced biologically as a by-product of yeast fermentation. It is a component of “fusel oil” that forms as a result of incomplete metabolism of amino acids by this group of fungi. Isobutanol is specifically produced from catabolism of L-valine. After the amine group of L-valine is harvested as a nitrogen source, the resulting α-keto acid is decarboxylated and reduced to isobutanol by enzymes of the so-called Ehrlich pathway (Dickinson et al., J. Biol. Chem. 273(40):25752-25756 (1998)). Yields of fusel oil and/or its components achieved during beverage fermentation are typically low. For example, the concentration of isobutanol produced in beer fermentation is reported to be less than 16 parts per million (Garcia et al., Process Biochemistry 29:303-309 (1994)). Addition of exogenous L-valine to the fermentation increases the yield of isobutanol, as described by Dickinson et al., supra, wherein it is reported that a yield of isobutanol of 3 g/L is obtained by providing L-valine at a concentration of 20 g/L in the fermentation. However, the use of valine as a feed-stock would be cost prohibitive for industrial scale isobutanol production. The biosynthesis of isobutanol directly from sugars would be economically viable and would represent an advance in the art. There have been no reports of a recombinant microorganism designed to produce isobutanol.
There is a need, therefore, for an environmentally responsible, cost-effective process for the production of isobutanol as a single product. The present invention addresses this need by providing a recombinant microbial production host that expresses an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway. | {
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During prolonged bicycle riding, for example during long distance rides or trail cycling, bicyclists commonly experience discomfort or sensory and motor impairment. Symptoms of the discomfort or impairment may include a genital numbness and/or paresthesia in the cyclist's forearms, hands, fingers, and feet. These symptoms may persist anywhere from several days to months, and may potentially result in erectile dysfunction and long-term nerve damage. One reason for these symptoms is the fact that a cyclist engages the bicycle seat, handlebar, and the pedals during bicycle riding, and exerts significant pressure or force on these portions of the bicycle. In turn, the force that the cyclist exerts on the portions of the bicycle is matched by a corresponding force exerted by these portions on the cyclist. When the corresponding force is concentrated on particular regions of the cyclist, discomfort or impairment may occur, which may adversely affect the performance of the cyclist. Thus, there has developed a need to mitigate discomfort or sensory and motor impairment during prolonged bicycle riding to improve the performance of the cyclist. | {
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The invention relates to an improved method for injecting treatment chemicals into flowing streams and a novel pumping apparatus comprising two or more positive displacement pumps which provides a constant flow of the treatment chemical. Specifically, the injection method comprises the continuous and constant injection of a desired treatment chemical into a flowing stream to insure a uniform concentration of the treatment chemical in the stream. Further, the injection method is accomplished with a pumping apparatus comprising a novel cam in combination with two or more positive displacement pumps. The cam drives the positive displacement pumps so that at any given time the combined rate of liquid discharged by the positive displacement pumps is a constant value.
Conventional methods of injecting treatment chemicals into flowing streams use known positive displacement pumps which provide intermittent and nonconstant flow of the treatment chemicals. The concentration of the treatment chemicals is nonuniform due to the lack of axial dispersion of the treatment chemical in the flowing stream. The nonuniform concentration of the treatment chemical in the stream reduces the desired effect of the treatment chemical.
The hydrocarbon processing industry, chemical industry, oil production industry, water treatment industry, and other similar industries frequently use relatively small amounts of treatment chemicals to control undesirable occurrences in flowing streams in plants. The undesirable occurrences may take many forms such as corrosion, saltation, fouling wax formation, scale formation, and polymerization in pipes or equipment. Corrosion, for example, deteriorates the metal in pipes and process equipment and may cause failure of the pipes or equipment. Likewise, Fouling and wax formation leads to plugging of the pipes or equipment when particular materials are deposited in the pipes and equipment due to undesirable chemical processes.
These problems vary in severity from minor annoyances in the operation of a plant to problems that halt operations of an entire plant. For example, a change from a nonacidic crude oil feedstock in an oil refinery to an acidic crude oil feedstock may cause pipes exposed to the acidic component of the crude oil to experience sudden and severe corrosion. The pipes may develop a hole within hours or days, and cause a processing unit or the whole refinery to shut down. Thus, the effective use of appropriate treatment chemicals to eliminate these problems is of paramount importance to the operation of a hydrocarbon processing plant or other plant.
Various treatment chemicals are available to remedy each of these problems in any particular application. Many chemical companies manufacture and sell treatment chemicals to alleviate specific problems for particular types of flowing streams. For example, Nalco Chemical Number 5192 made by Nalco Chemical Company may be used to prevent corrosion in overhead process streams.
Treatment chemicals are injected intermittently into flowing streams because the pumps used for this purpose provide an intermittent, nonconstant flow of the treatment chemical. Generally, pumps are used for many diverse purposes and many different types of pumps are available for different applications. For example, the chemical and petroleum refining industries use pumps in many applications. Pumps are also used in many everyday settings such as in household appliances and in automobiles. Usually, positive displacement pumps are used to inject treatment chemicals into flowing streams.
Pumps generally fall into two categories: (1) Centrifugal pumps; and (2) positive displacement pumps. Centrifugal pumps operate by applying centrifugal force to a liquid to cause it to flow. In a centrifugal pump liquid is introduced at the center of a rotating member with radial vanes. As the member rotates the liquid is forced to the edge of the member by centrifugal force and discharged.
Centrifugal pumps are the most commonly used type of pump. They are mechanically simple and provide a constant flow of liquid when pumping against a constant pressure. But they are not appropriate in some applications. Specifically, centrifugal pumps are not usually effective when flow rates of 1 gal/min or less are required. Further, centrifugal pumps are not effective for providing a precisely measured amount of liquid because their flow rate is dependent on the pressure they are pumping against. Also, they are not generally useful in applications which require high pressure. Centrifugal pumps have the added disadvantage that they increase the temperature of the fluid being pumped because some of the energy being applied to the fluid does not cause the fluid to move but instead increases the thermal energy of the fluid.
Positive displacement pumps generally operate by using a displaceable member to pull liquid into a chamber and then displace liquid from the chamber. ROBERT H. PERRY AND CECIL H. CHILTON, CHEMICAL ENGINEER'S HANDBOOK, page 6-3 (5th ed. 1973). The chamber of a positive displacement pump is the cavity formed between the displaceable member and the housing of the pump. The volume of the chamber varies as the displaceable member is moved. Many different devices are used to form the chambers and displaceable members of positive displacement pumps.
Positive displacement pumps, in contrast to centrifugal pumps, are ideal for providing a precisely measured flow of liquid. The flow rate delivered by a positive displacement pump depends only on the amount of liquid displaced during a stroke of the displaceable member and the number of strokes of the displaceable member during a given period of time. Further, the pressure that the positive displacement pump is working against has no effect on the flow rate delivered by the pump as it does in centrifugal pumps. Positive displacement pumps are also effective at providing low flow rates because very small displaceable members can be used which provide for a small amount of flow during each stroke of the displaceable member.
Many different types of positive displacement pumps are available. Piston pumps are one type of positive displacement pump. They incorporate a piston as their displaceable member. For example, a Milton-Roy pump incorporates one or more reciprocating pistons in cylinders. See, CHEMICALS ENGINEER'S HANDBOOK, supra at FIG. 6-23. The piston and cylinder form the chamber in which liquid to be pumped is alternately collected and then displaced. The piston pulls liquid into the chamber when the piston is moving in the direction during its stroke which increases the volume of the chamber, and discharges liquid when the piston is moving in the direction during its stroke which decreases the volume of the chamber.
Another type of a positive displacement pump is a diaphragm pump which incorporates a flexible diaphragm as its displaceable member. See, CHEMICAL ENGINEER'S HANDBOOK, supra at FIGS. 6-24 and 6-25. The diaphragm is attached to a housing so that a chamber is formed between the diaphragm and housing. When the diaphragm is flexed away from the chamber liquid is pulled into the chamber, and when the diaphragm is flexed towards the chamber liquid is discharged from the chamber.
In either type of positive displacement pump the cycle of the pump includes two parts: A discharge stroke when liquid is discharged from the chamber and a suction stroke when liquid is pulled into the chamber.
The duration of the discharge stroke and the duration of the suction stroke are the same, and the combined duration for both strokes is the cycle time for the pump. The cycle time for positive displacement pumps ranges from about 0.6 to 1 second. Thus, for a positive displacement pump operating at full capacity, liquid is only being discharged only during 50 percent of the cycle time.
As a result of this type of pump cycle the flow rate of liquid delivered by a positive displacement pump is not constant and stops during the suction stroke. Further, the flow rate delivered by a positive displacement pump during a discharge stroke varies due to the means used to drive the displaceable member of the pump. The flow rate for each displaceable member during the discharge stroke tends to be represented by a sinusoidal wave. See, 1 E. LUDWIG, APPLIED PROCESS DESIGN FOR CHEMICAL AND PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS, pages 121-22 (1964). Thus, the flow rate of liquid delivered by positive displacement pumps tends to be intermittent and pulsating. Attempts have been made to overcome this disadvantage by using multiple displaceable members with non-phased cycles so the suction stroke of one member will occur during the discharge of another piston. Id. The effect of adding the sinusoidal discharge rates for multiple out-of-phase displaceable members tends to produce a more constant flow of liquid but does not provide a truly constant flow. Further, these pumps tend to have more mechanical difficulties as the number of displaceable members is increased.
Typically, the amount of liquid discharged by positive displacement pumps may be varied from 10 percent of the pump's discharge capacity to the pump's full discharge capacity. In some positive displacement pumps this is accomplished by adjusting the pump so that it only discharges liquid during a portion of the pump discharge stroke. In other positive displacement pumps the liquid discharged is varied by changing the length of stroke. The result is a decrease in the total amount of liquid discharged by the pump.
The total amount of time that the positive displacement pump does not discharge liquid is the combined amount of time of the suction stroke and the amount of time during the discharge stroke when no liquid is being discharged. Consequently, if the pump is operating at less than full capacity for some positive displacement pumps, treatment chemicals will be injected into the flowing line less than 50 percent of the time.
When no treatment chemical is being discharged by a positive displacement pump the liquid of the flowing stream is continuing to flow past the injection point. This section of liquid is not being treated. With the pump at full capacity the section of liquid with no injected treatment chemical corresponds to the amount of liquid that flows past the injection point during the suction stroke. If the pump is operating at less than full capacity, this section of liquid corresponds to the amount of liquid that flows past the injection point during both the suction stroke and the portion of the discharge stroke when no liquid is discharged. At a minimum, 50 percent of the liquid in the flowing stream will not be injected with treatment chemical. And if the pump is operating at less than full capacity this percentage will be greater than 50 percent.
When treatment chemical is injected intermittently into a flowing stream the chemical will mix rapidly in a radial direction from the point of injection. Consequently, the concentration of the treatment chemical is relatively uniform across the cross-section of the flowing stream within a short distance from the point at which the treatment chemical is injected. This is due to the rapid radial mixing that occurs in the turbulent flow regime of most flowing streams.
Axial mixing, however, does not appear to occur rapidly in a flowing stream. It is generally a function of the nature of the flowing liquid, the nature of the injected liquid, and the flow regime of the flowing liquid. The nature of the flowing liquid and the treatment chemical are important to the extent that the liquids will tend to mix. For example, if the liquids have some chemical attraction to each other they will tend to mix. In the case of a polar treatment chemical being injected into a flowing polar liquid, the polar affinity between the treatment chemical and the flowing liquid will cause axial dispersion more quickly than would occur for a nonpolar treatment chemical injected into a flowing polar liquid.
The flow regime of a flowing fluid is dependent on the velocity of the flowing fluid, the geometry of the flow, and the density and viscosity of the flowing fluid at flow conditions. This relationship is calculated as the Reynold's Number of the flowing fluid. The Reynold's Number is a dimensionless quantity that represents the ratio between the inertial forces in a flowing fluid and the viscous forces in a flowing fluid. It is frequently used to correlate various parameters relating to the behavior of flowing fluids.
The Reynold's Number (Re) for a fluid flowing in a pipe is calculated by the following mathematical formula: EQU Re=DVp/.mu.
where D is the pipe diameter in feet; V is the liquid velocity through the pipe in feet per second; p is the liquid density in pounds per cubic foot; and .mu. is the liquid viscosity in pounds per foot per second. See, CHEMICAL ENGINEER'S HANDBOOK, supra at page 5-4, FIG. 5-26. For a given flow geometry (e.g. flow in a pipe) empirical data related to the Reynold's number indicates whether the flow regime of a flowing liquid is laminar or turbulent.
Laminar flow occurs at low flow velocities, and is characterized by minimal radial mixing on a microscopic scale on the flowing liquid. Further, laminar flow is characterized by different flow velocities for microscopic elements of the flowing liquid depending on the distance between the element of the flowing liquid and the wall of the pipe in which the liquid is flowing. This phenomena occurs because of the frictional forces exerted on the liquid by the pipe wall. Turbulent flow occurs at high flow velocities, and is characterized by extensive radial mixing and random variations in the flow velocities of microscopic elements of the liquid.
For a liquid flowing in a pipe the flow regime is generally laminar at Reynold's Numbers less than 3000, and turbulent at Reynold's Numbers greater than 3000. Typically, flowing streams have Reynold's Numbers in excess of 3000, and the liquids are flowing in a turbulent flow regime.
Reported studies have noted the degree to which axial dispersion will occur in flowing liquids in pipes. T. Sherwood, R. Pigford, and C. Wilke, MASS TRANSFER, McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1975, 137-141. These studies generally indicate that axial dispersion of a liquid in another flowing liquid correlates with the Reynolds number of the flowing liquid. MASS TRANSFER, supra at FIG. 4.17. More particularly the effective axial dispersion coefficient, which is a measure of the tendency for a liquid to axially disperse in another flowing liquid, will increase as the Reynold's Number for the flowing liquid increases.
Overall the concentration profile of a liquid injected into a flowing liquid in a turbulent flow regime will follow a Gaussian curve. MASS TRANSFER, supra at 138 and FIG. 4.16. Very little dispersion will occur at a point near the point of injection, and dispersion will gradually increase as the liquid flows farther from the point of injection.
For example, for two batches of oil flowing through a 12-inch pipeline at a velocity of 4 feet per second, the second batch of oil will only be dispersed into the proximate 750 feet of the first batch of oil after traveling 24 miles through the pipeline. MASS TRANSFER, supra at p. 140-41.
Referring to EXAMPLE 1 a test flow loop was constructed to study axial dispersion in a liquid flowing through a tube. Using a diaphragm pump, which provided an intermittent injection of red dye, it was observed that minimal dispersion of the red dye occurred 50 feet from the point of injection of the red dye into a flowing water stream. Further, large sections of the flowing water stream had no observable concentration of the red dye at all.
If this effect is scaled up to the size of typical plant streams it is evident that significant portions of a plant stream will not contain any concentration of a treatment chemical. For example, consider an overhead line in a crude oil processing unit with a 10 inch diameter which carries a flowing liquid with a velocity of 100 feet per second. A positive displacement pump is used to inject a treatment chemical such as a corrosion inhibitor into the overhead zone. The positive displacement pump is operated at 25 percent of its capacity because these pumps are typically sized to provide extra capacity.
If the pump operates at 1 cycle per second and is adjusted to deliver 25% of its capacity the treatment chemical will only be injected for 1/8 of a second. The time period of no injection will be 7/8 of a second. The suction stroke and discharge stroke each last 1/2 second. Treatment chemical is injected during only 25 percent of the discharge stroke or 1/8 second.
During the injection period of 1/8 of a second the flowing stream will move 12.5 feet, and a section 12.5 feet long will contain the treatment chemical. During the period of no injection the flowing stream will move 87.5 feet and a section 87.5 feet long will contain no treatment chemical. Five seconds later the flowing stream will have traveled 500 feet. At which time, based on the flow loop test, the treated section will have slightly expanded from 12.5 feet and the untreated section will have slightly decreased from 87.5 feet.
The combined effect of intermittent injection of a treatment chemical into a flowing stream and the lack of axial dispersion of the treatment chemical in the flowing stream is that significant portions of the flowing stream will have no concentration of the treatment chemical. This problem increases as the velocity of the flowing stream increases relative to the time the pump does not inject treatment chemical because the amount of nontreated flowing stream correspondingly increases. Thus, the effectiveness of the treatment chemical is reduced. In fact, the treatment chemical may not provide any benefit at all under these conditions. Consequently, there is a need for a method that provides a continuous and constant injection of a treatment chemical into a flowing stream and an apparatus for providing a constant flow of the treatment chemical. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The copying and redistribution of commercial imagery, audio and video productions has long been a cause of lost revenues to the creators/producers of such material. The advance of technology has not only expanded the means of legitimate distribution for audio and visual/video works, but has also made it easier to copy these materials for unauthorized purposes. In addition, there is a need to monitor, verify and track broadcasts and other distributions of this content.
Various methods have been developed to eliminate or limit both sophisticated and unsophisticated illegitimate distribution as well as to monitor distribution. Some of these methods rely on physical means. Others employ an auxiliary embedded signal to control, monitor and track usage of the content.
In accordance with preferred embodiments, a multi-bit auxiliary message (sometimes termed a “digital watermark”) is robustly embedded directly into the audio signal. Hardware or software systems can then read this message and, for example, and control, monitor or track usage of the content.
Key practical issues are addressed whereby the perceptual impact of this added message can be adjusted—both overall and as a function of the underlying audio content. In addition, robustness to various forms of distortion are addressed in a manner superior to the prior art.
One aspect of the invention is a method of embedding data in an audio signal. The method provides a message comprising message bits, and associates carrier signals with the message bits. The method modulates the carrier signals according to values of the associated message bits. The modulating operation changes a property of the carrier signal to correspond with a desired value of the associated message bit. For example, in one embodiment, the modulating changes the polarity of the carrier signal. The method adjusts the modulated carrier signals as a function of a perceptibility threshold computed from the audio signal where the carrier signals are to be embedded. Finally, the method combines the adjusted carrier signals with the audio signal in a manner that yields an audio signal that is perceptually similar yet includes the embedded message data.
There are a variety of alternatives and enhancements to this method.
Additionally, there are a variety of methods for detecting the embedded data, and enhancements for improving detection, even where the audio signal has been subjected to distortion or is a compressed audio signal.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of detecting data embedded in an audio signal. This method applies a carrier signal to the audio signal to produce an output signal including peaks corresponding to embedding locations of the carrier signal. The process of applying the carrier may include, for example, re-combining the carrier through a correlation or other signal detection operation. The method analyzes the output signal to perform a registration of the embedding locations in the output signal. The method determines message values from the peaks at the embedding locations in the output signal. Further enhancements and variants of these methods are described below. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Network applications have evolved over time to take on a multi-tiered client and server arrangement (i.e., architecture). Typically, one or more server computers are connected through their network interfaces by one or more networks to one or more client computers. Networks may include data networks (e.g., Internet), voice networks (e.g., Public Switched Telephone Network—“PSTN”), wired or wireless networks, and any combination of these used to communicate data, voice, programs, general content, and/or other information. Networks may be local to a company or organization, such as a Local Area Network (“LAN”) and an intranet, or they may expand over large geographic areas, such as a Wide Area Network (“WAN”), that may even interconnect other networks. One widely used and developing network is the Internet, which includes the World Wide Web (“WWW”). The “WWW” uses Web browser software running on the client computers of the network to execute certain Web-based applications. These Web-based applications may include pages that are served from one or more of the Web servers on the WWW in HyperText Markup Language (“HTML”) format.
Many applications on the Internet, and other network environments, use a module or modules of software called “middleware”. Broadly, middleware can be any computer software function that is performed between a client and a host system such as a database server and a Web server. However, middleware typically runs on servers that operate between the clients and other servers in a network. For example, these other servers may include an Oracle Database, IBM DB2 and IBM CICS server. Middleware is often used to execute certain computer programs which are meant to off load processing from these other servers, to preprocess information for client computers, and/or to perform a set of functions or services that are commonly needed for certain kinds of applications. Some examples of functions or services that are typically performed by “middleware” would be transaction monitoring and coordination, server load-balancing, host fail-over and other application level services.
A typical Enterprise Information System (“EIS”) is comprised of client computers, middleware servers, and database servers. Web servers are included within the EIS when Web browser based clients must be served via the Internet/Intranet. EIS's are generally known and may include application programs that perform the functions required by any given business and/or organization. For example, an EIS may include, inter alia: online customer order entry systems; online retail/wholesale sales, marketing, and inventory systems; enterprise supply chain management systems; product and/or content distribution systems (e.g. television, home video); online financial systems (e.g., mortgage applications, investing, stock trading, loan application, and credit card accounts); service providing systems (including medical, legal, real estate, engineering, education, distance leaning, and technical support); online human resource and payroll services; online banking systems (e.g., deployed by a bank or other financial institutions and/or the retail banking systems used internally by bank personnel); airline reservation systems; and any other general way of transacting business over a network.
Often these functions/application programs are made of parts. For example, an application program can be made of components, modules, or functions (see discussion of FIG. 1F below), which in turn are made of objects. The component, module or function may also include either an expressed or implied order in which to execute the respective objects in the component, module, or function. This order can be shown or defined by an execution graph. Restated, the execution graph may be implied by the “calling structure” of the program.
Execution of one or more of these components, modules, functions and/or entire applications can be performed at various locations over a network. This well known type of program execution is called distributed programming. One primary advantage of distributed programming is to more efficiently utilize the distributed computing resources over the network to achieve improved performance. Performance can be gauged using certain criteria such as execution time, and controlled using certain middleware applications such as fault-tolerance and load balancing. Important computing resources such as CPUs, network bandwidth, software functions and data storage must be well managed in order to achieve customary and generally known system requirements usually referred to as reliability, availability and scalability (“RAS”).
Distributed computing can allow programs to run faster because the work of the program is divided among multiple computer systems. Also, specific tasks in the program can be executed on a computer that has the facilities to best execute these tasks. For example, a mathematically intensive task could be run on a computer that has a particularly fast processor for executing mathematical problems and application programs that support a large variety of mathematical functions.
However, distributed programming often fails if the communication among the processors involved gets too complicated. Programs have to be developed and installed to insure that data among the processors is coherent. Some systems cannot tolerate noise or spurious signals on the network. Delays in receiving data from one or more processors could slow the entire system. In order to be distributed, application programs must be written so that tasks can be broken apart and the results of these tasks accurately combined. This often greatly adds to project development costs, assuming that these objectives can be accomplished at all. Communication between the various computers on the network and the programs/protocols the computers are using must be compatible.
Often the network is thought of as being divided into tiers where each of these components, modules, or functions is executed. These tiers are commonly divided by functional (or logical) and/or physical computing levels or sub-tiers. The advantage of dividing the network application system into multiple tiers is to facilitate the development and deployment of the various computing resources. Some times tiers are thought of as physical locations where components, modules, or functions of programs are executed. For example, some components, modules or functions can be executed on the EIS tier or middleware tier, while other components, modules, or functions are executed on the client computers (the client tier). Alternatively, tiers of the network can be divided logically, such as on a small human resource system, where the client and server part of the components, modules, or functions are all on one computer, but logically the components, modules, or functions are still developed and deployed based on the client and the server tier being separate tiers.
Network tiers can also be combinations of physical and logical tiers. For example, take an online banking system that is comprised of a client computer, middleware servers, and various backend database systems. Suppose the client, middleware and database systems are physically separate computer systems (tiers). The middleware tier may be subdivided into logical tiers such as a Web server, an application server, and a transaction server tier.
In much of the existing middleware, objects used are highly interdependent and defined by the function(s) of the middleware. Some well-known middleware objects include: Sun Microsystem's Java Server Page™ (“JSP”) and Enterprise Java Bean™ (“EJB”). The JSP object executes programs, based on requests from one or more clients. The EJB object executes certain programs that are pre-packaged into an “Enterprise Java Bean” format. Other objects may include, for example, general data files, general programs, and general multimedia content files (e.g., text, video, sound, and voice content).
It is often necessary for various servers and clients to communicate even though they may have different runtime environments (i.e., are running different application programs such as middleware) and are running on different platforms (i.e., have different hardware and operating systems). Generally, servers and clients communicate using well-known protocols like HyperText Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) over TCP/IP. Other network communication protocols include Internet Interoperable Protocol (“IIOP”) that permits communication between different computer platforms over a network. One example of a technology that uses IIOP would be the Common Object Request Broker Architecture™ (“CORBA”). At a high-level CORBA specifies many standards involving application level communication among disparate applications and computing platforms.
The prior art discloses some “open” architectures that permit programmers to develop code that will have general use in a networking environment. Some of these architectures permit communication between programs executing on different systems, different platforms or environments, and even using different programming languages over the network (and network tiers.) An open architecture encourages development of applications that can be used generally with a flexibility to interact with any other architecture based program (component, module, function or object) without regard to what, where, or on what system the other application parts exist or execute.
One such open architecture system is called JINI™. JINI uses Java™ technology to wrap these otherwise incompatible programs, particularly driver programs for input/output devices so that these devices can be plugged into a JINI compatible network and operate and communicate with any other device on the network. For example, JINI can be used to permit any pervasive device on a wireless network to communicate with any other JINI compatible pervasive device that comes within the communication range of the wireless network.
FIGS. 1A-1E discussed below are each a block diagram illustrating a prior art middleware computer platform.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a general middleware computer system 160 with well-known computer hardware 100, a general network operating system 102 (e.g., Microsoft Windows NT™), a middleware platform 104 (e.g., Microsoft Commerce Server), a transactional operating system 106 (e.g., Microsoft Transaction Server—“MTS”), and a given application program 108 (e.g., an online ticketing sales application).
FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating a generally known Java middleware platform 170 that has computer hardware 100 and a network operating system 102. A middleware platform which supports Enterprise Java Beans (“EJB”) 114 runs on the network operating system 102 that allows Java application programs 118 to run on the system 170.
FIG. 1C is a block diagram illustrating a generally known CORBA middleware platform 180 that has computer hardware 100 and a network operating system 102. The CORBA middleware platform 124 permits general application programs 120 to operate on this platform. For example, these application programs 120 may include Java, C++, COBOL, and Smalltalk programs.
FIG. 1D is a block diagram illustrating a generally known Windows middleware system 190 that operates on Windows compatible hardware 100. A Windows DNS (COM/MTS) or MTS system is a middleware system 134 available from the Microsoft Corporation that permits general application program 120 to run on the platform 190.
FIG. 1E is a block diagram illustrating a generally known system 195 that uses hardware 100, a network operating system 102, and a middleware program 144 called TUXEDO™ (made by BEA Systems, Inc). This platform 195 runs application programs 146 written in the C programming language.
FIG. 1F is a diagram showing a prior art hierarchical relationship among system and application parts. The largest part is a system 105F that contain one or more complete applications 108. The system 105F also can contain one or more subsystems 106F that each in turn may include one or more applications 108. The application 108 is a group of one or more computer programs. Subapplications 110F are parts of applications 108. Some applications 108 and/or subapplications 110F may include one or more components 120F.
A component 120F may exist at a some significant layer within an application 108. A component 120F may be part of a distributed system that interacts with its environment by exchanging message/information with other components 120F and/or applications (108, 110F). Components 120F may include runnable (i.e., executable) and non-runnable parts. The runnable/executable parts of components 120F are generally called modules 130. Modules 130 in turn comprise one or more functions 140F also known as routines 140F or methods 140F.
Middleware, and for that matter, other prior art programs that function in a network environment, often need to communicate information between logical and/or physical functions in the network. For example, data or programs (e.g. objects) might need to be passed to a program or component, module, or function executing on the same machine as the application program. On the other hand, this information might have to be passed across the network to components, modules, functions, subapplications, or applications that are running on completely different computers. The prior art has various ways of addressing this problem. Some prior art passes information “by value” between components, modules, functions or applications. Thus, information needed is passed, e.g. in a “call statement” or header file to the component, module, function or application requiring the information. Other information, such as the results from a calculation, can be passed back in a same manner. Other prior art uses replication to pass information. In replication, programs and data are copied from one machine (computer) to a second machine where they are executed in an “island” mode.
Some prior art (e.g. Castanet™) is able to package and deploy business applications to computers over the network. Other prior art includes content distribution systems (e.g., those marketed by Akamai, Inc.) that physically locate caching servers throughout the world to cache content from Web sites and provide more local delivery to end user (clients). Similar systems include Digital Island, Ltd's global distribution network, called Footprint, that pushes certain application content through the network to servers located closer to the end-user. Inktomi Traffic Server™ is a network cache platform from Inktomi Inc. that delivers certain application content to servers across the network.
Several terms and concepts are defined in the prior art of software analysis, design, and programming languages. Software systems can be composed of one or more applications. These applications can be assembled from one or more components, modules, functions or objects.
In software written using object-oriented techniques, many modules further have a one-to-one correspondence with a class in the particular object-oriented language. A class or set of classes may also be considered a component if the class or set of classes meets the requirements of a specified component system. Examples of component systems are: COM, CORBA, EJB, ActiveX, XPCOM, and Java Beans.
Classes may be composed of one or more functions or procedures optionally coupled along with one or more variables. The functions or procedures are generally referred to as methods, while the variables are generally referred to as data members.
At runtime, classes are instantiated into objects, which are distinct entities, separate from the definition of the object, that is, the class. The data members represent the data or state of the object. The methods characterize the behavior of the object.
Build systems transform collections of non-runnable computer files into runnable computer modules and assembles them into components and applications. Build systems cannot identify or export required digital assets (hereinafter also termed assets) on an existing Enterprise Information System (“EIS”). Build systems also cannot identify runtime execution and data dependencies in previously installed EIS applications. Build systems generally contain incremental linkers which establish runtime relationships among modules of object code and are an improvement over regular linkers because they re-link only changed modules on command.
Archive utilities (e.g., archive utilities generating Zip, Gzip, and Tar archive files) are used for distributing and storing files. These files may contain one or more program and data files. Usually the archive files are compressed to save space. Archive files make it easy to group files and make transporting and copying these files faster. Typically, archive utilities examine the file types of the files to be zipped and invoke a file type specific compression subroutine to compress the file and add it to the archive.
Other types of software examine computer files and invoke rules based on file type to achieve specific results. Specifically, virus scan software will examine executable programs and based on one or more rules, determine whether there is a virus in the executable routine of the program. Virus scan software (e.g., McAfee virus software) can not be used and is not meant to be used to discover particular software, package the software, and then distribute the software over a network.
Software which may be classified as “enhanced” build systems (e.g., Starbase) control versioning of code and static elements of software products during development, as well as deployment of the completed products of development using various transport mechanisms to destination user computing platforms. Such enhanced build systems are designed to control and deploy only work in progress, ancillary products, and the completed products of development, and the inventory of code, static, and ancillary elements managed by such systems is rigorously constrained and must be rigorously constrained to those purposes. Such enhanced build systems cannot be used and are not meant to be used to discover particular software, package the software, and then distribute the software over the Internet.
The prior art also discloses specifications for deployment of Web components (particularly J2EE Web components), Enterprise Java Bean (“EJB”) components, and J2EE application data. The J2EE specification provides methods of transactional deployment of J2EE Web and EJB components to application server products that otherwise comply with the J2EE specification. There is no provision in the J2EE specification for transactional deployment of J2EE application data.
Using different computing environments and platforms creates many communication and operability problems on the network. For example, many computing environments (including middleware environments) only can operate with programs with which they are specifically designed to operate. Much of the prior art is unable to communicate or share information or programs with any general platform or computing environments. Much of the prior art cannot distribute programs and/or data over one or more networks so that the programs can be executed and the data used on any given platform or environment. Where this distribution occurs, it is only possible with the expenditure of considerable resources and highly trained system designers.
The prior art does not solve the need to be able to distribute data, programs, and portions of programs in a more efficient way over various tiers of a network to operate on any general platform or environment.
Another variation of this problem involves the explanation of middleware's intra-tier distribution versus inter-tier distribution. Middleware application servers are targeted at defining tiers of functionality. These tiers may scale within the tier, but not necessarily utilizing the processing power available in other tiers.
Much of the prior art middleware is constrained. Typically, middleware is only used with a particular EIS and is designed specifically for that EIS's platform and environment. Often this middleware operates in local area networks with 10/100 megabits of bandwidth or less. Most of this middleware cannot effectively function in a wide area network environment, or on the Internet, where bandwidth capabilities are often more restrictive. This middleware cannot communicate with computer systems that do not use the same communication protocols for which the middleware was designed.
Much of the middleware typically operates between the EIS Web server and the EIS database management system (“DBMS”). The result is that the performance of the middleware is limited by the performance of the EIS Web server and/or the EIS DBMS.
Much of the middleware does not work with components, modules or functions that are designed to execute on a platform/environment different than that of the EIS for which the middleware was designed. Therefore, this middleware can't organize, schedule, and/or distribute applications outside of the EIS. This prior art middleware cannot enable the execution of any general component, module, function, and/or application program to be executed on any general computer with any general platform/environment, nor does this middleware suggest how this might be done. The prior art middleware cannot distribute application programs and/or components, modules or functions for execution over different tiers of a network, nor has the prior art recognized the need to do this.
Some prior art architectures (e.g., JINI) permit communication between computers with different platforms/environments. However, much of this communication is used to enable standard interface functions like print, read data, etc. These architectures are not capable of decomposing complex application programs, of the sort found on an EIS, and recomposing these application programs so that they can be executed on any given platform. These prior art architectures cannot organize, schedule, and/or distribute application programs and/or components, modules, or functions across many tiers of a network so that these application programs/components, modules or functions can be executed on any general platform/environment.
Much of the prior art cannot automatically identify and extract subapplications, components, modules, functions, and specific files and data structures from legacy programs located on an EIS in order to export these application parts to other machines connected to the EIS through one or more networks. In addition, the prior art generally fails to identify these application parts by type so that the application parts can be processed in such a manner to include the necessary information and structures particular to the type so that the application part can be transformed and/or executed on various tiers of the network. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates generally to lasers, and more particularly, to frequency doubling, solid-state lasers including a lasant material and a nonlinear optical material.
Frequency doubling lasers have been used for some time to produce green light lasers (see references 1 and 2 listed at the end of the description). Currently these lasers typically use a pumping light source, such as a laser diode, to cause a lasant material, such as neodymium yttrium vanadate (Nd:YVO.sub.4), located within a laser resonator to lase thereby generating a fundamental wave at a wavelength at and/or about 1064 nm (see reference 3). The laser resonator also includes an input mirror, an output mirror, and a nonlinear material, such as potassium titanate phosphate (KTP). The nonlinear material receives the fundamental wave generated by the lasant material as its input and produces second harmonic waves of green light at wavelengths at and/or about 532 nm. The output mirror is used to allow the second harmonic waves to pass through as the laser output. However, both the output mirror and the input mirror are configured to reflect the wavelengths of the fundamental wave back and forth through the laser resonator, thereby continuing the laser process of the fundamental wavelength.
Although frequency doubling green lasers are commercially available, it has proved to be very difficult to provide a reliable, low noise green laser (see reference 4). In a first example of one of the factors which contributes to the noise problem, the lasant materials used in these lasers typically create a fundamental wave made up of multiple spectral modes (i. e. longitudinal modes which are separated by a multiple of the free spectral range which is determined by the laser cavity geometry). In a homogeneous broadened laser system, these spectral modes will compete for the same gain available in the laser resonator. The gain competition among different longitudinal modes is called "gain cross saturation". In the presence of nonlinear crystals, each longitudinal mode will frequency double itself, for example, 1064.1 nm can be frequency doubled to 532.05 nm. In addition to frequency doubling, two different longitudinal modes can also generate a radiation at a frequency that is the sum of theirs, for example, 1064.1 nm and 1064.0 nm can generate 532.02 nm radiation. The sum frequency generation creates a nonlinear coupling between different longitudinal modes. The gain cross saturation combined with sum frequency generation causes various modes to couple strongly with one another, leading to significant amplitude fluctuations in the second harmonic waves.
Further contributing to the noise problem, the inventor has discovered an additional, previously undefined fundamental wave mode. Specifically, in the case of using Nd:YVO.sub.4 as the lasant material, an additional mode at a wavelength at and/or about 1084 nm is formed by the lasant material.
Popular approaches to remove the so called "green noise" include a single mode laser (see reference 5), two polarization modes laser (see reference 6) and multiple modes (more than 10) laser (see reference 7). However, the single mode approach usually involves a complex ring laser cavity or spectral narrowing elements such as etalons or birefringent tuners. The two mode approach has only been successful at relatively low output powers (tens of mW) and limited to only isotropical lasant materials such as Nd:YAG. The multiple modes approach generally employs a long and bulky laser cavity. The present invention addresses an alternative method to produce a compact, noise free, frequency doubled solid state laser in a cost effective way. "Green noise" is removed in an uniaxial gain medium using two orthogonally polarized modes of the fundamental waves with a filter arrangement.
In a linear cavity, counter-propagating waves at the same frequency will form a standing wave pattern composed of amplitude nodes and antinodes. The nodes are separated by one half of the laser wavelength in the propagating medium. These wave interference effects will introduce the so called spatial hole burning effect in the laser gain medium. In other words, the standing wave pattern will leave undepleted gain available for other modes to develop.
In a typical diode end-pumped solid state laser system, the lasant material is usually close to the input mirror at the end of the resonator. Since the nodes of the standing wave pattern always start from the input mirror, close by longitudinal modes are suppressed because they are nearly in phase with the oscillating mode in the vicinity of the input mirror. These modes slowly move out of phase as they travel away from the input mirror. In a homogeneous broadened laser system, only one longitudinal mode can develop at low pump intensity. However, when the laser system is many times above threshold, since the neighboring modes are not perfectly in phase, many longitudinal modes can develop.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, in the case of the 1084 nm mode (represented by the line indicated by reference numeral 2) and since the 1084 nm mode wavelength is longer than the wavelengths of the multiple 1064 nm modes (represented by the line indicated by reference numeral 4), the dephasing between the 1084 nm mode and the 1064 nm modes is much faster than that between the various 1064 nm modes. Thus the 1084 nm mode can take the undepleted gain from spatial holes burned by the 1064 nm modes and oscillate even at low pump power. Furthermore, even if the 1084 nm mode is not within the frequency doubling bandwidth of the nonlinear crystal, it may not double itself to 542 nm, but it can create a sum frequency radiation with 1064 nm modes at 537 nm. In addition to the mode coupling between different 1064 nm modes described above, mode coupling existing between 1064 nm and 1084 nm modes further increases the amplitude noise problem. The sum frequency generation between the 1064 nm and 1084 nm modes also creates an undesired oscillation at 537 nm.
The present invention provides a laser that significantly reduces these noise problems caused by the coupling of the various modes of the fundamental wave produced by the lasant material. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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It is preferred that a semiconductor device has unique identification information (also called a fingerprint) in order to distinguish individual devices from other devices or to enable encrypted communication between devices. Until now, unique identification information was either individually assigned by a vendor or individually set by a user.
However, it was a burden on vendors and users that vendors individually providing unique identification information or users individually providing unique identification information.
Therefore, semiconductor devices have been developed mounted with a circuit for automatically generating unique identification information. For example, US2014/0325237 to Van Der Leest et al. takes advantage of the fact that data in an initial state at the time of power-on of a SRAM is different for each chip. Since data which is different for each chip does not have high reproducibility, a large-scale error correction process is performed in order to increase reproducibility. Data generated here is called Physical Unclonable Function Data (PUF DATA).
For example, SRAM requires a capacity of 8 Kbit in order to generate 256 bits as PUF DATA. A 100K cycle is required for error correction processing, and a control circuit for achieving this requires a 15K gate. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to female hitch receivers and more specifically to a lubricating hitch receiver cover that protects a female cavity of a female hitch receiver from rusting, when not in use.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Female hitch receivers are used for pulling a variety of items, such as boats and trailers. Decorative inserts for female hitch receivers are well known in the art. However, decorative inserts will not completely protect the female cavity of the female hitch receiver from rusting due to moisture from rain, snow, water splash or a wet hitch. A hitch cannot be inserted into a female hitch receiver that is rusted, thus requiring the rust inside the female cavity to removed with a wire brush or the like.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a lubricating hitch receiver cover that protects the female cavity of a hitch receiver from rusting. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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High performance IC chips commonly referred to simply as chips, present three concomitant problems, namely, the requirement to connect many signals paths, the delivery of electric power to the chip and the removal of heat from the chip. State of the art chips may only be in the order of 14 millimeters on a side and yet require as many as 500 or more electrical connections in order to receive the necessary power and reference voltages to operate the chip and to distribute the various electrical signals to and from the chip. One common technique for making all of the necessary connections to such a chip is to mount the chip on a flexible lead frame. The lead frame is essentially a flexible circuit or tape having a multiplicity of printed conductors or runs extending from contacts spaced around the periphery of the chip to terminals distributed around the periphery of the lead frame. With the chip being connected thusly to the lead frame, the latter can be connected to a printed wiring board or other interconnect substrate by soldering the lead frame terminals to correspondingly positioned contacts on the substrate.
A chip assembly of this type which also incorporates a heat sink to remove heat from the chip is disclosed in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 162,671, filed Mar. 1, 1988, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING AND COOLING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CHIPS, which application is assigned to the owner of this application. The so-called TAB or chip-on-tape assembly disclosed in that application can remove heat from the chip and provide a large number of leads for signals, and power and reference voltages. However, the concentration of supply current contact points around the chip perimeter and the associated clustered conductor runs on the lead frame constitute relatively high inductance power connections between the chip and the substrate. This high inductance may sometimes adversely affect the stability of on-chip reference supplies that are subjected to very fast transient current disturbances. Such disturbances can arise, for example, due to simultaneously switching drivers. Current state-of-the art CMOS and ECL chips should be able to handle switching transients in the order of 25 amp/ns without adverse effects on electrical performance. But, the known chip assemblies achieve this level of performance only with difficulty. The delivery of power to the peripheral contacts of a TAB-type chip assembly may also result in a relatively high IR drop of the steady-state (DC) components of the chip and the chip can sometimes suffer electromigration failure in the on-chip power distribution due to excessively high peak current densities. | {
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Various types of cleaning tools having a sheet-type cleaning element for wiping a surface to be cleaned are known. For example, Japanese non-examined laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-154791 discloses a cleaning tool having cleaning fabric and a holder that detachably holds the cleaning fabric inserted into a holding space of the cleaning fabric. This cleaning tool is capable of wiping a surface to be cleaned by using the cleaning fabric held via the holder. However, in designing a cleaning element or a cleaning tool of this type having the cleaning element, it is particularly required to provide an effective technique for enhancing its cleaning effect. | {
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This invention is in relate to a wheel chain plate of a bicycle. More particularly, an inner plate and an outer plate being linked to an endless wheel chain to be used on bicycles having multiple wheels.
Chains of various types have been adapted on bicycle as part of the transmission mechanism. Those chains are basically composed of inner link plates and outer link plates connected in longitudinal alternation thereof by means of pins. The distance between each link pairs has a direct relationship of the diameter, thickness and number of tooth. It is a trend to increase freewheel (rear speed change gear) and chain wheel (front speed change gear). However, regardless of increasing of the number of either the freewhel or the chain wheel, the wheel base of each bicycle has a standard specification which may not be changed in accordance with the number of the wheels. In order to have more wheels installed on a bicycle, sprockets are made thinner than before which has made the engagement of the chain plate and sprocket easily but loosenly, and is likely to fail to mesh with each other when riding on a bumping road.
In view of this, the inventor has invented the present invention which enables the mesh between the sprocket and wheel chain easily and firmly. | {
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A variety of digital video processing technologies have evolved in recent years to meet the growing demand of the digital video display (e.g. digital television) market. One such technology that is continually being refined and improved is Digital Light Processing® technology, or DLP® technology, which provides all-digital projection displays that offer superior picture quality in terms of resolution, brightness, contrast, and color fidelity. Various DLP® solutions include progressive scan conversion, digital video resampling, picture enhancements, color processing, and gamma processing.
Gamma processing generally entails compensating for nonlinear signal-to-light characteristics. More particularly, the intensity of light generated by a physical device is not usually a linear function of the applied signal, thus requiring conditioning of the video signal to arrive at the desired output. Accordingly, technology has been developed to condition digital video signals to undergo a gamma correction process, which maps linear light intensity (the output image) to a non-linear voltage signal (the input video signal). The relationship between the input video signal and the light intensity output is often described in terms of a nonlinear transfer function.
Gamma correction can be implemented in a variety of ways depending on the image output desired by the manufacturer. For example, some implementations of gamma correction follow a standard gamma correction model, which is generally depicted as a parabolic curve 10 in FIG. 1. Standard gamma correction follows the 2.5 power law, which provides that the intensity produced at the face of the display is approximately the applied voltage, raised to the 2.5 power. However, it has been found that in some cases better contrast may be obtained through implementation of a gamma correction model having an “S-shaped” parabolic relationship 20 between the signal input and the light output, such as depicted in FIG. 2. While providing better contrast, these gamma correction models have poorer quality of excessively dark and excessively bright images. In essence, there is a tradeoff between better contrast for those images falling in the middle of the light intensity spectrum, and poorer contrast for those images lying on the fringes of this spectrum.
Gamma correction has heretofore been implemented at the front end of the video signal conditioning process. Manufacturers of digital televisions typically choose a particular gamma correction and implement this gamma correction during manufacture. Accordingly, the implemented gamma correction will remain the same regardless of the types of images displayed. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the treatment of cell proliferative diseases such as cancer. More particularly, it concerns tyrphostin and tyrphostin-like compounds useful for the treatment of cell proliferative diseases such as cancer, methods of synthesis of these compounds, and methods of treatment employing these compounds.
2. Description of Related Art
AG490 is a kinase inhibitor that inhibits Jak2/Stat3 signaling. Targeted inhibition of the Jak/Stat pathway with AG490 inhibits tumor cell growth and increases sensitivity to apoptotic stimuli; thus, inhibitors of this pathway likely represent potential therapeutics for cancer therapy (Catlett-Falcone et al., 1999; Alas and Bonavida, 2003; Burdelya et al., 2002). Because IL-6 promotes survival and proliferation of certain cancerous cell lines through the phosphorylation of STAT3 (Bharti et al., Verma et al., Kerr et al.), kinase inhibitors similar to AG490 have potential as anti-cancer drugs.
AG490 is structurally classified as a tyrphostin. U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,828B2 and U.S. patent application 2003/0013748 describe compounds that have structural similarity with AG490.
Unfortunately, AG490 has limited activity in animal studies and must be used at high concentrations (˜50 to 100 μM) to achieve inhibition of Jak2/Stat3 signaling and anti-tumor effects, and this low potency of AG490 is insufficient to warrant clinical investigation of this compound for the treatment of cancer (Burdelya et al., 2002; Meydan et al., 1996; Constantin et al., 1998). Thus a need exists for therapeutics that exhibit strong anti-proliferative effects through a similar mechanism at lower therapeutic concentrations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to occupant protection apparatuses and, more particularly, to an occupant protection apparatus for appropriately protecting occupants of a vehicle by increasing a tension applied to a seatbelt.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-55105 (pages 5-7 and FIG. 5), a protection apparatus of this kind protects an occupant of a vehicle by increasing a tension of the seatbelt according to the occupant's physical feature when it is judged that there is a possible crash or impact of the vehicle. In this protection apparatus, the occupant's physical feature is previously stored in a database so that data of each occupant is read out using a fingerprint sensor, an ID card, etc.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional occupant protection apparatus, a large strain may be imposed on an occupant since the occupant is required to input data to the apparatus so as to store the physical feature of the occupant. Moreover, in order to retrieve each occupant's data, it is necessary for each occupant to make a fingerprint check each time or use an ID card, which may be a problem in that each occupant is enforced to do a complicated procedure. | {
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The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of evergreen Azalea of the genus Rhododendron and a member of the Ericaceae family. This new Azalea variety, hereinafter referred to as ‘Robled’, was discovered by Robert Edward Lee in July, 1995 in Independence, La. ‘Robled’ originated as a naturally occurring branch sport of Azalea hybrid ‘Conled’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,568 while it was being grown in Independence, La. The value of this new cultivar lies in its unique blooming period, bloom color, bloom form, bloom size, and growth habit.
Asexual propagation of the new plant by cuttings has been under Mr. Lee's direction at the same location. The new plant retains its distinctive characteristics and reproduces true to type in successive generations. The plant cannot be reproduced true from seed. | {
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Companies and consumers increasingly depend on computers to process, distribute, and play back high quality video content. Engineers use compression (also called source coding or source encoding) to reduce the bit rate of digital video. Compression decreases the cost of storing and transmitting video information by converting the information into a lower bit rate form. Decompression (also called decoding) reconstructs a version of the original information from the compressed form. A “codec” is an encoder/decoder system.
Compression can be lossless, in which the quality of the video does not suffer, but decreases in bit rate are limited by the inherent amount of variability (sometimes called source entropy) of the input video data. Or, compression can be lossy, in which the quality of the video suffers and the lost quality cannot be completely recovered, but achievable decreases in bit rate are more dramatic. Lossy compression is often used in conjunction with lossless compression—lossy compression establishes an approximation of information, and the lossless compression is applied to a representation of the approximation.
In general, video compression techniques include “intra-picture” (sometimes called “intra-frame” or simply “intra”) compression and “inter-picture” (sometimes called “inter-frame” or simply “inter”) compression. Intra-picture compression techniques compress a picture with reference to information within the picture, and inter-picture compression techniques compress a picture with reference to a preceding and/or following picture or pictures (often called reference or anchor pictures).
For intra-picture compression, for example, an encoder splits a picture into 8×8 blocks of samples, where a sample is a number that represents the intensity of brightness or the intensity of a color component for a small, elementary region of the picture, and the samples of the picture are organized as arrays or planes. The encoder applies a frequency transform to individual blocks. The frequency transform converts an 8×8 block of samples into an 8×8 block of transform coefficients. The encoder quantizes the transform coefficients, which may result in lossy compression. For lossless compression, the encoder entropy codes the quantized transform coefficients.
Inter-picture compression techniques often use motion estimation and motion compensation to reduce bit rate by exploiting temporal redundancy in a video sequence. Motion estimation is a process for estimating motion between pictures. For example, for an 8×8 block of samples or other unit of the current picture, the encoder attempts to find a match of the same size in a search area in another picture, the reference picture. Within the search area, the encoder compares the current unit to various candidates in order to find a candidate that is a good match. When the encoder finds an exact or “close enough” match, the encoder parameterizes the change in position between the current and candidate units as motion data (such as a motion vector (“MV”)). In general, motion compensation is a process of reconstructing pictures from reference picture(s) using motion data.
The example encoder also computes the sample-by-sample difference between the original current unit and its motion-compensated prediction to determine a residual (also called a prediction residual or error signal). The encoder then applies a frequency transform to the residual, resulting in transform coefficients. The encoder quantizes the transform coefficients and entropy codes the quantized transform coefficients.
If an intra-compressed picture or motion-predicted picture is used as a reference picture for subsequent motion compensation, the encoder reconstructs the picture. A decoder also reconstructs pictures during decoding, and it uses some of the reconstructed pictures as reference pictures in motion compensation. For example, for an 8×8 block of samples of an intra-compressed picture, an example decoder reconstructs a block of quantized transform coefficients. The example decoder and encoder perform inverse quantization and an inverse frequency transform to produce a reconstructed version of the original 8×8 block of samples.
As another example, the example decoder or encoder reconstructs an 8×8 block from a prediction residual for the block. The decoder decodes entropy-coded information representing the prediction residual. The decoder/encoder inverse quantizes and inverse frequency transforms the data, resulting in a reconstructed residual. In a separate motion compensation path, the decoder/encoder computes an 8×8 predicted block using motion vector information for displacement from a reference picture. The decoder/encoder then combines the predicted block with the reconstructed residual to form the reconstructed 8×8 block.
Quantization and other lossy processing can result in visible lines at boundaries between blocks. This might occur, for example, if adjacent blocks in a smoothly changing region of a picture (such as a sky area in an outdoor scene) are quantized to different average levels. Blocking artifacts can be especially troublesome in reference pictures that are used for motion estimation and compensation. To reduce blocking artifacts, the example encoder and decoder use “deblock” filtering to smooth boundary discontinuities between blocks in reference pictures. The filtering is “in-loop” in that it occurs inside a motion-compensation loop—the encoder and decoder perform it on reference pictures used for subsequent encoding/decoding. Deblock filtering improves the quality of motion estimation/compensation, resulting in better motion-compensated prediction and lower bitrate for prediction residuals. In-loop deblocking filtering is often referred to as “loop filtering.”
I. Organization of Video Frames
In some cases, the example encoder and example decoder process video frames organized as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B and 2C. For progressive video, lines of a video frame contain samples starting from one time instant and continuing through successive lines to the bottom of the frame. An interlaced video frame consists of two scans—one for the even lines of the frame (the top field) and the other for the odd lines of the frame (the bottom field).
A progressive video frame can be divided into 16×16 macroblocks such as the macroblock (100) shown in FIG. 1. The macroblock (100) includes four 8×8 blocks (Y0 through Y3) of luma (or brightness) samples and two 8×8 blocks (Cb, Cr) of chroma (or color component) samples, which are co-located with the four luma blocks but half resolution horizontally and vertically.
FIG. 2A shows part of an interlaced video frame (200), including the alternating lines of the top field and bottom field at the top left part of the interlaced video frame (200). The two fields may represent two different time periods or they may be from the same time period. When the two fields of a frame represent different time periods, this can create jagged tooth-like features in regions of the frame where motion is present.
Therefore, interlaced video frames can be rearranged according to a field structure, with the odd lines grouped together in one field, and the even lines grouped together in another field. This arrangement, known as field coding, is useful in high-motion pictures. FIG. 2C shows the interlaced video frame (200) of FIG. 2A organized for encoding/decoding as fields (260). Each of the two fields of the interlaced video frame (200) is partitioned into macroblocks. The top field is partitioned into macroblocks such as the macroblock (261), and the bottom field is partitioned into macroblocks such as the macroblock (262). (The macroblocks can use a format as shown in FIG. 1, and the organization and placement of luma blocks and chroma blocks within the macroblocks are not shown.) In the luma plane, the macroblock (261) includes 16 lines from the top field, the macroblock (262) includes 16 lines from the bottom field, and each line is 16 samples long.
On the other hand, in stationary regions, image detail in the interlaced video frame may be more efficiently preserved without rearrangement into separate fields. Accordingly, frame coding is often used in stationary or low-motion interlaced video frames. FIG. 2B shows the interlaced video frame (200) of FIG. 2A organized for encoding/decoding as a frame (230). The interlaced video frame (200) has been partitioned into macroblocks such as the macroblocks (231) and (232), which use a format as shown in FIG. 1. In the luma plane, each macroblock (231, 232) includes 8 lines from the top field alternating with 8 lines from the bottom field for 16 lines total, and each line is 16 samples long. (The actual organization and placement of luma blocks and chroma blocks within the macroblocks (231, 232) are not shown, and in fact may vary for different encoding decisions.) Within a given macroblock, the top-field information and bottom-field information may be coded jointly or separately at any of various phases—the macroblock itself may be field coded or frame coded.
II. Acceleration of Video Decoding and Encoding
While some video decoding and encoding operations are relatively simple, others are computationally complex. For example, inverse frequency transforms, fractional sample interpolation operations for motion compensation, in-loop deblock filtering, post-processing filtering, color conversion, and video re-sizing can require extensive computation. This computational complexity can be problematic in various scenarios, such as decoding of high-quality, high-bit rate video (e.g., compressed high-definition video).
Some decoders use video acceleration to offload selected computationally intensive operations to a graphics processor. For example, in some configurations, a computer system includes a primary central processing unit (“CPU”) as well as a graphics processing unit (“GPU”) or other hardware specially adapted for graphics processing. A decoder uses the primary CPU as a host to control overall decoding and uses the GPU to perform simple operations that collectively require extensive computation, accomplishing video acceleration.
FIG. 3 shows a simplified software architecture (300) for video acceleration during video decoding. A video decoder (310) controls overall decoding and performs some decoding operations using a host CPU. The decoder (310) signals control information (e.g., picture parameters, macroblock parameters) and other information to a device driver (330) for a video accelerator (e.g., with GPU) across an acceleration interface (320).
The acceleration interface (320) is exposed to the decoder (310) as an application programming interface (“API”). The device driver (330) associated with the video accelerator is exposed through a device driver interface (“DDI”). In an example interaction, the decoder (310) fills a buffer with instructions and information then calls a method of an interface to alert the device driver (330) through the operating system. The buffered instructions and information, opaque to the operating system, are passed to the device driver (330) by reference, and video information is transferred to GPU memory if appropriate. While a particular implementation of the API and DDI may be tailored to a particular operating system or platform, in some cases, the API and/or DDI can be implemented for multiple different operating systems or platforms.
In some cases, the data structures and protocol used to parameterize acceleration information are conceptually separate from the mechanisms used to convey the information. In order to impose consistency in the format, organization and timing of the information passed between the decoder (310) and device driver (330), an interface specification can define a protocol for instructions and information for decoding according to a particular video decoding standard or product. The decoder (310) follows specified conventions when putting instructions and information in a buffer. The device driver (330) retrieves the buffered instructions and information according to the specified conventions and performs decoding appropriate to the standard or product. An interface specification for a specific standard or product is adapted to the particular bit stream syntax and semantics of the standard/product.
Although some prior designs have proposed mapping particular decoding operations to different processing units, such as by mapping particular decoding operations to GPUs, prior designs are limited in terms of flexibility and efficiency. For example, a design that statically determines which processing units will perform particular decoding operations is susceptible to long periods of inactivity when processing units are forced to wait for their assigned operations to begin. | {
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The field of the invention is the area of the testing of pharmaceuticals in animal model systems, particularly those pharmaceuticals of benefit in protecting a human or animal against oxidative damage.
Oxygen is a critical element in biological systems, having roles including a terminal electron acceptor in oxidative phosphorylation, in dioxygenase reactions, in hydroxylation reactions, in reactions involving activation and/or inactivation of xenobiotics, including carcinogens and in normal animal host defense mechanisms. Despite the wide range of essential and desirable reactions in which oxygen plays a role, the generation of excess amounts of oxygen free radicals through cellular processes has deleterious effects on biological systems including, without limitation, membrane lipid peroxidation, oxidation of nucleic acids, oxidation of sulfhydryl bonds and other moieties which are sensitive to oxidative damage. It has also been theorized that the effects of aging are due, in part, to cumulative oxidative damage to cellular systems.
Biological antioxidants include enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, selenium glutathione peroxidase and phospholipid glutathione peroxidase and compounds including tocopherols, tocotrienols, carotenoids, quinones, bilirubin, ascorbic acid, uric acid, ovothiols and certain metal binding proteins.
Oxygen free radicals in biological systems include superoxide anion (•O2 2−). Sequential univalent reactions of the superoxide radical yield hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, and water. Catalase converts hydrogen peroxide to water and molecular oxygen.
Oxygen radical injury has been implicated in pulmonary oxygen toxicity, adult respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and various ischemia-reperfusion syndromes including myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiopulmonary bypass, organ transplantation, necrotizing enterocolitis, acute renal tubular necrosis, mitochondrial disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease among others. Accumulated free radical damage has also been associated with the normal aging process. | {
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It is known that loading areas e.g. cargo bays or passenger areas of aircrafts must frequently be converted for different uses. For example depending on the use of the aircraft it may be necessary for seats for passengers to be fitted in the aircraft cargo bay. In another application for example the passenger space may be needed exclusively to contain freight. Some aircraft, in particular military aircraft, have only one loading area which can be used for loading passengers and/or freight. For optimum use of the aircraft loading areas, seat rails are mounted which allow the seats to be installed quickly and easily and to change their position. It is known to use these seat rails also as an anchoring base for locking elements or other function elements (e.g. roller elements, fixing eyes etc.). The function elements used have suitable fixing mechanisms for anchoring in the seat rails.
The fixing mechanism provided must be robust and suitable for transferring heavy loads to the aircraft floor. Fitting the function element must be quick and easy.
Corresponding function elements which can be attached to a seat rail or perforated rail are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,588. Amongst others a roller element is described which can be mounted in a seat rail. For fixing, several mushroom-shaped elements are installed via holes in the seat rails and the function element is moved such that the mushroom-shaped elements come to lie in a position between two adjacent holes in which removal of the function direction in the z direction is not possible since this is held by extensions of the elements between the holes. To fix the function element in this holding position, fixing pegs are provided which can be lowered parallel to the mushroom-shaped elements and engage in a hole in the seat rail. As soon as the fixing pegs are lowered, the function element can no longer be moved in the x direction. Because of the mushroom-shaped elements and fixing pegs, the function element is held in the seat rail.
Mounting of the function elements described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,588 often proves complex as it is difficult to install the mushroom-shaped elements in the individual holes of the seat rails. Also on removal of the function element, frequently the fixing mechanism seizes so that here increased care must be applied. Furthermore the function element described has numerous mechanical components which, under the careless handling normally applied in the loading area, must often be replaced. Sometimes whole function elements must be changed as the associated fixing mechanism is faulty. Also production of the fixing mechanism is complex and costly.
Some embodiments of the invention, provide a function element for fixing in a seat rail which is robust, easy to install and manufacture, and guarantees secure anchoring of the function element in the seat rail. Furthermore a corresponding method is provided for production of the function element. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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About 6.4 million women become pregnant in the U.S. each year, and about 70% of those women have maternal serum screening and/or an ultrasound test in an attempt to determine risks for common birth defects, such as those resulting from trisomy 13, 18, and 21 (Down Syndrome). Both the sensitivity and specificity of these common non-invasive screening tools are extremely poor. The best current non-invasive tests lead to a false positive rate between 7 and 20%. This high false positive rate has two catastrophic consequences for American families and society. First, it creates a large market for the two invasive diagnostic tests, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis, which each carry a fetal loss rate of 0.5%-1%. These invasive tests directly result in the loss of thousands of normal fetuses annually. Second, the high false positive rate heightens maternal anxiety and stress in the large and fixed proportion of pregnant American women who receive false positive results. However, prenatal diagnosis are critical in managing a pregnancy with chromosomal abnormalities and localized genetic abnormalities, as the diagnosis can allow for interventional care during delivery and can prevent devastating consequences for the neonate. Thus there is a tremendous need for the development of a sensitive and specific non-invasive prenatal diagnostic test for chromosomal abnormalities. | {
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In recent years, IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs) have been rapidly deployed in enterprises, public areas and homes. Recent studies on operational WLANs have shown that user load is often distributed unevenly among wireless access points (APs). In current WLANs, each user scans the wireless channel in order to detect its nearby access points and then to associate itself with the access point that has the strongest received signal strength indicator (RSSI), while ignoring the load on the access point. As users are typically not uniformly distributed, most of them may be associated with just a few access points in a network, while adjacent or nearby access points may carry a light load or even be idle. This load imbalance among access points is undesirable because it hampers the network from providing satisfactory service to its users. Studies show that the problem can be alleviated by balancing the load among the access points.
Vendors of WLAN products have incorporated load balancing features in their network device drivers, access point firmware, and WLAN cards. In some of these proprietary solutions, the access points broadcast their load to users in their vicinity in the beacon messages thereby allowing each user to choose the least loaded access point. In other proposed techniques, rather than using the RSSI as the association criteria, the rules define different metrics and associate each user with the access point that optimizes these metrics. These metrics typically take into account factors such as the number of users currently associated with an access point, the mean RSSI of users currently associated with an access point, the RSSI of the new user, and the bandwidth a new user can obtain if it is associated with a particular access point. For example, new users are associated with the access point that can provide a minimal bandwidth required by the user. If there are multiple such access points available to a user, then the access point with the strongest signal is selected. Most of these techniques only determine the association of newly arrived users without redistributing or reassociating existing users on that access point. But one known technique proposes reassociation of users periodically each time some bandwidth thresholds are violated.
Load balancing has also been considered in cellular networks, both TDMA and CDMA networks. Usually, it is achieved via dynamic channel allocation techniques. These methods are not applicable in the WLAN environment where each access point normally uses one channel and channel allocation is fixed. These methods are also not applicable to CDMA packet data networks. Another approach for load balancing is to use cell overlapping to reduce the blocking probability of calls and maximize the network utilization. For example, a newly arrived mobile station is associated with the base station with the greatest number of available channels. Fairness in this type of approach has been addressed by restricting the number of available channels for new calls that are made in overlapping areas. It has also been proposed that the channel conditions of mobile stations associated with a base station be considered. Load balancing integrated with coordinated scheduling technique has been studied for CDMA networks.
Although many techniques exist for balancing loads in wireless networks, none of the known techniques provide a suitably fair technique for load balancing and none provide a guarantee on the bandwidth allocated to each user. Fair load balancing with a concomitant bandwidth allocation guarantee is absent from all the known techniques. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Systems are known as services provided on the Internet in which a user can log in on these services from a terminal used by the user to get the provision of these services. To be more specific, these systems are online games and membership information providing services provided by business enterprises, for example. These systems, each configured by a server and a terminal in general, allow users to log in on these systems from terminals of users and play games provided by the server and use information provision services therefrom. | {
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Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard that provides for an uplink speed of up to 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and a downlink speed of up to 100 Mbps. The LTE standard represents a major advance in cellular technology. The LTE standard is designed to meet current and future carrier needs for high-speed data and media transport as well as high-capacity voice support. The LTE standard brings many technical benefits to cellular networks, including Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and/or Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) data communication. In addition, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Single Carrier—Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) are used on the downlink (DL) and on the uplink (UL), respectively. In the LTE standard, bandwidth is scalable from 1.25 MHz to 20 MHz. This may suit the needs of different network operators that have different bandwidth allocations and also allow operators to provide different services based on spectrum availability. LTE is expected to improve spectral efficiency in 30 networks, allowing carriers to provide more data and voice services over a given bandwidth. LTE encompasses high-speed data, multimedia unicast and multimedia broadcast services.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the information processing apparatus and its heat spreading method, particularly relating to a mobile information processing apparatus that can readily release a heat generated to outside.
2. Background Arts
Conventionally, a technique relating to this field is disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication HEI 9-6481. The conventional mobile information processing apparatus mentioned in this publication as illustrated in FIG. 47 comprises a lid 51 incorporating a heat pipe 3 and a heat spreading board 5, and a main body 50 incorporating a heat generation unit 1. The heat generated from the heat generation unit 1 is released from the heat spreading board 5 via a thermally conductive block 2.
Another conventional techniques relating to this field are Japanese unexamined patent publications HEI 8-87354, HEI 8-204373 and HEI 8-261672.
FIG. 48 illustrates a side view of disintegrated lid 51. Following components are installed in between a front panel 60 and an external chassis 12: a liquid crystal display panel 7; a back light 10; a back light optical system 62; and a inverter circuit board 95 for the back light.
FIG. 49 illustrates a temperature profile of the lid 51 and the main body 50. Curved lines in the temperature profile illustrate isotherms. As can be seen from FIG. 49, a lot of heat is being generated from the CPU 1, the back light 10 and the inverter circuit board 95.
The conventional mobile information processing apparatus has difficulty in conducting heat, which is sent from the heat pipe 3, throughout the heat spreading board due to an inadequate heat conduction to a direction of plane of the heat spreading board 5. As a result of this, from within various positions of the heat spreading board 5, only positions that are close to the heat pipe 3 were able to contribute in spreading the heat such that an effect of heat spreading in the conventional mobile information processing apparatus is therefore inadequate.
Also, the conventional mobile information processing apparatus has problems of noise and loss of energy, which are caused by a leakage current from the back light inverter circuit board 95 incorporated at an inner side of the lid 51, flowing into the metallic chassis 12, as shown in FIG. 21. | {
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Colloidal particles with hollow interiors play important roles in microencapsulation—a process that has found widespread use in applications such as controlled release of drugs, cosmetics, inks, pigments, or chemical reagents; protection of biologically active species; and removal of pollutants. The hollow particles are most commonly prepared by coating the surfaces of colloidal templates with thin layers of the desired material (or its precursor), followed by selective removal of the templates via calcination or chemical etching. This simple and straightforward approach works for a variety of materials that include polymers, ceramics, composites, and metals. For polymers, methods such as emulsion polymerization, phase separation, crosslinking of micelles, and self-assembly have also been demonstrated for generating hollow structures. However, diffusion through these closed shells with pores less than 10 nm in diameter is often a slow process. To solve this problem, capsules have been fabricated by organizing colloids around liquid droplets to form colloidosomes or by controlling the mixing of liquid droplets.
Hollow polymer particles with holes in their surfaces have previously been created using water-soluble polymerization inhibitors when polymerizing polystyrene microparticles from styrene drops emulsified in an aqueous phase. Additionally, the use of a sacrificial-core/polymer-shell method was used to create hollow polymer particles with holes in their surfaces by controlling the amount of crosslinker in the living radical polymerization mixture.
The fabrication of polymer particles with holes in their surfaces is still difficult using current techniques. Additionally, nanometer-scale hollow polymer particles with holes in their surfaces have not yet been fabricated. There is a need for both smaller and more easily fabricated structures of this type. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of printing technology, particularly four-color printing. The invention is more particularly concerned with color reduction in four-color printing dependent on tone, whereby the color components of the chromatic printing inks, yellow, magenta and cyan, are reduced and the amount of black printing ink is increased to compensate for this reduction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As already known from the publication FOGRA-Forschungsbericht 1.203, Untersuchungen zur Veranderung des Farbsatzaufbaues durch geanderte Farbausuuge fur die Teilfarbe Schwarz von Gunter Otschik, at Page 4, right-hand column. Chapter 3.1, it is possible to work with a total reduction of chromatic inks, i.e., achromatic synthesis of the reproduction when an intensive black, i.e. an intensive but expensive printing ink "black", is available.
What is meant by total achromatic synthesis in reproduction technology is that printing is only carried out with black ink in the reproduction of gray tone values and in the extremely dark tones, i.e. that no chromatic color component is contained and printed in the color separations yellow, magenta and cyan in these image areas.
Using less expensive printing inks for the color black ink usually employed in practice, however, a gray cast occurs when 100% black ink is printed. For this reason, the color separations of the chromatic printing inks are not reduced to zero but, rather, a residue of chromatic ink, which leads to a higher density, is printed over the entire tone range in gray tones up to the deepest black shadow, whereby the residual value decreases progressively towards light tones.
Thereby, the danger exists that color casts will occur in the reproduction of gray tones in the entire tonal range when fluctuations occur in the equilibrium i.e. gray balance portions of the chromatic printing inks yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), and this can easily occur during the printing process, according to the initially-mentioned FOGRA-Forschungsbericht, pp. 3-4, Chapters 1 and 2.
Another disadvantage in comparison to total achromatic synthesis is that, in case the gray tones are still reproduced by chromatic components, a high ink consumption of the chromatic ink occurs instead of using an intensive black ink. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accessories for vehicles and, more specifically without limitation, to accessories for maintenance of vehicle tires.
2. Description of the Related Art
The automobile is a dynamic element of everyday life, used substantially throughout the world by numerous individuals. With the number of automobiles being manufactured annually, it is small wonder that there is such as interest in such products to ensure safe operation of all types of motor vehicles. Nowhere is this more evident than in the United States where the great love for the automobile in unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Over the past fifty years, legislative and law enforcement bodies at the local, regional, and national levels have focused on the enactment and enforcement of safety regulations and guidelines, as well as compliance with current laws to ensure the safety of occupants of the vehicles. Some of these laws are centered on activities of motorists themselves, while others have been directed at automobile manufacturers for the production of new vehicles.
Some of the safety guidelines provide for maintaining good tires and good tread on the tires. To maintain good tread on tires, it is imperative that proper inflation pressure be maintained in tires. Proper inflation pressure prevents severe tire wear and provides longer tire life. However, present inflation pressure of a tire is unknown unless a user physically removes the valve stem cap from the tire and checks the air pressure in the tire with an air pressure gauge. If the air pressure in the tire is lower than the recommended inflation pressure for the particular use of the tire, then compressed air needs to be forced into the tire until the air pressure in the tire is returned to the recommended inflation pressure. If the gauge indicates that the air pressure in the tire exceeds the recommended air pressure, the excess air pressure must be released from the tire until the recommended inflation pressure is established. Inflating the tires, releasing excess air pressure, and re-checking the air pressure in the tire can involve many repeated steps until the recommended air pressure in the ire is reached.
What is needed is a device that can be set at a desired air pressure, wherein a tire can be slightly over-inflated and the excess inflation released by the device in a single operation thereby eliminating the repeated inflating and deflating steps of the prior art. | {
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The present invention relates to mortars and more particularly to their loading.
A known way of loading muzzle-loading mortars uses transfer means fixedly joined to the barrel of the mortar which, when a round of ammunition is positioned at a place designed for this purpose, transfers it to the top of the barrel and then, after having placed it in the extension of the barrel, introduces it into the muzzle of the barrel.
This method of operation improves the loading process in terms of both ease and speed of operation as compared with the conventional method of manual loading. However, the positioning of the ammunition is a difficult task and slows down the firing rate. | {
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(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-end shaft type differential gear set with controllable rotating direction and brake, wherein the input side of the three-end shaft type differential gear set performing driving in the same input rotating direction, and through controlling a controllable brake device (BK101) and a controllable clutch device (CL101), the output rotating direction at the output side can be in the same rotating direction or in the reverse rotating direction, or in a released state without mutual transmission, or the input side and the output side are both locked in a non-rotary state.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional speed variable gear system, having the same rotating direction or different rotating direction between the input side and the output side, is often installed with a normal/reverse gear set, and through changing the rotating direction of the gear set, the output in normal rotation or reverse rotation is generated; however, the structure thereof is complicated. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a backplane wiring system for electrical printed circuit cards composed of a backplane printed circuit board with inserted contact pins and centering strips formed as a rectangular housing which is opened on side and which can be plugged over the contact pins wherein the open side allows the acceptance of plugs or clip connectors. The centering strips are provided with floors through which the contact pins extend.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art backplane wiring is usually executed such that the printed circuit cards are inserted into the backplane printed circuit board from the front and plugs of a transfer or input system are inserted from the back onto the corresponding contact pins of the backplane printed circuit board. Known backplane wiring systems are constructed such that they are provided with a pin field which is arranged in a grid-like manner only at those locations where the front printed circuit cards are to be mounted. These known backplane wiring arrangements have a number of disadvantages. First, the backplane printed circuit board cannot be completely utilized, second there is a lack of utlization of the space of the backplane printed circuit board with clip connectors or plugs since much space is wasted. Depending upon the intended use of the device, different backplane printed circuit boards must be individually manufactured and stored in applications of the prior art. | {
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This invention relates to a process for fluorinating halogenated ether compounds, more particularly the replacement of one or more chloro atoms alpha to an ether oxygen by a fluoro atom. This process is especially useful for the synthesis of valuable inhalation anesthetics.
Although the most direct route to the preparation of fluorine containing organic compounds may be the replacement of hydrogen in an organic compound, such a reaction is problematic. It is well known that the reaction of elemental fluorine with organic compounds to replace hydrogen with fluorine is problematic. Partially fluorinating organic compounds, so as to have fluorine atoms in the desired positions, is usually not possible in satisfactory yields. Although certain halogens other than fluorine, e.g. chlorine and bromine, generally react well with a wide variety of organic compounds under moderate conditions to give high yields, the reaction of fluorine is usually violent and accompanied by the formation of undesirable and unrecyclable side products.
Besides elemental fluorine, other agents have been tried to selectively replace hydrogen with fluorine. Among the fluorinating agents tried have been hydrogen fluoride, cobalt trifluoride, silver difluoride, etc. However, little success has been reported in attempting to selectively replace hydrogen with fluorine.
For the above reasons, it is generally preferable to first prepare a corresponding chloro compound and then replace the chloro atom with a fluoro atom. Metal fluorides have heretofore been proposed in general to replace chlorine with fluorine in organic compounds. For example, British patent specification 727,768 discloses the preparation of fluoroesters, ethers, and acetals with potassium fluoride in the presence of a solvent containing acetamide and/or N-methyl acetamide.
In Tetrahedron Lett, 27(13), 1499-500 (1986), Escoula et al. disclose a fluoride-chloride exhange reaction employing potassium fluoride, catalyzed by ammonium salts in the presence of formamide in place of water. Monochloroctane is an exemplary starting material.
Mason et al, in J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 78, 1682 (1956) disclose preparing compounds of the type CCl.sub.3 CHFOR by employing metal fluorides for the exhange reaction with CCl.sub.3 CHClOR. To improve the yield of the fluoroether, Mason et al. teaches dropping the chlorinated ether into potassium fluoride in Nujol.TM. at 140.degree.. However, even under these conditions, polymerization occurred with the use of potassium fluoride. Mercuric fluoride was the preferred reagent.
In Chemistry of Organic Fluorine Compounds, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1976), M. Hudlicky states, that for the replacement of non-activated halogen atoms by fluorine, traditionally potassium fluoride was avoided, and that only recently has it been applied to the replacement of poorly reactive halogen atoms. The conventional solution to this problem has been the application of a suitable solvent. Hudlicky further states that whereas the yields of the reaction of aliphatic halogen derivatives with potassium fluoride without solvent rarely exceed 20-30%, the use of solvents can significantly raise yields. Hudlicky also states that in order to obtain maximum yields, pure and absolutely dry chemicals must be used, and that the reaction is best carried out by heating one mole of the halogen derivative with a 100% excess of potassium fluoride and 700 g of diethylene glycol at a temperature of 125.+-.5.degree. C. with vigorous stirring. Hudlicky further states that compared to potassium fluoride the extent of applications for sodium fluoride is very narrow.
The Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (1980) states that potassium chloride by-products from reactions with organic chlorides deposit on the potassium fluoride crystal surfaces, significantly retarding the reactions. Polar solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide or formamides, and rapid stirring are useful in overcoming this drawback.
The need for new and improved procedures for the preparation of certain classes of fluorine containing organic compounds is evident.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for the preparation of fluorine containing organic compounds. Still a further object is to provide a method whereby a fluorine containing organic compound may be prepared from a partially chlorinated, brominated or iodinated organic compound. An additional object is to provide a method for preparing a fluorine containing organic compound whereby the formation of undesirable decomposition or side products is substantially avoided. An additional object is to provide a fluorination method which is not subject to certain of the disadvantages set forth above.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved process for the production of fluoro or fluoro-chloro substituted organic ether compounds. A further object is the provision of a new and improved method of fluorinating such compounds by means of alkali metal fluorides, and more particularly by means of sodium or potassium fluoride.
Other objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims. | {
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A conventional refrigerating cycle is described by referring to FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, reference numeral 101 shows a compressor. The refrigerant compressed in the compressor 101 is condensed in a condenser 102. The refrigerant expanded in a throttling unit 103 is evaporated in an evaporator 104, and cooling is effected by evaporation of latent heat.
When operating such a refrigerating cycle, foreign matter mainly composed of iron powder and copper powder mixed at the time of assembly is likely to deposit in the throttling unit 103 where the flow velocity of the refrigerant is slow and the passage area is narrow. Moreover, worn powder from the sliding parts of the compressor and carbides due to deterioration of refrigerating machine oil also deposit in the throttling unit 103. As a result, the sectional area of the throttling unit 103 becomes gradually narrower, the throttling rate becomes larger, and the compression ratio of the high pressure side and low pressure side becomes higher. Accordingly, the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is raised, the abrasion of the sliding parts is further promoted, and clogging of the throttling unit 103 with worn powder is increased, thus falling in a spiral. Therefore, the reliability of the refrigerating cycle is spoiled extremely.
As the refrigerant for such refrigerating cycle, hitherto, dichlorofluoromethane (CFC12) or hydrodifluoromethane (HCFC22) has been mainly utilized. As the refrigerating machine oil to be packed in the compressor, naphthene or paraffin mineral oil having compatibility with CFC12 or HCFC22 has been used.
Since these refrigerants and refrigerating machine oils directly circulate within the compressor, the compressor mechanism is required to have wear resistance.
It has been recently disclosed that these refrigerants, when released in the atmosphere, destroy the ozone layer and have serious effects on the human health and ecological system, and therefore the use of CFC12 or HCFC22 is being limited in gradual steps, and there is an international agreement to abolish them completely in the future.
In such circumstance, substitute refrigerants have been developed, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC134a), pentafluoroethane (HFC125), hydrodifluoromethane (HFC32), and their mixed refrigerants.
These refrigerants HFC134a, HFC125, HFC32 are low in the coefficient of ozone destruction, but are hardly compatible with mineral oils which are refrigerating machine oils employed when using CFC12 or HCFC22. Hence, when using HFC134a, HFC125, HFC32 or their mixed refrigerants as the refrigerant of the refrigerant compressor, it has been attempted to use ester, ether or fluorine oil, compatible with these refrigerants as the refrigerating machine oil.
As the refrigerating machine oil compatible with HFC134a, HFC125, HFC32 replacing the refrigerants CFC12 and HCFC22, polyalkylene glycol oil and polyester oil are known. In the case of the refrigerant compressor using such polyalkylene glycol oil and polyester oil, however, gray cast iron, special cast iron, and stainless steel used as the sliding materials in the compressor are lowered in wear resistance, and the refrigerant compressor cannot be operated stably for a long period.
This is because the chlorine atom, one of the elements composing the conventional refrigerant such as CFC12 and HCFC22, reacts with the iron atom in the metal material and forms a wear resistant iron chloride film. By contrast, when using HFC134a, HFC125, or HFC32 as refrigerant, since the chorine atom is not present in these refrigerants, lubricating film such as iron chloride film is not formed, which is one of the causes of lowering of lubricating action.
Moreover, in the conventional refrigerating machine oil derived from mineral oil, cyclic compounds were contained, and the oil film forming capability was relatively high, but the refrigerating machine oil compatible with HFC134a, HFC125, or HFC32 is mainly composed of chain compounds, and an appropriate oil film thickness cannot be maintained in severe sliding conditions, which also causes to lower the wear resistance.
Thus, in the refrigerant compressor using substitute refrigerant such as HFC134a, HFC125 or HFC32 instead of CFC12 or HCFC22, and employing refrigerating machine oil compatible with these refrigerants, the sliding condition is severe not only at high load but also at ordinary load, and abrasion of sliding members is increased. It was hence a more difficult problem than in the prior art to prevent clogging of the throttling unit in the refrigerating cycle.
Among refrigerating machine oils compatible with HFC refrigerant, polyester derivative refrigerating machine oil undergoes decomposition of polyester due to hydrolysis or pyrolysis, and is bound with worn powder to produce iron soap. The iron soap is high in viscosity, deposits in the throttling unit in the refrigerating cycle, raises the discharge refrigerant temperature in the compressor, and further promotes wear, and the reliability of the refrigerating cycle is lowered by this spiral.
Still more, the refrigerating machine oil compatible with the HFC refrigerant is not compatible with the conventional mineral oil and is not used, but the conventional mineral oil is used as machining oil when fabricating the compressor and heat exchanger. This mineral oil remaining in the refrigerating cycle is likely to deposit in the throttling unit which is slow in flow velocity and drastic in temperature changes. As a result, it leads to decline of reliability due to clogging of the throttling unit same as mentioned above. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates particularly to a molding apparatus, which enable molding core pin therein to retain straight without inclination in the rejection molding process, for ensuring the properly forming of edge card connector.
2. The Prior Art
The conventional edge card connector 1, such as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 & 5, includes therein a elongated, insulated housing 2 provided with central slot 4 for receiving a inserted electrical card (not shown) from exterior, one pair of opposed guiding means 3 located respectively in two opposed ends of said insulated housing 2 for guiding said electrical card, and a plurality of passageways 5 in two rows, each extending through the opposed top and bottom sides 7, 8 of said housing 2 and connected laterally with central slot 4, for receiving corresponding contacts (not shown) therein.
In FIGS. 3 & 4, it is indicated that the molding die 10 includes a male molding die 11 and female molding die 12, for molding a conventional edge card connector as shows in FIGS. 1, 2 & 5. The male molding die 11 is provided with a middle protrusion 13 extending along a longitudinal axis of the molding die 10 as the inserting direction of molding dies 11, 12 with each other, so that it defines a T-shape of lateral cross-section thereof. The female molding die 12 is provided with a plurality of core pin 16 in two rows which extend along a longitudinal axis of the molding die 10 as the inserting direction of molding dies 11, 12 with each other, and said two rows of core pins 16 are further separated by a space 161 and each core pins 16 having a inward side 17 facing the space 161. For the male molding die 11 being assembled with female molding die 12 to configure a integral molding die 10 for use with injection molding process, such as shown in FIG. 4, the middle protrusion 13 of male molding die 11 is inserted into said space 161 separating two rows of core pins 16 of female molding die 12, until that the forward end 19 of each core pin 16 engages closely with bottom wall 111 of male molding die 11 and a clearance "a" forms in between the forward side 18 of middle protrusion 13 and bottom wall 121 of female molding die 12, as the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 4, in accordance with IV--IV crossing line in FIG. 3. Wherein an inward sides 17 of each core pin 16 in two rows engage closely with the two opposed surface 14, 15 of middle protrusion 13, respectively. According to the mentioned above, it can be found in FIGS. 5, 6 & 7 that the central slot 4 of connector 10 is formed by said middle protrusion 13 of male molding die 11. Two rows of passageways 5 through the opposed side 7, 8 are formed by two rows of core pins 16 engaging closely with bottom wall 111 of male molding die 11, and each passageway 5 connected with central slot 4 is formed by inward side 17 of each core pin 16 engaging closely with the opposed surface 14, 15 of middle protrusion 13. The depth "a" of bottom side 8 of connector 1 is formed by the clearance "a" between the forward side 18 of middle protrusion 13 and bottom wall 121 of female molding die 12 The aforementioned as the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 6 & 7, in accordance with VI--VI, VII--VII crossing lines in FIG. 5.
However, in the injection molding process of conventional connector 1, some molding material injected speedily into the molding die 10 via compressing process, may directly impact some core pins 16 and result in core pins 16 being inclined with respect to the inserting direction of molding dies 11, 12 with each other, and since the core pins 16 of female molding die 12 each is an cantilever beam structure and only engages the surface 14, 15 of male molding die 11 without being latched in traversal direction as injecting direction of molding material, so that this will causes the dimensions of products being inaccurate or the molding die 11, 12 to be damaged due to mutual collision, in next the inserting and drawing motion of molding die 11 12.
For resolving the above disadvantages, an object of the invention is to provide a molding apparatus for ensuring the core pin retaining straight without inclination and edge card connector having accurate dimensions through the mutually inserting and drawing motions of molding dies in many times.
Another one object of the invention is to provide a molding apparatus for avoiding core pin being inclined to damage the molding die through the mutually inserting and drawing motions of molding dies in many times.
Another one object of the invention is further to provide an edge card connector in accordance with said molding apparatus, defining therein a plurality of through bores partially extending into and connected with central slot of connector. | {
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Medical balloons are used in the body in a variety of applications including as dilatation devices for compressing plaque and for expanding prosthetic devices such as stents at a desired location in a bodily vessel. Because it is typically necessary for the balloon to traverse a tortuous anatomy as it is being delivered to the desired location in the bodily vessel, it is desirable for the balloon to assume as low a profile as possible.
One way to achieve a low profile is by folding the balloon to form a number of wings. Some examples of methods of forming wings on a balloon are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,147,302 and 5,350,361. A common method employed to form wings on a balloon is to partially inflate a balloon and then impart an inward radial force about the periphery of the balloon using a plurality of members or “blades” which are distributed about the periphery of the balloon. As the blades move radially inward, wings are formed in the balloon.
When forming wings in balloons in this manner, however, special care must be taken to ensure that the blades do not have any sharp edges or burrs which would damage the balloon. To this end, some prior balloon folding apparatuses have blades that are equipped with a relatively soft tip of silicone or other material. However, providing the blade with a relatively soft tip may be insufficient to reduce the potential from damage to the balloon during wing formation. In addition to the above, as the tip of each blade pushes radially against the balloon, inconsistent frictional interface between each tip and the balloon material upon which they push may lead to the formation of wings having non-uniform lengths. Balloons having wings of non-uniform lengths may lead to a catheter having a larger profile when the wings are folded.
In prior folding techniques caution must be exercised to prevent the blades from applying damaging forces to the balloon and/or any structures underlying the balloon such as marker bands, bonds or hubs. Although the amount of force applied to the balloon may be reduced to avoid damaging the balloon and/or any underlying structures, sufficient force must, nevertheless, be applied to completely form the balloon wings so as to achieve the desired cross-section. Complete formation of the wing includes imparting one or more creases into each wing. The creases help the balloon to attain a reduced profile by providing wings that are relatively flat and thus are easily folded to provide the balloon with a reduced diameter. Prior methods that form the wings by closing the blades about the balloon may be insufficient to provide creases which are adequate.
In light of the above, it is a goal of the present invention to provide a wing forming method and apparatus that reduces the friction between the balloon and blades, provides for improved ability to produce wings having uniform lengths and/or provides for improved crease formation.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. | {
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Phase shifter circuits allow control of insertion phase of a network. They find application in electronic circuitry, such as for example, for shifting the phase of signals propagating on a transmission line. One application in which phase shifters are commonly found is in phased-array and active-array antenna arrangements using transmit-receive (T/R) modules. In general T/R modules include phase shifters for receiving phase shift data and for forming antennae beam patterns and varying the phase of a RF signal.
FIGS. 1 and 2 depict traditional phase shifter equipment. Specifically, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional phased array radar 100 commonly found in the art. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, phased array radar 100 includes a power source 102 for supplying a predetermined supply voltage 108 to a plurality of T/P modules T/R1, T/R2, . . . T/RN. A supply voltage feed circuit 106 distributes supply voltage 1081, 1082, 1083, . . . 108N to the T/R modules T/R1, T/R2, . . . T/RN. Phased array radar 100 additionally includes an exciter 110 for generating RF signals that are fed to a RF signal circulator 114. RF signal circulator 114 is typically configured to provide the RF signals generated by the exciter 110, or RF signals received at a receiver 122, to the T/R modules T/R1, T/R2, . . . T/RN using a signal synthesizing and distribution circuit 116. Particularly, synthesizing and distribution circuit 116 receives the RF signals from circulator 114 and distributes RF signals 1301, 1302, . . . 130i to antennae 132 via T/R modules T/R1, T/R2, . . . T/RN. A control circuit 118 provides control signals 128 to the T/R modules T/R1, T/R2, . . . T/RN via a control signal distribution circuit 120. Control signal distribution circuit 120 receives control signal 1281, 1282, . . . 128N 128 from control circuit 118 and provides control signals 1281, 1282, . . . 128N to T/R modules T/R1, T/R2, . . . T/RN.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional T/R module 200 that may be used, for example, as any one of T/R modules T/R1, T/R2, . . . T/RN. T/R module 200 may include an input/output node 201 for transmitting a RF signal between the RF signal synthesizing and distribution circuit 116 (FIG. 1) and a phase shifter 202 and an input/output node 203 for transmitting a RF signal between an antenna 132 and an amplifier circuit 204. Phase shifter 202 and amplifier circuit 204 may be in communication for transmitting a RF signal therebetween. Moreover, it should be noted that any like numerous shown also in FIG. 1 are discussed above according to this exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
To facilitate understanding of the invention certain naming convention has been adopted. For example, as used herein, a RF signal received from synthesizing and distribution circuit 116 is called a “synthesized RF signal 1301-i.” A RF signal received from phase shifter 202 and provided to amplifier circuit 204 is called a “transmission RF signal.” A RF signal received from free space via antenna 132 and provided to amplifier circuit 204 for providing to phase shifter 202, is called a “received RF signal.”
As noted, phase shifter 202 is configured to shift the phase of transmission RF signals according to phase shift data. Amplifier circuit 204 is typically configured to amplify the transmission RF signal up to a predetermined level prior to providing the transmission RF signal to antenna 132, and to amplify received RF signals at a low noise.
A control circuit 206 for receiving a control signal 1281, 1282, . . . 1283 from control signal distribution circuit 120 (FIG. 1) outputs a plurality of predetermined phase setting signals (e.g. phase shift data PS1, PS2, . . .PSK) to a level conversion circuit 208. Level conversion circuit 208 typically receives the phase shift data PS1, PS2, . . . PSK from control circuit 206 and converts the phase shift data PS1, PS2, . . . PSK to an output voltage (e.g., converted phase shift data CPS1, CPS2, . . . CPSK) useful for driving the phase shifter 202.
Control circuit 206 is configured to output predetermined phase setting signals PS1, PS2, . . . PSK in accordance with control signals 1281, 1282, . . . 1283. Phase shifter 202 uses the phase setting signals PS1, PS2, . . . PSK in forming antenna beam patterns.
Notably, conventional phase shifters include a number of transistors that receive the phase setting signals PS1, PS2, . . . PSK to enable transistor operation and signal phase shifting. Thus, the phase setting signals PS1PS2, . . . PSK must be at a voltage level predetermined by the type of transistor used to enable transistor operation. For this purpose, phase shifter 200 may use a level conversion circuit 208 to convert phase setting signals PS1, PS2, . . . PSK to the voltage level required for transistor operation. The converted phase setting signals PS1, PS2. . . PSK (shown as CPS1, CPS2, . . . CPSK) may then be applied to the phase shifter 202 transistors as described below.
FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary schematic of a conventional phase shifter 202 useful with T/R module 200. Phase shifter 202 includes RF input/output terminals 301, 303 that are placed in communication one with the other using a ¼ wavelength transmission line 302. RF input/output terminal 301 may be in communication with an impedance conversion line 306, and RF input/output terminal 303 may be in communication with an impedance conversion line 304, where impedance conversion lines 304, 306 are useful for converting the input impedances of any later connected transistor elements into impedances for obtaining a desired phase shift. The transistors used in the phase shifter 202 are field effect transistors (FET) 308, 310 having their gates in communication with the level conversion circuit 208 (FIG. 2) for receiving converted phase setting signals CPS1, CPS2, . . . CPSK used to turn FETs 308, 310 on and off. FETs 308, 310 have their dc reference terminal 304, 311 placed at ground potential. Converted phase setting signals CPS1, CPS2, . . . CPSK may be biased by bias resistances 312, 314 and applied to the gate of FETs 308, 310 at gate terminals 305, 307 to enable proper FET 308, 310 operation.
One limitation placed on conventional phase shifter design is that gate terminals 305, 307 may only be driven by a voltage polarity consistent with the type of transistor included in the phase shifter 202. For example, for an N-type FET 308, 310 the gate terminal 305, 307 can only be driven with a negative voltage to control FET 308, 310 operation. Thus, converted phase setting signals CPS1, CPS2, . . . CPSK must have a negative polarity when applied to gate terminal 305, 307.
However, in some instances, it is desirable to provide the control signals received from control circuit 206 to T/R module circuit elements requiring a positive voltage polarity. For example, where the amplifier circuit 204 is comprised of transistors (not shown) requiring a positive voltage, it is necessary to convert the negative control voltages received from, for example, level conversion circuit 208 (e.g. CPS1, CPS2, . . . CPSK) to voltages having a positive potential. To address this problem, prior art phased-array antenna systems ordinarily used a logic inverter to reverse the polarity of the signal provided by the level conversion circuit. U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,413 discloses exemplary prior art systems and methods for conventional level conversion circuit operable to change the polarity of the control voltages provided by, for example, control circuit 206.
One drawback with the use of logic inverters to change the polarity of the control signals is that the size and power consumption of the T/R module is increased. When overall size and power consumption is a circuit design consideration, such as when the antenna array requires plurality T/R modules operating at high frequencies, it may be desirable to find ways to reduce the number of circuit elements included in the T/R module. | {
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Several classes of non-cyclic acetylenic compounds have been isolated from terrestrial plants as well as from marine organisms. Most of these compounds fall into the basic category referred to as the polyacetylenic compounds, having more than one acetylenic moiety. Several groups have reported the isolation of these polyacetylenic compounds from marine organisms. The acetylenic carbinols identified to date from marine organisms have been shown to contain more than one acetylenic carbinol moieties. See the following publications:
Cimino, G., A. Crispino, S. De Rosa, S. De Stefano and G. Sodano (1981) "Polyacetylenes from the sponge Petrosia ficiformis found in dark caves," Experientia 37:924-926. PA1 Fusetani, N., Y. Kato, S. Matsunaga and K. Hashimoto (1983) "Bioactive marine metabolites III. A novel polyacetylene alcohol, inhibitor of cell division in fertilized sea urchin eggs, from the marine sponge Tetrosia sp.," Tetrahedron Letters, 24 (27):2771-2774. PA1 Wright, A. E., O. J. McConnell, S. Kohmoto, M. S. Lui, W. Thompson and K. M. Snader (1987) "Duryne, a new cytotoxic agent from the marine sponge Cribrochalina dura," Tetrahedron Letters, 28 (13):1377-1380. PA1 Castiello, D., G. Cimino, S. De Rosa, B. De Stefano and G. Sodano (1980) "High molecular weight polyacetylenes from the nudibranch Peltodoris atromaculata and the sponge Petrosia ficiformis," Tetrahedron Letters 21:5047-5050. PA1 Cimino, G., A. DeGiulio, S. De Rosa, S. De Stefano and G. Sodano (1985) "Further high molecular weight polyacetylenes from the sponge Petrosia ficiformis," J. Natural Products, Vol. 48, 1:22-27. PA1 Quinoa, E. and P. Crews (1988) "Melynes, polyacetylene constituents from a Vanuatu sponge," Tetrahedron Letters, 29 (17):2037-2040. PA1 Rotem, M. and Y. Kashman (1979) "New polyacetylenes from the sponge Siphonochalina sp.," Tetrahedron Letters 34:3193-3106. PA1 Fusetani, N., M. Sugano, S. Matsunaga and K. Hashimoto (1987) "H,KATPase inhibitors from the marine sponge Siphonochalina truncata: Absolute configuration of siphonodiol and two related metabolites," Tetrahedron Letters, 28 (37):4311-4312. PA1 Hansen, L. and P. M. Boll (1986) "Polyacetylenes in Araliaceae: Their chemistry, biosynthesis and biological significance," Phytochemistry, 25 (2):285-293. PA1 (1) The invention compounds are non-cyclic monoacetylenic carbinols; PA1 (2) The invention compounds are unique in having a single terminal 3-ol, 4-en, 1-yne moiety attached to an alkyl chain; and, PA1 (3) These invention compounds are the first report of such acetylenic compounds known to possess immunosuppressive activities.
The compounds of the subject invention are clearly different from the prior art as follows: | {
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This invention relates to a method and apparatus to control tensioning by a winch disposed toward the lower drift of an inclined mine seam and coupled by a tension means to a cable trolley adapted to move along the face of a mine seam to guide and loop a trailing cable and/or water hose extending onto the mining machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a method and apparatus wherein the winch is controlled in response to a signal that varies with the distance between the cable trolley and the mining machine or a signal which varies with the pull by the trailing cable and/or water hose upon the mining machine and using the signal for controlling the winch to exert tension inversely proportional to the distance between the cable trolley and the mining machine.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,974, assigned to the Assignee of this invention, there is disclosed a cable carriage and spillplate housing assembly for a mining machine wherein the spillplate housing protectively encloses the cable carriage which includes a pulley to form a reverse bend in a cable. The cable extends along an internal duct in the housing and one end of the cable is connected to the mining machine. A tension reel includes a rope coupled to the cable carriage for advancing the carriage within the spillplate housing. The tension reel is supported at the end of the spillplate housing which is opposite from the end where the cable emerges from the housing. The cable includes an electrical power cable and hose which are separately carried by grooves in one or more pulleys. The cable carriage loops, guides and tensions the trailing cable by connection of the cable carriage to the tension reel forming a winch. The spillplate housing has a slot along the length thereof. The slot is normally closed by rubber strips to permit passage of the cable to the mining machine while moving along the course of travel at the mine face.
When the cable carriage or trolley is used to loop, guide and tension a drum-cutting mining machine disposed in an inclined mine seam, the tension or pull imposed on the trailing cable varies with the position of the cable trolley. The pull on the cable is produced by the tension exerted by the winch. The tension is transmitted by way of the cable trolley to the two portions of the looped and guided trailing cable. A pull is also imposed on the cable due to the downward force resulting from the weight of the trailing cable. This downward force varies with the slope of the seam and the length of the trailing cable portion extending from the cable inlet on the coal-cutting mining machine to the cable trolley. The downward force on the cable reaches a maximum when the mining machine is at the upper end of its travel where the cable trolley is located at the greatest distance from the mining machine; whereas the downward force on the cable is at a minimum when the cable trolley is at a point in travel closest to the mining machine which occurs at the lower end of the machine travel. The total force on the cable at the inlet on the mining machine is the sum of the downward force imposed on the cable and that portion of the tension imposed by the winch or tension reel upon the trailing portion of the cable. Consequently, when the mining machine moves, the pull by the trailing cable imposed on the cable inlet on the mining machine also varies continuously with the position of the cable trolley. The tension stress on the cable considerably affects its service life and, consequently, it is desirable to reduce the maximum value of the pull or tension on the cable and particularly fluctuations to the pull or tension. | {
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A globally recognized need to reduce sulfur levels in hydrocarbon streams such as gasoline and diesel fuels currently exists. The reduction of sulfur in such hydrocarbon streams may greatly improve air quality because of the negative impact sulfur has on performance of sulfur sensitive components such as automotive catalytic converters. The presence of oxides of sulfur in automotive engine exhaust may inhibit and eventually poison noble metal catalysts within catalytic converters and emission of those oxides of sulfur can have a negative impact on the environment. Emissions from inefficient or poisoned catalytic converters contain levels of many other undesirable materials, such as: non-combusted-non-methane hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, and carbon monoxide. Such emissions may be photoconverted by sunlight generating ground level ozone, known also as smog.
Thermally processed gasolines such as, for example, thermally cracked gasoline, visbreaker gasoline, coker gasoline and catalytically cracked gasoline (hereinafter collectively referred to as “cracked gasoline”) contain, in part, olefins, aromatics, sulfur, and sulfur-containing compounds. Given that most gasolines, such as, automobile gasolines, racing gasolines, aviation gasolines, boat gasolines, and the like contain blends of, at least in part, cracked gasoline, reduction of sulfur in cracked gasoline will inherently facilitate reduction of sulfur levels in most gasolines, including: automobile gasolines, racing gasolines, aviation gasolines, boat gasolines, and the like.
There is a growing public recognition that lower sulfur gasoline reduces automotive emissions and improves air quality. Thus, the US Environmental Protection Agency rules to date have focused on the required level of reduction, the geographical areas in need of lower sulfur gasoline, and the time frame for implementation.
As the concern over the impact of automotive air pollution continues, it is clear that further effort to reduce the sulfur level in automotive fuels will be required. In 2008, the US Environmental Protection Agency standards will effectively require every blend of gasoline sold in the United States to meet a 30-ppm sulfur level.
In addition to the need to be able to produce low sulfur content automotive fuels, there is also a need for the implementation of systems and processes that will have a minimal effect on the olefin content of such fuels so as to maintain the octane number (both research and motor octane number). Such systems and processes would be desirable since saturation of olefins greatly affects the octane number. Such adverse effect on the olefin content is generally due to the severe conditions normally employed, such as during hydrodesulfurization, to remove thiophenic compounds (such as, for example, thiophenes, benzothiophenes, alkyl thiophenes, alkylbenzothiophenes, alkyl dibenzothiophenes and the like) which are some of the most difficult sulfur containing compounds to remove from cracked gasoline. In addition, there is a need to avoid systems and processes wherein the conditions are such that the aromatic content of the cracked gasoline is lost through saturation. Thus, there is a need for systems and processes that achieves desulfurization and maintains the octane number.
However, current processes may have adverse effects on the olefin content which may be generally due to the severe conditions normally employed, such as during hydrodesulfurization, to remove thiophenic compounds (such as, for example, thiophenes, benzothiophenes, alkyl thiophenes, alkylbenzothiophenes, alkyl dibenzothiophenes and the like). In removing sulfur from diesel fuels by hydrodesulfurization, the cetane number is typically improved; however there is a large cost in hydrogen consumption, since hydrogen is consumed by both hydrodesulfurization and aromatic hydrogenation reactions.
In addition to the need for removal of sulfur from cracked gasolines, there is also a need for the petroleum industry to reduce the sulfur content in diesel fuels. In general, it is much harder to remove sulfur from diesel fuel as compared to gasoline. Further, the high-pressure and high temperature required by hydro desulfurization requires expensive capital equipment infrastructure and high operating cost to achieve mandated low levels of sulfur.
Thus, there is a need for a desulfurization system and process without a significant consumption of hydrogen so as to provide a more economical process for the treatment of cracked gasolines and diesel fuels.
Some prior art catalysts include harsh acids, such as sulfuric acid, which are difficult to separate from the reaction mixture and have demonstrated incomplete conversion of desired reaction components. Transition metal catalysts are typically more facile to separate from the reaction mixture owing to their substantially different physical and chemical properties. Solid state heterogeneous catalysts are particularly facile to separate from liquid and gaseous reaction mixtures.
As a result of the lack of success in providing a successful and economically feasible process for the reduction of sulfur levels in cracked gasolines and diesel fuels combined with the fact that crude oil supplies are growing more sour (sulfur-rich) each day, it is apparent that there is a need for better catalyst systems and processes for the desulfurization of such hydrocarbon streams which have minimal effect on octane levels while achieving high levels of sulfur removal.
Thus, there exists a need for an economical and efficient catalytic desulfurization process for the treatment of sulfur-containing hydrocarbon streams, e.g., crude and crude oil distillates. | {
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Polyimide resin is widely used for electric and electronic purposes due to its excellence in heat resistance, electric insulation reliability, chemical resistance, and mechanical properties. For example, polyimide resin is used as a substrate material and/or a surface protecting material for a flexible circuit board, an integrated circuit board, or the like. Alternatively, polyimide resin is used to provide a semiconductor device with an insulating film and/or a protective coating film, and also to provide a microcircuit with an interlayer insulating film and/or a protective film.
In particular, a cover lay film obtainable by applying an adhesive to a molded article such as a polyimide film or the like is used in a case where polyimide resin is used as a surface protecting material for a flexible circuit board. The cover lay film is generally bonded to the flexible circuit board by providing in advance, by punching or the like, an opening for a junction of the cover lay film with a terminal section or a component of a circuit, positioning the cover lay film and the flexible circuit board, and then carrying out thermo-compression bonding by hot pressing or the like with respect to the cover lay film and the flexible circuit board which have been positioned.
However, it is difficult to provide a fine opening for a thin cover lay film. Further, a cover lay film and a flexible circuit board are frequently manually positioned so as to be combined. This causes not only a deterioration in positional accuracy but also a deterioration in workability of the combining, and consequently causes an increase in cost.
Meanwhile, a solder resist, for example may be used as a surface protecting material for a circuit board. In particular, a solder resist having a photosensitive function is preferably used in a case where fine processing is required. A photosensitive resin composition which consists mainly of acid-modified epoxy acrylate, epoxy resin, or the like is used as such a photosensitive solder resist. However, the photosensitive solder resist is low in mechanical properties such as bending resistance and the like and large in cure shrinkage while being excellent in electric insulation reliability as an insulating material. Therefore, in a case where the solder resist is laminated on a circuit board such as a flexible circuit board or the like which is thin and rich in flexibility, the circuit board is largely warped. This makes it difficult to use the photosensitive solder resist for a flexible circuit board.
In recent years, an attempt has been made to protect, as below, confidential information which is included in a circuit pattern. The confidential information is protected by covering the circuit pattern by coloring black a cover lay film or a photosensitive solder resist, which serves as a surface protecting material for a circuit board, so as to provide the cover lay film or the photosensitive solder resist with coverability.
In particular, it is important for a photosensitive solder resist to have both (i) photosensitivity, flexibility, heat resistance, and plating resistance, and (ii) blackness and coverability. Against a background of this, various proposals have been made for allowing these properties to be apparent.
For example, a black photo solder resist which has sufficient blackness and is excellent in resolution has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).
Further, black photo solder resist ink which is highly photo-curable has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 2). | {
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In general, some semiconductor devices entail a wiring pattern where two or more metal wires are arranged side by side. Such a wiring pattern is used, for example, for a word line on a memory cell in a semiconductor device, such as a memory. Usually the metal wiring is designed so as to cover a specific width, so that all spaces between metal wires are widened to some extent.
FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of the wiring pattern on the conventional memory cell.
As shown in FIG. 1, the first passivation layer 2, i.e. a surface protective layer, is formed on a metal wire 1 in order to prevent deterioration due to humidity in the open air. For example, this first passivation layer 2 is formed in an about 0.4 .mu.m thickness by PSG. Further, the second passivation layer 3 is formed on the first passivation layer 2 in an about 0.55 .mu.m thickness by P (plasma)-SiN. Furthermore, an about 5 .mu.m thick protective layer, such as of polyamide, is formed on the second passivation layer 3.
FIG. 1 shows a case where a metal wiring design rule allows the side to side configuration to spread. In this semiconductor device, the wiring pattern was not so much refined, because the wire to wire space was designed relatively wide. If this case was compared to the passivation layer thickness, the wiring space to the adjacent metal wire 1 is so wide that the passivation layers on the metal wire 1 could not touch each other.
However, in recent years when semiconductor devices have been increasingly refined and micro-miniaturized, the stricter design rule must be established. In other words, sometimes passivation layers on adjacent metal wires can touch each other, because the design tends toward a narrower wire to wire space width.
It is considered that such passivation layers touching causes void portions to occur at the touching points.
FIG. 2 shows a pattern for the conventional metal wiring layer in a semiconductor substrate. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the wire to wire spacing on the metal wire 1 includes wider and narrower portions due to contacts, and a 0.9.+-.0.1 .mu.m width. The metal wire 1 itself is also about 0.9.+-.0.1 .mu.m wide. As shown in FIG. 2, numeric values are examples of metal wire width and wire to wire spacing (.mu.m in unit).
FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the semiconductor device at a wiring pattern A-A' shown in FIG. 2. This semiconductor device has a structure closely similar to the structure shown in FIG. 1. However, the semiconductor device design must be highly refined, due to the narrower wire to wire spacing between metal wires. Metal wire 1 is about 0.9.+-.0.1 .mu.m wide and 0.8 to 0.9 .mu.m thick. The first passivation layer 2, a surface protective layer, is formed on metal wire 1 to about 0.3 to 0.4 .mu.m thickness above the wire. Further, the second passivation layer 3 is formed on the first passivation layer 2 to about 0.55 .mu.m thickness above the first layer. Furthermore, a protective layer of e.g. polyamide is formed on the second passivation layer 3 to about 5 .mu.m thickness.
Accordingly, the passivation layer covering each metal wire is about 0.6 .mu.m wide, while the wire to wire spacing to the adjacent metal wires is about 0.9.+-.0.1 .mu.m. As a result, the adjacent portions of the second passivation layer 3 will overlap each other. Furthermore, since the first and second passivation layers 2 and 3 are formed on the metal wire 1 in an overhanging state, void portion 4 is formed between metal wires. The void portion 4 forms in a straw-like shape, if a semiconductor device for a memory includes the long metal wire 1.
As described above, such a void portion 4 occurs in a series of semiconductor device manufacturing processes, when the protective layer is formed after the formation of the metal wire 1. In the next padding, drilling, and mask matching processes, enclosed gas will thermally expand in a straw-like void portion 4 due to heating, such as photoresist baking and annealing.
As a result, the gas in the void portion 4 will burst out at both ends of the straw-like shape or the openings, so that photoresist foaming and so on can occur, which causes damage to the protective layers. If an escape hole is drilled in order to prevent such trouble, a special process therefor must be provided, which will reversibly affect efficiency. | {
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Chinese herbal and crude drugs can be stated as the fruit of long-established wisdom of human beings. Confirming the existence of strong carcinostatic activities in Rui-xiang-lang-du (Stellera chamaejasme. L, Euphorbia fischeriana Steud., E. ebiacteola Hayata) in the course of a study on carcinostatic Chinese herbal and crude drugs, the essences of whose carcinostatic activities have not yet been identified, the present inventors filed a patent application on a process for the collection of its carcinostatic substance (Japanese Patent Application No. 58126/1990). The application, however, did not deal to such an extent as efficiently isolating a compound having carcinostatic activities and confirming its effectiveness against solid cancer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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It is advantageous in seismic data processing and interpretation to reduce a seismic data volume to its internal reflection-based surfaces or horizons. Collectively, these surfaces form the skeleton of the seismic volume. Many methods have been described to extract or track one horizon or surface at a time through a volume of seismic data. Most of these methods create surfaces that eventually overlap themselves. Thus, the same surface may have multiple depths (or reflection times) associated with the same spatial position. Some methods prevent multi-valued surfaces by discarding all but one value per location. Typically, they store only the first one encountered during the execution of the process and simply do not record later ones. Moreover, if multiple surfaces are tracked, one surface may overlay another surface at one location, while the opposite relationship occurs at another location. Collectively, these situations may be termed topologically inconsistent. The published approaches to date, some of which are summarized below, largely ignore topological consistency.
In “The Binary Consistency Checking Scheme and Its Applications to Seismic Horizon Detection,” IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 11, 439-447 (1989), Cheng and Lu describe a method to extract the seismic skeleton from two dimensional data. Problems introduced by the third dimensions are neither discussed nor resolved. The procedure uses an iterative approach where strong horizons are tracked initially, while weaker ones are tracked in later iterations. At any iteration, the tracking is confined to areas delineated by horizons already tracked in earlier iterations. Tracking is preformed by correlating multiple neighboring traces simultaneously. Combining the two approaches allows incorporation of the geologic fabric into the results. This method is also described in “An Iterative Approach to Seismic Skeletonization,” Lu and Cheng, Geophysics 55, 1312-1320 (1990).
In “Seismic Skeletonization: A New Approach to Interpretation of Seismic Reflection Data,” Journal of Geophysical Research—Solid Earth 102, 8427-8445 (1997), L1, Vasudevan, and Cook describe the utility of using the seismic skeleton for the interpretation of seismic data. The seismic skeleton is two dimensional, and when a horizon splits, the decision regarding which branch to follow is not geologically motivated. Instead, the method attempts to correlate events across three neighboring traces in such a way that dip changes are minimized. The method includes only iterative growing of horizons.
Further, “Adaptation of Seismic Skeletonization for Other Geoscience Applications,” Vasudevan, Eaton, and Cook, Geophysical Journal International 162, 975-993 (2005), is a continuation of the earlier work, realizing that skeletonization has geoscience applications beyond seismic processing and interpretation.
In “Branch And Bound Search For Automatic Linking Process Of Seismic Horizons,” Huang, Pattern Recognition 23, 657-667 (1990), Huang discloses a two dimensional method of horizon growth allowing horizons to cross and penetrate each other, which violates the stratigraphic paradigm that geologic strata do not cross. The method reveals only the generation of horizons by picking events, peaks for example, building a tree of all potential linkages between these events, and then selecting the ones which yield the most linear horizons. Branches of the linage tree are chosen to minimize a cost function of horizon nonlinearity.
“How To Create And Use 3D Wheeler Transformed Seismic Volumes,” de Groot, de Bruin, and Hemstra, SEG 2006 discloses an interpretation method that interpolates horizons with sub-sampling resolution by following the local dips and strikes, organizes these horizons in sequential order, and visualizes these horizons or attributes thereon in a depositional domain by flattening of the horizons or attribute volumes along the horizons. Specifically, the algorithm requires the input of major horizons which need to be picked with an alternative method, such as manual picking. Within an interval bracketed by major horizons, minor horizons are interpolated either parallel to the top or bottom horizons, linearly interpolated in between, or following the local dip and strike orientations estimated from seismic attributes. By construction, the interpolated minor horizons are not crossing through each other.
In a paper submitted for the 70th EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers) Conference and Exhibition, Rome, Italy, Jun. 9-12, 2008, and available for download at www.earthdoc.org beginning May 26, 2008, entitled “An Approach of Seismic Interpretation Based on Cognitive Vision,” Verney et al. disclose a method for geology-based interpretation of seismic data by using artificial intelligence tools based on “cognitive vision.” First order reflector continuity is detected using voxel connectivity in the seismic data. Then, a visual characterization step is performed. For example, chronological relationships are established based on whether a reflector lies above or below another. Finally, geological horizons are identified from the reflectors by fusing all nodes that (a) share similar visual attributes (amplitude, thickness, dip), and (b) are located at similar distances from at least one other reflector. The result is a set of chronologically ordered horizons.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,024,021, “Method for Performing Stratigraphically-Based Seed Detection in a 3-D Seismic Data Volume,” to Dunn and Czernuszenko, discloses a three-dimensional geobody picker and analyzer. In this patent, a few select geobodies are picked, which may include geobodies having attribute values within a specified range or geobodies adjacent to certain attribute values. During picking, the geobodies are analyzed using a map view criteria to detect and eliminate self-overlapping geobodies, and yielding composite geobodies instead. The composite geobodies satisfy at least the topological condition of no self overlaps, but the boundaries between geobodies are determined by the order in which the voxels are detected.
In “System and Method for Displaying Seismic Horizons with Attributes” (PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2007046107), James discloses a seismic autopicker that generates single valued horizons and often takes the correct branch when horizons split. The interpreter initializes the method by manually selecting one or multiple seed points within the seismic data volume. The algorithm uses the seed points to pick a set of secondary points from neighboring traces which are then treated as new seed points, and the procedure repeats. Secondary picks that led to self overlap are rejected, but topological consistency with other horizons is not revealed. The algorithm is basically based on controlled marching.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,488 to Cacas (“Method of Sedimentologic Interpretation by Estimation of Various Chronological Scenarios of Sedimentary Layers Deposition”) discloses a method of organizing seismic and geologic horizons into a hierarchy using the above/below relationships to facilitate their stratigraphic interpretation. The method automatically extracts pertinent information for sedimentologic interpretation from seismic data by using estimations of realistic chronological scenarios of sedimentary layers deposition. The algorithm begins by thresholding the seismic data and using morphological thinning to create individual horizons. If multiple horizons intersect, then the most linear pair is combined, while the others are explicitly disconnected. The method then iteratively estimates a first and a second chronological scenario of the deposition of sedimentary layers, assuming respectively that each reflector settles at the earliest and at the latest possible moment during the sedimentary depositional process. Starting with reference horizons, the algorithm basically enumerates the horizons upwards and downwards to establish relative orders. An interpretation of these two chronological scenarios is eventually carried out so as to reconstruct the depositional conditions of the sedimentary layers.
The differences in the relative orders are used to estimate the scenario uncertainty.
GB Patent No. 2,444,167 to Cacas (“Method for Stratigraphic Interpretation of Seismic Images”) discloses a method for stratigraphic interpretation of a seismic image for determination of the sedimentary history of the subsurface. The method involves automatically tracking events creating at least one horizon, selecting horizons with similar seismic attributes extracted from a window at or near the horizons, and flattening the seismic volume along the selected horizons.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,248,539 to Borgos (“Extrema Classification”) discloses a method of horizon patch formation and merging by common membership in clusters of waveforms and patch properties. The method picks horizons by extracting, e.g., all peaks, but correlates them by clustering of waveforms. Picks belonging to the same cluster are used to define horizons patches which are merged into larger horizons by properties such as cluster indices, position, or seismic attributes. Specifically, the method defines with sub-sample precision the positions of seismic horizons through an extrema representation of a 3D seismic input volume. For each extrema, it derives coefficients that represent the shape of the seismic waveform in the vicinity of the extrema positions and sorts the extrema positions into groups that have similar waveform shapes by using unsupervised or supervised classification of these coefficients. It then extracts surface primitives as surface segments that are both spatially continuous along the extrema of the seismic volume and continuous in class index in the classification volume. By filtering on properties, such as class index, position, attribute values, etc. attached to each patch, a set of patches can be combined into a final horizon interpretation. Three primary applications of the surface primitives are revealed: combining surface primitives into complete horizons for interpretations; defining closed volumes within the seismic volume as the closure of vertically arranged surface primitives; or estimating fault displacement based on the surface primitives.
Monsen et al. (“Geologic-process-controlled interpretation based on 3D Wheeler diagram generation,” SEG 2007) extended U.S. Pat. No. 7,248,539 to Borgos by extracting above/below relationships for the patches and used these relationships to derive a relative order of patches which satisfies these constraints by application of a topological sort. Flattened horizons are then positioned in this relative order to allow interpretation in the depositional Wheeler domain. The SEG abstract is the basis for U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0140319, published on Jun. 12, 2008.
GB Patent No. 2,375,448 to Pedersen (“Extracting Features from an Image by Automatic Selection of Pixels Associated with a Desired Feature, Pedersen”) discloses a method to construct surfaces, such as horizons and faults from a few select seed points. The method interpolates between the seed points and extrapolates away from the seed points by generating many paths which slowly converge to lines (in two dimensions) or surfaces (in three dimensions). The method is based on the way ants leave the colony to forage for food. Initially, their paths are nearly random, but each ant leaves a trail of pheromones. Ants follow each other's scent, and over time, short successful paths emerge. This strategy was adapted to horizon tracking where success is defined by the coherency of the seismic data along the path. For fault picking, success appears to be defined by the incoherency along the path. Over time, individual segments grow, and some may merge to form larger surfaces. In a follow-up step, segments are connected depending on their orientations and projected trajectories.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,106 (“Method and Apparatus for Creating Horizons from 3-D Seismic Data”) to Viswanathan discloses a method for computer-assisted horizon picking by allowing the user to delete partial horizons and use the remaining horizon as seed points for automatic picking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,365 (“Apparatus and Method for Evaluation of Picking Horizons in 3-D Seismic Data”) to Sitoh discloses a method to evaluate the quality of horizon picks by applying different picking strategies and parameter to allow crosschecking of results.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,845 to Stark discloses a method to convert seismic data to a domain of relative geologic time of deposition. The method is based on the unwrapping of seismic instantaneous phase data.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,771,800 (“Method of Chrono-Stratigraphic Interpretation of A Seismic Cross Section Or Block”) to Keskes et al. discloses a method to transform seismic data into the depositional or chronostratigraphic domain. They construct virtual reflectors, discretize the seismic section or volume, count the number of virtual reflectors in each pixel or voxel, and renormalizing this histogram. By doing this procedure for every trace, they create a section or volume where each horizontal slice approximates a horizon indicating a geologic layer deposited at one time. This section or volume is then used to transform the data into the depositional or chronostratigraphic domain. However, the reference does not disclose the creation of surfaces, nor breaking or merging of surfaces, nor topology or topological consistency.
What is needed is a method that generates topologically consistent reflection horizons from seismic (or attribute) data or any geophysical data, preferably one that generates multiple horizons simultaneously. The present invention fulfills this need. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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